robinlbe Posted June 12, 2013 #26 Share Posted June 12, 2013 :)We are so, so, so, so VERY happy we went with ProExcursion for this!!! While the other groups were taking VERY full boats out to the island (which were cramped, and the people were sitting like sardines), we had a catamaran-type speed boat with four crew members and 11 guests. It was WONDERFUL!!!! There was a net on the front where you could lie down on it if you wanted. At first just the three kids on the boat (ages 7, 16, and 20) were on there - two different families that did not know each other. They had SO much fun. The crew was absolutely wonderful. They were SO helpful when it came time to snorkel around the old pier. You won't see tons of fishlife there, but you will see some pretty fish. When we got to the island, it truly looked like paradise!!! We were treated to a special kind of Dominican Republic bread (can't remember the name of it) and the bar - we don't drink alcoholic beverages, so I don't know what was there, but they had a punch and cokes. (oh, and the cokes and water on board the boat were COLD!!!!!!!) The food on the island was traditional D.R. food, and even my picky 16 y.o. liked it :) When it was time to go, we stopped at the "natural pool"/sandbar to see the starfish....SO amazing!!! And yes, you WILL get back to the ship on time. Their reputations depend upon it!!! We had plenty of time to spare, and in fact, had to wait on two Carnival big tour buses that were running late. So we were late getting out of port. On the way back on the catamaran-type speed boat, I took the opportunity to lie down on the net with the kids! Oh, what fun!!!! Guess I was the only adult brave enough/stupid enough or whatever, but I'm SO glad I did. It felt as if you were flying:) I SO recommend ProExcursion. We had been booked with another group, and changed based upon the recommendations above....and we are absolutely THRILLED that we did!!!!! You will NOT be disappointed. It was our most expensive excursion (and the most expensive excursion we've ever done in our total 15 ports), but was definitely one of THE highlights!!! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me.... blessings...robin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchy05 Posted June 12, 2013 #27 Share Posted June 12, 2013 :)We are so, so, so, so VERY happy we went with ProExcursion for this!!! While the other groups were taking VERY full boats out to the island (which were cramped, and the people were sitting like sardines), we had a catamaran-type speed boat with four crew members and 11 guests. It was WONDERFUL!!!! There was a net on the front where you could lie down on it if you wanted. At first just the three kids on the boat (ages 7, 16, and 20) were on there - two different families that did not know each other. They had SO much fun. The crew was absolutely wonderful. They were SO helpful when it came time to snorkel around the old pier. You won't see tons of fishlife there, but you will see some pretty fish. When we got to the island, it truly looked like paradise!!! We were treated to a special kind of Dominican Republic bread (can't remember the name of it) and the bar - we don't drink alcoholic beverages, so I don't know what was there, but they had a punch and cokes. (oh, and the cokes and water on board the boat were COLD!!!!!!!) The food on the island was traditional D.R. food, and even my picky 16 y.o. liked it :) When it was time to go, we stopped at the "natural pool"/sandbar to see the starfish....SO amazing!!! And yes, you WILL get back to the ship on time. Their reputations depend upon it!!! We had plenty of time to spare, and in fact, had to wait on two Carnival big tour buses that were running late. So we were late getting out of port. On the way back on the catamaran-type speed boat, I took the opportunity to lie down on the net with the kids! Oh, what fun!!!! Guess I was the only adult brave enough/stupid enough or whatever, but I'm SO glad I did. It felt as if you were flying:) I SO recommend ProExcursion. We had been booked with another group, and changed based upon the recommendations above....and we are absolutely THRILLED that we did!!!!! You will NOT be disappointed. It was our most expensive excursion (and the most expensive excursion we've ever done in our total 15 ports), but was definitely one of THE highlights!!! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me.... blessings...robin Hi Robin, can you tell me if the ride was bumpy? I don't do well w/small boats and lots of movement. