Any tours from samana?

[tunisbridal]

Will be there on the explorer in feb. looking for a tour from samana?

[Snooksi]

Will be there on the explorer in feb. looking for a tour from samana?

 

I found this all day private tour whale watching (only available Jan-March) and riding horse back to the waterfalls at Salto Limon and it looks exciting. It also includes a native lunch. I emailed dominicanshuttles with my questions and they replied quite quickly. I was concerned about getting back to the ship on time and they didn't foresee any problems because it is a private tour that only includes your family. It is quite $$ but that's because it is a private tour. I only found one review about the whale watching with this company (it was great) and have asked, here on the board, if anyone has done this particular tour to find out what they thought and if they felt it was worth the money. I'll wait to see if I get any answers before actually booking a reservation.

 

http://www.whalewatchingsamana.com/index.html

 

You can also put Samana Tours in any search engine and you will find lots of excursions to choose from. I have read here on CC about people being so disappointed with this port of call because there wasn't much to do, but I found lots of fun things while researching and this is one of the ports we are most excited to visit!!

 

Good luck and have a great cruise!!

[critcatny]

I thought I had read suggestions to be careful at this port so I plan to book an excursion with the ship. We love history and are planning on booking a trip that goes to the old church, the whaling museum and Taino Park-which is the main reason we are thinking of this one. Has anyone else been to Taino Park and if so, how did you like it? Thanks.

[Snooksi]

I thought I had read suggestions to be careful at this port so I plan to book an excursion with the ship. We love history and are planning on booking a trip that goes to the old church, the whaling museum and Taino Park-which is the main reason we are thinking of this one. Has anyone else been to Taino Park and if so, how did you like it? Thanks.

 

Do you mind if I ask what you read and why the need to be careful? I haven't read anything and this will be my first visit to Samana. I just want any/all information I need to be aware of before booking a tour with a private company.

 

Thanks so much!!

[anastasia3939]

Every port i've been to people will warn you to be careful (crime, poverty, you'll miss a tender, etc). I have never booked through a ship nor will I. The tour operators livelihood depends on your safety and getting you back to the boat on time. Never had any issues. Just look for recommendations about the different operators on various travel sites if you are nervous, though my family has just walked off the boat and hired a taxi in many ports. For Samana im thinking of booking a whale watching excursion through whalesamana.com for myself and our toddler and a zipline/rv tour for my husband and teen with tours with Terry.

[critcatny]

I'm sorry I don't recall where I read that info but it sticks in my mind. Although I wasn't thinking that it wasn't safe to go with an outside excursion company, more that it's risky to head out on your own (walking, taxis, etc).

[Snooksi]

I'm sorry I don't recall where I read that info but it sticks in my mind. Although I wasn't thinking that it wasn't safe to go with an outside excursion company, more that it's risky to head out on your own (walking, taxis, etc).

 

Aaaaah, thank you.

 

I'm too fearful to walk anywhere away from the port since it's just me and my children. I've heard getting a taxi is safe in some ports and not in others, on your own. Now, if there was a large group of people or family, I think people would be safer but not for me, since I have my children with me and we won't be with a large group.

 

Thanks

[tunisbridal]

Thanks for all the info!

[allentownahoy]

Every port i've been to people will warn you to be careful (crime, poverty, you'll miss a tender, etc). I have never booked through a ship nor will I. The tour operators livelihood depends on your safety and getting you back to the boat on time. Never had any issues. Just look for recommendations about the different operators on various travel sites if you are nervous, though my family has just walked off the boat and hired a taxi in many ports. For Samana im thinking of booking a whale watching excursion through whalesamana.com for myself and our toddler and a zipline/rv tour for my husband and teen with tours with Terry.

 

I would not do a whale watch in Samana with a toddler. Most reports indicate it can be a very rough ride. Many get seasick.

[Snooksi]

Thanks for all the info!

 

Hey Tunis, If you just add a [ right before URL (no space) in your signature, your countdown clock will show up. We can't see it now and only see the broken code.

 

Just trying to help!! :)

Edited October 8, 2013 by Snooksi

[WaldosPepper]

Snooksi, I see you are considering a horseback excursion to the falls at Salto Limon. We did this in 2007, and I have to say that it is the single most memorable thing I have ever done while on a cruise.

 

However, I feel compelled to warn you that the horses cannot take you all the way to the falls, as the trail becomes too steep. There is an extremely steep and rugged trail down to the falls. If you elect to take this excursion, please be sure to wear good-fitting, closed-toe shoes. Also, once you have seen the falls, you will need to climb back up the same trail, which can be challenging.

