Day 6: Carnival Venezia 10-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise

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Amber Cove, Dominican Republic

We had breakfast at the Marketplace buffet again, and it was good as usual. When we went back to our cabin to get ready to get off the ship, there was another cute towel animal on the bed that, again, I’m not not exactly sure what it was. My husband thinks it’s a bear; I think he might be right.

Towel Animal (a bear?) in our Stateroom on the Carnival Venezia

We got off the ship at around 11 am. We were docked next to the Carnival Celebration. We both would like to go on that ship.

Carnival Venezia and Carnival Celebration docked next to each other at Amber Cove, Dominican Republic

We had been to the Dominican Republic twice before. The first time we just hung out at Amber Cove (which is a pretty nice cruise port), and the second time we hired a driver for the day to take us into Puerto Plata Historic Center and to go up the Teleferico (Puerto Plata Cable Car) to Mount Ysabel de Torres, which is 855 meters above sea level. This time we decided to go to Damajagua 27 Falls. We did the same thing we did the last time we were in the Dominican Republic – we walked out of the cruise port area to the public street to where drivers are lined up waiting to drive you around to your places(s) of choice. They are much cheaper than the hired drivers in the cruise port area.

It didn’t take too long to get there. The time stamp I took of the Carnival Venezia and the Carnival Celebration docked next to each other was 11:05 a.m. and the time stamp of when we got to the parking area of Damajagua Falls was 11:44 a.m. So in that time we walked to the taxis along the street, negotiated our taxi price and drove to the falls.

On the drive there we told our driver that we wanted to do the buffet at Damajagua Falls, but he said the food is not good and that you can get really good authentic Dominican food for much less at a restaurant on the way back. He said if we wanted to, he would stop there for us on the way back to the port. We were going to do that, but then we decided to just go back to the ship straight from the falls.

The entrance to Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Near the admission purchase area and entrance for Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Walkway from parking lot to admission purchase area for Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Admission purchase area for Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

There were only seven falls available the day we went. What’s strange is that we both counted, and we did not go down seven falls. We went down four. But the journey was long enough, and the water was getting colder the farther we we went down, so we felt we did enough. It was fun, but we have no desire to do it again.

Walking over a bridge to get to the waterfalls at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic (We were far behind our group, but we caught up quickly)

I have a couple of warnings/suggestions in case you do Damajagua Falls. First, buy good water shoes ahead of time that have thick bottoms. I had read in a review before our trip that the thinner bottomed water shoes will not protect your feet because the rocks are sharp. They were correct. Even with the thick bottomed water shoes, I stepped on a pretty sharp rock that hurt my foot a bit. It did not cut through the water shoe, but the sharp rock pressed hard into my foot. Not even close to excruciating, but it did hurt for a little while. The problem is that the water is very cloudy, so you can’t see where you’re walking when you’re in the water which means you have no way of knowing where sharp rocks are.

If you don’t bring water shoes with you, they will rent some to you for a minimal charge, but some of the guys in our group kept saying they wished they brought water shoes with them because they thought it felt gross wearing shoes that were on so many other bare feet.

The second suggestion I have is to not do what I did on my first slide down. The guide clearly states to cross your arms and legs. What I didn’t realize is that I wasn’t crossing my arms enough to pull my elbows completely over my chest. That was not good. Because the slides are natural slides, they are not smooth slides. They look smooth, but they’re not. On the way down I got banged up. My tail bone was banged repeatedly and my right elbow banged hard into a rock on the way down and got scraped and bruised a little bit. It was minor, fortunately, but I can see how people have gotten worse scrapes and bruises on those natural slides. We saw one man getting treated for what appeared to be a minor head injury along the side of one of the water areas, and I have read reviews of very serious injuries and deaths at the falls, so take necessary precautions if you go to Damajagua Falls.

The price of admission includes a guide for your group and the use of a helmet and a life vest for each person. It’s only a few U.S. dollars per person, but we noticed that if you pay in cash with Dominican Pesos it’s a little bit cheaper. It’s cheap either way though.

I highly recommend bringing a waterproof phone pouch/cover so that you can carry your own camera with you and take photos as you go along. Otherwise you can leave your phone(s) in a locker near the entrance area. I did notice the guide holding someone’s camera for them.

I also recommend that you bring enough cash with you to tip your guide(s) at the end, and to tip your driver as well. They take U.S. dollars, so there’s no need for you to convert to Dominican Pesos.

