Puerto Plata Taino Bay port review

[roadtripper]

Hi all--

I found these boards so helpful when I was planning my recent cruise that I wanted to give back. We really liked the Taino Bay port area in Puerto Plata, which we visited last week on Celebrity Infinity.

 

For background, we seldom book excursions because our son has some health issues. We use the mantra "maximum flexibility" when getting off the ship with minimal expectations of being able to do too much.

 

Taino Bay has excellent maps that direct you around the area. It is a work in progress; there are construction walls near the pool, and the rumor I heard from a local was that they are constructing a lazy river there, which would be cool.

 

The immediate area has the usual shops, with a few dedicated to Dominican products. I bought a pint sized bottle of vanilla for 8 dollars, which I forgot to put in my checked luggage and got confiscated by TSA, so I don't know if it was good lol.

 

A heads up to people with limited mobility: most of the walkways have stone pavers which can be bumpy (see pic), but some areas have wooden walkways that are easier to navigate. 

 

We got off the ship early and staked out a shady area by the pool, which was FREE (bring towels off the ship; I didn't see any). There was a beachy area that had loungers, but it was not for swimming. The pool had some gorgeous seating areas, a bar, and even some floats that you could use. I had a Coco Loco which was yummy, and we had Presidentes later in the day (when in Rome). They also had live music and dancers later in the afternoon.

 

Uncharacteristically, my son decided he wanted to visit Monkey Island. Admission is 25 per person. Because he doesn't usually want to do anything like that, I hadn't done any research and assumed we would walk through and look at monkeys. Big mistake. The monkeys jump all over you. He lasted about 30 seconds. We may be the only people in the history of Monkey Island to have gotten a refund, so know before you go!

 

My son and I walked out the exit to the taxi area just to see what it was like, and it seemed pretty chaotic. Lots of drivers, but not well organized and kind of cramped due to the construction areas around it. 

 

Hope this information is helpful. We will visit Taino Bay again when we return to DR.

 

 

 

 

[mtempelaar]

How fun that they decorated for Halloween there 👻  Makes me wonder if any Christmas decorations will be up when we are there in a few weeks.

 

Thanks so much for the review.  We always tend to not do excursions (at least for Caribbean) and wander off and on the ship when we want.   

 

Some questions:

• Did you try any of the restaurants? 
• Were there any pharmacies at Taino Bay?  We always like to have a list as precaution before we go on a cruise just in case.  I saw an old Google StreetView pic that showed a Walgreens but I think it was torn down in favor of the new welcome center circular building.
• How busy was the port (and hand in hand, how many ships were docked)?   I've read this is like how Costa Maya was and last time I was at Costa Maya it was PACKED.  This place seems a bit low key and a nice wandering location as it's a work in progress.  
• Did it seem safe to walk around outside the port?

 

[nautica34]

Thanks for sharing your review. Know you mentioned taxis, did you notice any local vendors offering shore excursions?

[AZoceanlovers]

Thanks for sharing your review. We watched an YouTube video about Taino Bay and you confirm what  they showed. The YouTube showed a last minute excursion counter in the port area. We will be there next month.