 

If your children are very young, or anyone in your group has any physical challenges, this is definitely NOT the excursion to choose.

 

Samana is incredibly beautiful, and we can hardly wait to board the Gem in January and return to this amazing place.

[tunisbridal]

I am computer chalanged. Can't figure out how to add the countdown clock :)

[Snooksi]

Snooksi, I see you are considering a horseback excursion to the falls at Salto Limon. We did this in 2007, and I have to say that it is the single most memorable thing I have ever done while on a cruise.

 

However, I feel compelled to warn you that the horses cannot take you all the way to the falls, as the trail becomes too steep. There is an extremely steep and rugged trail down to the falls. If you elect to take this excursion, please be sure to wear good-fitting, closed-toe shoes. Also, once you have seen the falls, you will need to climb back up the same trail, which can be challenging.

 

If your children are very young, or anyone in your group has any physical challenges, this is definitely NOT the excursion to choose.

 

Samana is incredibly beautiful, and we can hardly wait to board the Gem in January and return to this amazing place.

 

Thanks Waldos. I knew that from the website and my daughter will be almost 14 when we leave and she and my sister and I are all in good shape. But thanks for the warning and we'll be sure and wear tennis shoes and just pack water shoes for the actual falls.

 

I don't know if I'm more excited about Salto Limon or the whale watching. I think it will be the most incredible day!!!

 

Thanks again!!

[Snooksi]

I am computer chalanged. Can't figure out how to add the countdown clock :)

 

Nevermind, you have the code wrong. I can't get it to work. If you email me the information of your cruise (ship, sailing date, name at the top and what you want written at the bottom and the picture), I'll email you the code. All you will need to do is delete what you already have in your signature and then copy and paste the code I send you onto your signature.

 

Then everyone can see your countdown clock, and so will you! :)

 

ctrampler@centurytel.net

[WaldosPepper]

Thanks Waldos. I knew that from the website and my daughter will be almost 14 when we leave and she and my sister and I are all in good shape. But thanks for the warning and we'll be sure and wear tennis shoes and just pack water shoes for the actual falls.

 

I don't know if I'm more excited about Salto Limon or the whale watching. I think it will be the most incredible day!!!

 

Thanks again!!

Sounds like you will have no issues whatsoever with the excursion to the falls. :D You are definitely in for an incredible day, for sure!

 

I am currently in the process of arranging a custom tour with Terry, and I am just so excited to be returning to Samana! We will not be doing the falls this time, because several in our group would just never make it back up the trail, but we will see new things this time around, so I'm confident that we will have an incredible day, too.

 

:)

[Snooksi]

Sounds like you will have no issues whatsoever with the excursion to the falls. :D You are definitely in for an incredible day, for sure!

 

I am currently in the process of arranging a custom tour with Terry, and I am just so excited to be returning to Samana! We will not be doing the falls this time, because several in our group would just never make it back up the trail, but we will see new things this time around, so I'm confident that we will have an incredible day, too.

 

:)

 

I was surprised to read a lot of people don't like Samana and are thrilled there is going to be an itinerary change to Tortola next year or 2015 (can't remember which). I found so many fun and exciting things to do in Samana and can't wait to visit there. My problem is finding an excursion in San Juan. I'd love to visit the fort but my daughter and sister aren't really into stuff like that and none of us are foodies so a food tour is out. I've booked excursions in Samana, St Thomas and St Maarten and I'm very excited about them but have no clue what to do in San Juan. Any suggestions?

Edited October 17, 2013 by Snooksi

[WaldosPepper]

I was surprised to read a lot of people don't like Samana and are thrilled there is going to be an itinerary change to Tortola next year or 2015 (can't remember which). I found so many fun and exciting things to do in Samana and can't wait to visit there. My problem is finding an excursion in San Juan. I'd love to visit the fort but my daughter and sister aren't really into stuff like that and none of us are foodies so a food tour is out. I've booked excursions in Samana, St Thomas and St Maarten and I'm very excited about them but have no clue what to do in San Juan. Any suggestions?

 

I have to say that while I'm sad they are not going to Samana in late 2014, Tortola really is a wonderful port, and definitely one of my favorites. I would actually love to see Norwegian ditch St. Thomas, and go to Tortola and Samana! I would book that every year! :D

 

San Juan is one port where we won't book excursions, because the time in port is so short, and the arrival is so late in the day. It's a wonderful port for just wandering around on foot, or taking a carriage ride. There are shops of every imaginable kind, as well as cafes and restaurants everywhere. Plenty of little parks to wander, and countless truly beautiful buildings to admire. There are also cigar rollers who perform their craft in the square just west of the port - fun and interesting to watch. Other hand-crafts are also displayed by vendors on the street in that vicinity as well.

