Few hours in port, must dos?

Will me on the carnival magic next March (2019). What are some much dos with a short amount of time?

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If it is your first time the old city, if forts and history is not your thing go to the beach. It is a 5 minute cab ride away.

Depends on what you like. We were in port on the Magic and did a rainforest tour with Ellis and had time for a cave visit and exploring one of the forts,plus a short walk through old town. Biggest issue is we had done a lot of walking already that trip and it was HOT or we could have done more with plenty of time to spare, we just ran out of steam.

we are going to be in port at 4pm until midnight that night. Any suggestions as to what to do that is CHEAP?

Ok 4pm to midnight is odd. That rules out the rainforest. Honestly I would check what time Forts are open (a few bucks each) then just explore Old town near the ship.

I agree or go to the beach for some drinks watch the sun go down....

Ok 4pm to midnight is odd. That rules out the rainforest. Honestly I would check what time Forts are open (a few bucks each) then just explore Old town near the ship.

we are going to be in port at 4pm until midnight that night. Any suggestions as to what to do that is CHEAP?

Unfortunate timing ... too late for the forts and many other things. You might just want to walk around in the area off the ship. Old Town is pretty at night. :)

That's what I'm figuring. It is weird timing.

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We did an evening walking tour with Legends of Puerto Rico. I think it started about 6:00. I believe the forts close at 4 or 5 so you probably can't do them. The walking tour was great though. I think they have other tours...a food tour maybe. This was a few years ago, but Debbie is still getting good reviews. I don't remember what it cost. It wasn't too expensive though and we thought it was well worth it.

With a 4:00PM arrival time you still have time to do the closest fort :) If a walking tour is what you want you still can do both.

Unfortunate timing ... too late for the forts and many other things. You might just want to walk around in the area off the ship. Old Town is pretty at night. :)

Well if you're by the gangway to debark as soon as they allow you can easily make fort San Cristobal by foot and have at least an hour or more to explore. Or you could hop on a quick taxi ride to El Morro for a few bucks, save some of the walk time and have a few minutes more to spare. Forts close at 6pm. Make the best out of the "after 6pm so you have to leave" buffer so you can roam a few minutes longer. On your way back to the ship you can stop a any of the many restaurants around Old San Juan or shop around. After dark you could enjoy doing a pub crawl if you're into that as well. If you're into photography, Old San Juan is great by day and amazing at night to photograph.

Where would you catch a taxi to el Morro? I am Docking at 7am and leaving at 2pm. RCI wants to charge 70 pp to visit both ports. It sounds like it would be cheaper to take a taxi?

Is El Morro where kids fly kites normally?

Is there a way to visit pigeon park and the fountains and the 2 forts without doing a bunch of walking? Are taxis readily available at the forts or should we use uber?

There are free trolleys that go around the city and both ports.

If it is your first time the old city, if forts and history is not your thing go to the beach. It is a 5 minute cab ride away.

Which beach? It looks like there are some within walking distance of the port, but not sure of their condition post-hurricane. Any beach you recommend?

No you would need ot take a taxi, i purchased a package and loved it. saved me money and spent the day at the beach. As i have posted before they have moved but highly recommend them. I think there new location has more!

https://puertoricocruiseexcursions.com/excursion/san-juan-beach-break/

Which beach? It looks like there are some within walking distance of the port, but not sure of their condition post-hurricane. Any beach you recommend?

With your amount of time in port i would do a tour. Seems like you would like to see a lot and that comes with a lot of walking.....

Where would you catch a taxi to el Morro? I am Docking at 7am and leaving at 2pm. RCI wants to charge 70 pp to visit both ports. It sounds like it would be cheaper to take a taxi?

 

Is El Morro where kids fly kites normally?

 

Is there a way to visit pigeon park and the fountains and the 2 forts without doing a bunch of walking? Are taxis readily available at the forts or should we use uber?

I’ve done the 4pm arrival in San Juan. We absolutely made the most of it.

- We started by walking around Old San Juan and followed the path past La Princesa and along the outside of the city wall. We stopped near the San Juan Gate where we watched the sunset.

- We then walked through the San Juan gate and browsed some shops for local arts and crafts. Contrary to many port of call that sell mostly junk made in China, San Juan has many shops selling authentic, tasteful, high quality items made by local artists. Many shops remain open late when cruise ships are in town.

