Holland America Amber Cove: Cacao to Chocolate Bar Journey
The Holland America Amber Cove chocolate cooperative excursion takes guests to the Chocal Cooperative, where women turn cacao into chocolate bars by hand. This shore excursion, curated with The History Channel™, follows the full cacao-to-bar process while supporting economic independence for local women. In this short video, you'll see how a small women's cooperative near Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic grew from a need for meaningful work into a hands-on chocolate-making operation. It's designed for cruise travelers weighing Holland America shore excursions who want a cultural, hands-on experience rather than a beach day. In this video: Chocal Cooperative is located near Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. The cooperative began as a search for meaningful work in a region with limited economic opportunities. Women in the cooperative learn every step of chocolate-making, from preparing organic soil and planting cacao seeds to producing chocolate bars. Participation gives women skills they can bring back to their communities to support their families independently. Holland America offers this Cacao and Women's Chocolate Cooperative excursion curated with The History Channel™. Guests can follow the process from cacao seed to chocolate bar and participate themselves. Please note that shore excursions and programming are exclusively offered by Holland America and are not sponsored or administered by The HISTORY Channel™.