The Port of Puerto Plata

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The last port of call for this cruise was Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.  We were very much looking forward to this port of call as we had an excursion booked to go up the mountain to hike to some waterfalls and to some zip-lining.

The day before the captain announced that there was going to be some bad weather in the area that would likely cause some very high winds and rough seas, so he was making the decision to shorten our day in Puerto Plata.  Instead of having the full day, we would be leaving much earlier, meaning that our excursion would need to be cancelled. It was understandable, but still disappointing.

With the change of time, we decided to just hang around Taino Bay, the port area, while we were there.

Named after the Island's indigenous people, Taino Bay is a vibrant, newly developed cruise port. Opened in 2021, it was designed to provide cruise passengers with everything they need to enjoy their day in port - shopping, dining, pools, a beach area, different attractions - all in a lush, tropical setting.



After spending some time shopping (ok, a little too much time shopping) we walked over to the resort area to get some loungers and relax a little, and enjoy what little time we had there. The resort area is lovely, and clean. The pools were an ample size, but I could see it getting crowded if there were 4 ships in port. The highlight seemed to be the lazy river that runs around the area. I wasn't ready to leave when it was time to leave.



Even though our excursion had to be cancelled I was pleasantly surprised by Taino Bay.  I look forward to returning again, when I can spend more time enjoying the amenities, and exploring the area.



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