Our first port was supposed to be Grand Turk but got switched to Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, about a week before departure. Don’t know why – no reason was given. But it really didn’t matter to us. Both ports are of the generic “made for cruise ships” variety – lots of shops and not much else. Amber Cove has a very nice pool with a swim-up bar (which we didn’t use). It also has a large restaurant/bar that serves very large drinks. I did use that facility.
We had breakfast on the ship then went ashore and met up with Paul and Carol. Marlene and Carol went off to see what the shops had to offer and Paul and I went off to see what the bar had to offer. Unlike some previous ports where I got stinking drunk (think: Costa Rica), we had just one (fairly large but not humongous) drink, then rejoined the ladies. Carol had found some jewelry and a hat for Paul but Marlene bought nothing.
We considered taking a taxi into town, but it was $20 per person and none of us had any idea what we would find in town. So we passed and returned to the ship. I blogged until the ship left port, then we all had dinner together.
The casino was kind. I am actually AHEAD. But it won’t last.
We danced for a while after dinner. The band is EXCELLENT. Then we played some cards (Marlene won, as usual). We sampled the fare at the late night buffet and weren’t impressed. Bland and/or soggy. Well, it’s not like we needed the calories.
