Amber Cove

 Saturday, February 22, 2025

Our clocks got moved ahead an hour overnight so we lost an hour in addition to me not sleeping well the rest of the night. At dinner each evening, Michelle and I order coffee with our dessert but she orders regular while I ask for decaf. My sleeplessness made me wonder if perhaps the orders had gotten switched?

Bob and I got up at 8:00 and met Jon and Michelle in the buffet for breakfast. I was hoping for more crab cakes with my poached eggs but today the sign announced they were serving "eggs benedict huevos". Maybe there was going to be a new version of eggs benedict to look forward to each day! I asked for the special and got a corn tortilla filled with avocado and chorizo topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. OK, but nothing was going to top the crab cakes! I went back for some of the fresh berries topped with vanilla yogurt and granola and told myself I was getting spoiled already! Bob had his usual oatmeal but tried soy milk for the first time.

The ship had been cleared for passengers to leave at 8 am so the buffet was not crowded. The four of us lingered over breakfast for a very long time. Bob and Jon decided to go ashore to explore but Michelle and I opted to stay on the ship. There is only a pool at Amber Cove, no beach. And if we were going to sit by a pool it might as well be the Sea View Pool on the Eurodam! So much easier and close to food and drink!

This port side table became "our table" and was where we would meet for meals at the buffet.

But first Michelle and I moved down to the outdoor promenade on Deck 3. I was happy when I turned my phone off airplane mode and got the T-Mobile message, "Welcome to the Dominican Republic!" The cell signal wasn't great, but I could text and look at Facebook. I saw an anonymous post from someone on the ship who overheard people on the balconies on either side of hers talking about being sick. Yesterday I had also seen another post from someone who said they could hear the person in the next cabin vomiting violently. Oh boy.

The precautions being taken onboard were pretty extreme. E-V-E-R-Y single thing on the buffet was served by crew members, including all drinks. Other crew members in the hallways were wiping down hand rails. Seats in the theater, crow's nest, etc. were always sticky from just being cleaned. Even the ping pong balls and paddles were being sanitized! I was getting better about going down stairs using my elbow on the handrail so I could avoid contact with my hands.

Some of the lifeboats had been lowered and there was a lifeboat drill going on near where Michelle and I were sitting. Eventually we got up and walked the promenade deck and took some photos looking towards the shore.

Lifeboat training drill.

We found out later that Bob & Jon had walked to this tower!

Wind turbines just like back home!

The overwater bungalows were available to rent for the day.

Michelle and I went back to our respective cabins and changed into our swimsuits and then met at the Sea View Pool. The sun was pretty intense then (at 11:00) and I got into the water to cool off. The pool was just a little too deep for me to stand without my face getting wet (or am I too short? 😏) so I either held on to the side or swam laps back and forth. Michelle stuck her feet in but decided the water was too cold. (The difference in perspective between Minnesota and Georgia gals!) 

When we had dried off enough that we felt like we could put our coverups on and go into the buffet, we decided to eat without the guys. With cell service I was able to send texts to my son in Minnesota but wasn't able to get a text to go through to Bob to see what they were up to. Michelle commented that she thought they would probably try and walk to the tower on the point across from where the ship was docked. I couldn't imagine that they would have gone that far...but I was wrong.

The guys showed up right after we found a table in the buffet and yes...they had walked to the tower. I'm not sure of all they did, but I know they managed to get onto the beach of a private resort! Here are some photos from their adventure:

I'm not sure the guys were supposed to be on this beach...but no one stopped them so they went anyway.

This is what happens when two boys go out exploring on their own without supervision. 😒 

I tried some sushi for lunch and although I always say I don't really like it, the California rolls tasted good. I was practically crying from the wasabi, but loved it and the ginger. We spent almost as long at lunch as breakfast and finally parted ways around 2 pm. (We are truly blessed to have such good friends as Jon & Michelle and were so thankful we were cruising with them!)

Bob and I went back to the room hoping to take a nap, but neither of us fell asleep. He left to go to the pickleball courts and I went down to the promenade deck where I worked on my blog. There had been some light rain in the morning but the afternoon was just perfect. Sitting in the shade with a light breeze and 79º temps made me forget that just a few days ago we were in subzero weather!

