How To Get To Playa Rincon From Samana?

[JKrise]

My wife and I are going to Samana on RCI GoS in July.

We want to go to Playa Rincon.

 

Has anyone done this, or have tips on how to get there and back to Samana?

[PamIam]

You can either hire a taxi or organized a group through your roll call. We organized a group using Catherine DeLaura of Casa Dorado. The rate is $260 for a group of 10 or $26 PP. Catherine has a guesthouse called Casa Dorado in the town of Las Galeras. Her email is casadorado@gmail.com . You can do a search on her through Cruise Critic...there are many nice reviews about her. She did a wonderful job in arranging our day at Playa Rincon. The trip involves taking a taxi van for about 40 minutes to Las Galeras and then taking a 10 minute boat ride to the beach. They recommend a restaurant on the beach to eat at if you wish (safe and fresh food)...and it was really good! NCL excursions stop at the same restaurant for a quick snack. You will really enjoy Playa Rincon!!:p

[mamasweetcheeks]

My family also used Catherine of Casa Dorado for our trip to Playa Rincon this past March. This was the best excursion we did during the whole trip (also went to Virgin Gorda and St. Thomas). Since there is only 3 of us my DH posted on cruise critic's roll call if anyone else would like to join us. We eventually ended up having 9 people. I definately suggest eating at Rincon Rubi (www.rinconrubi.com) for lunch. They grilled a great tasting lobster ($25.00) and a mahi-mahi fillet ($15.00). You might want to order early since they run out of food quickly. We were able to spent 4 hours on the beach playing in the sand and snorkeling. On the ride back our driver had stopped at a small local grocery store where we bought 2 bags of coffee, vanilla, a small bottle of rum and cookies for only $16.00. Our driver did a great job negotiating with the shop owner. My family would like to spend more time in the DR in the future. Hope this information helps.

[Nickymjw1]

. I definately suggest eating at Rincon Rubi (www.rinconrubi.com) for lunch.

 

I just checked your link. They have a hotel now on Playa Rincon?? Did you see it? Is the restaurant you ate at the one in the picture??

[PamIam]

The restaurant is the one in the picture but it's an open air thatch ceiling with a barbecue grill right outside. It definitely looks fancier than it is in the picture. I don't know where the hotel is....Playa Rincon has no buildings on it...Rubi's is just off the beach tucked in a corner. The restaurant is casual and you can dine in your swimsuits. Wow who knew that rubi's had their own web site....not what I expected:eek: Great food though!!

[PamIam]

The bottom two photos of the little corner bar and open air hut are from Rubi's on Playa Rincon Beach. The top photos are from a different location. There are no walls in the beach restaurant.

[JKrise]

Thanks for the 'on-topic' replys.

What I have figured out is that the distance is great, the risk is high, and the round trip cost to/from Playa Rincon is high.

 

Unless I find a reputable tour operator to take my wife and I from Samana to Playa Rincon and back...we are going to take a pass on this beach.

[PamIam]

Thanks for the 'on-topic' replys.

What I have figured out is that the distance is great, the risk is high, and the round trip cost to/from Playa Rincon is high.

 

Unless I find a reputable tour operator to take my wife and I from Samana to Playa Rincon and back...we are going to take a pass on this beach.

 

 

I'm a little troubled by your post. I assure you Casa Dorado was very professional and reputable in all of my dealings with them. I would never take my children on a independent excursion unless I researched it thoroughly. There has been absolutely nothing negative about this operator... and there was never a risk involved with using this operator to go to Playa Rincon.As for cost, I think the $26 pp was very reasonable and fair for the trip.

 

It's fine that this may not be the right tour for you ..but questioning their reputation and risk involve without citing reasons is not exactly fair. CC is a forum to provide info...and it is important that info is factual when recommending an independent vendor. My experience was excellent and this was our first trip to the DR. I had never heard of Casa Dorado until I did reseach in reviews and forums.

[Nickymjw1]

I'm a little troubled by your post. I assure you Casa Dorado was very professional and reputable in all of my dealings with them. I would never take my children on a independent excursion unless I researched it thoroughly. There has been absolutely nothing negative about this operator... and there was never a risk involved with using this operator to go to Playa Rincon.As for cost, I think the $26 pp was very reasonable and fair for the trip.

 

It's fine that this may not be the right tour for you ..but questioning their reputation and risk involve without citing reasons is not exactly fair. CC is a forum to provide info...and it is important that info is factual when recommending an independent vendor. My experience was excellent and this was our first trip to the DR. I had never heard of Casa Dorado until I did reseach in reviews and forums.

 

I agree, we also had a wonderful experience with Kathryn from Casa Dorada and the excursion was wonderful.

[tkit7271]

Thanks for the 'on-topic' replys.

What I have figured out is that the distance is great, the risk is high, and the round trip cost to/from Playa Rincon is high.

 

Unless I find a reputable tour operator to take my wife and I from Samana to Playa Rincon and back...we are going to take a pass on this beach.

I'll put up one more vote of confidence in Katherine and Casa Dorado. I organized a roll call group from our 04-03-09 cruise on the Norwegian Jewel. We were met at the tender dock by a driver holding a sign with our name on it, first class treatment the whole way and a lot more time at the beach than the ship excursion folks received. The only possible downside for us was that the lunch at Rubi's took a lot longer than I thought it should and cut into my snorkel time. I'm not sure what else you could expect from a tour operator than what Katherine/Casa Dorado gave us. It is not often that you get the chance to visit an unspoiled beach!

