Excursions - Cozumel & Amber Cove

[Denali2003]

Hello.  I have a few questions about a couple of excursions.  Have you done these excursions? Your opinion?  Pros & Cons?

 

Thank you!

 

#1 - Cozumel -- A Traditional Mexican Christmas (we will be cruising in Dec 2024)

 

#2 - Amber Cove -- Dominican Coffee:  A Local Experience

 

 

[Wehwalt]

We took the Coffee and it was not good. The vehicle they take you in leaves you exposed to the wind as it drives, which distressed DW. At the farm, you never move more than 100 feet from where the bus parks, you go down and put dirt into little sacks with a seedling if you like. Then on the top level of the same platform, you pound beans to get the fruity part off the beans. Then they take you a short distance away for lunch. DW ordered a beer for me but they did not tell her it was charged for until after they opened it. Restroom facilities are inadequate as well. It was ... disappointing.

[wandb]

Just returned from Amber Cove. Did not do either of those excursions, but have you considered the Dolphin Experience. Our entire family said it was the highlight of the whole cruise. 

[AlaskaAdventure]

My wife and I did the coffee excursion back in 2021. I agree with everything Wehwalt (above) says. It's basically a demonstration of how coffee was brewed in the old days along with traditional Dominican stew for lunch, but you'll never see a coffee plantation. We did, however; enjoy the (covered) truck ride. In 2022 we did the trip to Christ the Redeemer at the top of the mountain which to me is a better choice. Either tour is a long ride but you do get to see the city as well as the countryside whichever one you take.

[Denali2003]

On 4/8/2024 at 5:44 PM, wandb said:

Just returned from Amber Cove. Did not do either of those excursions, but have you considered the Dolphin Experience. Our entire family said it was the highlight of the whole cruise. 

 

We did a dolphin encounter in 2007.  However, I no longer support those kinds of encounters.  The dolphins are "stolen" from their pods and the encounters are very stressful on them.

[Denali2003]

For the coffee excursion:  Even with what was said, still sounds better than the coffee excursion we did in Colombia.  We were on a boat.  The group was split into 2 separate groups.  One group was on the covered deck.  All they did was show us these giant cards with different kinds of beans on it.  Pour 2 different kinds of coffee then try to sell us that coffee.  The one everyone liked they didn't have any bags.  The 2nd group was up top, no cover, having some kind of cooking demonstration.  After each demonstration, the groups switched places.  I stayed in the covered section.  My husband went to the cooking demonstration.  He did not like it.  After, there was a walking tour.  We stayed on the boat.  It was blazing hot!!!!  When the rest of the tour group returned, they all looked like they were about to have a heat stroke, some had heat exhaustion and they couldn't walk 5 feet without a local trying to sell them something.  Some were trying to sell them water bottles that had already been opened.  We were so glad we did not go on the walking tour.