If I could I would rate this with 0 stars!
We took 4 trips by different operators in our time in DR and they were all amazing. This was in every word HORRIBLE!
We got to the docs at La Romana at 9.30 as instructed by the tour operator. We were labeled with color string and put into different groups to wait. Thankfully I speak some Spanish as nobody from the tour organization spoke English - despite the fact I marked an English-speaking tour.
Most of the people got put in two other boats and they left, including the divers with whom we were supposed to have a joined tour to two snorkeling spots - for which we paid extra. But there was no boat for us.. and we waited.. and waited.. and waited..
Then all of a sudden one of the boats that had left half an hour ago returned, and we were told to board this boat, which was already FULLY PACKED with passengers. People were in shock and were calling their organizers if they could cancel... Of course, nobody answered and we were pushed on this fully packed catamaran.
There were about 100 people on the boat, the tour was marked as 50max. As the boat was at least one time over capacity there were not enough life vests and we could not leave the marina. We started sailing along the marina and collecting life vests from other docked boats. When ALMOST EVERYBODY had one, we started our way. The Wests were torn and covered in filth. At this time it was already 11:00 am and we were nowhere close to our destination.
The crew started drinking alcohol the minute we left the marina. They did not offer any drinks to the passengers. I asked about our second snorkeling spot, and they just laughed at each other. At this point, I realized that this was their normal habit and contacted the tour operator, and made it clear to them that the whole information they provided on this page was misleading, but they dismissed me and said that I got what I booked.
At this time we arrived at the aquarium. They told us we had 35 minutes to snorkel. Can you guess how much time 100 people need to get to the water through 1 ladder?
About 30 minutes, yes...
Thankfully we had our snorkeling gear with us as the gear they were handing out was extremely old and dirty. We finally got into the water. I recorded everything with my camera .. ALL 7 MINUTES in the water.
They packed us back on the boat and off to Catalina we went.
We arrived near Catalina. There were about 5 full boats beside us, and 4-speed boats with a capacity of 10 people that take you there. It took another hour of waiting until we were boarded on the speed boat and taken to the island. We arrived at 1:30 pm on Catalina. Until this time, no water or drinks were offered to us.
On Catalina, the food was very basic. We could see other tours on very well-organized beaches in nice beach bars - ours was falling apart. They ran out of beer in half an hour, as the crew drank it all on board. They had cheap rum that was packed in Barcelo rum bottles.
Thankfully we had 3L of bottled water with us, as Catallina was extremely hot, compared to all the other islands we visited. Food was basic, edible but very basic.
We had the VIP package as we were promised 2 snorkeling spots and a lobster.
Then they told us the second snorkeling spot is Catalina Beach, not the Wall where the reef is. The beach had a safety net of 5x5m, people were packed one on another. Where there was no net, speed boats were running like crazy. Everything was misleading, there was no option to snorkel on Catalina - at least not on the site where they took us, you could not see anything in the water there and it was not safe to swim outside the nets.
It was 2.45 pm when they gathered us like cattle again and said we were leaving. We waited for another hour before the speed boat took us to the Catamaran. We waited for another half an hour before everybody was back on board and headed back to La Romana.
By this time some of the passengers were already extremely drunk. No water, heat, and cheap rum did its work. One of the ladies told me that she got drunk intentionally just to survive this terrible trip.
Then the storm hit. They put the music to the max. Lifewest was not distributed. The water was pouring into the boat, from high waves and the rain. Then they did an animation of dancing in this weather, let me say again, NO LIFEWESTS WERE GIVEN AT THIS POINT. The waves were about 3m high. People were falling all over the boat as they were dancing drunk on 5cm of water on the floor—a total trip from HELL.
When we got to the port, the life west was distributed as we could not enter the marina without having them on. I think this operator should be fined and closed down as they have no regard for the safety of the passengers.
100 people could not get off that boat fast enough. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE. DO NOT BOOK THIS.
I booked this only because it said that