Any advice for La Romana?

[eng4]

Not getting any responses in the port section so I thought I would try here. Looking for a tour or beach advice. Trying to get info on Dreams all inclusive also. Worried about this port, it doesn't seem to have good reviews.

 

 

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[SadieN]

Can't help with a beach but we went to the cave.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147292-d1985700-r123076543-Cueva_de_las_Maravillas-La_Romana_La_Romana_Province_Dominican_Republic.html

We booked thru the ship.

Edited January 13, 2015 by SadieN

[groundhog59]

Not getting any responses in the port section so I thought I would try here. Looking for a tour or beach advice. Trying to get info on Dreams all inclusive also. Worried about this port, it doesn't seem to have good reviews.

 

 

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We took the local bus - in actuallity 15 person van ($2) to Bayahibe beach. YOu have to walk out of the cruise area to the left, go past the ball fields to the street and then turn left and there will be buses (vans) lined up. There may be motor bikes that come up to you and try to get you to ride just tell them. Yo quiero pied I want to walk). They will leave you alone. When you get to the line of buses, Just tell them you want to go to yo quiero la playa -Bayahibe I want to go to the Bayahibe beach . The bus drops you off in the town and you have to walk a short distance to the beach which is the same beach as Dreams but there is a marked line that you cannot cross to Dreams. We took a cooler and bought beers, soft drinks and snacks in a little store before heading to the beach. Very nice. Just respect the people, don't wear flashy things, leave expensive jewelry home or in the safe and enjoy their culture. A few phrases of spanish will help. La Romana was one of my favorites. Most people there realize tourists are to their benefit. After we returned from the beach we walked around the little town but were careful not to go to far from the main area which you would do anywhere. Edited January 13, 2015 by groundhog59

[redheadslovebacon]

We booked an excursion to Saona Island with Seavis Tours. It was absolutely amazing and we will do it again next time we're there.

 

 

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[redheadslovebacon]

The Seavis Excursion includes lunch, beer, rum punch and sodas. They stop at a natural pool so you can see the starfish.

 

 

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[RNRSC]

We got a day pass to Dreams resort. Really nice place with a fantastic beach. It is all inclusive and like all inclusives in the DR the liquor is cheap. The only downside was getting there. You really want to have a group to fill a van, otherwise the cab ride is very expensive.

 

 

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Edited January 13, 2015 by RNRSC

[CruzCrazy]

This photo was taken at the infinity pool at Dreams back in 2012. We had a great time there. I do remember that the van was about $90, so we waited and found a group of great people from our ship who wanted to go there, so we split the cost, and it wasn't bad at all. They have other pools besides this one, but this one had the swim-up bar. There was a nice beach, although we mainly hung out at the pool. They welcomed us with a glass of champagne and we got towels for use at the front desk. We paid for a half-day pass, but I don't recall exactly how much that was. We did contact them by e-mail ahead of time, but we didn't have to pay any money up front. I would definitely go back there. The food was good, and there was plenty of it. The bartenders were very interactive with the guests.

 

[Fla Senior]

We enjoyed a nice quiet day with the ship to ourselves.

[crazyboutdisney]

Not getting any responses in the port section so I thought I would try here. Looking for a tour or beach advice. Trying to get info on Dreams all inclusive also. Worried about this port, it doesn't seem to have good reviews.

 

 

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When do you sail? We sail on the Conquest on Feb 21st. I am also going back and forth with this port. Would LOVE to do the Dream day pass but theres only two of us so taxi would be too expensive unless we could find a group. We are leaning towards the Bayahibe Beach Break for this reason. If you google the Dreams Resort you can email them about the day pass. They answer back fast.

[Tapi]

We sailed to La Romana few years ago, and we docked there for 2 nights after an itinerary change due to unrest at another port. What we initially thought would be a disaster ended up being a blessing in disguise as we had extra time to explore this WONDERFUL port.

