Amber Cove Mini Review

I was on the Nov. 7-14 sailing of the CCL Valor that included a surprise stop at Amber Cove. It was a surprise because we were supposed to go to St. Thomas but because of a tropical storm we were rerouted to Amber Cove. We were given a list of shore excursions and everyone was off to the shore excursion desk. I booked a tour of the area because I wanted to see more than just the port area. Apparently when we pulled into port we were a very big deal. This was the first port I have ever visited where I felt like we were the attraction :). The tour guide told us that we were only the 5th ship to dock there. There was another Carnival ship there that day and they were expecting that one, but when they found out they were going to have 2 ships on the same day, that was big news. They had never had 2 ships on the same day before.

The port area is new and beautiful. The pier is very long and could be a problem for someone with mobility issues, however, there are plenty of bicycle rickshaws to ferry passengers to the port area. The port area is very heavily guarded. I don't think I have ever seen so many police and guards at a port as I saw that day. The guide said the heavy security was to ensure everything went well with 2 ships in port that day.

We found our tour easily and were loaded onto a bus for the ride from the port. The road into the port seemed to still be in the construction phase. The port seems to be pretty far from everything so I don't think walking anywhere would be an option.

The area was beautiful but very poor. When we made our first stop in town, we attracted a lot of attention. I saw reporters with cameras and microphones interviewing people. Everyone was very friendly but vendors were a little aggressive.

The tour seemed to be a little disorganized, especially when we stopped to tour a fort. I think they are still in the learning phase in regard to tours and will get better and more organized with time.

After the tour, we returned to the port and I spent a little time shopping in the port area. The area is clean, new and beautiful. A lot of the stores were still empty with signs in the windows indicating what store would be opening there soon. There are cabanas in the port area, and if I remember from looking at the shore excursion sheet, some of them were pretty pricey.

It was a beautiful day in Amber Cove and I enjoyed the surprise stop very much. It was one of the most interesting port stops I have ever experienced.

Thanks for the review. Which excursion did you go on and would you recommend it to others?

The shore excursion was through Carnival, since the stop at Amber Cove was unexpected and I didn't have time to research the port. I can't remember the exact name of the excursion, but it was a short 2 1/2 hour bus tour. I enjoyed the tour but I really wish I had booked a longer tour. The tour guide kept saying he wished the tour was longer because there was so much more he would like to show us. I really enjoyed the stop and if I ever cruise there again, I would like to see more and will look for a longer tour.

Thank you for the mini review. Do you happen to have any pictures of the pool area? Was it crowded at the pool? I'm thinking of booking a poolside cabana and not having much luck with people posting on cabanas and the pool.

Sorry, I didn't take any pictures of the pool area. I didn't pay much attention to the cabanas other than looking at the prices on the shore excursion sheet.

Thank you for your review. One year from now we will be there.

Thank you so much for that information! We're going to be there in January and have been very excited to check out a fairly new port.

Nice review. Do you remember if the rickshaw cost anything or if it was just for tips?

Thanks

Nice review. Do you remember if the rickshaw cost anything or if it was just for tips?

Thanks

Hi neighbour.

We were there on Feb 4th. The rickshaws were for tips.

Hi neighbour.

 

We were there on Feb 4th. The rickshaws were for tips.

Hi, small world.

How does the bar work? Did you use your sign & sail card or did you need cash? Can't wait to go to this port.

Hi, small world.

 

How does the bar work? Did you use your sign & sail card or did you need cash? Can't wait to go to this port.

We're out in Quispamsis. :)

We were on HAL and did an excursion outside the port. Didn't have the opportunity to try any of the food or drink in the port. I suspect it would be cash or credit card as far as HAL is concerned. Don't know how Carnival would handle it.

Going on Regal Princess to Amber Cove November 2016. Right now Princess only is offering one shore excursion. Any other shore excursions somebody would recommend. Would like to get out of Amber Cove area and see some local stuff. Thanks .

Julie