What to do in Amber Cove - Dominican Republic - Valerie

I was going to post this as a reply to a comment, but I'm long-winded. Hope you enjoy. If you have any other questions, ask away!
Food:
I have to say, when I researching, I saw a lot of people compare the food to Golden Corral and I didn't get that vibe at all. Not even at the buffet. The breakfast buffet was exactly what I wanted and expected with different potatoes and meats along with fresh fruit. The grits were even on point and as a southerner, I know my grits.
I got lunch from Cucina del Capitano one day and thoroughly enjoyed how customizable and tasty it was. Guy’s burgers surprised me, honestly. I didn’t expect it to be nearly as good as it was.
The food in the main dining room was all delicious aside from a couple meals I sampled from others in my group (most notably the lamb shank) and I probably ate too many desserts and late night pizza while I was there but damn! How could I resist?
Entertainment/Activities:
I wasn’t expecting much in the way of entertainment being directed toward me (33 y/o straight, single male), but I did go to one show with my group and it actually was really well done and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Even the dancing in the dining room wasn't over-bearing as I had feared before.
I had a blast hanging out in the piano bar and singing songs. Trivia was a blast, and seemed like a pretty constantly going activity. Karaoke was great but seemed to be a little short in my opinion why not add another hour? Especially with the amount of people there. There was always a spot to get dancing though, and that was cool. Mikey, the cruise director was a fireball and always got things rolling.
If you’ve ever gone and skipped the adult scavenger hunt they do, I suggest doing it next time. I laughed until I cried several times. My group even won the event and I got to go home with a ship on stick and memory of my friend dressed as a woman, giving Mikey a lap dance.
PORTS:
We went to Amber Cove and Grand Turk.
Amber Cove was beautiful and I enjoyed walking around, reading about the history of the Dominican Republic. I didn't book any excursions through Carnvial, but my group and I did take a taxi to the cable car up Isabella De Torres National Park. It was absolutely breath-taking and well maintained. The only downside was the amount of shop-owners located under the Cristo Redentor statue who were a bit aggressive as soon as we got there. And it was only 7 bucks to take the ride! I was also a bit upset that we didn’t get to explore the park more, but I suppose I’ll just have to go back and do it again.
Grand Turk’s cruise center was, in a word, wack. It felt too Americanized with Margaritaville and Ron Jon surf shop and other shops. The beach, however, was gorgeous and the crystal-clear waters were amazing to behold. There’s also a fantastic exhibit about the Mercury program that’s worth checking out if you’re into that sort of thing.
Again, we didn’t do an excursion through Carnival. Opting instead to grab a taxi and get a tour of the island. The lighthouse and surrounding area afforded a wealth of information and great views of the north-east reef. I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to see wild donkeys, but they were everywhere!
The Incident:
The listing incident was something I don't think I'll ever forget and was the buzz of the cruise for at least the next couple of days.
I was standing at the casino bar, trying to see how my fantasy players had done that day when the signal gave out. At first, I thought it was because we had gone out of range or something of that nature. But, when the ship started leaning to starboard, I figured something was a bit off.
It then continued to tilt, finally stopping at what felt like a 35-degree angle. People started running for the high ground as everything not held down slid off of the counter tops and crashed down on the floor. When that happened, I started going to the high-side myself but stopped when I noticed the plastic lid for the craps table's chips had slid out from under it. I picked it up and kind of propped myself on it as I looked around at the crew who looked just as frantic as the passengers did.
After about a minute, the ship began to reset itself and everyone sighed in relief. I finished my drink and tried to help calm my sister who was in the middle of a panic attack.
I was a little sketched out after that, but I took to thinking that it was a freak occurrence. Much like if a plane had hit turbulence or had engine trouble. I tend to be a pretty laid-back guy as it is, so maybe it didn't affect me as much as some others because there were a few who left after we got to port. The rest of the trip, there were no incidents at all. The sailing was a bit rocky from time to time, but as I said, I have nothing to compare it to so it didn't really seem all that odd to me.
The ship itself was well-maintained with courteous, hospitable, crew and I couldn’t have asked for a better 1st cruise. I will definitely be looking into booking more.