goin2enjoy saw things this way:
Overall
5
$2 cab ride to local beach town w/ shopping, dining & beach/swiming, March 15, 2013
Reviewer: goin2enjoy
Pros: Biking and kayaking a must!
Cons: Ships dock at pier with a long walk to shore. Tram is available.
Nice but pretty typical cruise line shopping area at end of pier. We chose the biking and kayaking package and were very pleased with this. Kayaks had clear bottom and we were out near the reef in them. Tour guides were great.
rmlemons saw things this way:
Overall
4
Pleasant area to shop, have a drink and relax in the pool area, April 15, 2011
Reviewer: rmlemons
Pros: Convenient shopping without having to travel or walk very far
Cons: The dolphin encounter area was small and man-made
We did one of the ship organized dives in the morning. The dive was one of the better dives that we did on this vacation. It was a small dive shop but well run with plenty of staff available to help. When we returned, we did most of our vacation shopping here. Because it's sort of an artificial place, built exclusively for the cruise ships, the shopping is perhaps a bit more limited. but the area is convenient, very clean and well laid out. It was a pleasant place to spend some time. There was a dolphin encounter area which we looked over and watched the dolphins swimming around. The area was man-made and not very large and we were a bit put off by the size. But the dolphins seemed happy (were playing with caregivers) and well cared for. I just felt more like we were exploiting these intelligent creatures.
Bydesignprez saw things this way:
Overall
3
Not worth leaving the port area, July 7, 2010
Reviewer: Bydesignprez
Pros: The shopping by the port was good
Cons: The organized bus trip to the beach resort was like a cattle train
I admit I am not a beach person. Apart from looking at the scenery I get bored and sunburn really easily, so bear that in mind. The port area was a big shopping mall off limits to the locals so if shopping is your thing you should find what you need. The prices seemed reasonable on most things and the store keepers were very obliging. It was nice to be able to walk off the ship as tenders in the heat lead to unpleasant odors! What I did not enjoy was the beach trip to some "resort" about 20 miles away. Hundreds of us were herded onto a number of buses and driven to a manufactured beach location where the deckchairs were lined up and waiting. The bar was open and free so many people proceeded to drink themselves silly. It is not my thing so I was quite glad to leave but a large number of people had too much to drink. Most of them were amusing but alcohol and exuberance can can cause problems. The biggest problem seemed to be sunburn for most people.