[wtbyct5162]

Hi just came back from samana cruised aboard granduer we were at casa dorado and playa rincon 4/24. Cant sat enough good things abou this place or people very professional and nice Contact roberto we had a group from cruise critic we paid I beleive about 40 pp for everything taxi, and small boat ride to the most beatiful and quiet beach you'll ever see. One the way back we stopped at Roberto bed and breakfast beatiful place and very friendly person. Highly recommend this trip. Just bring a camera you can take in the water because its that nice.:cool:

[JKrise]

Thanks to everyone for the information.

[eragsjr]

I have also been lookinig into an excursion to Playa Rincon for 5/26. We will be on RCCL Grandeur of the Seas. Unfortunately there are only 2 of us. I have posted on the roll call board w/ no response. The price quoted to me for the taxi ride alone was $100 and then another additional money for the boat ride. A little steep for 2. Is anyone interested in an excursion? Or what is the going rate for a taxi to Las Galeras and once there is is possible to hop on a boat to the beach?

[mama02girls]

Don't give up on your excursion-its worth it. I would contact Catherine and ask if they are booked for the day you want to travel there. If you don't get a response on your roll call, you still have time to get up a group on the ship and then contact Catherine a day or two ahead by email to let her and Roberto know you are coming (if they aren't booked, of course.) Just ask around, many people will not have planned anything because they don't know about cruise critic or they just are inexperienced and will just "play it by ear." The taxi will be $80 for up to six people, and many are available right at the pier. By the way, you don't pay for the taxi until he returns you back to the port. Whatever time you tell him to return to the beach, he will be there, waiting for you.

 

I organized a group and a fellow "experienced" cruiser chose to open his mouth and tell inexperienced cruisers that HE wouldn't go on this excursion because Samana isn't safe, blah blah blah. (He had never been on this excursion and was going on hearsay, not recommendations from people who had actually done the excursion.) Four of our group almost backed out, but I talked to them and we all ended up going.

 

We all had a WONDERFUL time, and I agree, it was one of the absolute best excursions. The people who almost backed out kept thanking me for talking to them and said that they couldn't believe they had almost backed out and missed this. Catherine's husband Roberto was born in Dominican Republic but lived in the US much of his life, and is bilingual. He is so nice and gracious. Our taxi driver was really nice and the drive to CasaDorado was through authentic, unspoiled small villages and countryside. We all agreed the drive was really enjoyable and gave us a real look at the Dominican Republic.

 

Good luck and I really hope you get to go to Casa Dorado and Playa Rincon.

 

Oh, if you can't get up a group and want to rent a car, I know nothing about it but we arrived and found that there were two other small groups of people who had gotten there by renting a car and driving. I'm sure the rental car place can give you good directions.

 

Have a great cruise!

[eragsjr]

Don't worry Mama02girls. We are not giving up. Thanks for the words of encouragement.

From everything I've read, we will probably end up booking w/ Casa Dorada even if it is just the 2 of us. In reality, it ends up costing just a little bit more than if you would book some of the ship's excursions (which I never do!).

[familycruzer]

We also did a tour with Catherine to Playa Rincon and its one of the best beaches I have seen.

 

Samana is a place I would never venture out on my own but felt safe with Catherine there every step of the way.

[Its5oclksomewhere]

I left a post on the Grandeur roll call forum.... we want to go to Playa Rincon also... after everything I have read on these posts, we don't want to miss it!!

[eragsjr]

I just read one of your other posts. We are a Girls Only cruise too! Which means we take no baggage (we leave the men at home!). Seriously, this is the 3rd girls only cruise my mom and I have taken and we love it. Don't be concerned, I have a young mother who can run circles around me. If you give me your email address, I will email you the info from Casa Dorado.

[dvan68]

How is the snorkeling at Playa Rincon? Is there any reefs or is it just a sandy beach? We have our own equip so we don't need to rent it. THanks!

[tkit7271]

The snorkeling is fair, not great, but not disappointing. The bay is generally quite calm and the water very clear. There is a nice reef line in about 10-15 feet of water 100-200 feet from shore with a lot of fans, grass, small corals, and not a lot of fish activity from what I could see. If you are near the end where the restaurants are keep an eye/ear out for the boats bringing guests in and out of the beach - if you stay near the reefs you will be fine because the pilots strenuously avoid the reefs on their way in/out. Snorkeling here is just a bonus and not a primary attraction. One group from our ship went to a separate snorkeling area before arriving at Rincon, but from what they described I don't know if it was all that much better than Rincon itself.

[dvan68]

I have read good reviews about the Casa Dorado tour - I have a couple of questions

 

- I read in a previous post that you were greeted at the pier with driver with a sign - did you meanwhen you got off the tender? or the pier at Las Galenas?

 

- Does the driver do any type of commentary on the ride?

 

- I am assuming (and we all know how that can go) that the 'cab' ride is actually a van - since the pricing is intended for 10 people - is that correct? Is it air conditioned? Will the driver make stops for pictures?

 

- does the driver take you over to where the boat leaves from?

 

- Is the return time set, or is it something the group of 10 needs to agree on?

 

- I understand that lunch is on your own - are beach chairs included? If not what are the prices?

 

I really apologize if these questions have been asked/answered before - thanks in advance or all of your help!