Review: Ben the Bendy Man's Gem of an Adventure, Dec 13 - Dec 22, 2012

[kylenyc]

Day 6 - Tuesday, December 18, 2012 (Continued)

Exploring the ship, Departing St. Thomas

 

The library and some photo prints in the stairways and artwork adoring the cabin hallways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

[kylenyc]

Day 6 - Tuesday, December 18, 2012 (Continued)

Exploring the ship, Departing St. Thomas

 

The Crystal Atrium, Java Cafe, Internet Cafe, Guest Services, Shore Excursions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

[kylenyc]

Day 6 - Tuesday, December 18, 2012 (Continued)

Exploring the ship, Departing St. Thomas

 

Art gallery, duty free shops, bar lounges (Maltings Whiskey Bar, Shakers Martini Bar, and Magnums Champagne Bar)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

[kylenyc]

Day 6 - Tuesday, December 18, 2012 (Continued)

Exploring the ship, Departing St. Thomas

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

[gambee's_mom]

Ben, thank you for sharing your review with us. I can see through it, you had a lot of fun!!! :D:D:D

[bean24]

Thanks for the review leave next week, and this is really getting me excited:D

[kylenyc]

Day 6 - Tuesday, December 18, 2012 (Continued)

Exploring the ship, Departing St. Thomas

 

Ending the evening with Pablo and Groove International.

 

Ben returns with his manservant's card after sneaking off to buy a round of drinks.

 

 

 

 

 

Next up: Ziplining and touring Samana, Dominican Republic

[shaun07]

Very enjoyable, informative and fun read. Made me want to book a cruise straight away.

Thanks.

[NARM Forever]

Groove International looks a lot of fun, hope they are still on in a few weeks time :)

[coka]

Loving the review still along with great pictures of the ship. Did Ben ever find the bridge viewing room? There is a character in there who Ben surely would have found "charming."

 

Coka

[kylenyc]

Thanks everyone for the compliments and letting Ben relive his adventure!

 

Thanks for the review leave next week, and this is really getting me excited:D

Awesome. I just love the anticipation before a cruise. Bon voyage!

 

Very enjoyable, informative and fun read. Made me want to book a cruise straight away. Thanks.

Thanks! I'm planning away too. Not sure what to do in the latter half of this year. Maybe Breakaway again to Bermuda or somewhere different.

 

Groove International looks a lot of fun, hope they are still on in a few weeks time :)

I hope they are too. They're great.

 

Loving the review still along with great pictures of the ship. Did Ben ever find the bridge viewing room? There is a character in there who Ben surely would have found "charming." Coka

OMG Ben totally forgot about the bridge viewing room! Have to remember to go. I think Ben would look "charming". Thanks for the reminder!

[coka]

...OMG Ben totally forgot about the bridge viewing room! Have to remember to go. I think Ben would look "charming". Thanks for the reminder!

 

Tell Ben to be careful...he might just fall in love in there...

 

coka

[kylenyc]

Day 7 - Tuesday, December 18, 2012 (Continued)

Ziplining and touring Samaná, Dominican Republic

Ben woke up full of anticipation for the thrilling day ahead. He and others on Cruise Critic had made reservations for a zipline adventure with Tour Samana with Terry. The excursion was $90/pp which included transportation to Walk the Plank zipline by canopy bus, refreshments (water, soda, beer), and a delicious traditional lunch at the beach.

 

Upon arriving in Samaná, passengers were informed that no tender tickets were required (unlike St. Thomas) and so Ben made his way down to the gangway. There was a short line and the tender process was smooth. Our ecstatically eager explorer took in the sights as he enjoyed a smooth short ferry ride to the Samana Bay Marina. As we walked off the dock, we were met by one of Terry's drivers who assisted us into an awaiting canopy bus.

 

After a short time waiting for other passengers, we are driven over to Terry's office where we paid for the excursion and picked up some refreshments.

 

View of the Grand Bahia Principe Cayacoa hotel from the tender

 

 

Samana Bay Marina - Tender drop-off

 

Norwegian Gem anchored in Bahia Samaná (Samana Bay)

 

A park and marketplace a few mins walk from the dock

 

 

Tips:

--Terry comes highly regard by many Cruise Critic members and his tours are ranked #1 for things to do in Samana by Trip Advisor. More importantly, he claims never to have missed the last tender. Terry also offers other excursions such as ATV tour, horseback riding, and beach days. After the tour, we returned to Terry's office about an hour before the last tender with time to do some very quick shopping before taking the 2:30 pm tender back to the Gem. The last tender was at 3:00 pm. http://www.toursamanawithterry.com/

--Terry started his tour company in 2008 after he "came to the Dominican Republic in 2002 to do volunteer work and fell in love with Samana... Samana is one of the most beautiful areas that you can imagine, filled with wonderful people and tons of adventure. To enjoy it though, you must have a plan, especially if you are a cruise ship guest." Ben agrees.

