In September we shared that Carnival Cruise Lines was to be opening a new port — Amber Cove — off the coast of Puerto Plata, the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. This $85 million venture came to fruition in October as they welcomed their first cruise ship, Carnival’s  Vista and inaugurated the port on November 2nd.

The grand inauguration was attended by Danilo Medina, president of the Dominican Republic and Francisco Javier Garcia, minister of tourism for the Dominican Republic. Also present were the two who spearheaded this project — Jeffrey Rannik, president of B&R Group; and Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “We are always looking for new ways to create wonderful vacation memories for our guests, and we cannot wait to share the excitement of opening our new Amber Cove cruise port,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “We know our guests love the Caribbean and today celebrates our beautiful new port and the beginning of us bringing our guests to one of the most unique, spectacular and historic regions in the Caribbean.”

About Amber Cove

Amber Cove has an abundance of amenities for cruisers, whether they choose to stay at port, or venture off into one of the 40 new excursions created for this project. At port, travelers can enjoy cabanas, bars, restaurants, and lots of shopping opportunities. While there is no beach access at port, there is a large pool and multiple beach excursions.

Other excursions include cross-country adventures in 4x4 Terracross buggies, water sports, horseback riding on the beach, snorkeling and swimming in a natural river. Adrenaline seekers can also travel by speedboat to Paradise Island and enjoy some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving the Caribbean has to offer.

While excursion participation is usually around 30-50% of travelers, Amilcar Cascais, Vice President of tour operations for Carnival expects a greater participation — upwards of 66% he said. Mainly because guests will be curious about the new and less-traveled destination. A strong figure that will excite excursion operators, and with 40 different excursion, there will be something for everyone!

“It is an honour to bring Carnival Corporation guests to Amber Cove, which is absolutely beautiful, and to re-establish regular cruise visits to the Puerto Plata from major cruise brands for the first time in nearly 30 years,” said Alan Buckelew, COO at Carnival Corporation. “It is just as exciting to know that we will be bringing guests to the newest destination in the Caribbean, the world’s most popular region for cruising. We are all looking forward to Amber Cove and Puerto Plata quickly becoming a very popular port of call.”