dulcemariamar Posted June 27, 2019 #1 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Airlines are starting to allow people to cancel their flights to DR without any fees. Do you think this will be the tipping point for Carnival to change this port. I was excited about going to Amber Cove but since I am traveling with little ones then I rather be more cautious and skip the port. And I am sure that more people will be skipping this port if things stay unclear about what is happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasvegascruising Posted June 27, 2019 #2 Share Posted June 27, 2019 In my humble opinion, NO WAY. I was just there last month and this port that Carnival has built is a big beautiful fenced off compound. There really is no need to even leave if one so chooses. If terrible thinks start happening to guests while they are in that port compound, Carnival probably would by pass the port stop but only until it is cleared up as to why things are happening. This is my guess. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasvegascruising Posted June 27, 2019 #3 Share Posted June 27, 2019 I meant to type "terrible things" not thinks. Also, we took a bus tour that stopped off at a fort. The tour guide pointed out to us a huge area where Royal Caribbean is building their own compound. I think both companies are there to stay. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProgRockCruiser Posted June 27, 2019 #4 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Have there been any specific updates to the events in DR? I don't think Carnival would change anything, since, as @lasvegascruising wrote, the compound is secure and I suspect well stocked by Carnival. It is also well away from the resorts where the reported issues occurred, from what I gather. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Organized Chaos Posted June 27, 2019 #5 Share Posted June 27, 2019 1 hour ago, dulcemariamar said: Airlines are starting to allow people to cancel their flights to DR without any fees. Do you think this will be the tipping point for Carnival to change this port. I was excited about going to Amber Cove but since I am traveling with little ones then I rather be more cautious and skip the port. And I am sure that more people will be skipping this port if things stay unclear about what is happening. Are you planning on leaving the port complex? If not, as the others have said, it's perfectly safe. Only cruisers are allowed inside Amber Cove. We were there last year and they posted security at two different checkpoints to check S&S cards upon reentry. One at the exit off the highway and another at the gate. There's nothing to worry about there. The food & drinks sold within the port are all purchased from reputable vendors that Carnival has been doing business with for many years. There's been no reports of anything harmful at Amber Cove. The unfortunate deaths have been occurring in and near La Romana. That's a 4-5 hour drive from Amber Cove, over 150 miles as the crow flies. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterbean1000 Posted June 27, 2019 #6 Share Posted June 27, 2019 We are scheduled to visit DR on our upcoming Breeze cruise. This will be our first visit there. We are a little nervous, however like stated above, all incidents have been other places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoneman69 Posted June 27, 2019 #7 Share Posted June 27, 2019 (edited) I don't believe this port should be an issue. We stopped their our last cruise and like others have said security was tight. If your still concerned buy your water on the boat before exiting and only drink from your bottle. Don't buy any outside food or drink and you will be fine. We did the zip line over the bay and had a Great time. Someone once said "Don't worry be Happy" Edited June 27, 2019 by phoneman69 spelling 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Saint Greg Posted June 27, 2019 #8 Share Posted June 27, 2019 If you want to be cautious just bring water off the ship and don’t eat or drink anything from DR. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micahs Grandad Posted June 27, 2019 #9 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Nice port area no reason to leave that area. If we were going would get off early and go back to ship for lunch but also bring water off with us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joepeka Posted June 28, 2019 #10 Share Posted June 28, 2019 2 hours ago, Organized Chaos said: Are you planning on leaving the port complex? If not, as the others have said, it's perfectly safe. Only cruisers are allowed inside Amber Cove. We were there last year and they posted security at two different checkpoints to check S&S cards upon reentry. One at the exit off the highway and another at the gate. There's nothing to worry about there. The food & drinks sold within the port are all purchased from reputable vendors that Carnival has been doing business with for many years. There's been no reports of anything harmful at Amber Cove. The unfortunate deaths have been occurring in and near La Romana. That's a 4-5 hour drive from Amber Cove, over 150 miles as the crow flies. True, and while I'm not up to date on all the tragic illnesses and deaths, they seem to all be in the resort areas on the eastern end of the DR, far from Amber Cove and Puerto Plata. We were on a ship sponsored tour last year to Puerto Plata and had no issues of any kind - an informative stop at a museum covering the DR's independence, lunch at a pretty up scale restaurant, a visit to the town square and a stop at the Macorix rum factory (very tasty!). As others mention, if there's concerns about safety or illness, just stay within the Amber Cove compound area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky816 Posted June 28, 2019 #11 Share Posted June 28, 2019 (edited) We love this port, stayed in the compound and enjoyed the pool and the local beer. The pool area has as I recall a nice area for the kiddos. I honestly wish all the ports that Carnival goes to were this nice. Edited June 28, 2019 by Kentucky816 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coevan Posted June 28, 2019 #12 Share Posted June 28, 2019 What's happening in the DR is horrible, everyone agrees. Another one today from Colorado where a bump on his leg turned to death. The tourism ministry needs to get a handle on this ASAP. As to the DR, we have taken 2 land trips, one to Punta Cana and one to Puerto Plata, both A.I. We had a fabulous time at both resorts. Our last cruise to amber Cove we went to the taxi stand and asked for an English speaking driver and an island tour, yes we are adventurous. We agreed on $50 for 1/2 day. This was one of our best tours. He took us to the Rum factory mentioned above, a cigar rolling factory, the local Farmer's Market, he took us to the rich locals area