Amber Cove Cruise Port
Amber Cove Cruise Port things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Updates: We visited again in late March 2024 on Carnival Venezia. We did a rinse and repeat of our last time here. It was much sunnier this time and warmer. We did try out the large hammocks to the right as you walk into the pool area this time. While they were really fun and nice in the morning as the sun got it they got really hot! even though they are semi shaded with pergolas. Also added a few new pictures. Picture tip with the "Amber Cove" sign, don't get your people to stand by the signs themselves as they are so far away you can't make them out. Have them stand about half way so the people fill out the area in between the signs. • Visited on a Tuesday in late December 2023 on Carnival Vista. • We were first ship there and arrived at 7AM. We were off the ship around 7:30. The pool itself didn’t open until 8AM. Please be aware the time on land is an hour off of ship time. • We did not buy any extras including the water slides. We were trying to do this trip relatively cheap. • It was overcast at first and kind of raining/misting. It did eventually clear up in the afternoon. We only stayed out for 4 hrs until about noon. We knew there wasn’t much shade and we had prime choice of whatever we wanted. We hung out near the bathrooms in the back. We played near the bridges in the pool to use for shade. Soon after the carnival celebration arrived it was super packed and everyone was hunting for seats. We went around the pool a couple of times but as they got a loud music playing near the bar area, we just stayed at the zero entry part and played there. • We decided it was way to crowded in the pool and were hungry, so we went back onto the ship. • We did stop by all the shops before going back onto the ship. We wanted to look for pins of Amber Cover/Dominican Republic but were only able to find a couple at one shop and it wasn’t great but we were desperate and bought it anyways. There was a huge line at this point for pictures with the AMBER COVE sign. We just stood off to the side and got a picture instead of waiting. We also got pictures at the pier where it also had a “Amber Cove” sign. • We would visit again and probably do the same thing. Not sure if we would do anything different. Maybe get the pictures we wanted first with few people around and then go to the pool. It all depends on what time your ship arrives and if there are other ships that will be in port as well. You can check the port schedule before hand for the date your cruise should be there so you have an idea of who else will be there and what time.
David LieuDavid Lieu
10
We did the Waterfalls of Damajagua excursion with our Carnival Celebration Cruise Ship. Do not be afraid to take on this adventure. Yes, it involves a hike, but they take so many breaks that you don't even get a chance to become winded! They also give you two bottles of water and encourage you to save them. We all ended up giving back a whole bottle of water because we didn't drink on the way up, expecting it to become strenuous! Drink your water! We went down 7 slides and were in the water for about 20 minutes. It is chilly, so any longer would have gotten uncomfortable. I wore long Irontide shorts and a rash guard swimsuit. This really helped me not to get beaten up by the rocks. My phone remained secure & dry in my pocket. We weren't too hot hiking up because you are mostly in the shade of trees. If you wear prescription glasses, the guide will hold them for you during each slide and then give them back while you are walking in the water. You can not wear sunglasses. I have a cataract, so sun exposure is not an option. I bought transition contact lenses, and they worked perfectly. You can see the waterfalls from the zip lines, just sayin'! The guides take awesome pictures and video's and sell them for $50 after the excursion. They give you a zip drive. You have to ASK where to get your pictures after the excursion ends and before you get back on the bus. They do not PUSH that sale like they do in Mexico!! We did not take extra clothes. We dried out on the hike down. You can rent a locker with your cruise Sail & Sign card, but we didn't need one. You can wear any water shoes or tennis shoes in the water. NO CROCS, though. After our excursion, my hubby and I took a taxi into Puerto Plata Town to see umbrella street, pink street, and eat at the authentic Dominican Republic restaurant, Polanco. We had two hours. The taxi ride takes 21 minutes EACH WAY. Trust the taxi drivers when they tell you that they WILL get you back to the ship in time! I wanted to go to the port chocolate shop, buy Mama Juana, and buy a Christmas tree ornament BEFORE going on our excursion. I took advantage of the island bikes to quickly get to the Amber Cove port shops, back to the ship and back to the Amber Cove port shopping area before our excursion (yes, the cruise dock is longer than usual). I knew we would not have time to shop at the port AND go into Puerto Plata Town after our excursion.
Jennifer HeinzeJennifer Heinze
10
Amber Cove is a port in the Dominican Republic created and maintained by Carnival Cruises. Since it is owned by Carnival and everyone there is either a cruiser or has paid to enter, one would expect that the food might be included while there but it is not. I feel like that is especially problematic for people who have purchased drink packages. The grounds are made up of an area of small shops, a pool area and several cabanas that can be rented ahead of time. There were two ships there the day were were there and finding a lounger around the pool was nearly impossible. The pool is gigantic and beautiful and winds around with several areas and depths. There is also a dedicated childrens pool. The issue is that the pool is very challenging to get into. One section is a gradual entry which can’t be done with an electric wheelchair. The rest is large steps that are 1-2 foot drops. There are motorized lifts, but they do not have directions on them and only have a sign that says “Caution: Tipping Hazard” which did not make me confident enough to use especially since it was a hard seat type and the ones we have used have always been the sling seat type. It was only after I struggled in and out with several other passengers helping me that I noticed that there was a lifeguard on duty who offered no assistance. The pathways around amber cove sand from the ship are navigable and for those who can’t manage the long walk from the ship to entry, there are bicycle cabs at no cost (but tips are encouraged). The bike cabs drive on one side of the pier (right towards the cove/left towards the ship) and they expect everyone to know this. It would be nice if that were indicated somewhere or if the lane was painted on the ground so that we knew right away where the bikes road. The pool atmosphere is a lot like any resort with the entertainer bringing people up to do contests and such. There is a swim up bar that takes cash or credit so make sure to have a way to bring currency into the pool with you. All in all, it is a day in the sun in the Caribbean so it’s hard to say it is a bad time, but there are a few ways that this experience could be more accessible as well as better suited to handle the number of people since Carnival knows the exact number going in on any given day.
