San Juan Victory Cruise Questions

[Harbie]

We are going on the Southern Carribean cruise-Carnival Victory in January 2012. I have been reading alot of reviews about walk or take cabs in San Juan....dont rent a car...Also wondering if anyone can give us advice on where to stay, safe neighborhood and it does not have to be 5 star but I dont want to worry at night either. Thanks

[jjtimes6]

We are going on the Southern Carribean cruise-Carnival Victory in January 2012. I have been reading alot of reviews about walk or take cabs in San Juan....dont rent a car...Also wondering if anyone can give us advice on where to stay, safe neighborhood and it does not have to be 5 star but I dont want to worry at night either. Thanks

 

If you are talking about Old San Juan, walk for sure. We were in Puerto Rico for two days pre-cruise and four days post-cruise, and we walked, took cabs, rode the public bus, and rented a car. Puerto Rico is gorgeous, and we never felt unsafe. I did a pretty full write up in my review about Puerto Rico, and Old San Juan. We would go back in a heartbeat!

[spenc]

I loved San Juan also. Felt safe. People walk a lot. I would take a cab though, just for the convenience. Bus took forever! and I would just not rent a car because I don't know where I'm going! :) We stayed at the Courtyard San Juan Miramar. Nice hotel. about a 5 minute cab ride to the pier.

[kiltilad]

I wouldn't rent a car either. Cabs are easy to find as are the buses and there are free trollies in Old SJ. We stayed at the Caribe Hilton which was magnificent and a short cab ride also from where everything is.

[shwabob]

We are going on the Southern Carribean cruise-Carnival Victory in January 2012. I have been reading alot of reviews about walk or take cabs in San Juan....dont rent a car...Also wondering if anyone can give us advice on where to stay, safe neighborhood and it does not have to be 5 star but I dont want to worry at night either. Thanks

 

Traffic is insane there...very fast, very hectic. The cabs are regulated so as long as you know the fare in advance, you won't get ripped off. All the tourist taxis are run by "Turistico Taxi" and you'll recognize them, but here is a link to their site - most cabs were either Chevy Astro type or Ford Econoline vans.

 

The Condado area should be just fine for what you're looking for. We stayed at the Conrad Resort on the far west end and walked down to find something to eat. Most hotels seemed to have taxis standing by on call, so you'll have an easy time getting a cab if needed. Check out the review I did in my signature, that should give you a good idea of what to expect. The Condado area is very nice, never did we feel unsafe and it reminded us a lot of our own Clearwater Beach we enjoy so much.

[excalwop]

We are going on the Southern Carribean cruise-Carnival Victory in January 2012. I have been reading alot of reviews about walk or take cabs in San Juan....dont rent a car...Also wondering if anyone can give us advice on where to stay, safe neighborhood and it does not have to be 5 star but I dont want to worry at night either. Thanks

 

Harbie, What date in Jan are you sailing Wife and I will be on the 15th Jan cruise. This will be our 4th cruise out of San Juan.

for Hotels use hotmail and/or priceline. We walked all over old San Juan. We get both per and post cruise hotels which I beleive should be a must. 1) flights to/from can at times run into trouble 2) There is so much to do and see there.

Safe areas! we stayed from the airport to old San Juan from a 2 star to a resort and walked all over day and night The only problem we had was in making the wrong turn and getting lost:rolleyes: at 10:30 Pm. Asked some people on how to get back to our hotel and they drove us back to our hotel

If you are on the 15th Cruise come and join us on the roll call board and if not join the one for your cruise date. There is a lot repeat cruisers on Jan cruises Who can help with any Questions

Paul

207 days to go

[jjtimes6]

I wouldn't rent a car either. Cabs are easy to find as are the buses and there are free trollies in Old SJ. We stayed at the Caribe Hilton which was magnificent and a short cab ride also from where everything is.

 

To clarify: we only rented a car because we spent our last four days in Fajardo. The other posters are correct: traffic is horrendous in Old San Juan, and parking would be a nightmare. We never took the rental into Old San Juan. If sticking to the touristy areas, walking, public transport and cabs are the way to go!

[mom2two2]

Hi there!

 

We just sailed out of San Juan for the first time this past Feb and loved it! We got the Sheraton Old San Juan off hotwire for a great price and the location was fantastic. We just hopped a free trolley while down there to look around (stayed a day before and after) and there is one that will even take you out to El Morro (we walked out and rode back). The local people were very friendly and never hesitated to offer suggestions when they heard us talking over which way to go etc. We would go back in an instant.

