Cayo Levantado excursion question

[lbt43]

I am not talking about a conspiracy. I am talking about the laundry list of bad things they tell you and of course you are going to be freaked out. I lived in the Dominican for months and the worst thing that happened to me was that I had to tell all the street vendors no all the time.

 

I rode a motorcycle 4 hours from where I lived, Cabarete, all the way to Las Galaras. I had no problems at all. Yes, the roads were bad, but not awful, some places a lot better than others.

 

I am sure you'll have fun whatever you do, but there is no reason to be afraid of the Dominican Republic. Some people from a cruise where shot on St. Thomas the other day, I think one girl actually died, will you not do anything the cruise line or the US Govt doesn't tell you is OK?

[12vman]

I'm trying to find an alternative to Cayo Levetado, possibly the beaches near Las Galeras. Since it is my first time there I am concerned about getting back to the ship on time.

Joe

 

 

Hey Joe,

 

Im thinking of the catamaran ride and excursion to cayo. What were you tossing around?

[Zeno]

We did the Cayo Levantado excursion in Jan this year.

 

Yes it is over-priced BUT:

 

1. It is incredibly easy to do - they tender you directly from the ship

2. There are plenty of beach loungers

3. NCL limits the number of people who can go on the excursion - so the beach is NOT over-crowded - just walk to the far end if you want to be a little away from the main group (most people seem to bunch up - I don't know why).

4. Vendors have their stalls but are not annoying

5. The washroom was simple but spotless -I complimented the young lady who was keeping it clean (I speak Spanish) and gave her a tip (she deserved it - I watched her in action - when someone used a cubicle she immediately checked it afterwards to see if attention was required and she kept checking the "supplies" and wiping out sinks etc - a very hard worker) Bring a buck for her - she will be thrilled since I don't think it occurs to many to give her a tip.

 

If you want an "easy" beach day I recommend it. If you are more adventurous, check out the Ports-of-Call forum to see what others have done.

[emmtee]

Not sure which cruiselines offer it, but if you're taking RCCL:

 

I really enjoyed Cayo Levantado, but for just a little more $ you can also see Los Haitses National Park. It's the Cave, Mangrove and Beach excursion. You ride a speedboat directly from the ship to Los Haitses - a group of small islands. There are stops at a couple of caves to view petroglyphs. The caves were interesting, but very hot and very humid - my least favorite part of the excursion. (Riding fast in the speedboat does help cool you off.) The tour finishes at Cayo Levantado. You can stay as late as the last boat back. The beach was nice and relaxing. I did some shopping and got some nice Larimar earrings for $15. The food was pretty bad, but the Diet Coke was cold and satisfying. My favorite part of the tour was Los Haitses. The islands are beautiful, green, and teeming with birds. Unlike anything I've ever seen - absolutely magical.

[emmtee]

Here's one of my favorite pics of Los Haitises Nat'l. Park.

[mlbcruiser]

Someone talked about having done their research on Tripadvisor, and said there were many bad reviews of Semana on that site. I am a Tripadvisor junkie, but it's similar to these boards in that you see varying opinions. Just because something is on Tripadvisor doesn't mean it's not somewhat incorrect or that you should take it as gospel. Of course, it's a wonderful site that is full of great information. Everyone's eyes do not see things in quite the same way sometimes, I guess. It's not that I doubt people are victims of crime sometimes. But some people feel uncomfortable anytime they are out of their own element, and fearful when they aren't surrounded by people who look/act/speak just like themselves.

 

I wonder why NCL & other lines are charging for an excursion that pretty much sounds like the usual "out island" experiences they offer on their private islands in the Bahamas, etc? RCI has Labadie, which is attached to Haiti (other half of island of Hispanola from Dom. Rep.). Thankfully they don't charge to use it! I fear this is going to be yet ANOTHER new thing cruisers are going to have to start paying extra for. :confused:

[Karysa]

Someone talked about having done their research on Tripadvisor, and said there were many bad reviews of Semana on that site. I am a Tripadvisor junkie, but it's similar to these boards in that you see varying opinions. Just because something is on Tripadvisor doesn't mean it's not somewhat incorrect or that you should take it as gospel. Of course, it's a wonderful site that is full of great information. Everyone's eyes do not see things in quite the same way sometimes, I guess. It's not that I doubt people are victims of crime sometimes. But some people feel uncomfortable anytime they are out of their own element, and fearful when they aren't surrounded by people who look/act/speak just like themselves.

 

I wonder why NCL & other lines are charging for an excursion that pretty much sounds like the usual "out island" experiences they offer on their private islands in the Bahamas, etc? RCI has Labadie, which is attached to Haiti (other half of island of Hispanola from Dom. Rep.). Thankfully they don't charge to use it! I fear this is going to be yet ANOTHER new thing cruisers are going to have to start paying extra for. :confused:

 

A stop in Samana guarantees a lot of revenue for the cruise lines. I do think that they over charge for the tender over to CL and $25 or $30 would be a fairer price to me. What I don't like about the whole thing is that you can't just choose to take the tender from the pier and pay a local company to take you to CL instead. (If things have changed pleased enlighten me.) This just makes me think that they are being bullies. Many people believe that the Carnival Victory is dropping Dominica as a port of call because they are not getting the revenues from shore excursions that they want due to the great private tours that are available. I have heard the argument that it is a safety issue and a fuel issue but that doesn't seem to fly with most folks. Fuel has gone down in the last couple of years and their sister company HAL is still going to Dominica from what I have heard, so there goes those excuses.

[seahunters2000]

I'm trying to find an alternative to Cayo Levetado, possibly the beaches near Las Galeras. Since it is my first time there I am concerned about getting back to the ship on time.

Joe

 

We will be going in Nov. & booked a trip through CasaDorado to Playa Rincon. They take you to Las Galeras then onto a boat to Playa Rincon. $300 for a group of ten that's only $30 each, for land & sea trasportation. Cheaper & nicer than Cayo from what I've heard. The only problem is getting the 10 people. It wasn't that hard for me just post in the roll call for your ship. So far I'm in a group of 8, got a whole month to find just 2 more, shouldn't be a problem. They will leave enough time to get you back to the ship. They have a reputation to maintain otherwise no one would use them.