At dinner last night, Bob had set up 5:30 pm reservations for both tonight and tomorrow night so we didn't have to keep calling each day. We were seated with the same waiter we had on Thursday night on the upper level of the dining room. Open seating is usually on the lower level but when those with assigned dining times don't show up, their tables on Deck 3 are given to the open seating folks...like us. We actually prefer the assigned dining routine since it gives you a chance to get to know your waiter, but the 5:00 dining time is just too early for many of our ports. And none of us want to eat late enough for the 2nd seating.

We went out on the promenade deck after dinner and caught the last of a beautiful sunset. While we were eating we had watched a couple through the window who were having a private photo shoot with one of the ship's photographers. We (jokingly) tried to recreate some of the poses we saw them do. 😄

On the way to the theater we stopped to look at some of our pictures that had been taken by the ship photographers that were on display in the photo studio. The guys especially wanted Michelle and I to see the ones they had taken with the two scantily clad "native" girls on the pier in Amber Cove. Michelle and I had seen these girls going ashore so we knew they were actually just crew members from the ship. We did NOT purchase the photos. 😒

The evening show in the main theater, Song & Dance, was the one that had been originally scheduled two nights ago. We are really enjoying seeing the new entertainment and prefer these production shows much more than the previous Step One dance shows. The group of performers on this cruise just started their contract two weeks ago and we noticed a few minor flubs during the performance. Most were covered up well and not obvious except...when one of the female dancers lost her hairpiece in the middle of a song! She flung it off stage and never missed a beat!

After doing more complaining than I should have last night about playing cards, I agreed to play whatever game the others wanted. Since I just learned Rook last night we did a repeat tonight in the Crow's Nest. This is a game Bob plays on his mission trips to Peru but the rules Jon explained were a slightly different. I did a little better this evening than last, but still lost. I don't think I will ever learn to enjoy card games.

It was only 9:30 pm when we finished playing so I suggested we check out some of the entertainment that was happening on Deck 2. We walked by Billboard Onboard as the two piano players were playing. I was concerned that the area would be smoke filled from the adjacent casino, but it wasn't "too" bad. We continued down the hallway to the Rolling Stone Lounge where a game show was just starting. It was one we had attended years ago..."Call My Bluff". Three ship staff were playing: Sasha (the entertainment director); Valerie (the cruise director) and Cat (the shopping expert). They were given three different words and had to tell a story to explain the definition of the word. Only one of the three had the correct meaning and it was up to the audience to guess who was right. It was entertaining to watch and we added to our vocabulary! 😉

Afterwards we quickly made plans to meet for breakfast and then we were off to bed. Jon and Michelle had taken long naps in the afternoon but I could tell Bob was very tired after his long walk and then pickleball.

Wednesday, Day 5 - Amber Cove, Dominican Republic

Only ten days before our cruise, we got the following email from Holland America (via our travel agent):

Due to slower than expected recovery of Frederiksted, St. Croix, the 11/01/2017 call has now been replaced with a call to Amber Cove, Dominican Republic.

Amber Cove, on the north central coast of the island near Puerta Plata, is a new (2 years old) port developed by the Carnival Corporation. The complex offers a variety of activities...shopping; zip line and water sports; a pool with water slides, a lazy river and a swim-up bar; and cabanas. The port can also be a starting point for tours and excursions to the surrounding area.

The distance from our previous port, Cap Cana, to Amber Cove is about 170 miles as the crow flies...an easy overnight sail.

However...because Amber Cove was added at the last minute, no tours were ever offered online prior to the cruise. I debated about trying to find some independent tour in advance but decided after our excursion in Cap Cana the previous day, that a more relaxed day sounded good.

No alarm was set and when I awoke around 8 am, the room seemed dark and my first thought was that it must be very cloudy. When I pulled back the drapes I was surprised to see the sun was being blocked by the Carnival Victory which was docked right next to the Nieuw Amsterdam...and I mean RIGHT next to us!!

No wonder the room seemed dark!

I also caught a glimpse of an ambulance driving down the dock with lights flashing. I am no stranger to ambulances...my husband is a paramedic...and I was very aware that those flashing lights were an indication that some one's life had just taken a drastic turn for the worse.

Breakfast was in the buffet...made to order blueberry pancakes. They required just a little wait, but oh they were so good compared to ones on other cruises that had been made ahead and left to dry out under the warming lights.

