Which Cruise Ships go to Samana?

[Tropicalgal]

I'm looking for a cruise that would include this port.

Can anyone let me know all the different cruise ships that go to Samana?

Is it a busy port? Are there lots of ships docking on the same day?

Thanks.

[regardless1]

We're going to be on NCL Dawn on the Nov 29th sailing and going here. Our first time in Samana, so can't give you any other details!

[LiznMartin]

We'll be going there on the Sea Princess sailing from Barbados on April 4th. Like regardless1 it will be our first visit, so we don't have any other information either! I think our ship will be the only one there on the day we dock.

[jollycruise]

NCL does go there. It is a quite port, we were the only ship there. You will have to tender as there is no cruise ship dock. Samana is best enjoyed through a excursion. It is a beautiful place with wonderful people. It is very poverty stricken but go out explore and see the beauty it has to offer. We did the ATV excursion and had a wonderful time. We will someday return there, we loved it that much. Next time I will bring things for the children. They have so little it broke my heart. Do your research on these boards there are many people who did excursions and loved it as much as we did.

[Joanne G.]

Is it a busy port? Are there lots of ships docking on the same day?

Thanks.

 

It's not a busy port at all, probably because it isn't as popular as other Caribbean islands. It's primitive compared to the busy cruise ports like St. Thomas or St. Maarten. No fancy shopping, no Carlos 'n Charlies. It does have natural beauty.

 

We were there on the Norwegian Spirit, and the Norwegian Dawn goes there, too, as someone has mentioned. If you really want to see it, you won't have a lot of cruises to pick from.

[cruisingbooboo]

RCCL Explorer of the Seas goes there too.

[wave breaker]

MSC cruise line also will visit there on the new ship Orchestra starting in January 2009.

[inblue]

NCL does go there. It is a quite port, we were the only ship there. You will have to tender as there is no cruise ship dock. Samana is best enjoyed through a excursion. It is a beautiful place with wonderful people. It is very poverty stricken but go out explore and see the beauty it has to offer. We did the ATV excursion and had a wonderful time. We will someday return there, we loved it that much. Next time I will bring things for the children. They have so little it broke my heart. Do your research on these boards there are many people who did excursions and loved it as much as we did.

 

who did you use for the ATV tour?

 

is tendering provided free of charge by the cruise line or do you have to pay?

[FTrue14]

tendering is free of charge. No cruise line take money for it.

greetings from germany,

Frank

[CaribQween]

I'm looking for a cruise that would include this port.

Can anyone let me know all the different cruise ships that go to Samana?

Is it a busy port? Are there lots of ships docking on the same day?

Thanks.

 

We'll be going there in February 09 on the NCL Dawn. Like others have said, it is a tender port. Many of the excursions through the cruiseline actually pick you right up at the ship and drop you back off and you never even go to the Samana peninsula. I've seen some posts where the cruiseline was cancelling the Samana port-of-call. Other cruises have been showing Cayo Levantado as the listed port instead of Samana. If you're not familiar with Cayo Levantado, it is an island right off of the peninsula that is basically shared by the cruiselines and a large high-end resort. You'll see many posters that would recommend just skipping Samana and taking the beach escape to the island for the day. However, there are others that really love Samana itself and recommend taking an excursion that goes out into the countryside so that you can see the natural beauty of the country as well as some of the small towns. Just be aware that Samana city is not a port where you're going to find lots of shopping and restaurants or other tourist attractions.

[jollycruise]

who did you use for the ATV tour?

 

is tendering provided free of charge by the cruise line or do you have to pay?

 

We did the ATV tour through the cruise ship (Norweigian Cruise Line). It was such a great excursion and I highly recommend it.

 

As another poster stated tendering is no charge and provided by your cruise ship.

[flashdog_1]

I have not been to Samana but have lived in a couple of Spanish speaking countries. My observation is that extreme city poverty is sometimes shown by begging, getting drunk, petty crime, feeling sort of "trapped" in the city with no where to go, perhaps no skills for a particular job? There ARE of course people who have left their pueblos to work in the city, but are still poor, but with dignity. They are not the problem people you may have read about. The ones you read about are of the same type you might find in any city in the world.

 

Poverty in the countryside, however, is different. People have a place to stay and probably food from the land. They may not have cars or luxuries we are accustomed to like running water, so they appear poor to us because they may appear to be dirty. The cultural mores of their pueblo probably prevent them from even thinking about crime. That's why there are the friendly faces and no hands held out for a literal hand out. They are proud.

 

Those are broad generalizations, of course and not meant to tell you not to be careful wherever you travel. And we have all read about the various ports where tourists on an excursion have been stopped and robbed. If my memory is correct, this was in Jamaica, not Samana. The Samana peninsula is far from the big cities where you'd expect some crime. Therefore, it is a whole lot safer to tour.

[nursegrrl8]

I'm going next week on the NCL Dawn.

[VSS0114]

We're going there next week on MSC Lirica. 12/11, to be exact. The shore excursion we tried to get was full or cancelled. DW has the details. :)

[Lard Greystoke]

We're going there next week on MSC Lirica. 12/11, to be exact. The shore excursion we tried to get was full or cancelled. DW has the details. :)

 

I was on the Lirica in Feb. Nice ship. Cayo Levantado is relaxing.

[Southbound]

We'll be stopping at Samana while on board Holland America's Prinsendam during our upcoming holiday sailing. It appears, however, that our ship will be able to dock due to its size (800 pax), as the itinerary on HAL's web site does not indicate Samana to be a tender port like it does for one of our other stops.

[roothy123]

Oceania Cruises also goes to Samana.