The Amber Cove cruise port in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, provides a world of things to do only a few steps from your ship.

READ: Inside the Amber Cove Cruise Port in Dominican Republic

With 62 miles of coastline and the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, is the perfect place for a relaxing long weekend.

READ: Luxury and Leisure on a Long Weekend in Punta Cana

So much of travel is about “doing” things—zipping from place to place, checking off activities, and coming home more tired than when you left. But a visit to Saona Island, Dominican Republic, served up an ideal day when nothing was required of us but just to enjoy being.

READ: A Gorgeous Getaway to Saona Island, Dominican Republic

For over an hour, we floated over the eastern part of the Dominican Republic. We gazed at the white buildings of Higuey and hovered over the ponds. We passed trees that looked like broccoli from our vantage point in the sky, sometimes hanging low over fields that seemed almost within reach.

READ: Stopping Traffic in a Hot Air Balloon Over Punta Cana

We had barely stepped through the door when we were handed the hairnets. A crucial part of any food-related activity, the white, synthetic caps would ensure we were making quite a fashion statement for our morning at the chocolate factory.

READ: Changing Lives with Chocolate in the Dominican Republic

Hanging out at the pool, watching the sunset, visiting the midnight buffet—some experiences are common to every cruise. But some trips also offer something different. And that’s certainly the case with a trip on the Adonia.

READ: Culture and Comfort Aboard Fathom’s Adonia Cruise Ship