Cayo Leavantado - how can you get there with out paying high cost of excursion?

[hikergirl]

NCL has a beach escape to Cayo Levantado for $45! All you get is transportation to and from the beach. If there was another way to the beach by taxi, I would take that, but it sounds like taxis are hard to come by and not reliable. Why does the cruise line have to charge so much money for this? Anyone think it is worth the money or have any other suggestions on excursions at this port? If you get to the beach and only want to stay 3 hours, can you go back to the ship early?

[Nickymjw1]

NCL has a beach escape to Cayo Levantado for $45! All you get is transportation to and from the beach. If there was another way to the beach by taxi, I would take that, but it sounds like taxis are hard to come by and not reliable. Why does the cruise line have to charge so much money for this? Anyone think it is worth the money or have any other suggestions on excursions at this port? If you get to the beach and only want to stay 3 hours, can you go back to the ship early?

 

From what I have heard when a cruise ship has the place "rented" they don't allow other water -taxis to come up there.

 

We were joking around saying we were putting our snorkel gear on and just swim over...but what if we didn't make it back in time?? :eek:

[14ersco]

The only way to go a little cheaper is to book one of the other excursions that includes a beach break. Then Cayo is "only" :rolleyes: about $10 more for the beach over the cost of the excursion without a beach break. That is why we are doing the caves and mangroves with beach break ($89) instead of just the caves and mangroves ($79).

[monicajay]

Not really helpful but you could change cruise lines;). MSC stops there for free and the only way to get to Samana is to buy an excursion.

 

I'm very happy with that but others would prefer to go to Samana. :rolleyes:

[marysb]

I agree, it is too much to pay to go to the beach. For 3 of us it is is almost $200 canadian just to go to the beach. -yikes

 

The tender ride apparently is about the same distance if you go to Samana or Cayo, but Samana is free and the beach is $45.

[Nickymjw1]

Not sure how much they charge but you can talk them down.

 

Or look into getting group together to Casa Dorada. Comes out to about $26/pp and definately worth it.

 

Have you check your roll call for your cruise to see if anyone is going to there already..

[mmceachn]

I also felt that 45 was way too high for a ride to the beach.

We took the catamaran snorkel trip which cost about 60.00 each, but was well worth it.

The catamaran picked us up at the ship and brought us to Cayo Farola, a little island right next to Cayo Leventado for an hour of snorkelling, Then we sailed over to a beach on the mainland called Cayena Beach Club.

We bought some cigars to bring home and some people enjoyed the beach bar. We swam for an hour or so, and then returned to the ship.

 

The beach did not appear to be far from the town so I suspect it may be open to the public.

Here is a picture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CC Help Michell]

This is a tender port. Only companies NCL chooses can take folks off the ship, so if you want to take NCL transportation to shore to hook up with local transportation, it's really up to NCL when you can do that, how much it costs, etc. Is that a "horrible" thing? I don't know -- but it's definitely free enterprise -- resource allocation, supply and demand, and so on.

 

Nobody has the "right" answer for everyone, but I do think it's important to point out that making money doesn't mean the Cruiseline is evil. They have shareholders, and so on (no I'm not one of them).

 

The best advice is to do your research into alternatives for that day.

[Nickymjw1]

I also felt that 45 was way too high for a ride to the beach.

We took the catamaran snorkel trip which cost about 60.00 each, but was well worth it.

The catamaran picked us up at the ship and brought us to Cayo Farola, a little island right next to Cayo Leventado for an hour of snorkelling, Then we sailed over to a beach on the mainland called Cayena Beach Club.

We bought some cigars to bring home and some people enjoyed the beach bar. We swam for an hour or so, and then returned to the ship.

 

The beach did not appear to be far from the town so I suspect it may be open to the public.

Here is a pict

 

 

 

[ATTACH]107052[/ATTACH]

 

Yes it is a public beach. that is the same beach I was talking about. If anyone tries it let me know what the cab cost was.

 

Thanks

[Nickymjw1]

This is a tender port. Only companies NCL chooses can take folks off the ship, so if you want to take NCL transportation to shore to hook up with local transportation, it's really up to NCL when you can do that, how much it costs, etc. Is that a "horrible" thing? I don't know -- but it's definitely free enterprise -- resource allocation, supply and demand, and so on.

 

Nobody has the "right" answer for everyone, but I do think it's important to point out that making money doesn't mean the Cruiseline is evil. They have shareholders, and so on (no I'm not one of them).

 

The best advice is to do your research into alternatives for that day.

 

The tender to Samana is free. It is the tender to Cayo Levantado that is charged for.

 

We are doing a small tour and then go the the Cayenas del Mar beach for $25 with an American that lives in Samana.

you can reach him @ toursamanawithterry@hotmail.com

 

It is cheaper than Cayo Levantado and you get to see some of the island with an English speaking tour guide.

[regg1216]

The tender to Samana is free. It is the tender to Cayo Levantado that is charged for.

 

We are doing a small tour and then go the the Cayenas del Mar beach for $25 with an American that lives in Samana.

you can reach him @ toursamanawithterry@hotmail.com

 

It is cheaper than Cayo Levantado and you get to see some of the island with an English speaking tour guide.

 

Please post a review of this tour when you get back. We sail the end of August and would be interested in something like this.

[Nickymjw1]

Please post a review of this tour when you get back. We sail the end of August and would be interested in something like this.

 

I will post a review upon our return. It might be a few days after. Getting back to work the day after our return, things will be a little hectic.

 

We are counting down~! Our ship sails 3/28:D

[arlee]

We're first time cruisers and have booked a tour through NCL to cayo levantado - I also agree that $45/pp is alot of money - especially since there is no food or beverage included. And, since we are canadian, it's even more expensive for us. I was reading that samana could be dangerous, so we thought taking an excursion would be the safest best. Our friends have gone on a few NCL cruises, and they pack ziplocks with food when they are at port.

[esbie11]

So would it be accurate to say that there are no "free" beaches in Samana? Are the only options to pay the excursion price to go to Caya Levantado, or pay for a private excursion to go to another beach?

[Nickymjw1]

You can go to a free beach, just don't know what the cab ride would cost.

 

& Cayenas del Mar/Playa Anadel.

 

This is what he wrote about the beach:

Anadel beach is a great beach with a fairly commercial restaurant on site and good bathrooms. It is very cruise ship though. My past customers have loved it because it is reasonably priced and close by and they felt really safe. The route I take to the beach allows you a small city tour and view of the bay from above.

 

Las Galeras is also open to the public, but it is about a 45 minute ride I think.

[Nickymjw1]

I e-mailed Terry, our tour guide for our upcoming cruise and he said there are other beaches, but they are not that easy accessible and not clean (a lot of trash left behind).

 

The ones that have amenities are kept clean by the restaurants etc. Still if you have 4 people and an get a cab ride for $15/$20 pp to Cayenas del Mar you would save about $100. Plus you have them drop you back off at the shopping area or a restaurant if you want.