--Another popular excursion is the ship's transfer to Cayo Levantado Beach. It was on sale on our cruise for $14.99. However, recent reviewers have stated that the price has gone back up to $49.99

 

(Continued)

[kylenyc]

Day 7 - Tuesday, December 18, 2012 (Continued)

Ziplining and touring Samaná, Dominican Republic

 

Ben paid the fare, picked up a bottle of water for his parched assistant, and boarded the bus again. We then headed back in the direction we came, again passing the park, marketplace, and what looked like modern residential homes and businesses. However, within minutes of passing them, we were in headed into a mountainous area dotted with houses constructed of palm-board walls, corrugated tin-roofs, and other basic materials with few modern conveniences.

 

Samana Bay Marina

 

 

 

Ben enjoyed the breathtaking views of the ocean and mountainside. Fifteen minutes into the ride, we turned onto an unpaved road and were jostled around for another 15 minutes as the bus carefully crawled its way to Walk the Plank Zipline.

 

 

Turning onto a rocky mountain road.

 

Escuela Luisa Emilia Coplin - Centro Educativo

(Luisa Emilia Coplin School - Education Center)

 

(Continued)

[kylenyc]

Day 7 - Tuesday, December 18, 2012 (Continued)

Ziplining and touring Samaná, Dominican Republic

 

Palm-board and corrugated tin roof house. Ben notices the satellite dish with curiosity.

 

Entrance to Walk the Plank Zip Line

At the entrance to Walk the Plank is a store selling arts and crafts, jewelry, and locally grown produced goods such as raw cocoa, cinnamon, and mama juana (an herbal wine claimed to be an aphrodisiac). The merchant offered Ben a small sample of the drink which he sipped. He didn't notice any of its purported special properties except for the urge to buy some souvenir jewelry... which he did.

 

There was a similar store at the end of the zip line where we were given a brief lecture on the locally grown spices and produce. Also, before reaching Walk the Plank, we passed by a handmade cigar shop. The bus driver offered to stop but no one seemed interested.

 

We were then driven another short distance to the trail head of the first zip line platform. We were offered more refreshments and this time Ben availed himself of a Cerveza Presidente dominican beer to help gather up his courage for the short hike to the first "plank". When he reach the top, he watched others being buckled and strapped into their harnesses and helmets. We were given a lecture on the fine engineering and safety features of the zip line, how they've never had any "incidents"... and then made to sign a liability release form.

 

Short but steep hike up to the first top-most zip line platform.

 

The second zip line platform off in the distance atop the mountain...

 

Faaaaar off in the distance. Ben's bendy knees bend and shake a little.

 

One of the operators demonstrates going upside down.

 

(Continued)

[kylenyc]

Day 7 - Tuesday, December 18, 2012 (Continued)

Ziplining and touring Samaná, Dominican Republic

 

Terry was there at the first platform to greet us and personally help buckle each person to the first of twelve zip lines, and send them sailing across.

 

Terry buckling a woman to the the primary and backup safety zip lines

 

After seeing one of the operators glide across the valley upside down and other brave Cruise Critic souls take the plunge across, Ben gathered up his courage, straightened up his knobby knees, and prepared to soar across. Maybe it was the extra courage he got from the bottle of El Presidente, or or the extra bit of brashness from the sip of mama juana, but Ben somehow managed to persuade Terry to let him sail across upside down "Freestyle".

 

As Ben was about to be launched on the greatest thrill of his short bendy lifetime, still new and fresh out of the factory mold, barely snatched out of the warehouse bin, not a scuff on his shiny head, nor chip on his infectious smile, barely a hundred or so bends to his Gem of an adventure, Terry asked our eager explorer a foreboding question "Are you sure you want to do that?" (He really did ask that). After an enthusiastic little nod of his spherical yellow head, Terry sent him sailing across.

 

Brave Bendy Ben prepares to zip line across the river valley.

 

Stay tuned as we find out...

 

Will our Brave Bendy Ben make it across...? Wind whipping through his non-existent hair?

 

Flying across the valley, his little heart thumping as the sky, river valley, and mountainsides spun around him...

 

Arms spread out, hanging upside down by his little bendy knees....

 

Or will our intrepid adventurer plunge into the raging rapids hundreds of feet below?