 

We toured the artist village of Altos de Chavon. We went horseback riding along the Casa de Campo grounds. We took a beach day tour to nearby Catalina Island. And we had some time to walk around the downtown area and shop for inexpensive local arts and crafts.

 

IMHO, the reason why you see negative reviews about La Romana is for the same reason why places like Belize and Progreso get negative reviews. These are ports for travelers, not for tourists. You NEED to explore beyond the immediate port area, and you must enjoy a more authentic experience. There are no fancy welcome centers with Señor Frog's or Margaritaville's. A lot of people who speak poorly of these ports are people who feel uneasy unless they see an Americanized chain bar or restaurant with Jimmy Buffett music playing as soon as they get off the ship and, heavens forbid, they are faced with what life in the Caribbean is truly like.

 

 

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Edited January 14, 2015 by Tapi

[vamartha]

We went to Dreams. It is a stunning way to spend the day! The food is good, the drinks are free flowing and the pools are wonderful!

 

 

The resort itself is not that expensive (about 1/2 of what we paid in Montego Bay) but that taxi ride, it could almost be the most expensive in the world! :D We knew that in advance, and factored that into our overall budget, but maybe you could find someone on your roll call to split it with. A group of about 8 girls from Canada went from our ship and I seem to remember that their costs were very reasonable.

 

 

 

 

[eng4]

We have a group of 8. Can anyone estimate the taxi cost to dreams?

 

 

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[crazyboutdisney]

In the email I received from Dreams they said taxi is around $60 to $70. Not sure if that's round trip? Hopefully someone can give a better answer.

[Peep.Penguin]

We were on the Carnival Breeze back in September and did Carnival's Dune Buggy excursion. We had a BLAST. Would definitely do it again.

[kelkel2]

Is this a port that you have to have an excursion or a tour or something planned? From what I gather there isn't much here? So this wouldn't be a port we could just get off the port and roam around?

[BenjiRodney]

We sailed to La Romana few years ago, and we docked there for 2 nights after an itinerary change due to unrest at another port. What we initially thought would be a disaster ended up being a blessing in disguise as we had extra time to explore this WONDERFUL port.

 

We toured the artist village of Altos de Chavon. We went horseback riding along the Casa de Campo grounds. We took a beach day tour to nearby Catalina Island. And we had some time to walk around the downtown area and shop for inexpensive local arts and crafts.

 

IMHO, the reason why you see negative reviews about La Romana is for the same reason why places like Belize and Progreso get negative reviews. These are ports for travelers, not for tourists. You NEED to explore beyond the immediate port area, and you must enjoy a more authentic experience. There are no fancy welcome centers with Señor Frog's or Margaritaville's. A lot of people who speak poorly of these ports are people who feel uneasy unless they see an Americanized chain bar or restaurant with Jimmy Buffett music playing as soon as they get off the ship and, heavens forbid, they are faced with what life in the Caribbean is truly like.

 

 

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Thank you, this makes me understand this port better.

[gaboycruiser]

Taxi to dreams was $55 one way or $90 round trip in November. We had a wonderful day at Dreams.

[eng4]

Taxi to dreams was $55 one way or $90 round trip in November. We had a wonderful day at Dreams.

 

 

For how many ppl?

 

 

 

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[gaboycruiser]

Per taxi. Its a 12 passenger van

[eng4]

Per taxi. Its a 12 passenger van

 

 

Thank you.

 

 

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[crazyboutdisney]

Per taxi. Its a 12 passenger van

 

How much time did you allow for your return to the ship? I always worry about not making it back :eek:

[connieh1968]

How did you book this? I don't see anything about booking a one day pass.

 

Thanks so much!

[gaboycruiser]

Just take a taxi to the resort.

[chamo999]

Hi

To get to Saona Island was it a long ride?

[Tannison]

Hi

To get to Saona Island was it a long ride?

 

We did this with Seavis in 2013 and the ride wasn't longer than 20 minutes if I remember correctly. This is one of our favorite tours we have ever done. I highly recommend it.