Amber Cove Cruise Port in Puerto Plata has become one of the best Carnival Cruises destinations in the Caribbean, featuring one of the richest landscape and historic value regions in the Dominican Republic. Its centermost location is a ship hub that connects the whole Caribbean region. The two-berth port was estimated to be a $65-85mm investment, built on 25 acres; equipped to dock 2 ships simultaneously, each with more than 4,000 passengers and 1,000 crew.

carnival cruises

Inaugurated on January 2015, it opened a new era that prompted the Dominican government to repair roads and infrastructure in Puerto Plata, which in turn motivated store and restaurant owners to do the same, taking the city back to its former splendor. Security has also changed dramatically around Puerto Plata, now considered a model for other Dominican cities.

Where is Amber Cove Port Located?:  it is located in Maimón, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The port is next to the Maimón Bay, taking advantage of a prime location less than 20 minutes from where passengers can walk the old city center with its many attractions, restaurants, sightseeing and shopping.

 

Amber cove port map with highlighted features.
Map of Amber Cove Port in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.


THINGS TO DO

Visit the page of Amber Cove Amenities for a complete list of all the amenities including all the restaurants, bars, shops, swimming pools, kids areas and much more. The Cruise ports guide in this website is a complete source for all information related to the port, Puerto Plata and its amenities and excursions.

Amber Cove port
Amber Cove Main Swimming Pool & Lounge

The Amber Cove prices page gives you a complete list of costs for food, drinks, rentals and activities; and the Amber Cove Free Activities page has all the things you can do for free at the Carnival port in Puerto Plata.

CRUISE CENTER & SHOPPING

Cruise Center: the first store visitors find when entering the port is Dufry, a duty-free store offering various goods from food to fragrances. next to it we find Diamonds International, Café El Cibao and restrooms.

Interior areas of Dufry duty free
Duty Free Store at Amber Cove

Shopping in Amber Cove: Next in line we find the Marketplace, Dominican Things store, Elements Dichroic Glass Jewelry, Pareo’s House, Island Treasures, and Coco Caña Bar, Restaurant & Shop. If we keep going left when entering the port, we find Turquesa Gift Shop, National/Alamo Car Rental, the local Taxi Tour pickup, Wild Play Clothes store, and the Tourist Information Center.

Shelves full of items at the store.
Turquesa in Amber Cove

Right Across #4 we find the Ocean World Gift Shop,  and next we visit Yvon International Art Gallery, Blu Mine Larimar & Amber shop, Ti Watch Design, Effy Jewelers, Arantza Beach Clothes, Amber Coast Larimar, All Leather, the Shorex Booth and DR Cultural and Historical Exhibits.

FEATURED AMBER COVE EXCURSION:

puerto plata catamaran

FEATURED CRUISE SHIP: MARDI GRAS

TROPICAL WEATHER

The North Coast region of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic boasts an idyllic, perfect year-round climate that beckons visitors with its consistent warmth and gentle breezes. This tropical paradise enjoys an average temperature ranging from the mid-70s to the low 90s Fahrenheit, creating an inviting haven for those seeking respite from the extremes of other climates. 

The region’s well-defined seasons include a dry season, extending from November to April, and a wet season from May to October, offering a delightful balance for travelers. 

AMBER COVE CRUISE PORT GALLERY

THE AQUA ZONE

The Amber Cove Cruise Port Aqua Zone is the outdoor entertainment area that includes the Swimming Pools, Deck, Hillside Cabannas, Poolside Cabannas, Water Sports Rental, Sky Bar, Zip Line (yes!), Waterslides, Coco Caña Poolside Lounge, Children’s Splash Area, Overwater Cabannas, and Crew Center. Notice the Sky Bar location high up in the center of the cruise center, from where the 360 degree vistas are just magnificent.

the ocean cabanas are right on the water
Ocean Cabanas
LANGUAGE AND CURRENCY

The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish, as this was a colony of Spain since the very first time Spaniards arrived to the island in 1492, establishing the first settlement in the Americas. English is widely spoken, as well as some European languages.


The natives that inhabited the island were the Dominican Taino, a peaceful people. The official currency of the DR is the Peso, though the USA Dollar is widely accepted in all the tourist areas. As of November 2024 the exchange rate of USD vs RD$ Peso is 55×1.

HOW TO GET AROUND

Getting around Amber Cove cruise port is easy, as there is taxi service available full time. The prearranged tour pick up is #9 in the map, between Alamo Car Rental and the Wild Play Gift Shop. You can also call any transportation taxi service from Puerto Plata and the will meet you at the Taxi pick up location outside the port.

Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata’s historic district is a great sightseeing tour.
FEATURED CRUISE SHIP: CARNIVAL HORIZON
SHORE EXCURSIONS

Amber Cove offers tours and activities around Puerto Plata, Sosua and Cabarete – the main attraction areas of the North Coast. The tours catalog is as varied as that in any major destination:

Amber Cove architectural rendering in aerial perspective
Amber Cove Cruise Port aerial rendering
AMBER COVE ARRIVAL SCHEDULE

Amber Cove arrivals are posted here for the current month: October 2024. This schedule is updated every month so passengers can check their ship arrival and departure time if needed. The full Puerto Plata cruise schedule is online as well.

Amber Cove November Schedule
Amber Cove November Schedule
THE SKY BAR

Offering 360-degree views of the port and surroundings, the Sky Bar is the perfect spot to have a drink and relax between activities. The Sky Bar is the highest point of the port, not far from the hillside cabanas and the zip line launch point.

 

This Carnival cruises flagship port raises a lot of important questions from cruise passengers, here we include the 3 most frequent ones:

  • Is Amber Cove a private island? not really. The port is built in the Maimon area of Puerto Plata, in the North Dominican Republic, which sits in an island called Hispaniola.

  • Is there free food at Amber Cove? the restaurants at this port are not complimentary; the prices are standard for a Caribbean port, and with the port free activities included, the food is worth the price.

  • What country owns Amber Cove? This beautiful port is a private ownership of Carnival Cruises, they purchased the land near a beautiful bay in the island, and built a private, exclusive port to service Carnival cruise ships.


SHIPS VISITING AMBER COVE

All of Carnival Cruises ships that visit the Caribbean have docked at Amber Cove, including Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam, Carnival Mardi Gras, Carnival Freedom, and others.

Nieuw Statendam cruise ship sailing to the Caribbean.
Nieuw Statendam cruise ship

 

AMBER COVE PORT CONTACT

Amber Cove logo

AMBER COVE CRUISE PORT PUERTO PLATA
Terminal Turistica, Maimon

Puerto Plata 57000
Dominican Republic
Tel. 829-735-0272

Online: https://www.ambercove.com/

PORT CONTACTS:

Amber Cove Agency:

Kelvin Polanco / Cel. (809) 754-9389
Ramon Santos / Cel. (809) 754-8629

General Manager:

Sharon Mei / Email: gm@ambercove.com

Berthing Inquiries: 

Raquel Mota / rmota@carnival.com

Security Department:

Johnny Mendoza / Cel. (829) 380-7197

SOURCES:
Amber Cove, Puerto Plata
Carnival Cruises, Amber Cove
CruiseMapper
Amber Cove port schedule