Our port of call for today was Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, which is part of the island of Hispaniola, the second largest Caribbean island next to Cuba. The other part of this island is Haiti. Amber Cove is actually a manmade complex, much like the port in Grand Turk yesterday. And it is our fourth and final time here.
We were not alone, as the Carnival Mardi Gras was slowly making its way to dock alongside of us. Remember the original Mardi Gras? Well this is the newest Mardi Gras at a whopping 181,808 gross tons, and the capacity to hold up to 6500 passengers (full berth). Even the crew number is big at 2000 people. It was christened in 2020, but did not sail until 2021. It is the largest of the Carnival ships to date.
Although the Dominican Republic boasts it has 1000 miles of beaches, there are none immediately available in the Amber Cove area. That requires a taxi ride, even to the town of nearby Puerto Plata.
We could tell when we arrived to the pier, that recently there had been a huge storm that dumped a lot of rain. Torrential rain, which is normal since this is a rain forest area. The color of the water was a murky brown with recent run-off. No wonder there were few locals on the small spit of beach at the entrance to the cove.
No sooner than we had arrived, it was announced that several tours had been cancelled, and not to panic, they would be credited to their accounts. It was also added to bring raincoats as the clouds suggested more rain to come. The last time we were here, a sudden thunderstorm sent a downpour within seconds, sending tourists running for cover.
So with shore excursions cancelled, and poor weather conditions, we figured most folks from both ships would decide to stay here, or on the ships. At this point, we wondered if it was wise to be exposed to so many people? Wearing masks and using sanitizer settled that question.
So we left the ship with umbrellas around 10:30am. And yes, there were a ton of people heading to the complex, ready for the swimming pool. Or shopping, lunch, or the zip line. The tuk-tuk drivers were very busy bringing people to the entrance….not such a long walk, but a nice free service (tips appreciated).
Like we expected, everywhere we went was full of passengers, including a lot of kids of all ages. Remember, Carnival folks are the fun ones. They were already into learning a line dance near the pool area with some really loud music. We could see that more of the cabanas had been rented, even the largest one at over $1100. We guess that these can be shared with several people. Too bad it was such a bad day for swimming or boating in the cove.
The zip line was very busy with a lot of people using it. From the young to the old, they were liking the thrill of the zip. For $20, you can do it all day, as long as you don't tire of the walk up the steep pathway to get strapped in. That was where we headed after strolling around the pool. Judging by the color of the beach towels, we bet there were 10 Carnival guests to 1 HAL guest.
Up at the tented bar/restaurant, we took a bunch of photos. This time the mangrove outside the complex was full of white egrets, only dirty from the muddy water. They also mixed with the cows in an adjacent field. Except for one vulture, those were about all the birds we saw today.
This was the first time we saw no empty tables at the restaurant/bar. There was no shortage of burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and fish and chips among other things. Pricy, but it sure did not stop anyone. Even the shops were over-crowded with shoppers. Masks were required, and in most places, you had to use sanitizer. That was the only good thing. All of the high end jewelry stores were full as well. But they did take the time to gift the charms once again. Even local dancers entertained in the center of the courtyard. People from the Mardi Gras were pulled up on the stage to sing with them. Pretty funny…….
After a two hour walk, we decided it was time to head back. And besides the wind had picked up, and we were certain the rain was coming. Wrong…it never did.
Back at the ship, we lunched in our room, and watched as the ship pulled away from the pier by 4:45pm. The Mardi Gras was still docked, but not for long we suspect. They had to wait for the pilot to escort them out after we left.
Reading Cruise Critic, we discovered that about 60 in transit people had tested positive prior to our arrival to Florida. That has to be the biggest number yet. No wonder we had to be re-tested. The rumor with that was another 25 folks were detected, and had to be quarantined on the ship. And to top that off, some folks came down with the virus after they got home. We are staying ever vigilant, with hopes of making it through healthy to sail the final cruise on the N. Amsterdam.
Nothing looked appealing on tonight's dining room menu, so we opted for the Pinnacle Grill. Calling the front desk at 10am, it took 5 minutes before the call was answered. This was not the first time for such delays, leaving us to think they are short-staffed. Anyway, for dinner we had the wedge salads with clothes line bacon. Even though we had asked for two pieces of bacon on the salad plate, they came hanging…..one tray for each of us. Oh well, we did enjoy the slice of pickle. That was followed by the entrees of their 7 ounce filet mignon, baked potatoes, and mushrooms. With the addition of warm bread, we were totally full. No room for petit fours or dessert, we left happy campers.
Tomorrow will be a day at sea, most welcomed…..And we already received our "walking papers" for disembarking on April 6th. Will have to follow up on that and some other questions we have.
Bill & Mary Ann
Thursday, March 31, 2022
Report #103 Amber Cove, Dominican Republic Wednesday March 30, 2022 Cloudy And Dreary 75 Degrees