- Even after shops start closing down, it’s still a pleasure to walk around Old San Juan at night. The beautiful architecture is postcard perfect, even when lit by the dim streetlights.

- We walked past El Convento and had a few drinks in Plaza San José where there are several small restaurants and bars and which are popular with the locals.

- We then walked back to the SoFo (South Fortaleza Street) area which has several restaurants which are a bit more eclectic. One of my favorite restaurants in San Juan both for ambiance and cuisine is the Parrot Club which offers nuevo Latino cuisine. We had a late dinner there that night. It’s Puertorican food with a chef inspired twist. Delicious food in a very lively and colorful ambiance. The place was packed as it’s more customary in the Latin culture to eat late.

- After our late dinner, we walked back to the ship and were back onboard about one our prior to our midnight departure.

The late arrival and less than ideal hours initially seemed like an absolute waste of time, but on the contrary, we had a fantastic time! Puerto Rico has so much to offer, and these late, short stops will not even allow you to scratch the surface, but with some research and creativity, you can maximize your limited time at the port of call which I consider to be the absolute best in the Caribbean.

-o-

(After writing this post, I’ve learned that the Parrot Club has closed its doors after 21 years in service. Many businesses couldn’t recover after Hurricane Maria last year, but the good news is that many other restaurants have opened their doors since then. I’m sure you’ll be able to find some place in Old San Juan where to enjoy the wonderful Puertorican cuisine!).

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No you would need ot take a taxi, i purchased a package and loved it. saved me money and spent the day at the beach. As i have posted before they have moved but highly recommend them. I think there new location has more!

https://puertoricocruiseexcursions.com/excursion/san-juan-beach-break

What is the location of this beach break?

There are free trolleys that go around the city and both ports.

Yes there are. But I wouldn't recommend them with such a short time available. The wait can be long and they are usually full when they arrive at the stop in front of the ships.

Where would you catch a taxi to el Morro? I am Docking at 7am and leaving at 2pm. RCI wants to charge 70 pp to visit both ports. It sounds like it would be cheaper to take a taxi?

 

Is El Morro where kids fly kites normally?

 

Is there a way to visit pigeon park and the fountains and the 2 forts without doing a bunch of walking? Are taxis readily available at the forts or should we use uber?

You could use Uber as well as taxis. Taxis are lined up just in front of the pier and should not me more than $10-12 to take you to the forts. If you want to do both forts and the pigeon park start at San Cristobal, walk about a mile to El Morro and on your walk back to the ship on Cristo street you will find the park.

Yes, El Morro is where they fly kites and if you do walk from San Cristobal to El Morro you WILL run into the vendor who sells kites and strings just before you reach the grounds at El Morro.

Isla verde

No you would need ot take a taxi, i purchased a package and loved it. saved me money and spent the day at the beach. As i have posted before they have moved but highly recommend them. I think there new location has more!

https://puertoricocruiseexcursions.com/excursion/san-juan-beach-break

What is the location of this beach break?

For those giving advice on the late arrival, are you figuring the time of year that you traveled? I have the same stop in January and know that by 4:30-5:00 you are starting lose a lot of daylight. I love the idea of sunsets on the beach, but I feel that it wouldn't work with this itinerary.

We are also in SJ for those weird hours. With a family of 9 (three adults and 6 "kids" ages 6-18). I am very disappointed as I have always wanted to visit PR. If the forts close at 4PM what other options might we have?

We are also in SJ for those weird hours. With a family of 9 (three adults and 6 "kids" ages 6-18). I am very disappointed as I have always wanted to visit PR. If the forts close at 4PM what other options might we have?

The forts close at 6pm, not 4pm. The sad part is that they don't extend those hours during the summer to 7pm since there's still more than enough daylight to do so amd give tourists with such port times more opportunity to enjoy the forts.

The forts close at 6pm, not 4pm. The sad part is that they don't extend those hours during the summer to 7pm since there's still more than enough daylight to do so amd give tourists with such port times more opportunity to enjoy the forts.

It’s worth noting that San Cristobal is not nearly as impressive as San Felipe del Morro, but it’s closer to where the ships dock. If pressed for time, I’d go to San Cristobal.

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