Samana, Dominican Republic

On December 9, 2007 our NCL cruise ship Jewel dropped anchor in Samana and tendered passengers into the port. For you non-cruisers, 'tendered' means we anchored outside of the port and small boats ferried people to and from the dock


Samana is a destination for nature lovers and adventurers. You'll find green mountains, long beaches, solitude, turquoise waters and lively little towns in between. Samana is also a romantic destination and several of its small hotels are perfect for honeymooners.


It is possible to spend your days vegging out at the beach in front of the hotel, but Samana is truly for explorers. Samana has distinct European flavor - the French were first, but now many Italians and Spaniards have opened up businesses to cater to tourist in the area.


Beaches on the north side of the peninsula include Playa Bonita (fun waves), Cozon (fun waves but can be rough), Las Terrenas, El Portillo and Playa Popy (always tranquil waters). Playa Incon is on the north side, but needs to be reached via the Samana road or by boat. Once you are in Las Galeras, there are daily small boat ferries to Playa Rincon beach, a spectaular 2 km. bay.


One important note - Samana is one tourist area in the DR where credit cards are not as readily accepted. It is best to bring cash, travel checks or use your ATM card at one of the banks in town.


We did a site inspection at Viva Wyndham. It is located in Las Terrenas on the Northeast coast, 3 1/2 hours away from Puerto Plata International Airport and about 2 1/2 hours from "El Catey" Samana International airport. We took the road across the mountains, approximately 50 minutes from the port.






The resort is all-inclusive and looks great for families. The bungalow-type rooms are simple but clean. It does boast a beautiful beach!

Norwegian Jewel

Along with my daughter, I boarded the Norwegian Jewel on December 7 for a nine-day cruise in the Caribbean. Ports of call included Samana, Dominican Republic; Tortola; Antigua; Barbados and St. Lucia. Following the mandatory Coast Guard Emergency Boat Drill, we sailed out Friday evening with everyone gathered on deck to toast the beautiful evening. Although there was a pool-side BBQ for the sail-away party, we chose Chin-Chin Asian Restaurant for dinner (from the ships' impressive list of 10 restaurants). The food was fabulous and we sampled a few of the Sakis from the impressive list. Following dinner, we found seats in the Stardust Theater to meet our cruise director, followed by a hilarious action comedy show by 'Edge.'

Next morning my daughter hit the fitness center while I attended a "Seminar at Sea" designed to introduce travel agents to Norwegian Cruise Lines and update us on NCL's offerings for 2008 and beyond. I joined her pool-side for the afternoon where we were entertained by the live music of Caribbean Wave. Before dinner, we visited the Bora Bora Spa for a dip in the whirlpool, time in the steam room and unwinding on the heated stone lounges in the Relaxation Room. Dinner this evening was a private affair for the travel agents attending the Seminar, in the Tsar's Main Restaurant. I wasn't impressed with the food at Tsar's but they do have a fantastic wine list! Entertainment this evening in the Stardust Theater was "Band on the Run," a tribute and flashback to the music and dance of the 70's by the super-talented Jean Ann Ryan Company and live music by the Norwegian Jewel Show Band.

More about NCL-established in 1966, it was one of the first 'vacation cruise' companies. Today they operate eight ships sailing to more than 160 ports. NCL was the first to introduce "Free-style Cruising." For anyone familiar with traditional cruise lines, dinner is usually scheduled for an early or late seating with a table assignment. With Free-style Cruising, you can eat at a different restaurant every night, with who you want, at the time you choose. There is also a wider range of entertainment options, not just the main theater. And the activities schedule is lighter, more diverse then you find on many other cruises.

Tomorrow we arrive in Samana, Dominican Republic at 10:00a.m. I'll tell you more about Samana in another post!
Good travels,
kd

Happy New Year!

Good morning and welcome back to "Journeys." So many things to share with you from the past month! A nine-day cruise to some interesting destinations, a 16-day trip to France - just to name a few! I'm going to break them down into individual posts, so you can take a quick look at what's happening and choose the ones you're most interested in.
I also have a number of trips planned for clients over the next few months, and I want to share those details with you as well. It should be a busy 2008!
Good travels,
kd