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KD Travel Adventures

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    Hilton La Romana Cruise Day Pass

    in Dominican Republic

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, EatonDoolittle said:

    Four posts in a row advertising this place???

    Do you by any chance work there?

    No, and where I work is not even close in proximity or industry. The only re-post on these four posts was for the walking directions of the cruise terminal, not Hilton La Romana, which I'm assuming you are referring to since I don't think you would advertise a cruise terminal.  As I mentioned in each re-post, the original YouTube link didn't work for the cruise terminal walking directions. I wish you could delete or edit a post, but since that's not an option, I figured the re-post was the way to go, and it would make more sense to explain why I was re-posting the video directions, rather than have people wonder why there were two postings of the same thing or click on a link that didn't work.  And, I have appreciated other peoples videos giving me helpful information and details, and I try to help others in the same way.  🙂 Have a great day! 

    Which port to do a tour?

    in Dominican Republic

    Posted

    I have not been to Amber Cove, but believe it is owned by Carnival and has a beach right there.  Others who have been there can speak more of it.

    But I have been to La Romana and aside from a few shops in the cruise terminal there is nothing around so you will definitely want to do something here if you want to see the area.

    I have been to La Romana twice on cruises and both times have gone to Hilton La Romana, an all-inclusive resort that you can get a day pass for.  They have pools, a swim up bar, beach...just your typical resort.  You can snorkle off your beach (we bring our own gear), and while the fish are not that great, there are a lot of starfish.

     

    Below are two videos...the first is walking directions from the ship to just outside the cruise terminal where you can get a taxi to Hilton La Romana (or a bus for an excursion if you choose to go that route), and the second video is of Hilton La Romana. It's almost 5 minutes, but it shows some of the pools, the beach, the food, etc.  Please note that the video is from last October when the family area was closed for renovations, so I know there is more to see now, and saw something on their Twitter page that looked like it had water slides, etc.  If this type of thing makes or breaks the decision to go there, double check with them first because some areas are only open to the extended stay guests. 

     

     

    La Romana DR - Video of Walking Directions from Ship, through Cruise Terminal, to Taxis/Buses

    in Dominican Republic

    Posted

    Below is a video of walking directions from the cruise ship, through the cruise terminal, to where buses for excursions and taxis are located.

     

    For those interested, I highly recommend getting a Cruise Day Pass to Hilton La Romana All-Inclusive Resort, which will require you to take a taxi.  At the bottom of this post is a video on Hilton La Romana.

     

     

     

     

    Hilton La Romana Cruise Day Pass

    in Dominican Republic

    Posted

    Follow up to my above post about Hilton La Romana All-Inclusive Resort Cruise Day Pass...

     

    According to a post from Hilton La Romana's Twitter account this past week, they have a huge new pool that has several waterslides. It looked like a lot of fun, but if interested in this, be sure to double check that it is included in the day pass.  It would be an added bonus for me, but I would still go to Hilton La Romana if that was only for extended stay guests.

     

    Also, immediately below is a video of walking directions from the cruise ship, through the cruise terminal, and just outside of the cruise terminal to where the taxis are located.  It is about a 25 minute taxi ride to Hilton La Romana.

     

     

    What to do in La Romana???

    in Dominican Republic

    Posted

    Follow up to my above post...

     

    I saw something this past week on Hilton La Romana's Twitter account that looked like the old pool I mentioned they had in 2013 with a bunch of activities, had several huge water slides and looked like a lot of fun.  I would guess this would be open to cruise day pass guests, but double check with them when booking in case that's for extended stay guests only.

     

    Below is a video of walking directions from the cruise ship to just outside the cruise terminal where the taxis are located to take you to Hilton La Romana.

     

     

    Best Port of Call for a Beach Day

    in Aruba

    Posted

    Aruba - Last October we took a tour of the island with a taxi guide, Iris, who told us we couldn't just go to the beach.  We had to see the island.  She was great!  At the end of the island tour she dropped us off at the Hilton, which is on Palm Beach.  The Hilton grounds were beautiful walking to the beach (see below video), but we thought the umbrella and chair rentals were extremely expensive, so we took a taxi to Amsterdam Manor at Eagle Beach, where we had gone in 2013. At the bottom of this post are some pictures from Amsterdam Manor/Eagle Beach. The umbrella and chair rentals at Amsterdam Manor were very reasonable and included WiFi.  I can't remember the exact cost, but I'm thinking it was $20-$30 for two chairs and an unbrella.  They also have food and drinks for additional charge, and restrooms within close walking distance..  Something to note: taxi's do not allow you to be wet or have sand on you, so be aware of this and consider the bus, which drops you off and picks you up near Amsterdam Manor.  In 2013 we took the bus to Eagle Beach/Amsterdam Manor and walked back (about 4-5 miles) and last October we took the bus back from Eagle Beach/Amsterdam Manor.  Below the Hilton video is a video on how to get to the bus station from the cruise terminal.