Another thing I recommend is to wear swim shorts instead of a bikini or bathing suit because it will help to protect you from getting scraped up. Also wearing a longer swim top if you’re a female is a good idea so that you don’t have to worry about your bikini top popping up and exposing anything that shouldn’t be exposed (although the life vest does help with that). A couple of people in our group had long sleeve swim shirts and long, close fitting swim bottoms that probably protected them even more and might have kept them warmer. The water got pretty chilly near the end (we were there in December), and one teenage boy was shivering A LOT from the very first water area all the way until the end.

They have a restaurant/bar just before you leave that is outside and fully covered which has plenty of picnic tables with benches. They sell bottled water there if you need some for the trek. There is a recycle bin at the top where you can put the used plastics into before you begin descending down.

Our tour guide told us that if you booked the falls excursion through your cruise line, then you will not be allowed to jump. They put a different color vest on the cruise line shore excursion passengers to alert them to not allow those people to jump. If you don’t book through the cruise line, then you are permitted to jump.

My minor injury from one of the slides at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic because I did not pull my elbows in far enough when I crossed my arms. It was no big deal and totally worth it!

I was surprised at the force with which everyone lands in the water from the slides. You get completely submerged when each slide drops you into the water. That’s part of the fun. And worth the banged up elbow.

In the following photos you can read the captions to learn about our journey in the order it happened. FYI – the time stamp on the photo of the bridge above (which was just about the beginning of the hike) was 10:57 a.m., and the time stamp at the photo of the first fall was 11:48 a.m., so it took over 50 minutes to get to the first fall. However, they did make us stop and sit a couple of times for a few minutes each time along the way to keep us from getting too close to the group in front of us. Plus, some people clearly needed to rest along the way, so they might be forcing rests for that reason as well.) (My husband and I did not find the hike to be difficult at all, but it was tiring for some people.)

Also, the time stamp of the photo at the end of the hike was 12:31, and then we had a walk of maybe 10-15 minutes back to the area where we turned in our helmets and life vests (near the lockers and restrooms), so in all the entire experience took about one hour and forty five minutes. (It took just under forty five minutes from the first fall to the last pool of water.)

View from the walking bridge on the way to the waterfalls at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

The trail to the waterfalls at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Animals along the walking trail to the waterfalls at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

This photo gives you an idea of how part of the walking trail is that leads to the waterfalls at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Shortly before we got to the waterfalls, they have several wooden benches in an area well shaded by large trees where we could sit while we waited for the group in front of us to finish jumping or climbing down the first of the falls we did that day at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic — Shortly before we got to the waterfalls, they had several wooden benches in an area well shaded by large trees where we could sit while we waited for the group in front of us to finish jumping or climbing down the first of the falls we did that day at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic. Notice the guy in the red vest – the red vest meant he booked through a cruise line and was not allowed to jump

Here you can see our guide (the man facing us) as he directed people at the first of the falls we did that day at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic. On the left side you can jump into the water, and on the right side you can climb into the water. — Here you can see our guide (the man facing us) as he directed people at the first of the falls we did that day at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic. On the left side you can jump into the water, and on the right side you can climb into the water

After you get into the water (which was cool and refreshing at the first jump/climb down), you wait for the rest of your group to get into the water. It takes a few minutes because they put a lot of people in each group (maybe 40 people in our group), but the the guides (the lead one and another one) try to keep track of everyone in their group. (At Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic) — After you get into the water (which was cool and refreshing at the first jump/climb down), you wait for the rest of your group to get into the water. It takes a few minutes because they put a lot of people in each group (maybe 40 people in our group), but the guides (the lead one and another one) try to keep track of everyone in their group. (At Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic)

Our guide helping and guiding us at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Me enjoying our trek through the water to the next fall at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Continuing on or journey at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Onto the next "fall" - a slide into slightly cooler water (at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic) — Onto the next “fall” – a slide into slightly cooler water (at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic)

Me sliding down a slide at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic (Notice that I didn't pull my elbows in enough, which led to one of my elbows getting scraped and bruised a little, but it was no big deal) The guide gives you a push to get you going. — Me sliding down a slide at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic (Notice that I didn’t pull my elbows in enough, which led to one of my elbows getting scraped and bruised a little, but it was no big deal) The guide gives you a push to get you going.

