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I was in Casa De Campo on 2-19-08


cruisingbooboo

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We were also w/cruisingbooboo in Feb. and this was a wonderful day trip. The place is beautiful, my DH and DS played basketball all afternoon in the separate pool. I don't think that the RCL excursion includes the pool, chairs or facilites.

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For those of you who have already been to the Iberostar, was the $45. the total amount per person, or were there also taxes and other misc. charges? I'm trying to figure out how much money to bring. I'm thinking about paying in cash instead of with my credit card.

 

andnickali and irishfan, have you decided if you will be going to the Iberostar during our cruise? If so, let us know if you want to "carpool" with the rest of us.

 

Crusingbooboo and DPurcell, thank you again for posting information about the resort! We'll be able to check it out for ourselves about one week from today!

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The day we were going we agreed to meet at the Promenade cafe so I apprached a family there asking if they were going to Iberostar ( it was like being on a blind date :) ) he said no, they had no plans... long story short they ended up coming along and had a great day, so you never know how many people you'll end up with.

 

 

Thank you so much for the great advice! We leave Friday and I haven't heard back from Britta yet. (of course, we just decided that we'd like to do this, so I started emailing her on Sunday)

 

The "blind date" folks you met, it sounds like they didn't have reservations, correct? I am wondering if we'll be able to show up and fill out paperwork there. Thanks again for your help.

 

Candace

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Thank you so much for the great advice! We leave Friday and I haven't heard back from Britta yet. (of course, we just decided that we'd like to do this, so I started emailing her on Sunday)

 

The "blind date" folks you met, it sounds like they didn't have reservations, correct? I am wondering if we'll be able to show up and fill out paperwork there.

 

Candace- Apparently it may be a problem getting past security without papers. If it helps I've arranged a group of 8 from our sailing for visiting on 4/20. Britta mailed me the forms. I PDF'ed them & posted them on our rollcall thread here for our groups use. You're welcome to grab some blank forms there which will probably get you past security. The rollcall thread is Serenade 4/19 Panama Canal. I posted it about 3 weeks ago.

 

Have a great trip.

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We returned from our wonderful vacation on Sunday. Since I received so much information here, I wanted to report back on our day in the Dominican Republic. The resort was gorgeous and we had a great day there. I had e-mailed Brita ahead and preregistered.

 

We were able to depart the ship at 11:00. When we exited the ship we walked out a bit and were directed off to the left to wait in a line for a taxi. The line moved quickly. There was a group of nine of us going to the Iberostar. At first we were told that it would be $15 per person. When we stated that we wanted to be picked up at 4:00 we were told that it would be $20 each including the tip. This was a little strange since our driver wasn't going to be waiting for us while we were at the resort but there was no room for negotiation. We also made sure that payment would be due when we were reutrned to the ship. Next they tried to fit us in a ten person van that already had four adults in it. We did not have any small children in our party. We refused to squeeze into the van with the other people in it who were going to a different destination. Finally they made the other people get out:confused: :eek: and put us in. Even with just the nine of us it was a tight squeeze so I don't know how they expected that they would fit everyone in. I would NOT recommend renting a car here on your own. The driving is totally crazy. Our ride to the resort took about 20 minutes but I suspect it is really a forty minute drive. Cars, vans, and trucks use the third lane (a.k.a. the center divider line) to continuously and randomly pass each other. This was much scarier than the zipline! Our driver was courteous although not very talkative. I think that this was because he spoke limited English, although his English was better than our Spanish!:) It was interesting to get a glimpse of some of the country on our way to the resort. There is a great deal of poverty but also some beauty along the way.

 

When we arrived at the resort, the guard did not ask to see any of our confirmation papers. The check in process was SLOW. There were only two parties in front of us but it took at least fifteen minutes to check in each party. When it was our turn, they couldn't find our registration so we had to fill it out again. The $45.00 did include all taxes and fees. We paid in cash since I've read that there has been a great deal of credit card fraud in the Dominican Republic lately (of course we had our card # lifted right here in the US last year). We also brought our beach towels from the ship. They did have a service where you could put down a $10. per towel deposit and check out one of their towels. After we checked in they finally had some other staff come out who seemed to do a much faster job of checking people in. I only had to show them one passport for our party.