     

     

     

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    What to do in La Romana???

    in Dominican Republic

    Posted

    Everyone's preferences and ideas of fun are a little different, but I have been to La Romana twice on cruises and wish all of the cruise itineraries stopped in La Romana so that I could go to Hilton La Romana on every cruise. We were last there in October 2019 and it was under new management from the fist time we were there in 2013, but we loved it just as much as the first time.  It is normally an all-inclusive family resort, which I think it is now, although when we were there it was under renovations and considered adults-only at the time. You mentioned you are an active family and I think you will find activities to do there, but I enjoy it for the relaxation.

     

    Couple of notes about Hilton La Romana:

    • it's about a 25 minute taxi drive and you can get a taxi just outside of the cruise terminal. There are plenty of people to direct you to the taxi's and they will try to fill the taxi before leaving. I don't remember what we paid per person for the taxi, but Hilton La Romana had said it was $35 one way, although I think we may have paid $10-15 round trip per person because there were eight of us in the taxi.  
    • The cost last October was $65 per adult and the message I had also had ages 2-12 were 50% discount, but these prices could have changed by now.
    • Both times I booked the reservation on Facebook. You may be able to contact them via their website, but the person directing us into a specific taxi told another couple that was asking us about Hilton La Romana that they didn't need a reservation and to get in the taxi. They did and there wasn't any issues, but I would prefer to have those reservations and did show mine once we got there.
    • The snorkeling from the beach is not very good in terms of the fish you see, however, there are a lot of starfish.  I have never seen starfish while snorkeling except for this place and there are a lot of starfish
    • The beach is nice and so is the pool.  But, I'm guessing the pool in the below video is not for kids since it has a swim up bar.
    • The grounds are beautiful.
    • Their is a huge selection of food.
    • I don't know the time of year you are going but when we went in September 2013 and October 2019 there are hardly any people there, but co-workers went there on a cruise in March 2014 said it was packed

     

    Below is a 4.5+ minute video of the resort. I recommend watching all of it because it shows the beach area, the swimming area we were allowed to go in and the restaurant where we could eat. Please keep in mind that the video is from when it was adults-only because of the renovations to the family area. But, I would recommend contacting Hilton La Romana for details about additional swimming areas and other family activities.  When I was there the first time in 2013, under the different management company, there was a huge pool that had basketball hoops in one area, among other activities, but I don't know if that's what they have now.

     

     

    Carnival Breeze Room Suggestions

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I have not had a spa interior stateroom before, but I have had interiors at midship and forward from the first deck to 11th deck and balconies all at mid-ship and two or three decks below lido deck. If my choice is to cruise and have an interior or not cruise at all, or simply to save money, definitely go for the interior.  And, while it is a personal preference, we prefer the balcony and its hard for some people to go back to an interior once they have tried a balcony.

     

    We love balconies and spend a lot of time enjoying the view and relaxing from the balcony. We even enjoy bring breakfast, lunch and snacks on the balcony. As previously mentioned, our balconies have always been at midship. They say its a smoother sailing then the forward or aft, but for me its more about the convenience to all activities.  We also prefer the deck one or two decks below the lido deck (which differs from ship to ship), again, just for convenience of everything, but also because you are able to see more the higher your cabin.

     

    The first two below videos are of our our balcony stateroom 8296 with the second showing more of the balcony as we leave Belize. The last two videos are for family fun activities...going down the water slides on Carnival Breeze. Enjoy.

     

     

    Inexpensive Beach Day

    in Aruba

    Posted

    Here is a link to a video of walking directions to the bus stop. 

    We did a tour with a taxi/tour guide initially, as she talked us into it, rather than going straight to the beach. She dropped us off at Hilton/Palm Beach (which was beautiful), but we decided to move on.  As the first poster mentioned if you took the bus to Palm Beach it would stop at another hotel on Palm Beach.  After leaving Hilton, we went to Amsterdam Manor on Eagle Beach.  We took the bus back, which is right there at Amsterdam Manor.  The chairs and palapas are not free, but were much more reasonable than at the Hilton. 

    One thing that's nice about the buses is that you don't have to worry about being wet or having sand on you. These are issues if you plan to go in a taxi, and why the buses are such great options.

     

    Taxi rates

    in Aruba

    Posted

    There are several options, including the taxi and bus, both listed below:

     

    Below is a video of walking directions from the cruise terminal to the bus stop. It is really easy to take to the bus to Eagle Beach, which drops you off around Amsterdam Manor, but please read the notes at the end of the video, as there are helpful details about the buses.

     

     

     

    Here are the taxi rates from the cruise terminal. Please note that I have been told numerous times, and as recently as last October that taxis will not allow you in if you are wet or have sand all over you, and you can be charged extra if this is an issue.  Although with 5 people the taxi is probably the more convenient option.  Just make sure you are dry and don't have any sand on you.

