Samana tour

[roscoegirl]

Hi,

 

I will be in DR in July...Enchantment, I believe day 6 or 7 of a 9 niter. I have reserved a sightseeing tour thru RCI called SAMANA DS 11. It's only a 3 1/2 hr. tour of a few sights, shopping and restaurants. My DD considers this to be "an old ladies excursion":)... Don't really care as I have mobility issues and it sounds like enough for me... Anyway, I wanted to find out if anyone has participated in this type of tour... if so, opinions please.

 

Thanks so much. Jackie

[dibz]

Samana is horrible, there are no sights, shopping or restaurants worth seeing. It is a trap and expect to get ripped off. I just got off that cruise and that port is SO BAD, RCI should be embarrassed. We got off the boat and were bombarded by 20 to 30 men immediately grabbing our arms and trying to put us in a taxi to go off who knows where. The only beach worth going to is Cayo Levantado and RCI is charging $40 to take you there. BTW, they anchor off the island and it takes a good FOUR TO FIVE HOURS to get people off the boat. That's just the ones who had reserved numbers for tenders. We went to the hotel beach and I was only able to negotiate a reasonable price because I speak Spanish. At the beach, people swarmed around trying to hustle us. There were security guards who looked at us like salivating jungle cats. I heard one couple were not allowed to get off the beach until they paid the shotgun toting security guard $20 a piece. Another couple were taken into the jungle and robbed and left there. Two kids tried to sell us live starfish and when I wouldn't pay, they gave me the "we need money to get back home" story. I saw a couple who paid a guy to walk them through the mud to get to the beach. The "waterfall" is a ripoff, not worth seeing. One woman fell off and had to be dragged back up by her family. Another kid jumped off the waterfall and the "guides" wanted money for that. Everyone had stories about the guide or taxi driver charging them more money than was negotiated to get back to the boat. The restaurants were these unclean little shacks charging $12 to $15 for a plate of simple local food. I can go on and on.....,

 

Stay on the boat.

[penk99]

I find your "review" harsh to say the least. I hope you did your homework ahead of time to see that this is a 3rd world country. That being said, I think you may be exaggerating just a bit. I especially found the one about the people being dragged out into the jungle and left there to be amusing. Mysteriously I was unable to find any legitimate news stories to substantiate your tale.

 

Samana is an extremely depressed but beautiful place. The immediate port area is not great and the living conditions are not what we are used to. We were there 2 weeks ago on the HAL Noordam. Reading about the port extensively prior to our cruise, we felt we would be more comfortable participating in a cruise line sponsored excursion. We did the 4X4 jeep tour. The jeep seated 4 of us and we drove through the countryside in a caravan to a local farm. There our guide explained about the local crops and families that join together to work the land. We sampled coffee and fruit. The people that ran the farm were proud, gracious and courteous. After that we went to a small beach and had lunch by a local restaurant - again encountering only lovely people that were grateful for our visit.

 

Do I want to spend a week in Samana? No. But I'm glad I got to experience the island, see some beautiful sites and meet people who are grateful for the tourists that come to visit and are eager to tell those that are willing to listen about their culture. Every port has undesirable elements, if that's all you are looking for. You sound like a judgmental person that looked only at the surface in this case. Your harsh generalizations only scare people and reinforce negative stereotypes.

[terkatz56]

"The "waterfall" is a ripoff, not worth seeing"

 

Did you do this tour and was it through the cruiseline? Just wondering as this is one I am interested in and would be doing it through the cruiseline.

Is there anyone who has pictures they could post of the waterfall? I have seen some favorable reviews here on CC for Samana and am looking forward to seeing it, I can look beyond the poverty and will be alert for safety's sake, as we should everywhere these days.

[WiseSky]

Check out some pictures here.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-photos/toursamanawithterry

[lilybob]

We just returned from Samana on the Noordam. I also arranged a tour with Terry and what started out as my family of four ended up being a group of 38! We were met at the port by two associates and boarded safari type trucks for our adventure. We stopped to pick Terry up at his restaurant along with the coolers of beverages that are provided to you. We visited his family property to see a variety of vegetation and a typical Dominican home, continued on to see a coral church, small cigar factory, gift shop. Lunch was homestyle local cooking on a beautiful beach followed by a trip to a small waterfall. The tour lasted about 5 1/2 hours at a cost of $55 pp. Lunch was included in the price. For $5 you could buy pina colada or coco loco drinks from the local woman who served them in freshly carved out fruit. We all were glad for the opportunity to see a sample of day to day living in this beautiful country. It is still a very poor country and you sometimes had small children who eagerly wanted to help you in hope of a small tip. There is also a more adventurous trip to El Limon that a small group on our ship did and were pleased as well. I wouldn't recommend just getting off the ship to walk around without a destination in mind as you will be disappointed. With a little preparation you can be rewarded with a different port experience.