 

The inside buffet didn't start until 1:00 so we decided to head down to the beach. It was absolutely beautiful. Along the way on the walk we saw many gorgeous trees, flowers and also a pool of bright flamingos. There were lots of chairs but most of the palapas (palm leaf umbrellas) were taken. We were able to find one though and this is where for some unknown reason my teenagers spent most of their day. It was probably for the best since with all their late nights, I'm sure they needed some rest. While they lazed about, we went down into the refreshing water to enjoy the waves.

 

Around 1:00 we headed back to the inside buffet (it's a bit of a walk back to the check in building). The tables were elegantly set and a waiter took our drink orders. The buffet was quite extensive. There were carving stations, a made to order pasta station, paella, pizza, salad bar, fresh fish prep station, and a large variety of other foods available. There was also a fruit and desert bar with delicious chocolate covered bananas and tasty gelato with shaved coconut for a topping!

 

After filling our faces and our bellies, we headed back to the beach. We tried to snorkel here. It was pretty wavy so it wasn't so easy. After swallowing quite a bit of water while trying to get my snorkel gear on in the waves, I did manage to see a few fish by the man made wall. It was fun but exhausting. After this we headed over to the pool. The pool was beautiful too and very large. There is a walk in section that is great for young children. There were plenty of seats here too. We swam up to the pool bar and did order one drink with no alcohol and were promptly booed by everyone around the bar.:( :rolleyes: Their was a group at the bar that had obviouly spent maybe a bit too much time there! The drink was supposed to be a Strawberry Daiquiri but it was the worst thing I've ever tasted. After a couple of sips we left them there. After a short swim it was already approaching 3:30. The time went by so quickly, I could have stayed an extra couple of days! I wouldn't recommend a 3:00 pick up because it would seem you're leaving just after arriving! We never did have time to try out the free water craft or check out the rest of the resort. On the way back to our van, there were a few vendors trying to sell things. Our driver was waiting for us right in front where he told us he would be. He also had left us a couple of his business cards when he dropped us off in case we needed him. After another wild ride back, we were on the ship by 4:30.

 

Thanks to all who posted about this resort. I'm so glad that we didn't spend the day on the ship. We were able to not only enjoy a beautiful resort but also had the chance to view a little bit of the Dominican Republic!

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  • 2 weeks later...

To everyone that provided advice on this resort- Thank you! We returned from our April trip and I am just now caught back up on work and kids- so sorry for a delay in posting.

 

Ontheopenseas hit the nail on the head with their extensive review. I could not agree more with everything said. The resort is beautiful, the grounds are very well kept, the beach is quite extensive (although the water was choppy the day we were there, so I'm not sure if that is typical or not), the pools were huge. For a day in DR you can not go wrong with planning to spend time here.

 

As for making reservations ahead of time, we had preregistered, but there was a group of cruisers that just came over on their own that also were admitted- so if this is a last minute thing then it doesn't seem like they turn people away. I guess you would just have to be prepared either way.

 

The cab ride over is quite an adventure- so be prepared! We had a driver that drove like a mad-man! I could not believe how close the cars/vans come to the back of the people on motor scooters- they are within 2-3 feet of their back wheel- and the people on the scooters don't even seem to take notice. Once scooter had two adults and a baby on it- just something you don't see here in the US! We paid $6 pp one way, and the driver came back for us on time for our return.

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I posted previously. We visited the Iberostar on 4/20. The gounds and buildings are gorgeous and pool is fab. The food is better then on a a ship.

 

We did have a misunderstanding re the cab fare. It is $14 pp but includeds only 2 1/2 hrs of waiting time. We went with 1 other couple and I think it was $20-25 pp including 4 hours of wait time.

 

The ride was okay, the driver tried to talk about highlights on the way. One sight we didn't need to see was a very pregnant mother to be visibly snorting (cocaine?) on the side of the road.

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Did you need a visitor visa card or was your entry from the ship with a passport enough?

 

I read on another thread that pointed me to some information about Dominican Republic that stated a Visitor Card was needed (purchase for $10 US). This may not be true. I am just looking for an answer.

