Did a week Ai on the Dom Rep in February after a week's cruise so saw bits of 5/6 islands none of which I enjoyed, always a bit of an atmosphere...saw a fellow guest get racially abused, a white guy with an Asian wife on Dominica, on St. Maartin we were told we couldn't sit at certain tables to watch the planes as we were not eating at the bar etc.
The hotel at DR was on the beach but nowhere near anywhere to walk to, apart from an excursion we stayed within the hotel grounds.
The excursion from there was fine and the best one we did over the 2 weeks but, mini bus to boat was like a warzone with beggars, monkeys & parrots on ropes, mad driving on anything that moved around the harbour etc never again.
As a pricy holiday taking into account VFM , it was shite.