and then the 3 of us had lunch at a local place our driver liked. The lunch and beers were excellent, local fish sandwich. We left the ship around 10, returned around 2. We gave Javier a $20 tip and it was a $70 well spent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomhower Posted June 28, 2019 #13 Share Posted June 28, 2019 No they won't. It is a secure area that is supplied by a vendor who brings everything in that meets US FDA standards. I would/dont have any issue going there, we are going in November. If you are going to town I would not drink anything, period. Take water with you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lottacruises Posted June 28, 2019 #14 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Only if it costs them money or lost revenue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffatsea Posted June 28, 2019 #15 Share Posted June 28, 2019 I do not understand all this worry about this port?? The deaths were not because someone was targeting tourists. They occurred in specific resorts far from this port! IF you don't leave the port area then what is your fear?? We intend to leave the port area as I have not heard of deaths from anyone on a tour. Have you?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckiestmanonearth Posted June 28, 2019 #16 Share Posted June 28, 2019 It’s an OK port but not sure if I’d rave about it as much as others . There is ZERO chance this port will be changed given the money Carnival poured into it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Organized Chaos Posted June 28, 2019 #17 Share Posted June 28, 2019 2 hours ago, Kentucky816 said: We love this port, stayed in the compound and enjoyed the pool and the local beer. The pool area has as I recall a nice area for the kiddos. I honestly wish all the ports that Carnival goes to were this nice. Carnival funded the building of Amber Cove. It adds another port to their itineraries in a location that doesn't have anything to do within walking distance. That's why AC is what it is. They're also building a new one in Freeport, one they refer to as a "mega" cruise port and is set to be the largest Carnival cruise port in the world. Scheduled to be finished by late 2021. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNJCruisers Posted June 28, 2019 #18 Share Posted June 28, 2019 8 hours ago, Organized Chaos said: The unfortunate deaths have been occurring in and near La Romana. That's a 4-5 hour drive from Amber Cove, over 150 miles as the crow flies. Amber Cove is the DR's version of Grand Turk, so there should be no problems there. BUT, what about the southern caribbean cruises that stop at La Romana? Between now and the end of the year, the Horizon visits there 13 times and the Magic twice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesmiths Posted June 28, 2019 #19 Share Posted June 28, 2019 I have a private tour set up for just my wife & I in September when we stop at Amber Cove. I can't wait. Ending at a beach with a nice lunch! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyFan33579 Posted June 28, 2019 #20 Share Posted June 28, 2019 3 hours ago, thesmiths said: I have a private tour set up for just my wife & I in September when we stop at Amber Cove. I can't wait. Ending at a beach with a nice lunch! You are braver than me. We are going to Amber Cove on a cruise that leaves tomorrow. While we will get off the ship in Amber Cove, we will not eat or drink anything while we are there. We are probably being overly cautious, but at least this way we won’t have too much to worry about. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesmiths Posted June 28, 2019 #21 Share Posted June 28, 2019 50 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said: You are braver than me. We are going to Amber Cove on a cruise that leaves tomorrow. While we will get off the ship in Amber Cove, we will not eat or drink anything while we are there. We are probably being overly cautious, but at least this way we won’t have too much to worry about. Philly Fans are tougher then that, come on 🙂 Have fun and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moeferg Posted June 28, 2019 #22 Share Posted June 28, 2019 So what is available in just the "compound"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyotravel Posted June 28, 2019 #23 Share Posted June 28, 2019 https://www.carnival.com/cruise-to/caribbean-cruises/amber-cove-cruises.aspx?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu_La58SM4wIV2rrACh0PnQ9oEAAYASABEgIwbPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maraprince Posted June 28, 2019 #24 Share Posted June 28, 2019 13 minutes ago, moeferg said: So what is available in just the "compound"? Doesn't some if not all the food/beverages come from the ship? MARAPRINCE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ObstructedView2 Posted June 28, 2019 #25 Share Posted June 28, 2019 9 minutes ago, Maraprince said: Doesn't some if not all the food/beverages come from the ship? The food on Amber Cove is not supplied by the ship calling on the port. On John Healds Carnival Facebook page, (from June 24th), he wrote this about Amber Cove food & beverage. (Below) ______________________________ The food and beverage operation in Amber Cove is run by a global catering company that has been in service for over 25 years and also serves many major airlines and all airports in the Dominican Republic. By law, they are required to import all their food and beverage products. All cleaning products used by the facilities operator are approved by the FDA and EPA. ________________________________ John Healds entire post from June 24th reads: Quite a few of you have been asking about our calls to the Dominican Republic and in particular Amber Cove so I wanted to share this important message with you. The safety of our guests is our number one priority. While no Carnival shore excursions visit any of the resorts which have been in the news, we continue to monitor the recent events in the Dominican Republic and routinely review information provided by the U.S. State Department. The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo is actively working with the Government of the Dominican Republic and the private sector to ensure that U.S. citizens are safe and feel safe. The food and beverage operation in Amber Cove is run by a global catering company that has been in service for over 25 years and also serves many major airlines and all airports in the Dominican Republic. By law, they are required to import all their food and beverage products. All cleaning products used by the facilities operator are approved by the FDA and EPA. So I hope that helps reassure you and I know that you will enjoy this superb port of call and have a brilliant time there cheers ☺️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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