Our plan was to get off the ship and walk around the shopping area of Amber Cove, return to the ship for lunch and then spend the afternoon at the large pool at the port...a leisurely, no-cost day! Getting from ship to shore was a bit of a walk down the long dock. There were lots of pedicabs available and for the price of a tip you could avoid the long trek.

Some photos taken from the lido deck...

Bungalows that can be rented at Amber Cove.

Water toys for rent.

The hazy mountains around Amber Cove.

No transportation for us and by the time we reached the end of the dock and entered the port complex I was already starting to wilt. I don't tolerate the heat well (too many years of living in Minnesota) and combined with the oppressive humidity I felt like I was in a sauna.

Before browsing the shops, I suggested we take a look at the pool area where I wanted to return to in the afternoon. Tables were set across the walkway and people appeared to be checking in. Bob asked if we had to pay to enter and I assured him that the pool was FREE for ALL. BUT...when we started to walk past, we were stopped by an official looking guy with a clip board who wanted to know which ship we were from. I flashed my Holland America key card which I figured was my ticket to enter. Instead he replied..."Carnival has reserved the whole pool area. You are not able to get in." He must have figured I was deaf...or not very smart because I repeated his words back at him as a question..."Carnival has reserved the whole area and we can't get in?!?"

Later we found out that the Carnival Victory was a chartered "Salsa Dancing" cruise and they indeed had reserved the pool area for their guests only and were selling food and drink packages for the day.

This was too much. I understood when the original ports were destroyed by the hurricanes...even though they were the reason we had booked the cruise in the first place. And I know it must have been difficult to rearrange our itinerary...not once...not twice...but finally a third time. And then we still lost one of the new ports while trying to outrun Tropical Storm Philippe. But to knowingly plan a stop at Amber Cove when the majority of the benefits would not be available...and not tell us in advance. Yes. Too much.

I fumed as we walked around glancing in the shops. I'm not sure which was worse...the high temperature and humidity or the heat that I was feeling from anger. We ran into a lady that we had met on the tour the day before and she said that she had tried to book a tour at the excursion booth but most were already filled by Carnival passengers. She was equally as mad.

We spent less than an hour onshore at Amber Cove, but that was enough. My plan to spend a day at the pool would have to be accomplished back on the ship.

Back onboard, I changed into my swimsuit and went to the adults only aft pool. I had my choice of chairs, towels were provided and free beverages were just inside the door at the lido buffet. After a refreshing dip in the pool, I started to have an attitude adjustment. Maybe spending the day on a quiet ship was a better alternative than fighting for space with a couple of thousand salsa dancers at the Amber Cove pool!

Bob chose to spend the rest of his morning working out in the gym and it was around noon by the time he met up with me by the pool. Lunch was a hurried affair because we wanted to get to the screening room for the BBC Earth movie "Inside Earth: The Waiting Game." The film focused on the patience required for photographers to capture the incredible footage that is in the BBC Earth videos...sometimes waiting for days and weeks just to record a few seconds of footage! Amazing.

Following the BBC Earth movie we parted ways. Bob went to the theater for the Spiderman movie (even though he had watched part of it on the cabin TV the night before) and I returned to the cabin for some balcony time. I made an attempt at using my cell phone with Sprint's Open World plan and surprise, surprise...my sister in St. Louis answered immediately! We had a nice visit and I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't find a ginormous bill waiting when I returned home. (And I didn't! 😀)

Not wanting to stay cooped up in the cabin, I took my iPad and went to the Ocean Bar where tables were set for afternoon tea. I found a spot next to a window and enjoyed my time as I nibbled on the little goodies that were passed around and sipped my cup of tea. Such a spoiled life I lead when I'm on a cruise!!

Needing to move, I did a couple of laps around the promenade deck. Brief showers were going over and produced a beautiful rainbow!

In the back corner of the promenade deck was the doggy relief area. There was one passenger onboard who had a small dog with him which I assume was some type of service dog. Hopefully his cabin was not too far away!

Bob and I returned to the cabin at almost the same time. I amused myself by watching the masses of Carnival passengers returning to their ship. Their double line stretched far down the length of the dock while the Holland America line was non-existent. With their last minute return to the ship I can only assume they must have enjoyed their day at Amber Cove.  <said with jealousy>  At one point a cloudburst soaked everyone and I couldn't help but think maybe justice had been served! (Shame on me!!)

