Samaná, Dominican Republic 萨马纳， 多米尼加共和国
December 18, 2025
Our second stop in the Dominican Republic began with a shore excursion to El Limón Waterfall……
昨天晚上船离开圣多明各，沿着岛开，。。。
December 18, 2025
Our second stop in the Dominican Republic began with a shore excursion to El Limón Waterfall. Even before the tour officially started, tensions ran high: the operator refused to allow anyone wearing open-toe shoes onto the trucks, which led to some very unhappy passengers. Once underway, the ride itself was rough and uncomfortable.
The hiking trail was muddy and littered with smelly horse manure. While the hike wasn’t particularly difficult, it wasn’t very enjoyable either. After about 30 minutes of walking, we reached the waterfall at the bottom of the trail. The area was crowded, and after standing around for just a few minutes, we turned back and retraced our steps.
Back at the port, we decided to skip the tender ride back to the ship and explore on foot on the island instead. We walked across a long bridge leading to a small nearby island—a beautifully built pedestrian path that quite literally goes nowhere. The island itself offered little beyond a few rest stops and viewpoints, but the walk was delightful. The water below was crystal clear, and we could easily spot fish and starfish. In the end, this quiet stroll across the bridge and island turned out to be far more enjoyable than the earlier hike.
In the afternoon, we returned to the ship. Since it was already past lunchtime, we grabbed a light bite at the Bistro just to tide ourselves over and saved our appetites for a big dinner later. Tonight was our third visit to the Italian restaurant, where we enjoyed the third set of its eight-course tasting menu. Just like the previous two times, the overall quality was excellent. After three visits, we had now sampled every dish on the restaurant’s menu.For both of us, the appetizers stood out as the best, while the main courses were slightly less impressive.
2025年12月18日
昨天晚上船离开圣多明各，沿着岛开，今天早上转到了岛的另一侧，多米尼加共和国的另一个港口小镇萨马纳。
早餐后我们参加了船上组织的前往埃尔利蒙瀑布（El Limón Waterfall）的徒步游。行程尚未正式出发，就已经出现了一些不太愉快的时刻——当地旅游运营方不允许穿露趾鞋的乘客登上卡车参加这个活动，这让不少人非常不满。老外们，尤其是美国人都比较喜欢穿凉鞋，爬山也一样。在码头上争论了好久，最后还是不让参加。 随后我们乘坐大卡车前往登山营地，一路颠簸，加上大卡车的噪音以及导游大声的讲解声，乘坐体验很不舒适。
来到徒步小径，发现骑马去看瀑布的人特别多。丛林小路本来就潮湿，路上遍布刺鼻的马尿马粪，泥泞不堪，行人还要不停地给马让路。徒步本身并不算困难，但这沿途路况实在太糟糕，带队的导游也不是很周到，常常走的没影了。大约步行了近一个小时后，我们到达了瀑布底部的观景点。瀑布的确不错，但那里游客实在太多，我们只停留了几分钟，便开始原路返回。可以想像这一路走过来，鞋子会有多脏。好在营地有当地人专门给游客洗鞋子，付点小费。
回到码头后，我们决定先不马上乘坐接驳船返回邮轮，而是选择在码头附近步行探索。一座长长的桥连接着附近的一座无人小岛——这是一条修建精美却“通往无处”的人行步道。小岛上没有什么景点，只有几处供人停留观景的休息点。不过，走在桥上和小岛上的感觉却十分惬意。海水清澈见底，可以清楚地看到鱼群和海星。相比之前的徒步行程，我们反而更加享受这段安静悠闲的散步。
下午回到船上，因为早已过了午餐时间，我们就在Bistro随便吃了点垫下肚子， 留着晚上吃大餐。今晚上我们第三次来到意大利餐厅，品尝了第三套八道式的品鉴菜单，和之前二次一样，整体水准非常出色。三次下来我们也将餐厅的所有菜都品尝了一遍。对我们俩来说感觉是前菜做的最好，主食稍微逊色一些。
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 圣多明各，多米尼加共和国
December 17, 2025
After a day at sea, we arrived in Santo Domingo for the second time on this trip……
前二天在哥伦比亚的卡塔赫纳是我们这次邮轮走的最远的地方，。。。
December 17, 2025
After a day at sea, we arrived in Santo Domingo for the second time on this trip. We hired a taxi to take us to Faro de Colón, the Columbus Lighthouse, where Christopher Columbus is allegedly buried. The final resting place of Columbus has been disputed for centuries. Today, two cities—Seville and Santo Domingo—both claim to hold his remains, and over the years we have visited both.
The monument itself is enormous, almost overwhelming in scale. Inside, it houses numerous small exhibits contributed by countries around the world that participated in or supported the monument’s construction. We spent about an hour exploring the museum while our taxi driver patiently waited for us outside, then drove us back to the ship.
After lunch onboard, we disembarked again—this time returning to the city center. We wandered at an unhurried pace through the streets and came upon the atmospheric ruins of an old convent, currently under renovation. Even in its partially restored state, the site felt evocative and quietly fascinating.
A small but memorable moment came when we encountered two young girls speaking Chinese on the street. Throughout the entire trip, it had been rare to hear Chinese spoken, and tourists from China—or Asia more broadly—seemed few and far between. That brief exchange felt unexpectedly familiar and warmly human, standing out amid our explorations of history and stone.