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowbiter Posted June 12, 2013 #28 Share Posted June 12, 2013 When I was in Samana we booked an ATV tour through Tours with Terry. Great operator and very friendly! Send from device_name using Cruise Critic your_app_name App Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airlinebiz Posted June 12, 2013 #29 Share Posted June 12, 2013 We had an absolutely great time! :) My husband, 7 year-old son, and myself took the Pro Excursion sea tour during our cruise stop at La Romana last week. It was fantastic and so much more than we expected. We were with about 11 other people on a catamaran with a highly personable and professional crew – 4 total including our guide, Julie. The ride was smooth and relaxing – not bumpy and no problem for my bad back (I was very worried). The drinks offered on the boat were cold water, sodas, and rum. The first “stop” was a slow cruise through the mangroves in a protected natural preserve. The water was only @ 2 feet deep and clear as glass. We saw several starfish and a stingray. Next we anchored near an old pier with plenty of fish to entertain the snorkelers. The water was very calm and my initially timid 7 year-old quickly became quite the swimmer/snorkeler and absolutely loved it – our guide Julie really made him feel comfortable and secure in the water. We proceeded on to Saona Island where there was a private beach area just for us with padded lounge chairs and restroom facilities (rough but certainly adequate). The lunch they served was freshly prepared and very good (crisp vegetables/salads/fruit, beans, rice, pasta, grilled chicken, soda/water/rum/beer). The beach was very pretty the sand was soft – no coral or rocks – fine for bare feet. After lunch and some beach time we re-boarded the catamaran and cruised to the “swimming pool” – which is a very calm and shallow water (waist deep) sandbar out in the bay of the island. The water was clear, calm, and absolutely beautiful. The floor of the “pool” was soft sand with no seaweed. We then proceeded back to Bayahibe for our taxi back to the ship (it was waiting for us). The crew was very conscientious about time management to get us back in plenty of time for the ship. This was my husband’s main concern about booking a tour outside the cruise line taking us off the island. Julie and I discussed that they do not mix the cruise passengers with resort tourists because of the unreliability of the ship’s arrival time. This was especially important to us when our ship arrived late to La Romana – we didn’t have to worry that the tour was going to depart without us to accommodate resort folks already on the island and waiting. We arrived via taxi back to port with plenty of time to grab drinks/snacks before boarding the ship. We talked with two groups who booked other excursions, paid more than double what we did, and didn’t have half as much fun. La Romana, D.R. was our favorite stop on the cruise and we attribute this to Pro Excursion team! A shout-out to fellow excursion mate robinIbe – so good to meet you :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cocomichelle Posted June 13, 2013 #30 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Ok I'm convinced. Just booked with pro excursions. Cruising 7/29 8 days. Let you know how it was when I return. Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachbride91011 Posted June 15, 2013 #31 Share Posted June 15, 2013 :)We are so, so, so, so VERY happy we went with ProExcursion for this!!! While the other groups were taking VERY full boats out to the island (which were cramped, and the people were sitting like sardines), we had a catamaran-type speed boat with four crew members and 11 guests. It was WONDERFUL!!!! There was a net on the front where you could lie down on it if you wanted. At first just the three kids on the boat (ages 7, 16, and 20) were on there - two different families that did not know each other. They had SO much fun. The crew was absolutely wonderful. They were SO helpful when it came time to snorkel around the old pier. You won't see tons of fishlife there, but you will see some pretty fish. When we got to the island, it truly looked like paradise!!! We were treated to a special kind of Dominican Republic bread (can't remember the name of it) and the bar - we don't drink alcoholic beverages, so I don't know what was there, but they had a punch and cokes. (oh, and the cokes and water on board the boat were COLD!!!!!!!) The food on the island was traditional D.R. food, and even my picky 16 y.o. liked it :) When it was time to go, we stopped at the "natural pool"/sandbar to see the starfish....SO amazing!!! And yes, you WILL get back to the ship on time. Their reputations depend upon it!!! We had plenty of time to spare, and in fact, had to wait on two Carnival big tour buses that were running late. So we were late getting out of port. On the way back on the catamaran-type speed boat, I took the opportunity to lie down on the net with the kids! Oh, what fun!!!! Guess I was the only adult brave enough/stupid enough or whatever, but I'm SO glad I did. It felt as if you were flying:) I SO recommend ProExcursion. We had been booked with another group, and changed based upon the recommendations above....and we are absolutely THRILLED that we did!!!!! You will NOT be disappointed. It was our most expensive excursion (and the most expensive excursion we've ever done in our total 15 ports), but was definitely one of THE highlights!!! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me.... blessings...robin This sounds like what we are looking for. Which tour was it you booked for this excursion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ej22ndrow Posted June 16, 2013 #32 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Airlinebiz and robinlb.... Were the tours you took on the catamaran the "sea excursions foe cruise ships" or the "VIP sail catamaran to Saona"? Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alg7334 Posted June 17, 2013 #33 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Is this tour group in La Romana? We are trying to decide what to do when we get there. The tour with Terry sounds great.Thanks This was in Samana, Dominican Republic. I'm not sure if he does tours in La Romana but if he does you should definitely book something with him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinlbe Posted June 23, 2013 #34 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Hi all... sorry, I haven't been back on the board since we got back home. 1) Crunchy, as airlinebiz said, it was NOT bumpy at all. It was wonderful. It was nothing like I expected. And the staff made sure everyone was good with the speed. 2) To the poster right above me (sorry, I forgot your name already....), I believe the tour was "Cruise Special" because I didn't know it was going to be a Speed Catamaran. I thought it was going to be a regular speed boat as I had seen on the "other" tour group's website. 3) Finally, to the family with the 7 y.o. who replied right after I did.....greetings to all of you. Hope your son, "A" is doing well. Was so sorry we never saw you guys anymore the rest of the cruise. We have some really cute pictures of all three kids on the net part of front, and them some of him and me on the net. My daughter also took a picture of you and him sitting on the beach together. If you want me to send to you, send me a private message. To everyone else, you will NOT be disappointed in ProExcursions. (oh, anything thing they did post-cruise......just to show you how WONDERFUL they are.....we had taken a picture of two sisters in our group holding starfish. We told them we'd send it to them. Later when we were it Curacao, we saw them and got their email address. Well, when we got home, I couldn't find that email addy for anything!! So, I emailed ProEx and asked if they could forward the picture for me....and they did!!! How's that for service ??) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airlinebiz Posted June 23, 2013 #35 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Airlinebiz and robinlb.... Were the tours you took on the catamaran the "sea excursions foe cruise ships" or the "VIP sail catamaran to Saona"? Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app ej22mdrow---we took the sea excursion for cruise ships. This tour is specially designed around the ship's arrival/departure schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airlinebiz Posted June 23, 2013 #36 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Hi all...sorry, I haven't been back on the board since we got back home. 1) Crunchy, as airlinebiz said, it was NOT bumpy at all. It was wonderful. It was nothing like I expected. And the staff made sure everyone was good with the speed. 2) To the poster right above me (sorry, I forgot your name already....), I believe the tour was "Cruise Special" because I didn't know it was going to be a Speed Catamaran. I thought it was going to be a regular speed boat as I had seen on the "other" tour group's website. 3) Finally, to the family with the 7 y.o. who replied right after I did.....greetings to all of you. Hope your son, "A" is doing well. Was so sorry we never saw you guys anymore the rest of the cruise. We have some really cute pictures of all three kids on the net part of front, and them some of him and me on the net. My daughter also took a picture of you and him sitting on the beach together. If you want me to send to you, send me a private message. To everyone else, you will NOT be disappointed in ProExcursions. (oh, anything thing they did post-cruise......just to show you how WONDERFUL they are.....we had taken a picture of two sisters in our group holding starfish. We told them we'd send it to them. Later when we were it Curacao, we saw them and got their email address. Well, when we got home, I couldn't find that email addy for anything!! So, I emailed ProEx and asked if they could forward the picture for me....and they did!!! How's that for service ??) Hi Robin! Hope you all are doing well. We are good but already want to go on another cruise :) Thank you so much for offering to email the pictures. Very kind of you and lovely daughter. Our generic email is wood ya 35 at yahoo dot com. Take good care :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinlbe Posted June 25, 2013 #37 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Hey airlinbiz family from Arizona....we're ready for another cruise, too! I've found myself looking for bargains for October cruises...ha! Since we're moving to a "balanced calendar" now (we start school in about a month), we'll have two weeks off in October, two weeks off in December, and two weeks off in March. We'll get out in June, then return in July. Anyway, yeah...we're ready again :) will send pics, but will send a test email first. robin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelwide Posted June 28, 2013 #38 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Help!! It is my understanding that Cayo Levantado is an island off of the mainland of Samana. Am I correct?? If so, I imagine we will have to take the ferry to Samana and then catch up with Terry. Would appreciate any help with logistics. Thanks! Alma and Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cocomichelle Posted July 9, 2013 #39 Share Posted July 9, 2013 We did the speedboat to Saona Island with pro excursions and I can't say enough how much we enjoyed it. Our tour guide was very informative. The view was amazing. We had our own little private section of the island with food and an open bar. The snorkeling at the reefs was gorgeous and the fish come up and eat bread out of your hand. They took some beautiful photos which we purchased. They were very mindful of the time and got us back with plenty of time left to spare. I could go on and on but I won't. I highly recommend booking with them. I definitely will again. Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisingforthe25th Posted July 10, 2013 #40 Share Posted July 10, 2013 We did the speedboat to Saona Island with pro excursions and I can't say enough how much we enjoyed it. Our tour guide was very informative. The view was amazing. We had our own little private section of the island with food and an open bar. The snorkeling at the reefs was gorgeous and the fish come up and eat bread out of your hand. They took some beautiful photos which we purchased. They were very mindful of the time and got us back with plenty of time left to spare. I could go on and on but I won't. I highly recommend booking with them. I definitely will again. [ATTACH]278394[/ATTACH][ATTACH]278395[/ATTACH][ATTACH]278396[/ATTACH] Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Thanks for the brief review. Have the same excursion booked later this year - looking forward to it. Do you remember approx how many people booked this tour? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cocomichelle Posted July 10, 2013 #41 Share Posted July 10, 2013 There was about 20 people that day. Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchy05 Posted July 10, 2013 #42 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Awesome to hear, we are booked with them in August. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeagoingMom Posted July 10, 2013 #43 Share Posted July 10, 2013 20 people with your own private beach? That sounds fantastic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camperhawk Posted July 13, 2013 #44 Share Posted July 13, 2013 This tour sounds great! One question..Was it difficuklt getting in and out of the catamaran? My sis has knee problems. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cocomichelle Posted July 13, 2013 #45 Share Posted July 13, 2013 This tour sounds great! One question..Was it difficuklt getting in and out of the catamaran? My sis has knee problems. Thanks! I can't really answer that. We took a speedboat and it wasn't. They help you in and out. Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisFan Posted July 17, 2013 #46 Share Posted July 17, 2013 am I reading their website right that they only operate on Tuesdays for the cruise special? "La Romana excursions for the ''Carnival'' cruise passengers making a stop in La Romana on Tuesdays! Tuesday Departures from Port at 9:15 and return for 16:00 guaranteed. Also Sundays with MSC Musica" our ship comes in to La Romana on a Wednesday, so looks like we may be out of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airlinebiz Posted July 30, 2013 #47 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Hey airlinbiz family from Arizona....we're ready for another cruise, too! I've found myself looking for bargains for October cruises...ha! Since we're moving to a "balanced calendar" now (we start school in about a month), we'll have two weeks off in October, two weeks off in December, and two weeks off in March. We'll get out in June, then return in July. Anyway, yeah...we're ready again :) will send pics, but will send a test email first. robin Hi Robin - haven't been on this forum in awhile. We never received your "test" email for the kid's pictures and cruise critic doesn't have the ability to private message. However tripadvisor does allow it. I'm airlinebiz over there if you want to PM me there. Hope you and family are doing well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovecruzing Posted July 31, 2013 #48 Share Posted July 31, 2013 I too have booked with them for my November cruise and as i continue to read all your reviews I know I've made the right choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchy05 Posted August 16, 2013 #49 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Booked with Proexcursions for our trip last week. Had a wonderful time, would book it again in a heartbeat. We had Jessica as our guide, and then her father(micheal) I believe took a boat out about 30 minutes after ours- so they do have more than one boat. But even with two boats, our section of the beach was not crowded at all. Very relaxing, peaceful day. Saona Island is BEAUTIFUL! Enjoy your trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dec2007w3boys Posted September 2, 2013 #50 Share Posted September 2, 2013 I too have booked with them for my November cruise and as i continue to read all your reviews I know I've made the right choice. Hi Bevie!!!! After the great misfit cruise last year, Tom and I booked a b2b starting nov 17. Marie, Dave, Jen and Rhonda are on the first leg on the 17th. Maybe we will see you as you are getting off. Anyways, of this tour works for you, I think I need to check it out. Hope all is well!! Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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