The Victory pulled away from the dock first...

And then we watched the sunset as the Nieuw Amsterdam followed.

I hadn't even tried making a reservation, but there was no problem getting a table for two in the dining room. Here is the menu for the night with our choices noted...and once again our choices were pretty much the same!

STARTERS - SOUPS - SALADS

Watermelon and Feta Cheese

mint, orange, arugula

Burrata Salad

tomato, asparagus, prosciutto, balsamic vinaigrette

Crispy Seafood Spring Roll (M & B)

bay shrimp, surimi, sweet red chili sauce

Caribbean Fish Chowder

roasted red bell pepper, cream, potato, celery, diced pumpkin

Red Bean and Chorizo Soup

pork belly, leeks, beef broth

Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho (M)

lemon sorbet, lime leaves

Boston Bibb Lettuce

roasted tomato, bell pepper, organiz mixed seeds

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE SIGNATURES

French Onion Soup "Les Halles" (B)

Gruyere cheese crouton

Classic Caesar Salad

Parmesan cheese, garlic croutons, anchovies

MAINS

Spaghetti Chitarra, Bacon and Kale

zucchini, squash, tomato, Parmesan, pine nuts

Sesame Steak Salad

romaine, soy-glazed oyster mushrooms

Grilled Corvina with Olives, Onions and Peppers

creamy mascarpone polenta, green beans

Creole Catfish Vol-Au-Vent

saffron rice, collard greens

Red Wine-Braised Brisket (M & B)

paprika onions, mashed potatoes, snow peas, carrots, broccoli

Caribbean Curried Lamb

rice and beans, fried okra

CLASSIC: Southern Fried Chicken

corn on the cob, green beans, mashed potatoes, country gravy

Chana Masala

chickpeas, onion, tomato, turmeric, garlic, chili, garam masala, basmati rice, naan

HOLLAND AMERIC LINE SIGNATURES

Grilled Salmon with Ginger-Cilantro Pesto

basmati rice, Swiss chard, garlic cherry tomatoes

Broiled New York Strip Loin

red skin mashed potato, cauliflower gratin, green peppercorn sauce

Oven-Roasted Chicken

quinoa pilaf, herb roasted vegetables, jus

DESSERTS

Chocolate Fudge Tartlet

roasted pistachios

Mango Cream Horn

chocolate, tropical fruit tartare, ginger, Tahitian vanilla

White Chocolate and Lime Pop

mango gel, crushed meringue

Creme Brulee

Grand Marnier-scented custard, caramelized sugar

Pineapple Crisp

French vanilla ice cream

Cheese and Fruit

Maytag Blue, Brie de Nagis, Beecher's Flagship Reserve, Leiden

Sliced Fruit Plate

selection of fresh fruit

Sugar Free Chocolate Delight (M & B)

chocolate cake, dark chocolate ganache, white chocolate mousse, chocolate shavings

Blueberry Sundae

vanilla ice cream, blueberry sauce

Ice Cream

Vanilla - Tiramisu - Watermelon Sorbet - Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

Sugar Free Vanilla & Strawberry

A cart was set up as we exited the dining room with a crew member offering a selection of dried dates, figs, mints, or candied ginger. Once again I felt so pampered as he folded a napking into a tiny cone and using a pair of tongs selected a piece of ginger to give to me. Just one of the nicer touches that set this Holland America cruise a notch above Norwegian or Carnival.

The main show in the theater was "One Man, Many Voices" with impressionist Tyler Bryce. His repertoire included over 200 voices which he showcased with songs and comedy. I thought he was quite good.

BB Kings All Stars had the night off and in its place was a game show hosted by the assistant cruise director..."Call My Bluff." The game show panel consisted of the cruise director, the shore excursion host and the dance team manager. A word was given and each of the panelists tried to convince the audience that their definition was the correct one. We joined another couple as a team and actually tied for first place by choosing all but one correct answer!

A few of the words used in the game..."tittup" (move with jerky or exaggerated movements); "crapulence" (feeling too full); and "erecterine" (a long wooden musical instrument.)

After the show we made one lap around the ship on the promenade deck and then back to the cabin for the night. Bob found a movie to watch on TV while I updated my blog notes...activities that were fast becoming our evening routine.