Amber Cove Port
This modern and busy cruise port located in Puerto Plata called Amber Cove, Dominican Republic is worth a visit on your next cruise itinerary. The port was opened in 2015, and is already appreciated by more than 1 million cruise passengers who have visited it.
The port is owned by the Carnival Corporation and all of its cruise brands is worth every penny of the $85 million spent creating it.
Evidenced by the architectural marvel pierced by the port. Their designs mimic Victorian, Colonial and Spanish fort architectural designs. This gives off an exciting historical vibe about the place. The cruise port has a large shopping area, a giant swimming pool and a swim-up bar, with restaurants and bars.
On top of that, it offers a variety of fun activities like zip lining and a water slide. Additionally, Carnival Cruise Line offers more than 40 excursions. These excursions help you explore the surroundings of the Dominican country. Which is rich in landscapes, culture and history.
The city of Puerto Plata had long been forgotten as a cruise destination. In fact, prior to 2015 the quaint little Dominican town had last seen a cruise ship in 1985.
Wanting to expand its Eastern Caribbean cruise itinerary, Carnival saw this as an opportunity. And so he decided to create Amber Cove in 2015. Amber Cove is located in Maimon Bay, on the north side of the Dominican Republic.
The port is named after the precious amber stone mined in the area, which comes from fossilized tree resin. A concrete pier takes you to the port from the ship. The first view you get from the pier is the beautiful rolling hillside of the Dominican Republic and a coastline dotted with palm trees.
Photo Gallery
To the right of the pier is where the floating cabins are located, which cost around $300 per day. They are beautiful and almost look like the ones you see on the beautiful postcards of the magical Maldives.
The cabins are spacious bungalows with air conditioning. They come with amenities such as a sofa, television, fresh water shower, a mini fridge, sun loungers, and access to a private waiter. Best of all, you can swim and splash in the ocean waters right from your front porch.
At the end of the pier is the entrance to the Fortaleza del Caribe. Which leads to the shopping area. In the market there are renowned stores such as Diamonds International. The 25-acre cruise port features a large pool area called the Aquapark. Where there are plenty of loungers and private cabanas. The pool has a swim-up bar that is connected to Coco Cana, the main bar and restaurant at the port.
On the hill looking over the pool area is a hilltop bar called bar360 which gives you a 360 degree panoramic view of Amber Cove and surrounding areas. From there is where the Ziplines run, you can fly over the pool area on an adventurous whiz on the line. You will be charged $20 for an all day pass at this establishment.
A little bit below the zip lines is where the water slide is, which is free. You should try it, it’s so much fun to slide down and through the pipes, listening to the rush of water and the excited sounds of other people in the tubes with you.
Port Amenities
1 – Have fun in the water park. The facilities are excellent. It has several swimming pools and jetties, as well as restaurants. None of this has a cost, nor do you have to rent chairs or umbrellas. There are more than 1,000 chairs that are for the exclusive use of cruise passengers.
2 – Slide down the zipline. The cost is $20 per person and $10 children per day, but if once is not enough, you can jump as many times as you want, because the ticket gives you unlimited access. It is beautiful and you go from a small mountain looking at the surroundings, the sea and your boat. Plus you go over the pools.
3 – If you want the special treatment, there are some very nice cabins. You can rent them for the whole day and choose three types, including ones in the mountains or on the sea. They have air conditioning, television, internet, they include access to the zipline and various extras such as water and up to an hour of water sports.
4 – Do water sports. They rent you water bikes, kayaks for one or two people and paddle boards.
5 – Rent a taxi in the same terminal. They are well organized and everyone who is there is authorized by the tourism authorities. You can hire for a whole day, to take you to the nearby and most popular attractions in Puerto Plata and even ask them to leave you for a few hours on one of the region’s beaches, which are very beautiful. Playa Dorada, Cabarete and Sosúa (the latter more withdrawn) are the most popular.
6 – Book a private catamaran charter in Puerto Plata. Options can include the classic City Tours of only half a day to visits to the beaches.
7 – As the cruise terminal is in the town of Maimón, about 15 minutes from the city of Puerto Plata, it has several attractions nearby. The Funicular, which takes you up the Isabel de Torres mountain, where you can find the statue of Christ the Redeemer at the top; Ocean World Water Park, where you can spend a day swimming and watching animal shows.
Depending on the package you buy, even swimming with dolphins and visiting the waterfalls called the 27 Saltos de Damajagua. Others venture to go to the nearby city of Santiago, which is the second most important in the country, but you must make sure that if it is not a boat excursion, you will be able to return on time. For all this you can also hire one of the taxis from the same terminal.
8 – If you go to one of the restaurants and cafes, you can use the internet for free, but if you need more, you buy the service for $8 for ten hours.