Catalina Island : The best kept secret of Punta Cana

Just dont book this

Much less an experience, more of an ordeal. I booked the 6.5 hour Catalina Island tour which turns out is not 6.5 hours at all. I was picked up at 7:30 am as planned. Picked up one other couple before we stopped at a services to change coach onto one with people going on the same trip. We were then dropped of in La Romana where we stood and waited for some unknown reason that was never explained. We finally boarded the boat to Catalina Island and after a short but enjoyable ride we arrived around 4 hours after i left my hotel. We stayed on the beach for 3 hours including lunch. Lunch was nice enough. Catalina island was lovely, the beach was everything you expect and imagine when you say Caribbean and the sea equally so. However 3 hours was too long, probably 2 is enough. At 2:30 we got back on the boat to go snorkeling. I was looking forward to this. However we only went snorkeling for 20 minutes. I know this because i videoed my experience and that video is 19 minutes. I don't know where we went snorkeling. The best kept secret of Punta Cana is so well kept even the fish don't know about it. I would post my video if i could but it's very much like one of those awful clickbait dashcam videos where you are waiting for something to happen and it doesn't and you question why you watched it and your life choices. After this we were straight back to land. I was back on the coach just after 4 pm. Then a magical mystery tour started. It began with a random and unnecessarily long stop at a shop to sell tat to tourists. We then went around the houses before i finally got back to my hotel just after 7:30pm, a full 12 hours after I set off on this 6.5 hour trip. It made the Odyssey look like a walk in the park. If the 6.5 hours advertised referred to time on the boat and the island, it was actually only about 5 hours. If it refers to the whole day, someone needs to learn to tell the time. 6.5 hours is actually the time l spent on the coach. A coach tour of the island is a more accurate description of this trip. I have seen more of the island than I ever expected but not intentionally. If you have made it this far you may be interested to know Bavaro has an IKEA. I found it on the mystery tour home. It is a better way of wasting 12 hours rather than this experience.

via Viator

Nice excursion

My experience was very good, we took a nice speedboat ride and stopped for snorkeling, then we continued to Catalina islands where we spent a nice day sunbathing, crystal clear waters and enjoyed a delicious local lunch. On the return we were taken by boat back to the river jetty where the driver waited for us a very friendly and patient gentleman who thanked him for his tour. Great pro. Thanks for everything. Nice excursion I give you a great greeting Nuria A whole tenner.

Response from the operator: ¡Muchísimas gracias por tu excelente valoración, Nuria! ¡Todo un diez para nosotros también tenerte como cliente! Nos alegra muchísimo saber que disfrutaste de cada etapa de la excursión: desde la adrenalina de la lancha rápida y el snorkel, hasta la tranquilidad y las aguas cristalinas de Isla Catalina. Nos hace especial ilusión que menciones el almuerzo local; siempre nos esmeramos para que sea un reflejo de nuestra gastronomía. Le transmitiremos tus palabras de agradecimiento a nuestro chófer. Nos enorgullece contar con profesionales tan amables y pacientes que cuidan cada detalle del trayecto hasta el último minuto. Saber que te sentiste bien atendida de principio a fin es nuestra mayor recompensa. Fue un verdadero placer acompañarte en este día. ¡Esperamos volver a verte pronto en una próxima aventura! Un gran saludo de parte de todo el equipo

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Don’t waste a day of your holiday going

Went with Viator, pick up at 7am from punta Cana then 3 hours on a old coach, then rushed on to a overcrowded dive boat, stopped for supposedly 45 min snorkelling but because there was scuba divers on it was 1.5 hours, then arrived at the island at 1pm and rushed to a table for lunch which was not nice and terrible drinks. Left island at 3pm and was basically hounded to buy lobster, coconuts and pineapples for the 2hours we were there. The beach at our resort was just as nice and it was just a waste of a day and money.

Response from the operator: Dear Ravi, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We sincerely apologize that your excursion to Catalina Island did not meet your expectations. We understand how precious vacation time is, and we are truly sorry that you felt yours was not well spent. We have taken note of your comments regarding the transport duration and the condition of the coach. We are currently reviewing our logistics to ensure more comfortable and efficient transfers for our guests. Additionally, we regret the delay caused by the combined diving and snorkeling groups; we are working on better scheduling to ensure everyone has ample time to enjoy the island without feeling rushed. Regarding the food service and the persistence of local vendors, your observations are invaluable. They help us push for higher quality standards and a more relaxing environment on the beach for our visitors. We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss your experience further and see how we can make things right. Please feel free to reach out to us directly.

via Tripadvisor