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    • Like 1

    Carnival Horizon Next Door Balcony 7334 and Ocean Suite 7330

    in Cabin Selection Tips

    Posted

    If you are interested in the difference between an Ocean Suite and Balcony Stateroom on Carnival Horizon, or having two rooms next door to each other (but not connected staterooms) with ocean view balconies, below are videos of Ocean Suite 7330 and Balcony Stateroom 7334.  While the staterooms are next door to each other, but not connected, you could ask if they could remove the balcony divider (no guarantees, just a suggestion). Both rooms were great and if you need a little more space than your average balcony room, the Ocean Suite was about double the size with plenty of bathroom space.

     

    Carnival Horizon Ocean Suite 7330

    https://youtu.be/zLmL9W6khO4

     

     

    Carnival Horizon Balcony Stateroom 7334

     

    https://youtu.be/h5S_ubTgY0U

     

     

    Oasis of the seas central park balcony

    in Cabin Selection Tips

    Posted

    Below are links to 10 videos of different staterooms on Oasis of the Seas, including two Central Park balconies that may help you decide. All videos were created from pictures except, ocean view balcony 9190. The 10 videos are:

    2 Central Park balconies, 3 Ocean View balconies, 1 Boardwalk balcony, 1 Interior staterooms, 1 Junior Suite, 2 Sky Class Crown Loft Balcony Suites

    The videos show you the interior portion and view from the cabin balcony, when applicable.

    Hopefully they help you determine which type of stateroom or suite you might be interested in. 

    (Please excuse the blurring of people, as my goal was to give viewers an idea of the cabin.

     

    OCEAN VIEW BALCONY

    Ocean View Balcony Stateroom 7716

     

     

    Ocean View Balcony Stateroom 9190

     

     

    Ocean View Balcony Stateroom 6266

     

     

    BOARDWALK BALCONY

    Boardwalk Balcony Stateroom 12319 - Aft Port Side

     

     

    CENTRAL PARK BALCONY

    Central Park Balcony Stateroom 10603

     

     

    Central Park Balcony Stateroom 10589

     

     

     

    Interior Stateroom 7427

     

     

    JUNIOR SUITE

    Junior Suite Stateroom 11632 - Mid Ship Starboard

     

     

    SKY CLASS CROWN LOFT BALCONY SUITE

    Sky Class Crown Loft Balcony Suite 1746 - Oceanview

     

     

    Sky Class Crown Loft Balcony Suite 1728 - Aft View

    https://youtu.be/0Cu12dKv3yM

    Grand Turk Terminal Highlights - Beach, Margaritaville, Snorkeling

    in Grand Turk

    Posted · Edited by hawkeyefan99

    Grand Turk is nice for many reasons.  If you want to save some money, the beach is right off the ship.  You can buy drinks and food around the terminal and in Margaritaville, but we never spend any money in Grand Turk.  If you like to snorkel, the snorkeling is pretty good for right off the beach, but head out to the buoys, which is where the drop off is and you will find more fish.  Below are some videos from different places in the Grand Turk cruise terminal:

     

     

    La Romana

    in Dominican Republic

    Posted

    On 1/3/2020 at 12:52 AM, texanna said:

    Looking for suggestions for excursions or activities in La Romana in the next two weeks. Are there any tours worth doing? Are there any day passes to resorts? I would appreciate your first hand experiences and suggestions. Thanks.

    I recommend Hilton La Romana.  Here is a link to a YouTube video. The video description has a lot of info in it, including day pass cost and taxi at the time we were there.

    https://youtu.be/lrDOjNC2eQY

    I've been there twice, once in Sept 2013 when it was under Dreams management and again in October 2019, which is now under Hilton management, and it is amazing...if you like the beach, pools, all-inclusive resort, and relaxing.  I can't speak for how busy it will be when you go, but both times we went there were not many people around. But, I know people that went in March 2014 (spring break time) and it was very busy. Also, if you like snorkeling, I can't say the snorkeling is the best...not many colorful fish...however, there are a lot of starfish.  I've seen them both times I've been there.

    La Romana Port

    in Dominican Republic

    Posted

    Its not near the port, but I HIGHLY recommend Hilton La Romana.  Here is a link to a YouTube video. The video description has a lot of info in it, including day pass cost and taxi at the time we were there.

    https://youtu.be/lrDOjNC2eQY

    I've been there twice, once in Sept 2013 when it was under Dreams management and again in October 2019, which is now under Hilton management, and it is amazing...if you like the beach, pools, all-inclusive resort, and relaxing.  I can't speak for how busy it will be when you go, but both times there were not many people around. But, I know people that went in March 2014 (spring break time) and it was very busy. Also, if you like snorkeling, I can't say the snorkeling is the best...not many colorful fish...however, there are a lot of starfish.  I've seen them both times I've been there.

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