[terkatz56]

Thanks for the photo link WiseSky, it looks worth seeing to me. I think the OP is what they call a tourist and not a traveler, and that must be what led to the disappointment. I agree with lilybob, that you can't expect to get entertained in some ports, that you have to have a well thought plan. Thanks for the input and I look forward to Samana in Dec.

[roscoegirl]

Thanks everyone for your opinions and experiences...the tour I've reserved may or may not be one of Terry's tours but seeing the pics from WiseSky, has truly turned up the excitement a bit! I rarely go into an unfamiliar port and just 'go it alone'...I feel we've paid too much money for the cruise to 'stay on the ship' and not at least sample the true culture and atmosphere of these beautiful lands. We should be OK with the RCI affiliated tours and I'm looking to enjoy myself!!:) I really appreciate your responses and the 'safety' alerts!;)

[danm015]

Does anyone want to join a group of 5 going to Playa Rincon on Monday the 7th. We are arriving on the Enchantment of the Seas and have been in touch with Casa Dorado: http://www.casadoradodr.com/excursions.php

 

Would like to get up to 5 more to join. Please let me know if anyone is interested! I have heard only great things about this excursion. :D

[InsideCruiser]

From Ports of Call -> Caribbean, it says there are 912 threads under Dominican Republic. But when I click on Dominican Republic, only 2 threads show up. What am I missing?

 

Thanks,

Mark

[danm015]

From Ports of Call -> Caribbean, it says there are 912 threads under Dominican Republic. But when I click on Dominican Republic, only 2 threads show up. What am I missing?

 

Thanks,

Mark

 

At the bottom there is an option to choose how old the threads are that show up. It's probably set at 1 week for you. Change it to a month or year.

[InsideCruiser]

At the bottom there is an option to choose how old the threads are that show up. It's probably set at 1 week for you. Change it to a month or year.

 

 

Thanks a ton. Sorry for hijacking the thread OP.

[4104ever]

We just returned from Samana on the Noordam. I also arranged a tour with Terry and what started out as my family of four ended up being a group of 38! We were met at the port by two associates and boarded safari type trucks for our adventure. We stopped to pick Terry up at his restaurant along with the coolers of beverages that are provided to you. We visited his family property to see a variety of vegetation and a typical Dominican home, continued on to see a coral church, small cigar factory, gift shop. Lunch was homestyle local cooking on a beautiful beach followed by a trip to a small waterfall. The tour lasted about 5 1/2 hours at a cost of $55 pp. Lunch was included in the price. For $5 you could buy pina colada or coco loco drinks from the local woman who served them in freshly carved out fruit. We all were glad for the opportunity to see a sample of day to day living in this beautiful country. It is still a very poor country and you sometimes had small children who eagerly wanted to help you in hope of a small tip. There is also a more adventurous trip to El Limon that a small group on our ship did and were pleased as well. I wouldn't recommend just getting off the ship to walk around without a destination in mind as you will be disappointed. With a little preparation you can be rewarded with a different port experience.

 

And again we thank you Melissa for arranging this wonderful tour..it was the highlight of our cruise. The Dominican Republic is absolutely beautiful and Terry (an American living there) is proud to show us it's beauty. The locals we met were very friendly and not pushy at all..if ever stopping at Samana again we will definetly arrange another tour with Terry.

[lovetocruise2109]

We just returned from Samana on the Noordam. I also arranged a tour with Terry and what started out as my family of four ended up being a group of 38! We were met at the port by two associates and boarded safari type trucks for our adventure. We stopped to pick Terry up at his restaurant along with the coolers of beverages that are provided to you. We visited his family property to see a variety of vegetation and a typical Dominican home, continued on to see a coral church, small cigar factory, gift shop. Lunch was homestyle local cooking on a beautiful beach followed by a trip to a small waterfall. The tour lasted about 5 1/2 hours at a cost of $55 pp. Lunch was included in the price. For $5 you could buy pina colada or coco loco drinks from the local woman who served them in freshly carved out fruit. We all were glad for the opportunity to see a sample of day to day living in this beautiful country. It is still a very poor country and you sometimes had small children who eagerly wanted to help you in hope of a small tip. There is also a more adventurous trip to El Limon that a small group on our ship did and were pleased as well. I wouldn't recommend just getting off the ship to walk around without a destination in mind as you will be disappointed. With a little preparation you can be rewarded with a different port experience.

 

 

I will be in Samana in October, could you please let me know how to contact Terry. It sounds like you had a great time.

[kunapets]

When in Oct? - We will be in on 27 Oct on NCL Star. I have an e-mail in to Terry about a Beach Day at Playa Anadel. Please let me know if you are on the same ship/date.

 

Thanks Ken S

[14Terry]

We completed the same tour as "lilybob", on 25 May, while sailing on the Enchantment of the Sea . We had a blast too! That excursion was the highlight of our cruise! I'd highly recommend it.

[HappyHappy1]

Email Terry. He usually responds back in a day or two.

