MSC Opera 1/14 - How were the Shore Excursions?

[yergie]

We'll be on Opera 1/28 and I'm still doing reseach on the shore excursions and wondering how it went for y'all. Did you do any of the shore excursions offered by the boat and which ones were worthwhile. If not, what did you do?

 

We are in San Juan at night. How does that work out? Did anyone take the Bioluminescent Bay tour? In St. Maartin, the boat arrives too late to catch any of the excursions from ShoreTrips.com. Are there any independant excursions that you could recommend. Dominican Republic looks like it might be a challange also. Last time we were there, the river was being patrolled by armed guards and PT boats because of unrest in Haiti. The only thing the ship would let us do was organized shore excursions for our own safety. Can you catch a cab and go off on your own these days? We are looking for good snorkeling without having to go all the way to Isla Saona (although, last time that was a delightful trip). One reviewer mentioned that the evening show on the Opera was as good as Kandela and it's free, any thoughts on this. So far, I've heard only good things about Cayo Levantado. Anyone have a bad experience there we should watch out for?

 

Thanks so much.

[ctdahlquist]

The La Romana/Casa de Campo areas are perfectly fine for independent taxi tours. There was much security present at Casa de Campo, but I didn't get the feeling the place was particularly dangerous. Our Kayaking guide felt it was safe to do La Romana on your own. The trip to Saona island should make for a great excursion. As I mentioned in my review, I wasn't too impressed with the Kayaking at La Romana.

 

I VERY much enjoyed the horsebackriding to the waterfall in Cayo Levantado. To enjoy this, you should be in pretty good shape, have a good back, and not be afraid of some mud. This was the highlight of the entire cruise, as far as I am concerned.

 

Renting a car in St. Maarten is fairly easy, although there can be congestion on the roads. You will want to reserve plenty of time to return to the ship if you rent. Road conditions are not bad, and the island is easy to navigate. You will find a number of car agencies as soon as you exit the gate to the pier.

[donnaw]

The La Romana/Casa de Campo areas are perfectly fine for independent taxi tours. There was much security present at Casa de Campo, but I didn't get the feeling the place was particularly dangerous. Our Kayaking guide felt it was safe to do La Romana on your own. The trip to Saona island should make for a great excursion. As I mentioned in my review, I wasn't too impressed with the Kayaking at La Romana.

 

I VERY much enjoyed the horsebackriding to the waterfall in Cayo Levantado. To enjoy this, you should be in pretty good shape, have a good back, and not be afraid of some mud. This was the highlight of the entire cruise, as far as I am concerned.

 

Renting a car in St. Maarten is fairly easy, although there can be congestion on the roads. You will want to reserve plenty of time to return to the ship if you rent. Road conditions are not bad, and the island is easy to navigate. You will find a number of car agencies as soon as you exit the gate to the pier.

 

We left FLL late so all San Juan tours were cancelled. By the time we disembarked there was enough time to look through a few open shops and go to Walgreens. I was the one that mentioned that those we left behind when we went to the Kandela show said the ships show was excellent. However, all the ships shows were excellent. The Kandela show was also excellent but the show itself was only 1 hour long. As you get off the ship in La Romana, you will walk up a bit of a hill. Off to your left are the taxis and the rates for the different locations are posted. We did Bayahibe and had a great time relaxing at and walking on the beach. Note that the rate for the taxi is for up to 5 people with a small surcharge for each over that. It is to your advantage to find someone else to share the ride with.

[mdmudda59]

Yergie, I am following you from another post you made regarding your excursion to Catamaran trip to Isla Saona. Could you tell me how you booked it. I am going on the msc opera on Feb. 11th and would love to take that excursion. you may email me at: mdeno@yahoo.com

Thanks!

[yergie]

I was on Carnival Jubilee and it was one of the shore excursions they offered. Like I mentioned, there were no options other than ship excursions because of the political unrest in La Romana at the time. We took a catamaran out to Isla Saona and then came back in on jet boats. We snorkeled at Isla Saona and on the trip back we stopped at a place they called a "natural swimming pool" and snorkeled again. Opera seems to have something called a Catamaran Sail and Snorkel but it doesn't mention Isla Saona and that was the BEST part.

 

I haven't been able to find hardly anything for independant shore trips in La Romana. I guess you could take a chance that the taxi driver has a cousin who has a brother whose girlfriend knows someone.

 

-yergie