 

Time seeming to stretch as he sped across to the other side of the valley, the zip line trolley making a long characteristic zzzzzzzzip...

 

When what happens next is a complete utter shock to Ben's devoted photographer/typist/manservant...

 

As the zip line brakes suddenly engage 30 feet from the platform...

 

And Ben goes flying off, arms and legs cartwheeling into the dense underbrush!

 

Ben's poor assistant went pale, jaw dropping in shock, as his little limber liege flew off the zip line, spinning through the air and disappearing into the thick dark foliage. He somberly stood up on the platform, and for a minute, stared into the forest trying to guess where Ben landed, hoping to spot a flash of yellow. Despite his everlasting devotion to the free-spirited four dollar figurine, he quickly gave up and decided it wasn't worth interrupting the adrenaline pumping zipping to search for Ben. One after another, Ben's typist proceeded to zip across the remaining 11 lines in succession in what felt like never ending heart thumping fun.

 

Thick brush surrounding the second platform - Where's Ben?

 

Zip lines zig zag down the river valley

 

Zipping towards a platform

 

Fast!

 

Next up: Where's Ben, more of Samana, dinner in Moderno Churrascaria

[shaun07]

Noooooooooooooo!

[YankeeFan4Ever]

Say it ain't so....where's BEN???!!!!

[Moondawgie]

OMG. Find Ben. Call the media. Get the FBI, CIA and Search and Rescue. This is not a good turn of events. Please tell me you found him.:eek:

[cabincop]

I am thinking Ben decided to have his own little adventure and took a few class flight home alone.......just sayin

 

P.S. Kyle I love you

[cabincop]

took a first class flight home lol sorry

[kylenyc]

Noooooooooooooo!

Say it ain't so....where's BEN???!!!!

I am thinking Ben decided to have his own little adventure and took a first class flight home alone.......just sayin P.S. Kyle I love you

I'm sorry to say, dear cherished bendy fans, that's it's true. As you can see from the pic, I wrapped his little legs around the harness but it wasn't wrapped around tight enough to keep him from flying off when the zip line hit the brakes. I'm definitely bringing Backup Bendy Men with me from now one. :D

 

Maria, Love you too! Btw. I'm sure Harvey would love to try the zip line. :p

 

Ben's clone surfaces from a pool of alien goo in a resurrection chamber aboard the cylon mothership with proof of life.

 

Proof of life and... questionable taste in newspapers.

 

Original and slightly scuffed up Ben standing and overseeing the creation of his brand new clone ready for the next adventure.

 

I like to think Ben was found by children in Samana and keeping them smiling and entertained. I'm thinking about buying a box of them and giving them to Terry when I visit Samana next month to give out to the children, as well as school supplies.

[sjnyc323]

I'm sorry to say, dear cherished bendy fans, that's it's true. As you can see from the pic, I wrapped his little legs around the harness but it wasn't wrapped around tight enough to keep him from flying off when the zip line hit the brakes. I'm definitely bringing Backup Bendy Men with me from now one. :D

 

Maria, Love you too! Btw. I'm sure Harvey would love to try the zip line. :p

 

Ben's clone surfaces from a pool of alien goo in a resurrection chamber aboard the cylon mothership with proof of life.

 

Proof of life and... questionable taste in newspapers.

 

Original and slightly scuffed up Ben standing and overseeing the creation of his brand new clone ready for the next adventure.

 

I like to think Ben was found by children in Samana and keeping them smiling and entertained. I'm thinking about buying a box of them and giving them to Terry when I visit Samana next month to give out to the children, as well as school supplies.

 

Kyle every time I think of the look on your face and what it must have been I am still laughing. When you told us what happened I know I ribbed you all night about it. I remember you coming over looking sad and saying you won't believe what happened to Bendy Man and I looked you and said OMG is he dead?

 

Suzanne

[kylenyc]

Kyle every time I think of the look on your face and what it must have been I am still laughing. When you told us what happened I know I ribbed you all night about it. I remember you coming over looking sad and saying you won't believe what happened to Bendy Man and I looked you and said OMG is he dead?

 

Suzanne

LOL. "Noooooo not dead!" Lol! I still can't believe you said that like you knew I had lost him :D You cracked me up. Without you guys to cheer me up I would've been lost without my leetel friend. :p

[sjnyc323]

LOL. "Noooooo not dead!" Lol! I still can't believe you said that like you knew I had lost him :D You cracked me up. Without you guys to cheer me up I would've been lost without my leetel friend. :p

 

We had so much fun with you and Sabrina lets meet up in City soon

 

Suzanne