 

Hi Howard,

 

A few years ago we spent a week in Punta Cana at an all inclusive and we had to pay for the visitor card at the airport when we went thru customs, but I don't know if that pertains to a cruise ship docking for just a day - maybe it's sort of included in the port charges...........but that's just a guess.

 

Patty

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  • 3 weeks later...
We returned from our wonderful vacation on Sunday. Since I received so much information here, I wanted to report back on our day in the Dominican Republic. The resort was gorgeous and we had a great day there. I had e-mailed Brita ahead and preregistered.

 

We were able to depart the ship at 11:00. When we exited the ship we walked out a bit and were directed off to the left to wait in a line for a taxi. The line moved quickly. There was a group of nine of us going to the Iberostar. At first we were told that it would be $15 per person. When we stated that we wanted to be picked up at 4:00 we were told that it would be $20 each including the tip. This was a little strange since our driver wasn't going to be waiting for us while we were at the resort but there was no room for negotiation. We also made sure that payment would be due when we were reutrned to the ship. Next they tried to fit us in a ten person van that already had four adults in it. We did not have any small children in our party. We refused to squeeze into the van with the other people in it who were going to a different destination. Finally they made the other people get out:confused: :eek: and put us in. Even with just the nine of us it was a tight squeeze so I don't know how they expected that they would fit everyone in. I would NOT recommend renting a car here on your own. The driving is totally crazy. Our ride to the resort took about 20 minutes but I suspect it is really a forty minute drive. Cars, vans, and trucks use the third lane (a.k.a. the center divider line) to continuously and randomly pass each other. This was much scarier than the zipline! Our driver was courteous although not very talkative. I think that this was because he spoke limited English, although his English was better than our Spanish!:) It was interesting to get a glimpse of some of the country on our way to the resort. There is a great deal of poverty but also some beauty along the way.

 

When we arrived at the resort, the guard did not ask to see any of our confirmation papers. The check in process was SLOW. There were only two parties in front of us but it took at least fifteen minutes to check in each party. When it was our turn, they couldn't find our registration so we had to fill it out again. The $45.00 did include all taxes and fees. We paid in cash since I've read that there has been a great deal of credit card fraud in the Dominican Republic lately (of course we had our card # lifted right here in the US last year). We also brought our beach towels from the ship. They did have a service where you could put down a $10. per towel deposit and check out one of their towels. After we checked in they finally had some other staff come out who seemed to do a much faster job of checking people in. I only had to show them one passport for our party.

 

The inside buffet didn't start until 1:00 so we decided to head down to the beach. It was absolutely beautiful. Along the way on the walk we saw many gorgeous trees, flowers and also a pool of bright flamingos. There were lots of chairs but most of the palapas (palm leaf umbrellas) were taken. We were able to find one though and this is where for some unknown reason my teenagers spent most of their day. It was probably for the best since with all their late nights, I'm sure they needed some rest. While they lazed about, we went down into the refreshing water to enjoy the waves.

 

Around 1:00 we headed back to the inside buffet (it's a bit of a walk back to the check in building). The tables were elegantly set and a waiter took our drink orders. The buffet was quite extensive. There were carving stations, a made to order pasta station, paella, pizza, salad bar, fresh fish prep station, and a large variety of other foods available. There was also a fruit and desert bar with delicious chocolate covered bananas and tasty gelato with shaved coconut for a topping!

 

After filling our faces and our bellies, we headed back to the beach. We tried to snorkel here. It was pretty wavy so it wasn't so easy. After swallowing quite a bit of water while trying to get my snorkel gear on in the waves, I did manage to see a few fish by the man made wall. It was fun but exhausting. After this we headed over to the pool. The pool was beautiful too and very large. There is a walk in section that is great for young children. There were plenty of seats here too. We swam up to the pool bar and did order one drink with no alcohol and were promptly booed by everyone around the bar.:( :rolleyes: Their was a group at the bar that had obviouly spent maybe a bit too much time there! The drink was supposed to be a Strawberry Daiquiri but it was the worst thing I've ever tasted. After a couple of sips we left them there. After a short swim it was already approaching 3:30. The time went by so quickly, I could have stayed an extra couple of days! I wouldn't recommend a 3:00 pick up because it would seem you're leaving just after arriving! We never did have time to try out the free water craft or check out the rest of the resort. On the way back to our van, there were a few vendors trying to sell things. Our driver was waiting for us right in front where he told us he would be. He also had left us a couple of his business cards when he dropped us off in case we needed him. After another wild ride back, we were on the ship by 4:30.

