Cruise Holidays To Dominican Republic

Overview

The mountainous Dominican Republic occupies the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola, shared with Haiti. The capital is Santo Domingo, the New World's oldest colonial city, with cobbled streets and graceful old monuments. In contrast, the music of the merengue echoes from the bars and clubs.

Santo Domingo has two separate cruise ship piers. The newest, Don Diego Quay, is the best and is only a few minutes walk from the Old Town area. Another cruise terminal lies between the village of La Romana and the famous golf resort of Casa de Campo. There are minimal services at the dock so you have to join a tour or try to find a taxi, which isn't always easy. There's a third dock at Puerto Plata, within easy reach of shops.

There are various excursions on offer, from tours of Santo Domingo to jeep safaris into the mountainous interior, visits to the beautiful Botanical Gardens and visits to Casa de Campo for beaches, watersports and golf. Shopping is good - try the Mercado Modelo in Santo Domingo for arts and crafts, as well as amber, duty-free goods and rum.