Dominica cruise port

Dominica: waterfalls, a champagne reef and sperm whales, 20 minutes out.

Dominica (pronounced dom-in-EE-ka) is the Nature Island of the Southern Caribbean, a green volcanic wedge between Guadeloupe and Martinique that has nothing to do with the Dominican Republic 500 miles away. Most ships tie up at the Roseau Cruise Ship Berth on the capital’s bayfront, 100 yards from the Old Market and the taxi rank; on busy days the second ship docks at Woodbridge Bay, the commercial port about a mile north. Nobody comes for the beach: the day is Trafalgar Falls and the rainforest of Morne Trois Pitons National Park, snorkeling over the volcanic bubbles of Champagne Reef, or a boat out to the sperm whales that live off the west coast all year. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Dominica from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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DockedRoseau bayfront pier downtown; overflow ships at Woodbridge Bay, 1 mile north
EC$ and USDUS dollars taken everywhere at 2.70 EC$; English spoken; Atlantic Time
Jan to Maydry season, highs in the mid 80s, best for the trails
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
Start here

Three ways to do Dominica

Go up into the rainforest, go into the water, or go out to the whales; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Rainforest

Trafalgar Falls, Titou Gorge and the hot springs

  • Trafalgar Falls is 20 to 25 minutes up the Roseau Valley: a paved 10 minute boardwalk to the platform below the twin falls, Papa at 125 feet and Mama at 75; park pass $5, taxi about $40 to $60 round trip per vehicle, ship tours about $90 to $130
  • Titou Gorge is the narrow volcanic canyon you swim up to a waterfall, 35 minutes away in Morne Trois Pitons National Park; life jackets are required, about $5 to rent, and the water is cold
  • Wotten Waven, 15 to 20 minutes away, has sulphur hot spring pools for $5 to $10 cash; Emerald Pool is a 40 minute drive and a 15 minute trail to a swimmable pool under a 40 foot fall

Best for: hikers, families, first-timers

In the water

Champagne Reef and Scotts Head

  • Champagne Reef is 15 minutes south: volcanic vents send streams of warm bubbles through the reef, so you snorkel through champagne over sponges, corals and hawksbill turtles; $2 marine park pass and about $10 to rent gear on the beach, or $75 to $110 as a ship excursion
  • The beach is rocky, so wear water shoes; the surf sometimes closes the reef, and guided boat snorkels add a second stop at Scotts Head on the rim of a drowned volcano crater
  • Two-tank dives on the Soufrière wall need at least 6 hours in port; Dominica is one of the best dive islands in the Caribbean and the operators pick up at the pier

Best for: snorkelers, divers, couples

Whales and the wild east

Sperm whales, the Indian River and the Kalinago

  • Dominica is the only country where sperm whales live year-round; 3.5 hour boat trips leave from Roseau and Castle Comfort, with the best sightings November to March, and capacity is small, so book ahead
  • The Indian River at Portsmouth, 50 minutes north, is a slow rowboat glide through buttress-rooted swamp forest where Pirates of the Caribbean filmed; about $20 plus a $5 park pass
  • The Kalinago Territory on the east coast is an hour away, home to the Caribbean’s last indigenous community, with the Barana Autê cultural village and basket weavers

Best for: nature lovers, photographers, repeat visitors

Live from the cruise lines

Dominica cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Dominica from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Dominica

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

In port

Things to do in Dominica

Roseau is walkable from the pier and the island’s best sights are 15 to 40 minutes up the valley roads.

Trafalgar FallsTwin waterfalls in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO site, 20 to 25 minutes from the pier with a paved boardwalk to the viewing platform and a scramble to the pools for the adventurous; $5 park pass, 2 to 3 hours.
Champagne ReefA shore snorkel 15 minutes south where volcanic vents bubble through the reef like a glass of champagne; $2 marine park fee and about $10 gear rental, rocky entry, water shoes essential.
Whale watchingResident sperm whales, plus dolphins and pilot whales, on 3.5 hour boat trips from Roseau and Castle Comfort; best November to March, sightings most days but never guaranteed.
Titou Gorge and Emerald PoolSwim up a narrow lava gorge to a hidden waterfall at Titou Gorge (35 minutes, life jacket $5), or walk 15 minutes through rainforest to the Emerald Pool (40 minutes, $5 pass); ship tours combine either with Trafalgar for $85 to $130.
Wotten Waven hot springsSulphur springs piped into stone and tile pools at a handful of rustic spas 15 to 20 minutes from Roseau; $5 to $10 cash, bring a towel and skip the jewelry.
Roseau on footThe Old Market and Dominica Museum are 100 yards from the pier, the Catholic cathedral 500, and the free 40-acre Botanic Gardens with the bus crushed by Hurricane David in 1979 about 15 minutes; the Morne Bruce lookout above the gardens is a 20 minute climb for the view of your ship.
Indian River and PortsmouthA silent rowboat trip through swamp bloodwood forest at the north end of the island, 50 minutes from Roseau, about $20 plus a $5 pass; pair it with Fort Shirley in Cabrits National Park, 5 to 6 hours total.
Kalinago TerritoryAbout an hour east: the 3,700-acre homeland of the Kalinago people, with the Barana Autê village, canoe building, cassava bread and basketry; half a day with a guide.
Timing

