Amber Cove
A New Spot of Caribbean
Blue for Cruisers
G
By Dana Rebmann
oing somewhere for the first
time holds a special allure for
many travelers. Discovering
a place for the first time is
often memorable and can
lead to more trips over time. For
well-traveled Caribbean cruisers,
new has been tougher to come by,
until now. Amber Cove is the
Caribbean’s first new cruise
destination in nearly 10 years.
The new port marks the return
of regularly scheduled cruise ships
to the north coast of the Dominican
Republic after an almost 30 year
absence.
Eight different cruise lines including
Carnival, Princess, Holland American
and newcomer Fathom™, are
expected to deliver an expected
350,000 guests to the Dominican
Republic’s Puerto Plata area during
the first year alone. Ships are
expected to empty when they dock
at Amber Cove. Curious cruising
minds want to know what lies ashore.
The answer is quite a bit; 25 acres
to be exact. More than enough to
make a day of, actually. Along with
the expected shopping, food and
beverages, the Aqua Zone offers a
large pool and water slides; there’s
also a playground nearby. There are
hilltop and over-the-water cabanas,
with an assortment of water toys
available to rent. And did I mention
there’s a zip line? The only thing
missing is a beach.
Puerto Plata Shore Excursions
Relaxing for a day at Amber Cove
will attract some, but for cruisers
who prefer getting out and about,
there are more than 40 shore
excursions to choose from when
visiting Puerto Plata, covering a
variety of interests. A behind the
scenes tour and tasting at local rum
maker Brugal offers fans a chance to
22
purchase drinkable souvenirs at low
cost. City tours will cover history,
the waterfront and the town center.
Sandy beaches and blue water are
bound to be a popular option as well.
Though colorful Caribbean scenery
found at nearly every turn creates
the illusion of a picture perfect life
in the tropics, the reality is that
many North Coast Dominican
Republic residents struggle with
poverty. The average household
income is less than $6,000 and a
reported three million Dominicans
don’t have access to piped water.
Rather than ignore it or try and hide
it, opportunities have been created
so cruise guests can understand it
first hand and, even better, actually
do something about it.
An open-air safari-type expedition
excursion takes passengers to the
rural home of a local farmer in the
hills above Puerto Plata. The small
four-room house is home to six
people. Light (and possibly rain)
streams through knot holes and
cracks where the uneven boards
don’t quite fit together. The outside
shower requires the use of plastic
buckets. It’s an eye-opener for
many visitors. The tour operator
sponsors a number of schools in
the community, so cruisers also
get the opportunity to peek in
working classrooms.
While guests on most cruise ships
have just one day to check out
Puerto Plata, visitors who come to
town with new cruise line Fathom™
will have four days to learn intimate
details about the area. Their time
in town won’t fit the definition
of typical cruise vacation days.
Fathom™ guests will see a side
of the Dominican Republic other
visitors don’t get to see, because
they’re willing to roll up their
sleeves and get to work. It’s