 

Thanks to all who posted about this resort. I'm so glad that we didn't spend the day on the ship. We were able to not only enjoy a beautiful resort but also had the chance to view a little bit of the Dominican Republic!

 

Were you able to go to the buffet in your bathing suits or did you get changed? Or just put on a cover-up?

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To everyone that provided advice on this resort- Thank you! We returned from our April trip and I am just now caught back up on work and kids- so sorry for a delay in posting.

 

Ontheopenseas hit the nail on the head with their extensive review. I could not agree more with everything said. The resort is beautiful, the grounds are very well kept, the beach is quite extensive (although the water was choppy the day we were there, so I'm not sure if that is typical or not), the pools were huge. For a day in DR you can not go wrong with planning to spend time here.

 

As for making reservations ahead of time, we had preregistered, but there was a group of cruisers that just came over on their own that also were admitted- so if this is a last minute thing then it doesn't seem like they turn people away. I guess you would just have to be prepared either way.

 

The cab ride over is quite an adventure- so be prepared! We had a driver that drove like a mad-man! I could not believe how close the cars/vans come to the back of the people on motor scooters- they are within 2-3 feet of their back wheel- and the people on the scooters don't even seem to take notice. Once scooter had two adults and a baby on it- just something you don't see here in the US! We paid $6 pp one way, and the driver came back for us on time for our return.

 

I wonder why there's such a difference in the cost for the taxi?

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Were you able to go to the buffet in your bathing suits or did you get changed? Or just put on a cover-up?

I had a sundress I put on over my bathing suit and everyone else put t-shirts (and shorts for the ladies) on over their bathing suits. I don't think you could go into the buffet in just your bathing suit but a t-shirt with a man's bathing suit is fine (unless the man happens to be sporting a Speedo:eek:)! There is another buffet closer to the beach that seemed less formal from afar so maybe you could get away with a bathing suit there but I'm not sure.

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I had a sundress I put on over my bathing suit and everyone else put t-shirts (and shorts for the ladies) on over their bathing suits. I don't think you could go into the buffet in just your bathing suit but a t-shirt with a man's bathing suit is fine (unless the man happens to be sporting a Speedo:eek:)! There is another buffet closer to the beach that seemed less formal from afar so maybe you could get away with a bathing suit there but I'm not sure.

 

LOL.........no speedos here!:eek:

 

It sounds like it's set up like Sunscape was when we stayed there for a week. There was an informal restaurant on the beach and then there was the buffet which was closer to the middle of the resort. I would never go in with just a bathing suit, that's why I asked. I usually just put a cover up over my suit when we go out for a beach day (you know one that comes to my knee - nothing see-thru), but if we do this I'll bring something additional. I think we're there from 11 or 12 till 6 pm so I'm not sure it's even worth it - doesn't seem like we'd have much time to enjoy it.

 

I hate these half day islands!!! Thanks for the information.

 

Patty

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  • 6 months later...
We contacted Iberostar resort prior to our arrival and arranged a day pass $45.00 included open bar, food, non motorized sports. About 18 of us from the ship went, we got 2 taxi vans and it cost us $14.00 R/T PP including tip. It was about a 20 min. ride to the resort. The resort was BEAUTIFUL!!!!! great beach, pools, good food/ drinks. I did not do any sports.

 

Hi. Thanks for the info. I do have a few questions for you, if you don't mind.

  1. How many hours did you stay at the resort?
  2. Was their any traffic to/from the ship?
  3. Was there a long walk to the beach area from where the vans dropped you off?
  4. Was the taxi drivers wearing a certain color of shirt? (I heard you should look for this for safety reasons.)
  5. What type of non-motorized water sports did they include? Do they also have jet skis that you can rent?
  6. How was the food, and what did it include? Was it close to the beach or inside of a restaurant where you order from a menu?
  7. Did they have a changing facility?
  8. Do they supply towels?
  9. Does the open bar include frozen drinks? If not, can you recall what it did include, domestic beers, soda, juice, etc? Do they provide waiter service to the beach or is it self-serve?
  10. Was their security around the hotel area? Did you feel safe?
  11. Do they require you to pay a deposit or prepay? If so, what if you can't make it? Do you receive a refund?