When to go

Dominica is warm and wet all year, driest from January to May, wettest from July to November, and the rainforest interior gets rain even in the dry season.

January to MayHighs in the low to mid 80s, the least rain of the year and the best footing on the trails; the sea is calm for Champagne Reef and the whale season runs through March. Peak cruise season.
June to AugustHotter and more humid, upper 80s, with short heavy showers in the hills; fewer ships and lush waterfalls.
September to OctoberThe wettest months and the peak of hurricane season; Hurricane Maria hit in September 2017 and lines reroute if a storm threatens. Landslides can close valley roads after heavy rain.
November to DecemberShowers taper, the whales return and the season restarts; the rivers run full and Trafalgar Falls is at its loudest.
Good to know

Dominica questions we answer every day

Where do ships dock in Dominica and how far is it to town?

Most ships dock at the Roseau Cruise Ship Berth, a T-shaped pier on the Bayfront in the middle of the capital; there is no terminal building, just the Old Market, the tourism office and the taxi rank 100 yards away. When two or more ships are in, or a ship carries more than about 4,000 passengers, it goes to Woodbridge Bay, the commercial port about a mile north, a 10 to 15 minute walk or a $5 to $10 taxi into town. Small expedition ships sometimes anchor off Portsmouth and tender to the Cabrits.

How do I get around and what do taxis cost?

Licensed taxis have plates beginning H, HA or HB and charge fixed, unmetered rates: about $30 to $40 an hour for a private island tour, $40 to $60 round trip per vehicle to Trafalgar Falls or Wotten Waven, $50 to $70 to Titou Gorge and $80 to $100 to the Emerald Pool. Local minibuses from the New Market cost a couple of dollars but do not wait for you. Roads are steep, narrow and winding and traffic drives on the left, so leave 60 minutes of margin before all-aboard.

What money, language and cell service will I find?

The Eastern Caribbean dollar is pegged at 2.70 to the US dollar, and US cash is accepted everywhere; carry small bills for park passes, minibuses and market stalls, which rarely take cards. English is the official language and most islanders also speak Kwéyòl. Dominica keeps Atlantic Standard Time with no daylight saving, an hour ahead of US Eastern in winter and the same as Eastern Daylight Time in summer. Cell coverage is good in Roseau and patchy in the mountains.

Is Dominica safe, and is it the same as the Dominican Republic?

It is a different country: Dominica is a small, English-speaking island in the Windward chain, not the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic on Hispaniola. Dominica is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean, with very little crime against visitors; the practical cautions are slippery trails, strong currents at Champagne Reef on rough days and the law that bans camouflage clothing for civilians. Use the licensed taxis at the pier and book interior tours with a guide who knows your ship’s time.

What is the best excursion and should I book it through the ship?

Trafalgar Falls with Champagne Reef is the classic combination and the one most first-timers should take; the whale watch is the once-in-a-lifetime pick in winter. Both are easy to do with a licensed taxi driver from the pier for less, but whale boats are small and the interior roads are slow, so book through the ship if you are docked at Woodbridge Bay or your port day is short.

Do I need a passport for Dominica?

On a round trip from a US home port (a closed-loop cruise) US citizens can sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate, but we recommend a valid passport; cruises from San Juan count as US departures, and a passport is the only document that lets you fly home from Dominica if you miss the ship.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on SmartCruiser includes the cruise fare, government taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.

Talk to a Dominica cruise specialist

We know which Southern Caribbean sailings dock at the Roseau pier, which give you a full day for the whales and which carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit; call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560