View of Roseau, Dominica

Dominica Information
Tom Ogg

Language and Currency
What is Dominica Like?
What is the Weather Like?
Where Does the Ship Dock?
Where is the Shopping?
What is There to Buy?
What is There To Do?
Is There Anything of a “Don’t Miss Quality?
Are There Any Great Restaurants or Bars?

Dominica Port Reviews

Language and Currency

The official language of Dominica is English and the currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, but U.S. dollars and credit cards are widely accepted.

What is Dominica like?

Dominica's Countryside

Dominica is a small island nation that is known for its pristine beauty and unspoiled nature. Roseau is the main city on Dominica. The beaches are OK, but the real treasure inn Dominica is its hiking trails, rivers and unique culture. Home to some of the last remaining Carib Indians, Dominica is a great place to take a ship's tour of Dominica's vast natural resources.

What is the weather like?

During the winter months (December to May) Dominica is blessed with excellent weather, however it can be very rainy during the summer months. Also, Dominica is right in the summer/fall hurricane track and is exposed should there be a tropical depression in the works. Be aware that the mountains in Dominica can be downright cold in the late afternoon and evening. I would strongly suggest a small portable rain coat be available as it rains approximately 350 inches a year in the mountains.

Where does the ship dock?

Oceania's Regatta at Dock in Dominica

Ships dock right in downtown Roseau at the Roseau Cruise ship Terminal within easy walking distance of downtown Roseau.

Where is the shopping?

Roseau Shopping Starts at the End of the Dock

Right off the ship you can explore the shopping areas of Roseau starting just within the cruise terminal. Be sure to explore the Old Market Plaza (once a slave trading market located next to the Roseau Museum) and the boutiques found in and around it.

The Shopping Streets of Roseau

While Dominica is not known for its wonderful shopping, its local goods and products are interesting and fun to shop for.

What is there to buy?

Locals Selling a Variety of Products in the "Old Market"

There are many local items to purchase that are wonderful reminders of Dominica. Local rum, wood carvings, soaps, Caribbean music, leather goods, baskets and other weaved items, lace items, silk screened materials and batiks, as well as the more traditional tee shirts and other souvenirs and collectibles. Some of the boutiques offer art by local artists that is excellent. Be sure to keep an eye out for some exquisite pieces while exploring the shops. Several days a week the Old Market Plaza turns into a farmer's market with plenty of fruits, vegetables and flowers to please anyone and this is a great place to pick up a flower arrangement for your cabin.

What is there to do?

Exploring Roseau is always a fun way to spend some time, it is difficult to get into Dominica's more remote surroundings in a short visit without taking a tour. This is a port where I would suggest taking one of the ship's tours if you want to explore the mountains, waterfalls and nature of Dominica. Ditto for the outstanding SCUBA diving that is available here.

Boiling Lake, Dominica

If you want to take one of the many hikes available at no charge here are links to the various hikes. Short hikes rated "Easy", Medium hikes rated "Moderate" and Difficult hikes rated "Strenuous." You will need to arrange for transportation to and from the trailheads if you are on your own, but the hiking is excellent here. Note that the most famous of hikes on Dominica is an advanced hike to the "Boiling Lake", a deep blue lake with volcanic gases escaping from it. If you elect to do this hike, buy it from the ship to make sure that you get back in plenty of time. It is a three hour hike in and the another three hours back out and if you are here for the day, there is a good chance you could miss the ship if you are on your own.

Roseau's Catholic Church

Roseau's Catholic Church is worthy of a visit and is interesting to explore.

Dominica's Champagne Beach

You can take a taxi to Champagne Beach for some sunshine and snorkeling. Be awarte the beach is not too user friendly as there are small pebbles for sand, but the water is excellent and the snorkeling fantastic.

The Oldest Tree in the Botanical Gardens

A visit to the botanical gardens is also very interesting and well worth the effort to get there and explore it. Head up Queen Mary Street (below Mome Bruce Hill).to gain entrance to the park.

The Fort Young Hotel

No visit to Roseau would be complete without visiting the Fort Young Hotel. Constructed on the 1720 site of an old French Fort that was captured by the British in 1761 when the original Fort Young started construction, this hotel is Dominica's most notable structure.

Is there anything of “Don’t Miss” quality?

Dominica is great but I am not sure that anything here meets this standard. The rain forest and hikes are really cool.

Are there any great restaurants or bars?

Not that I know of, Do you know of any?

Check out the shore excursions available in Dominica.
Dominica Shore Excursions

Dominica Port Reviews
(Click on the Review you are Interested in Reading)

links; Allyne Tours
Shannon; Private Jungle Hike
efschlenk; Public Transportation to Beach 
Judy and Roger Best; Island Tour and Snorkeling
L.D.,; River Tubing and Shopping
Mr. Kelly Shannahan; River Tubing Adventure
Bob & Wendy Evans; Shopping and Ken’s Hinterland Tours
William Schwartz; Middleham Falls & Ti Tou Gorge Tour
Paula; Champagne Reef Snorkeling
Pete Larson; Rainforest Island Tour
Cindy Gill; Whale Watching and Snorkel Tour
Adam McCarthy; Emerald Pool and Waterfalls
Jan Buker; Island Tour and Snorkeling
Chantel Hebert; Dominica Favorites Ship's Tour
Chris Gregory; Tour of Island on Our Own by Taxi

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