Costa Magica -casa de campo

[gtmarcus1]

General information on this port suggests that some cruise lines operate shuttle buses between the port and Altos de Chavon, as well as between the port and the marina.

Does anyone know whether Costa provides this service, or whether it is provided by the port?

[REVDONAUCTIONEER]

General information on this port suggests that some cruise lines operate shuttle buses between the port and Altos de Chavon, as well as between the port and the marina.

Does anyone know whether Costa provides this service, or whether it is provided by the port?

 

We were at this port this past week (11/26 -- 12/3). We paid $15.00 round trip to go shopping. The cab took us and waited on us. I saw no free shuttles.

 

Don

[gtmarcus1]

We were at this port this past week (11/26 -- 12/3). We paid $15.00 round trip to go shopping. The cab took us and waited on us. I saw no free shuttles.

 

Don

 

Thanks for your reply. Did you go shopping in Altos de Chavon? Is it worth going there? Were you able to use US dollars for the taxi, and for purchases?

GTM

[snipboy]

Costa does not provide shuttles, but the Port Authority does. They are $5PP each way, either to downtown La Romanna to shop or to Altos De Chavon. It is about 5 minutes to downtown La Romanna from the port. It is 20-25 minutes from the port to Altos. Both are worthwhile trips in my opinion...however there are some caveats. There is a lot of poverty in La Romanna. However, i'd say Ocho Rios is worse on the poverty scale. There were police everywhere though.

 

We took the advice of an angry passenger and took a private cab instead of the shuttles. The cab drivers do not speak English. The Port Authority has translators to help communicate with them and negotiate. The passenger took the shuttles into town only to find out he could have hired a cab and paid about the same to do the city and Altos. I think it is a toss up. I saw a lot of Port Authority shuttle stands in the city where you could grab a shuttle back into town. Seemed very well organized. On the other hand, we enjoyed the local flavor we got from our taxi driver. We paid 35$ for 2 hours and 45 minutes of touring and shopping. That seemed a bit high, but he did service us relatively well. He spoke zero English and we spoke halting Spanish. It was fun trying to communicate.

 

I am pretty sure the cabbies and the few store owners have agreements for shopping. One hand pays the other. So prices were much higher in the shops and owners were reluctant or unwilling to negotiate. Kind of surprising. It was the same deal with the cabbie. We wanted to do the tour for 30, he wouldn't take less than 35. No one else was willing either. Everyone seemed really happy with themselves and each other making themselves relatively rich off of us tourists. My wife considers it all a contribution to the 3rd world and won't let me complain. I digress...

 

After shopping in La Romanna we took the half hour trip to Altos De Chavon. You go through a lot of nothing and sugar cane fields to get there. But once you get there...wow. It truly is amazing, and the views of the Chavon river are stunning. We wished we spent the day there instead of messing around with La Romanna. The security guard to the place said that we had to pay on the way out of the fascility---$5pp. We got lost on the grounds and came out on a different side, hopped in the cab and realized we hadn't paid. We got differing feedback on whether we should have paid or not to get in. I felt ripped off overall by Dom Rep, so I cared less that day.

 

I say all that and still say it was a worthwhile port of call.

snip

[mtl kid]

I will be on the Magica in March 2007 and noticed that this year the Catalina Island stop that was our favourite is no longer there but they replaced it with the Casa De Campo stop instead. My question is can we still be directed to a beach at this stop and do they supply the food on their private beach like they always did. Hoping to hear from someone on this detail:rolleyes: !