 

We will spend our time there just winging it (although there is this one particular jewelry store we visited the last time, and will most certainly be making a visit to again. Have no idea of the name or address, but I remember exactly how to get there.) :)

 

We have found the people of San Juan to friendly and gracious when asking for directions, etc. ;)

[Snooksi]

I have to say that while I'm sad they are not going to Samana in late 2014, Tortola really is a wonderful port, and definitely one of my favorites. I would actually love to see Norwegian ditch St. Thomas, and go to Tortola and Samana! I would book that every year! :D

 

San Juan is one port where we won't book excursions, because the time in port is so short, and the arrival is so late in the day. It's a wonderful port for just wandering around on foot, or taking a carriage ride. There are shops of every imaginable kind, as well as cafes and restaurants everywhere. Plenty of little parks to wander, and countless truly beautiful buildings to admire. There are also cigar rollers who perform their craft in the square just west of the port - fun and interesting to watch. Other hand-crafts are also displayed by vendors on the street in that vicinity as well.

 

We will spend our time there just winging it (although there is this one particular jewelry store we visited the last time, and will most certainly be making a visit to again. Have no idea of the name or address, but I remember exactly how to get there.) :)

 

We have found the people of San Juan to friendly and gracious when asking for directions, etc. ;)

 

Thank you Barbara!!

 

I had wondered if we should just wander around San Juan and shop and have fun exploring and then find a fun place to eat dinner. From what you said, it sounds like San Juan is a "safe" port to visit on our own? Can I assume this is true?

 

Thanks again for your help. I just didn't see anything worthwhile as far as excursions go. Everything was directed at the fort or food tours and neither interest us. Exploring on our own sounds fun if so many others do the same thing. My only concern is the safeness of it.

[WaldosPepper]

Thank you Barbara!!

 

I had wondered if we should just wander around San Juan and shop and have fun exploring and then find a fun place to eat dinner. From what you said, it sounds like San Juan is a "safe" port to visit on our own? Can I assume this is true?

 

Thanks again for your help. I just didn't see anything worthwhile as far as excursions go. Everything was directed at the fort or food tours and neither interest us. Exploring on our own sounds fun if so many others do the same thing. My only concern is the safeness of it.

 

Honestly, we did not feel as though any area was "unsafe," but as in any city environment you want to be aware of your surroundings, and certainly don't want to open yourself to opportunists. Keep your money safe, and never look like an easy mark. ;)

 

One word of caution, if you haven't read about him already...

 

There is a man who has made a career of approaching tourists with some story about how he and his father are visiting and had some accident or misfortune while there. He goes on to ask for money for some purpose I can't recall (cab fare to airport, or something like that). He is legendary. Several have posted here over the years detailing their encounters with him, and some have even told him that they read about him on the internet! :D

 

Go and enjoy yourselves in beautiful Old San Juan. It's a lovely city.

 

:)

[Cubechick]

What do you recommend doing in Samana? Absolutely nothing jumps out at me. The reviews of the ship excursions are so mixed...

 

We may just do the beach excursion for something easy, but then we really won't see anything of Samana.

 

TIA

[WaldosPepper]

What do you recommend doing in Samana? Absolutely nothing jumps out at me. The reviews of the ship excursions are so mixed...

 

We may just do the beach excursion for something easy, but then we really won't see anything of Samana.

 

TIA

 

If you do a beach excursion, you are cheating yourself. ;)

 

I would strongly recommend you check out what is offered here: http://www.toursamanawithterry.com/ We just booked a custom tour for our family, and I am very impressed with the prompt communications, answers to our questions, and overall customer service. No wonder they get such glowing reviews on CC and TA!

 

If you are an adventuresome sport, you might want to give serious consideration to the El Limon (also known as Santo Limon) Falls excursion. It is a horseback excursion for part of the way, and then a hike down a very steep mountainside trail to the falls, which are beyond breathtaking. The hike back up is considerably challenging, though, so if you choose this one be sure to wear rugged shoes. ;) We did this in 2006 as part of a day-long wild adventure, and it was unquestionably the highlight of the day (despite my falling off a horse and spending the next five days bruised-up and hobbling. :p )

 

There are several other choices, including ATV/Falls (different falls) and ATV/Zipline. Both of these look to be fun. The culture/beach/falls excursion is the one that would give you the best overall view of Samana though.

 

Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any specific questions and I'll be happy to be of help. Just be sure to put something in the title of your email so I know it's not spam. ;)

[servalgirl]

Thank you Barbara!!