Jo MVJo MV
20
There's not much to do except shop unless you do an excursion from the cruise liner. Heads up though, if you just walk outside the Amber Cove area, you can get a taxi that will take you to Puerto Plata about 20 minutes away where you can visit the city center and shop, go to a decent sized beach, and get some food. This is a much cheaper option than doing the excursion ($60 for a group of 4 of us by taxi for the whole day) The taxi driver stays with you and you go to historic downtown to site-see and shop a bit. (some of the cruise line excursions come down here as well) I'd be slightly cautious interacting with the shops here since the prices were extremely erratic. I bought cigars that they tried to sell to me for $75, but ultimately reduced the price to $35 when I kept politely declining to pay that much. We got to tour the church, the statues at the center of town, and shop while at the city center. Unfortunately I can only share the pictures of the church, but it was a decent area to site see, nothing incredible, but worth the trip at least. Then we went to a restaurant on a beach and ate chicken mofongo and fries then went swimming for a while. All in all, not a bad experience for $60 all day taxi. To be honest though, I wasn't too impressed with what we saw so you may be better off doing an excursion if it will take you to the more beautiful parts of the island. If you're not looking to spend $70-140 per person on an excursion though, it's a totally legitimate way to spend the day and tour some of the island.
Ryan TamasRyan Tamas
20
A great place to visit easily from your docked cruise ship. Simply grab your swim gear and walk down the pier. You only need to show your cruise card to clear back to your ship. There are many free beach chairs to use by the pools. ( umbrellas are for rent a and staff will bring them to your chairs and set up). There is a nice splash pool for little kids too. You can easily walk back to your ship for lunch and drinks and a break from the sun or to drop off any purchases you made from the many stores located in this port area. There are free public bathrooms, a restaurant, swim up bar and pool lounge chair service for those wishing to purchase food or drinks all in the pool area. Enjoy the upbeat music and sunshine. They offer many extra to purchase too, like pool floats, regular and fish massages. You can add on zip lining or a waterslide pass too (which looked like fun). If you venture out of the shop side, opposite the aqua area there is a small beach to relax at if you prefer. This was an easy, relaxing day in the sun . We really enjoyed this day in port. .
SanJSanJ
10
The area was built to accommodate cruise passengers. From all the reviews we read, we made the decision to spend the day in the aqua zone. That was a terrible decision! Two large cruise ships were in port at the same time and the aqua zone was packed! There were no chairs available and the pools were filled to capacity. The chairs were pushed up one right after the other in long lines. There were a few umbrellas scattered around. We have visited many water parks and this area was similar, but not made for mass crowds. They claim there is a lazy river, but I don't think it really qualifies to be called a lazy river. There were so many people in it there was no floating lazily. The hilltop bar had some pretty views. The drinks were weak though. The shopping area was a typical tourist trap. High prices of local goods. To take a taxi to the nearest town was more expensive than we expected. It is a better deal to take a ship excursion. If your cruise ports include this stop I highly recommend getting an excursion that takes you out to see the sights.
Shondra JShondra J
20
Nearby Attractions Of Amber Cove Cruise Port
Playa Teco Maimón
Amber Cove
Amber Cove Pool and Lazy River
Amber Cove sign
Amber Cove Excursions
Amber Cove Cruise Terminal
Playa Teco Maimón
4.4
(63)Click for details
Amber Cove
4.7
(34)Click for details
Amber Cove Pool and Lazy River
4.6
(20)Click for details
Amber Cove sign
4.9
(12)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Amber Cove Cruise Port
La Goleta Bar Restaurant
La Goleta Bar Restaurant
4.7
(18)Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Maimón, 57000, Dominican Republic
Map
Phone
+1 829-735-0272
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Website
ambercove.com
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Reviews
Overview
4.6
(4.2K reviews)
Ratings & Description
outdoor
entertainment
family friendly
Description
Amber Cove is a cruise terminal in Puerto Plata Province in the Dominican Republic. The terminal includes lodging and retail stores.
attractions: Playa Teco Maimón, Amber Cove, Amber Cove Pool and Lazy River, Amber Cove sign, Amber Cove Excursions, Amber Cove Cruise Terminal, restaurants: La Goleta Bar Restaurant
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