Serenade April 2- How early can u really board?

[cruiserw/kids]

Printed Set Sail Pass this morning for April 2nd Sailing of the Serenade of the Seas, out of San Juan. Set Sail pass states that boarding begins at 2:00 PM. Through our past experiences, on many different lines, we have boarded closer to 11:00. Can anyone who has recently been on the Serenade recently share with me what time you think we can realistically board the ship?

 

We are trying to plan our day around boarding time. We were hoping to get on around 11 or 11:30, enjoy lunch on the ship, then take a cab to the Fort and Old SanJuan, and return to the ship in the late afternoon time frame. If we can not truly board until around 2:00, then I guess we will just need to suck it up and hang at the beach, drinking Bloody Mary's and umbrela drinks, at the hotel we are staying at the night before embarcation. (Such hard choices to make.) :-)

[steve20832]

Boarding usually starts between 11-12 depending on how long it takes for it to clear customs when it came back to port and get people off the ship from the previous cruise.

[cruiseguy1016]

I was just on the Serenade last week. We got to the pier at 11:15 and the doors to the terminal were still closed. There were about 150 people waiting outside. The doors opened at 11:20, check-in was fast and painless. We were in the Windjammer at 11:45.

[danp]

I would say 11 is good.If you are going to get off of the ship and go into OSJ you have to take a taxi.If you have the driver drop you off near pier 4,where the day trippers dock,go up the street about a block there is a FREE shuttle that takes you up to the forts.You can get off at any time.On the way back down it goes thru OSJ and you can get off and walk where ever you want.Then you will have to get a taxi back to the ship.There are a lot of cabs near pier 4.Make sure you get a price from the driver befor you get in.The boat drill is usually about 8 pm.