John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, addressed concerns about voyages to the Dominican Republic following multiple media reports of deaths to resort-staying international tourists.
So far, there have been 8 US tourists found dead in the country over the past few weeks which led many cruisers to ask whether it was still safe to take a voyage to the Dominican Republic.
John Heald posted on his Facebook Page that Carnival had made no changes to voyages to the Dominican Republic. He added that the cruise line would always keep their passengers safe and that they recommended that guests took excursions offered via the ship. Carnival was currently monitoring the situation and would routinely review information from the U.S. State Department.
Carnival cruise ships that stop in the Dominican Republic do so at the private gated area of the company in Amber Cove Dominicana. Carnival Corporation. opened Amber Cove in 2015 and it is used by a number of different cruise lines owned by the company.
Image: Amber Cove (Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic)
Most of the illnesses and deaths that have been reported in the country were in or around resorts in Punta Cana, around 200 miles from Puerto Plata (cruise port where Amber Cove is situated).