Our port of call for today was Amber Cove, Dominican Republic. Arriving around 8am, we were soon flanked by another ship – the Regal Princess. She is a big one, built in 2013, with 3560 passengers. Gross tonnage is 142,714. Quite a bit larger than the N. Statendam at under 100,000 gross ton.
Before going over the terminal complex, we had some business to take care of. We have been prompted to fill out the information for our return cruise on the N. Amsterdam on April 7th. Specifically, the boarding passes and luggage tags that need to be completed could be done now. Before joining this ship back in December, we only had to print the boarding passes and luggage tags for the first cruise. After that, since we were already on board, the front desk folks had all the info they needed. Our room cards were good from December 19th to April 6th. Easy. But now we will need to have those passes and tags for the last sailing, as if we were boarding for the first time. We will spend one night in Ft. Lauderdale, and hopefully will have the Covid testing coordinated for boarding. The Covid testing requirements may have changed since last December, and may work in our favor with an extra day given before boarding the N. Amsterdam. Jonah, bless her, is working on the transition and the actual printing of the documents.
So with that job done, we were off to Amber Cove, which is a Carnival-built enclosed complex with stuff to do and places to eat and drink. Considering that we were in port with a lot of Princess folks, this place seemed to absorb the crowd well. Of course, there were some tours out of here, and certainly, some people did them. The walk to get to the terminal is not really that long, but they do offer a tuk-tuk bike service from the ships to the buildings. This is the first time we saw a sign near the doors that said the service is complimentary, but tips are appreciated. You never saw such quick service as the locals peddled the guests back and forth. The faster they went, the more possible tips they could earn.. A win-win for all, we guess.
We took our usual stroll around the pool area, under the zipline, passing the dozens of lounges and rentable cabanas over the water. One may have been rented for the day. It was only 11:30am, but some of the younger guests were lining up for the Nathan's hotdogs. By the way, some of the Dominican specialties are queso frito, or a fried cheese. Sancocho is a thick stew using five meats and served with rice and avocado slices. Arroz con pollo is rice and beans with chicken parts. Finally, pescado al coco is fish in a coconut sauce. And you find none of these dishes served here, although we are not sure as we never dined at their restaurant.
The next trip was up the small mountain lined with misters to the top. Up there is a big tented café with a round bar. The best part of going up there is the breeze and the view. Not sure where the water comes from with those misters, but we felt it best to leave the masks on. In fact we did the whole time we were there, as it was required by local law. Very few people did the same.
For a change, there were some young kids in the crowd. They took the steep walk and a series of stairs to access the curley tube ride with ease. Ever heard that youth is wasted on the young??? We agree. Don't think they were old enough for the zipline.
Darting in and out of the stores, we ended up at the far end where there are benches in the shade. This side of the complex faces a private resort which is off-limits to everyone here. And visa-versa. It was about then, that the skies turned dark, and it began to sprinkle. Not bad, actually it felt good. By the time we reached the craft market tents, the sky literally opened up, and it down-poured like we were in the Amazon. Pounding the tent and blowing sideways, the vendors admitted that this happens every day, and it would be over soon. People scrambled into stores and under cover….even those who had been swimming. That makes us laugh, when they rush to get out of the water, only to get wet in the rain. Why not just stay in the pool? As long as there is no lightning, then it is OK. Not sure if they cleared the pool just in case?
Now was a good time to go for the free charm at DI. However the marble floors had gotten wet, and was dangerous. Instead of being led to the very back of the store (a ploy to get you to check out their merchandise), I wisely waited at the door. Easiest sand dollar charm and bracelet yet.
Our two hour tour was up, so we headed back to the ship. The rain had stopped and the sun was coming back out. Now we can see why the mountains and hillsides are so green. And that explains the murky color of the water, with all of the river runoff.
After checking the not-so-exciting dinner menu, we decided it was time to pay a visit to the Pinnacle Grill tonight. As long as one of us was not missing the spaghetti and meatballs, it was fine. We snacked a bit for lunch and drank lots of soda to cool off. Then did our usual computer work while watching the activity with the Royal Princess, again, just yards away from us. Their veranda guests were doing the same as us….relaxing, reading, or snoozing. The Princess folks were much more reserved than yesterday's Carnival folks. The only noise we kept hearing was the breeze that was created between the two ships, like a cool wind tunnel in fact. Then the sound coming from the Regal's movie on their Lido pool deck was really loud. And the rain never returned, just like the locals predicted.
As we left the pier, the Regal Princess blew their horn, the beginning tune of the Love Boat theme rang through the air. Strangely enough, our Captain, once again, chose not to respond. Why, we wondered, as he did give three toots for the departing pilot. In the beginning, Captain Eric was the hornblower. But not so much now.
Our meal in the Pinnacle Grill was perfect. So was the service. Not at all crowded, we had a nice table for two at the window. Our wedge salads came first with some clothes hanger bacon on the plate already. Warm bread was added with the two types of spreads….one a garlic butter, and the other we suspect to be a cream cheese with pimento. Both were tasty.
Entrees were the 7 ounce tenderloin with two huge tempura onions rings. The plates were steaming hot, and remained so through the meal. Sides were a shared baked potato and a bowl of sauted mushrooms. Desserts were vanilla and chocolate ice cream, a little lighter than the lime cheesecake or almost baked Alaska. Ending by 9:15pm was perfect.
Tomorrow we will have a wonderful day at sea as we are on our way to the ABC islands down south.
Bill & Mary Ann
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Report #82 Amber Cove, Dominican Republic Wednesday-March 9, 2022 Cloudy With Sun And Rain 75 Degrees