Thank you so much for any information you can provide!

 

Mary

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We returned from our wonderful vacation on Sunday. Since I received so much information here, I wanted to report back on our day in the Dominican Republic. The resort was gorgeous and we had a great day there. I had e-mailed Brita ahead and preregistered....Republic!

 

Thanks for the great review. You answered a few of my other questions that I had. You mentioned the strawberry daquiri was bad. Did you enjoy any of the other drinks? I read the pina coladas and mojitos are ok. What other types of beer, other than Presidente, does the open bar include? Are they all draft? Do they offer bttled water, juices and soda for the non-drinkers? Or is that something we should bring with us?

 

I sent a e-mail to Britta, but haven't heard back yet. We have two infants going with us, and I hope they don't charge half-price for them, since they eat and sleep pretty much all of the time.

 

Thanks again for your review and help!

 

Mary

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To everyone that provided advice on this resort- Thank you! We returned from our April trip and I am just now caught back up on work and kids- so sorry for a delay in posting.

 

Ontheopenseas hit the nail on the head with their extensive review. I could not agree more with everything said. The resort is beautiful, the grounds are very well kept, the beach is quite extensive (although the water was choppy the day we were there, so I'm not sure if that is typical or not), the pools were huge. For a day in DR you can not go wrong with planning to spend time here.

 

As for making reservations ahead of time, we had preregistered, but there was a group of cruisers that just came over on their own that also were admitted- so if this is a last minute thing then it doesn't seem like they turn people away. I guess you would just have to be prepared either way.

 

The cab ride over is quite an adventure- so be prepared! We had a driver that drove like a mad-man! I could not believe how close the cars/vans come to the back of the people on motor scooters- they are within 2-3 feet of their back wheel- and the people on the scooters don't even seem to take notice. Once scooter had two adults and a baby on it- just something you don't see here in the US! We paid $6 pp one way, and the driver came back for us on time for our return.

 

Thanks for the post. $6 seems really cheap compared to what everyone else says they paid. I hope we are not held to a 2-4 hour time frame with the taxi driver since we get there at 8 am and will be there til 5. We would like to spend at least six hours there.

 

Can you tell the taxi driver to come back later in the day, or will they charge a lot more? Thanks for your help!

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Hi. Thanks for the info. I do have a few questions for you, if you don't mind.
  1. How many hours did you stay at the resort? we stayed 4 or 5
  2. Was their any traffic to/from the ship? no
  3. Was there a long walk to the beach area from where the vans dropped you off? About a 5 min stroll through the resort to the beach.
  4. Was the taxi drivers wearing a certain color of shirt? (I heard you should look for this for safety reasons.) i can't remember... there seemed to be a " taxi coordinator" where all the cabs lined up, I never thought " is this a real cab???"
  5. What type of non-motorized water sports did they include? Do they also have jet skis that you can rent?kayaking, snorkeling... thats all I remember ( didn't do any)
  6. How was the food, and what did it include? Was it close to the beach or inside of a restaurant where you order from a menu? There were several dining options, we went to a casual beachside resturant like the Windjammer rest. on the ship. The food was very good. We got casual foods, nachos, burgers, salads....
  7. Did they have a changing facility? yes
  8. Do they supply towels? They do but we brought our own so we didn't have to leave a deposit.
  9. Does the open bar include frozen drinks? If not, can you recall what it did include, domestic beers, soda, juice, etc? we had pina colada, beers and mojitos, all were good.Do they provide waiter service to the beach or is it self-serve? Beach drinks are self serve.
  10. Was their security around the hotel area? Yes we were asked to see the confirmation email prior to entering the resort. Did you feel safe?YES
  11. Do they require you to pay a deposit or prepay? If so, what if you can't make it? Do you receive a refund? N/a

Thank you so much for any information you can provide!

 

Mary

I know children's prices were less, I doubt there would be any charge for an infant. On the beach next to the resort there is a public area that sells trinkets. we bought a few things...

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  • 4 weeks later...

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