Taino Bay at Puerto Plata

[bookbabe]

Docked at Puerto Plata on December 28, at the new cruiseline-supported Taino Bay port area, with Norwegian Encore.  I've seen lots of questions but very few answers, so I'll post this here and then post a link in all the different threads so I only have to upload pics the once.  If anyone else visits, please feel free to tag on with your comments or pics, and we can make this a good info thread for future cruisers.  
 

A variety of shops with a mix of the usual tourist trinkets and crafts, plus a duty free and the obligatory Diamonds International, a couple bars that also seemed to have food, a nice pool area, all in a bubble for cruise passengers.  Beach area is just for sitting, you can't actually swim in the ocean, or at least hubby couldn't find a spot where it wasn't blocked off for entry.
 

Best part for us was Monkey Island, which isn’t an island, but it’s a big enclosure where you can pay $25pp to go hang out for half an hour while monkeys climb all over you.  Very fun.  You can buy tickets for that at the tour desk as you enter the complex, or right at the attraction.

 

[big al]

Great pics bookbabe!! Thanks again!!

 

Big Al

[EatonDoolittle]

Thanks, looks nicely done

[CarolinaMamma]

Thank you for sharing! Was there a fee and/or reservations required for the pool area with loungers, or could anyone just walk up and use this area? 

[Cruising to Retirement]

following

[ggTexasGal]

@bookbabe Thank you for the information, photos of the area and the "shopping map"!

 

[Landl cruiser]

 

Good info, thanks for sharing.

[crewsweeper]

Interesting.  Map looks similar to Costa Maya layout a few years back.  Pictures though make it look much nicer.

[margie1221]

yes, would also like to know if pool area is free??  do you need to make a purchase to sit there - looks nice - hoping it will continue to be improved...

[kayjay76]

looks wonderfully deserted!!

[bookbabe]

The pool area seemed to be free for cruise ship visitors.  

[disneykins]

Thanks for posting this. New port for us in Feb. Any ideas for shore excursions outside the port complex?

Thanks 

Tony

[mlbcruiser]

I agree with you, crewsweeper, that the photos look somewhat like Costa Maya. I liked Costa Maya better, though, when it was a new port of only a few years old.  We were there at the very end of Feb. last year and it was LOUD, chaotic, crowded and just not that great. Imrpoved a bit once out of that particular "could be anywhere" area.   Especially chaotic all around the area with the pool.  There was just a small beach and a pool (with no games or screaming and people hanging out in it, many spilling their drinks and so on),  plus it wasn't way overcrowded in the RCI early port days there.  The Mayan show in the center of the shop area was really nice. I normally like a lot of activity and such but it was tough to even walk through it the last few times. Seems like most new ports are all becoming a long walk of  stores and such and losing a bit of their charm lately. Hope this one remains at least somewhat local. Thanks for posting the pics and info!   Our ship is supposed to visit Puerto Plata in Feb. but who knows? I also don't know what Amber Cove was like. Been to Punta Cana and Bayahibe, but that's all in the DR so far. (Loved the longer drive to Bayahibe from the airport on our very first visit because we got to see a lot of local stuff on the ride. Especially , liked seeing  kids playing baseball! They must have had at least 9 outfielders on one team as we drove by! Made me smile, for sure.

  Happy future cruising!

Edited January 16, 2022 by mlbcruiser

[kj_connections]

@bookbabeDo you know if it is safe to walk from Taino Bay to Puerto Plata downtown?  Google map says it is about 20min

[bookbabe]

23 minutes ago, kj_connections said:

@bookbabeDo you know if it is safe to walk from Taino Bay to Puerto Plata downtown?  Google map says it is about 20min

Sorry, no idea.  We walked around the port complex, then did our excursion which left from and returned to the secured, gated parking lot of the complex.   We didn’t venture out on our own at all.

[bajabirdy]

35 minutes ago, kj_connections said:

Do you know if it is safe to walk from Taino Bay to Puerto Plata downtown? 

We walked into town a couple of weeks ago and felt perfectly safe. There were police, security guards, and tourist aids all along the route to offer directions to the various tourist sights and to stop traffic when necessary to help us across the street. Most of the younger helpers spoke English. 

[kj_connections]

@bajabirdyThank you!

 

[kroberts0525]

Yes, thank you! 

[Froufie]

17 hours ago, kroberts0525 said:

Yes, thank you! 

You may wish to watch this video?  

 

 

Also another video about the port area/pool/shops/taxis etc:  

 

[bookbabe]

Found another good Taino Bay video tour…

 

 

 

[Mlake09]

Does anyone know how much a taxi would cost from Taino Bay to Sousa Beach?

[kjbacon]

On 2/21/2022 at 6:05 PM, kj_connections said:

@bookbabeDo you know if it is safe to walk from Taino Bay to Puerto Plata downtown?  Google map says it is about 20min

We ventured out of the compound by about 10 feet … between barbed wire everywhere, utter chaos, and the most aggressive locals we’ve ever seen, no, we turned back to return to the ship. We would never attempt to do our own thing at that port again as we often do.

[kj_connections]

15 hours ago, kjbacon said:

We ventured out of the compound by about 10 feet … between barbed wire everywhere, utter chaos, and the most aggressive locals we’ve ever seen, no, we turned back to return to the ship. We would never attempt to do our own thing at that port again as we often do.

 

Thanks!  Someone said it was an easy walk!

[kroberts0525]

We ended up hiring a driver who took us around in a very nice van. It was $110 total for the two of us, booked online. He took us to the rum tasting, to take pictures at a couple places in town and at the old fort, lunch on a beach and pictures from up the side of the mountain. Then we returned to enjoy the pool in the port. I lived in South America and have traveled extensively but I was sort of glad we had a guide to move us quickly through the streets because things were chaotic...motorcycle taxis weaving in and out of traffic, such a huge police presence. Our guide was friendly but I wish his command of English or ours of Spanish would have been a bit better. I had lots of questions! The fort was beautiful and for a $2 fee we were given a headset with explanations for what we were looking at. I think the city will get better as they get their tourism game better organized. 

[jcathers1]

Perhaps a dumb question, but is this where all cruise ships dock? We will be on the MSC Seashore in July and I'm trying to plan, but it appears that some ships dock at Amber Cove and some here. TIA.