2025年12月17日
前二天在哥伦比亚的卡塔赫纳是我们这次邮轮走的最远的地方，接下来便是往回开。在海上航行一天后，我们的船再次抵达 Santo Domingo（圣多明各）。因为是第二次来，我们就自由行，雇了一辆出租车前往 Faro de Colón（哥伦布灯塔），这里据称安葬着 Christopher Columbus（克里斯托弗·哥伦布）。事实上，哥伦布的最终安息之地几百年来一直存在争议。如今，西班牙塞维利亚（Seville）和圣多明各这两座城市都声称保存着他的遗骸，而我们也都曾到访过这两处地方。
这座纪念性建筑规模宏大，气势逼人。建筑内部设有许多小型展览，展品来自参与或支持该纪念碑建设的不同国家。我们在馆内参观了大约一个小时，出租车司机一直在外等候，随后将我们送回了船上。
在船上用过午餐后，我们再次下船返回市区。这一次，我们放慢脚步，在老城市里悠闲地漫步，偶然发现了一处正在修缮中的古老修道院遗址。即使在翻修过程中，这片废墟依然充满历史气息，令人觉得别有意味。
在老城区闲逛时我们走进了一家小超市，无意中听到两位年轻女孩正在用中文交谈，从口音上能知道是来自大陆，这让我们很吃惊。与她们交谈后知道是自己飞到多米尼亚的Punta Cana (蓬塔卡纳)，然后又开车来到了圣多明各。半个多月来的整个行程中，几乎听不到中文，来自中国或其他亚洲国家的游客在这一带也相当少见。很佩服这两位年轻女孩，那一刻的偶遇及乡音，给我们带来了一丝亲切与温暖。
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 多米尼加共和国 · 圣多明各
December 3, 2025
Yesterday was a sea day……
昨天是海上行，。。。
December 3, 2025
Yesterday was a sea day. In the morning, we visited the bridge and learned about maritime navigation and ship operations, which was quite interesting. In the afternoon, we attended a lecture, took a dance class, and watched a closeup magic show. In the evening, we dined at the Waterside restaurant and enjoyed caviar, oysters, and lobster—luxurious and delicious. A busy and enjoyable day at sea passed by quickly.
As the ship sailed into the mouth of the Ozama River, it docked on the opposite bank, facing the historic old city.
Today, we participated in a guided tour to the famous Three Eyes Caves (Los Tres Ojos) and the Taino House. Along the way, we made a photo stop at the Faro de Colón (Columbus Lighthouse) before heading to the caves. Inside the caverns, deep-blue lakes shimmered beautifully under the natural light. Unfortunately, the high humidity made the experience slightly uncomfortable, but the scenery was still impressive.
Next, we visited Casa del Cordón, where we learned about the Taíno civilization, the island’s native indigenous people. The museum was well-designed and very informative, offering valuable insight into the early history of the Caribbean.
Then we walked through theColumbus Plaza to go back to our bus. On the way to the terminal, we made a photo stop in front of the Presidential Palace.
After the tour, we returned to the ship for lunch before heading out again on our own in the afternoon. The port authority conveniently provided a free shuttle from the terminal to the Zona Colonial, which made getting into the historic district easy.
We strolled leisurely along Calle Las Damas and visited the Pantheon of the Fatherland. Then we toured Fortaleza Ozama, the oldest fort in the Americas. In the middle of our visit, the weather suddenly changed and heavy rain poured down. We started to worry about making it back to the ship before departure. Fortunately, just as the locals had confidently told us, the rain stopped after about 15 minutes. Our worries proved unnecessary.
We continued our walk through the old city and visited the oldest cathedral in the Americas before it was time to hop back on the shuttle to the ship. Santo Domingo is rich in history and truly a city of many “firsts” in the Americas.
Dinner was at Waterside, where we enjoyed caviar and lobster—a luxurious and delicious ending to a full and memorable day.
2025年12月3日
昨天是海上行，上午我们参观了驾驶舱，了解了航海导航和船舶运行的相关知识，有点意思。下午听了一场讲座并且上了堂跳舞课，还看了一场短距离魔术表演。晚上在Waterside餐厅用餐，享用了鱼子酱，生𧐢和龙虾，奢华又美味，忙碌的海上行一天就很快过去了。
今天早上邮轮来到了多米尼加共和国 的圣多明各。它停靠在奥萨马河里，正对着历史悠久的老城。
上午， 我们参加了邮轮组织的观光游，前往著名的三眼洞（Los Tres Ojos）和泰诺人故居（Taino House）。途中先在哥伦布灯塔（Faro de Colón / Columbus Lighthouse)边短暂停留拍照，然后前往洞穴景区。洞穴内天然形成的深蓝色湖水在自然光的映照下熠熠生辉。洞内湿度较高，让人略感不适，整体景色显得一般。
接着我们参观了科尔东之家（Casa del Cordón），在这里深入了解了泰诺文明——加勒比海地区最早的原住民文化。博物馆设计精美，内容详实，为我们提供了关于加勒比早期历史非常宝贵的知识。
游览结束后，我们先返回船上享用午餐，下午又下船自由行。邮轮和港口管理部门为游客提供了从码头直达殖民区（Zona Colonial）的免费接驳车，前往老城十分方便。
我们沿着历史悠久的达玛斯大街（Calle Las Damas）悠闲漫步，参观了祖国先贤祠（Pantheon of the Fatherland），随后又游览了奥萨马要塞（Fortaleza Ozama）——这是美洲最古老的堡垒。在参观城堡途中，天气突变，大雨倾盆而下，我们开始担心是否能按时赶回邮轮。城堡的工作人员非常友善，告诉我们不会超过30分钟雨就会停，且撑着伞送我们到城堡门口。果然大约十几分钟后雨就停了，我们的担心也随之烟消云散。
我们继续在老城区漫步，参观了美洲最古老的天天主教教堂，随后搭乘接驳车返回邮轮。圣多明各历史底蕴深厚，是真正拥有许多“美洲第一”