 

I had wondered if we should just wander around San Juan and shop and have fun exploring and then find a fun place to eat dinner. From what you said, it sounds like San Juan is a "safe" port to visit on our own? Can I assume this is true?

 

Thanks again for your help. I just didn't see anything worthwhile as far as excursions go. Everything was directed at the fort or food tours and neither interest us. Exploring on our own sounds fun if so many others do the same thing. My only concern is the safeness of it.

 

 

I love Puerto Rico-I have been there 3 times-two land vacations, one cruise departure point, and will be there for a stop next month. It is very safe. For kids I would say there is the El Yunque Forest for hiking or Arrecibo Observatory and Camuy Caves but you mention being there a short time frame-how short? If under 6 hours stick to Old San Juan-visit the fort and shops, visit the hoard of stray cats that live along the walkway (they are famous). I am not a shopper yet always end up buying things in Old San Juan and would happily spend a day wandering. There are some great toy shops, eclectic carvings, jewelry and clothing stores-not run of the mill at all. If you like nature activities and happen to be there in the evening do the biolumenesence kayak tour. It's a once in a lifetime experience.

[Snooksi]

I love Puerto Rico-I have been there 3 times-two land vacations, one cruise departure point, and will be there for a stop next month. It is very safe. For kids I would say there is the El Yunque Forest for hiking or Arrecibo Observatory and Camuy Caves but you mention being there a short time frame-how short? If under 6 hours stick to Old San Juan-visit the fort and shops, visit the hoard of stray cats that live along the walkway (they are famous). I am not a shopper yet always end up buying things in Old San Juan and would happily spend a day wandering. There are some great toy shops, eclectic carvings, jewelry and clothing stores-not run of the mill at all. If you like nature activities and happen to be there in the evening do the biolumenesence kayak tour. It's a once in a lifetime experience.

 

We're only there from 3-9PM. Is that enough time for the Observatory/Caves excursion? That sounds really fun and I'd like to look into that. Can you point me to a website or I will just put it in the search engine and see what I find. We tried kayaking on a past cruise and my kids just didn't have the stamina (me either) for it. Otherwise, I think we'll just go exploring/shopping on our own.

 

Thanks so much for the info!!!

[Nursepedinp]

So this is my first post on cruise critic...I have read a lot on here, just never posted anything. I went on the Carnival Breeze 8 day Southern Caribbean October 26. For La Romana we went with Pro Excursions for the Pro Saona Carnival Tour. This was the only port that we weren't quite sure what to do at, and probably the one that I was the most nervous about.

 

Well to my surprise, this is the port we had the most fun at during our entire cruise. Roberto and his crew on our speed boat were absolutely wonderful. So we were up and at breakfast early that morning so we could get right off the ship when it docked. I will have to say I was a bit confused on where to locate the taxi cabs, but we just continued to walk through the parking lot, past all the buses for the carnival booked tours, and finally exited the the parking lot. Well across the street there is a baseball field and next to it there is a lot filled with cabs. There was a nice lady who spoke English who you just told what excursion or area you were trying to get to and she directed you to the correct place. The cab got us safely to Bayahibe, which is where Pro excursion is located, we were told what cab number to look for, and that he would be there when we got back from the tour, and guess what...he was!

 

So for the tour itself, back to Roberto and his team, I want to say for the Pro company they had two speed boats. Ours was the second to leave. There was about 14-16 of us on there, plus the cutest 3 year old(not my kid BTW). The tour guides were so good with him too, which wasn't hard because he was so well behaved, they even let him captain the boat. He slept for part of the ride over, which was probably about 30 minutes because we stopped at some sight seeing spots, which were mangroves and some caves, also on the way there we did the snorkeling stop for those who wanted (they did have equipment on the boat if you don't have your own). When we finally got to the beach it was beautiful. Pro has its own little area with beach chairs, a covered area, and bathrooms. The food was really good and was served buffet style by there staff. On the way back we stopped at the natural pool, the water there was even better. It was crystal clear, the temperture of the water was perfect, and you could see the biggest, most amazing star fish. Best part...the rum and coke was served here and it was plentiful. All in all this tour was so much fun. Me and my boyfriend really enjoyed ourselves.

 

If you go to La Romana book this excursion!

I do recommend water shoes at the beach in Saona, there were some pretty big rocks we kept stepping on...then again, even though we live in Florida, we never go to the beach so maybe our feet just aren't used to it, but I was happy I had my water shoes.

[Raybs09]

We have booked Pro Excursion for our cruise in March, thanks so much for posting this, I'm really looking forward to this excursion!