 

toursamanawithterry@hotmail.com

[Pro106]

I just today returned from a nine-day cruise on Enchantment of the Seas that included Samana, and I completely agree with the May 17th review by dibz. His or her review was right-on with the experiences stated by some of the cruisers on our boat.

 

Let me say up front, however, that I cannot confirm the stories from our boat, but they are eerily similar and spread rapidly throughout the ship when we departed: In one case, a couple took a taxi. After driving several miles though hills and turns, the taxi driver stopped and demanded an additional $60 dollars or they were to get out there and find their own way back. They paid-up, went further and were stopped and robbed. In another case, some folks took a tour with ATVs (I don’t think it was booked through RCI), and the tour included a $10 meal. After they ate, an additional $50 each was demanded for the meals. When they said they did not have the money, the “guide” asked that they follow him to another location. They became suspicious and raced their ATVs back by themselves. News also came back that the "shopping" was pathetic.

 

Now for a story I CAN vouch for: My wife and I took the Cayo Levantado Beach “PLUS” tour with RCI. Levantado is not on the main island; rather, it is another little island just on the other side of where the ship parks. When we got on the Cayo, there was a security guard with an automatic gun, and dibz is right-on again…looked like a “salivating jungle cat”. The “PLUS” tour package is supposed to include kayaks, pedal boats, floaties, and snorkeling equipment. There were NO pedal boats, limited kayaks and floaties, and definitely not enough snorkeling equipment (oh….and about two sizes of fins). NOW get ready for this: after waiting your turn for someone to return their snorkeling gear, the gear is handed over to you you without it being washed or without the mouthpieces being changed. The locals at the equipment stand did not understand English, so they have no idea what you may be asking of them. On some positive notes, there is a nice cash bar on the beach, and the bartenders were very polite. They understood limited English. My wife made sure she order over 100 proof liquor (to kill whatever may be in the ice), and I just ordered bottled beer to be safe. The beach is definitely beautiful, but skip the toys or bring your own snorkeling gear.

 

I agree with PENK99 in that if you do take a tour in Samana, book it through the ship. My only quest is for everyone to exercise caution. As for my wife and I, we will not book another cruise with an itinerary that stops in Samana.

[gracie3]

I went to Samana and I absolutely loved it! It was my favorite stop. If your expecting to get off into a touristy, luxury area, it surely isn't that. We were tendered in, the whole process from getting of the ship and tendered in was 15-20 minutes. Not bad at all. Everyone was told before getting off the ship (and reminded by the crew) that they should do the touristy attractions and not venture into downtown and unfamiliar areas.

I decided to do what I was told not to, and go downtown. When we got off the tender there are taxis everywhere with books of excursions they try to sell to you. A gentleman came up and asked if I was doing an excursion and I said no, they don't have what I want to do. He asked what was it, and I said I wanted to go downtown and see the cultural part of Samana. He asked if I was sure, I said yes and that there were two of us (me and my mom). He said to hold on and went and talked to a driver that had the little buggy on the back of the motorcycle, came back and said for $50 they would take us through town and around.

It was the most amazing experience ever!! I could not have lucked out much more. We went to the super markets, etc. Honestly, I never walked in so much trash in my life, but it really made me appreciate everything that we have in the states. We went to some of the shops, and then he took us down a deserted dirt road where at the end two guards stood. It was to a private beach, and he explained that we wanted to see the beach. They took us in, and we stood there and talked about Samana, politics, etc. It was a great experience.

However, with that being said, maybe I lucked out?? I don't know. Maybe I was the only crazy one that wanted to be in the culture and not the touristy area, and they thought I was nuts?? lol. Who knows. I would definately go back there again, and would hopefully get to do another tour. But if they are having problems with people being robbed, etc., then book the tours through RCI.

[read52]

How many people have been to Roatan? I was told that it was a beautiful island with great beaches.

 

But our first impression was the same as dibz. We tried walking into the "town" before our excussion. There was not a town where we docked but rather a long pier with taxi drivers and people trying to sell you things. People were grabbing at us and my Spanish is not great but some of the younger men were making comments about the teenage girls. I did not feel safe so we went back.

 

For our excursion, we did monkeys, parrots and plants. We enjoyed that but the bus ride back was dangerous.

 

I agree with the other poster. Find out a bit about where you go and always be cautious. If you feel uncomfortable, go back to the boat.

 

I know Roatan is different now with a private beach but our experience was not good. I would not get off there again if it was like that. I have had people tell me it was the best stop for them.

 

When we go to Samana in a few weeks, we are going on a RCCL excursion and then back to the ship.

[jcl410]

Where does the ship's tender drop you off? Is it close to the resturant "Le France"?

 

Various tour books (mainly for land trips) say Samana is decent, but they also said it only started seeing tourists because of the whales in the Winter). I'm wondering if more things are open in the winter time. (I'll be there 7/29.)

 

 

Aloha,

 

John