The area you land into from that slide at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Me enjoying our time at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Part of the water trek at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic. This part, and other parts, we had to swim through, and other parts we could walk through

Our guide making sure everyone is coming as we continue on our trek at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

Part of the walking trail at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

A slide and step climb down into another pool of water at Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic

This slide was fun and smooth - no banged up tail bone this time! (At Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic) — This slide was fun and smooth – no banged up tail bone this time! (At Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic)

People waiting in another pool of water for the rest of our group to come down. We got out of the water because the lower we went, the colder the water was, and it was pretty cold at this point! (At Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic) — People waiting in the final pool of water for the rest of our group to come down. We got out of the water because the lower we went, the colder the water was, and it was pretty cold at this point! (At Damajagua 27 Falls in the Dominican Republic)

The photo above was of the last of the 7 (4? – we counted 4) falls that we went down. It’s a short, easy hike of a few minutes (maybe 10 – 15 minutes at the most) back to the area where you started. You drop your helmets and life jackets into something so they will clean them for future guests, then you get your stuff from the locker(s).

Our driver was waiting for us near the lockers. We left right after getting our stuff from the lockers. A couple of minutes after driving away, I realized I didn’t have my cell phone with me. I immediatley realized the last place I had it was in the stall in the restroom just before we got our life jackets and helmets. Our driver immediately turned around and he and I went to get it. I looked in the stall, and it was not there. Our driver knew where to go. He asked some men at a table in the covered area near the restaurant, and they had a few phones. Somehow they knew which one was mine, and they handed me my phone. Phew!

We had time to do something else, but we decided to go back to the ship. We walked around the cruise port shopping area, then got back on the ship.

We went to the Lido Marketplace for the lunch buffet and found out that the food at lunchtime is different at the buffet stations near midship and the buffet stations near aft. Near midship they have Chef’s Choice which offers various international themes that change each day, and the lunch buffet stations near the aft of the ship at Lido Marketplace are called Comfort Kitchen which offers a different selection each day than Chef’s Choice offers. This was the way it was on our first Carnival cruise, but on our second one they weren’t offering different food at the other food station area. We assumed it was the same for our third and fourth cruises with Carnival, but we might have assumed wrong. That day Chef’s Choice was offering Mexican Cuisine and it was decent tasting. You can see the menu and food in the photos below.

The lunch menu for Chef's Choice Mexican food theme showing some of the food items available that day on the Carnival Venezia — The lunch menu for Chef’s Choice Mexican food theme showing some of the food items available that day on the Carnival Venezia

Some of the lunch food items available that day at Chef's Choice Mexican food theme in the Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia — Some of the lunch food items available that day at Chef’s Choice Mexican food theme in the Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia

My husband's plate of lunch food from Chef's Choice Mexican food theme in the Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia — My husband’s plate of lunch food from Chef’s Choice Mexican food theme in the Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia

My plate of lunch food from Chef's Choice Mexican food theme in the Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia — My plate of lunch food from Chef’s Choice Mexican food theme in the Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia

Comfort Kitchen had some decent options as well.

The lunch menu showing some of the food items available that day for Comfort Kitchen at Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia

Some of the food items available that day for Comfort Kitchen at Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia

Some of the food items we chose that day from Comfort Kitchen at Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia

Some of the cakes available that day at Sweet Spot at Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia

Some of the cakes (and cookies) available that day at Sweet Spot at Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia

My cake choices that day from Sweet Spot at Lido Marketplace on the Carnival Venezia

View of the Dominican Republic from the Carnival Venezia — View of part of the Dominican Republic from the Carnival Venezia

As you can see from the photos, our views of the Dominican Republic were somewhat blocked by the Carnival Celebration that was docked next to us. That big ship was hogging part of the view!

View of the Dominican Republic from the Carnival Venezia and the Burano Pool at the Lido Deck aft (part of some of the water slides are in the upper left of the picture) — View of the Dominican Republic from the Carnival Venezia and a view of the Burano Pool at the Lido Deck aft (part of some of the water slides are in the upper left of the picture)

The Carnival Celebration blocking part our view from the Carnival Venezia, but adding its big self to our view as a partial compensation (at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic)

The Carnival Celebration docked next to us on the Carnival Venezia at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic — The Carnival Celebration as we on the Carnival Venezia sailed away from Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic

The Carnival Celebration still docked at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic as we sail away on the Carnival Venezia (we will be docked next to them again tomorrow in San Juan, Puerto Rico)

As we sailed away I could hear the Cruise Director of the Carnival Celebration saying they would see us again the next day because they would be docked next to us the following day. People of both ships were making lots of noise and waving to each other as we sailed away. They always make it fun when two ships of the same cruise line are docked next to each other.

We decided to try two of the slides on the ship. They were much more fun than the slides on the Carnival Magic. They were both fast. One of them really spins you around quite unexpectedly. I wanted to go on the slides again during our trip, but we never got around to it.

After the water slides, we went to Serenity and relaxed in the jacuzzi (for maybe three or four minutes because the water was hotter than my husband likes it). Then we found an area on the ship to enjoy the sunset together.