 

For all the discussion about San Juan and the taxis and so on, it was a breeze.

[PSkinner]

We stayed at the Wyndham OLD SAN JUAN directly across the street from the pier. We walked everywhere, except when we went to El Morro...took a cab then.

[Scottee25]

We are going on the Southern Carribean cruise-Carnival Victory in January 2012. I have been reading alot of reviews about walk or take cabs in San Juan....dont rent a car...Also wondering if anyone can give us advice on where to stay, safe neighborhood and it does not have to be 5 star but I dont want to worry at night either. Thanks

Harbie, how many days/nights are you staying pre-cruise? That will really determine whether to rent a car or not. I would agree with the others that say avoid taking a car into Old San Juan. Most cabbies don't even like driving there. in fact, if there is some type of event going on in Old San Juan, throw the published fares out the window if you want a cab ride into Old San Juan. Cabbies will either refuse to take you or will ask for a premium to take you there.

 

If you are staying in Old San Juan, you should be pretty safe most any hour. The place is packed with police. However, just as with anything else, exercise common sense and you shouldn't run unto any problems.

 

Now if you are staying more than a couple of days, I would recommend a hotel that is not in OSJ and that you rent a car for a portion of your trip. OSJ can really be explored in a day and there is so much more to Puerto Rico than just San Juan (Though Old San Juan is my favorite place in the world to visit). If you have more time, consider visiting El Yunque towards the eastern side of the island. There is also the bio bay near Fajardo you could do one night. My last trip to Puerto Rico was back in March. We spent a week in Puerto Rico before taking a week cruise out of San Juan. During that entire week, I only spent 1 afternoon in San Juan and that was the day our cruise sailed. We spent time in Cabo Rojo, Ponce, Vieques, Fajardo, Luquillo, and El Yunque.

 

Like I said, a lot will depend on how long you intend to stay pre-cruise. Also depends on your interests.

 

Traffic is insane there...very fast, very hectic. The cabs are regulated so as long as you know the fare in advance, you won't get ripped off. All the tourist taxis are run by "Turistico Taxi" and you'll recognize them, but here is a link to their site - most cabs were either Chevy Astro type or Ford Econoline vans.

Do people drive that slow in Tampa Bay? :) When I drive in Puerto Rico I think they drive rather slow. However, they do make random lane changes without signaling and without reason. They can be a bit unpredictible which requires people to drive rather defensively.

 

As far as cabs go, as I said earlier in this post, cabbies change the rules when they can. We ended up paying $10pp to take us from the cruise ship to OSJ last time we were in San Juan. There was a bike race taking place and many roads were closed in OSJ. None of the cabs wanted to go there. Finally one of the drivers offered to take us for the premium price. Also, we shared a cab from the airport to the cruise pier (after we dropped off our rental car) with another couple. We should have paid a total of $19 plus $1 for each piece of luggage. Cabbie ended up charging both couples the base $19 plus $1 for each piece. We paid $24 and the other couple $27 (Cabbie actually charged for luggage for purses and that too it appears). I knew about the fare rules but I was busy getting the luggage to a porter. I thought my wife knew about them but I guess not well enough. Total fare should have been $28. The cabbies will rip you off in San Juan if you give them the chance.

[kjlau2002]

We just got back last night from our one night post cruise stay in San Juan. We stayed at the Caribe Hilton and really liked it. The beach was nice, and they have a tropical garden with all kinds of birds and a koi pond. As far as transportation goes, we took taxis from the pier, to and from Old San Juan, and to the airport, and the only time we had any trouble was coming back from Old San Juan, because it was bumper to bumper and it took us awhile to find the taxi stand. The traffic was awful, the streets are all one ways and very narrow, and I can't imagine where people parked. I hope you find the answers you are looking for! We really enjoyed our short stay in San Juan, and will probably stay again!

[shwabob]

Do people drive that slow in Tampa Bay? :)

 

On the one interstate through town and the few expressways, no. Where I live in Pinellas County, it's a bit crammed with Buicks and Grand Marquis land yachts, and we get a story in the news like this one every week. :D

 

When we were in San Juan, traffic was very heavy and our driver was weaving in and out of different lanes, speeding up/slowing down really quickly, squeezing through really narrow gaps, etc. Probably just a combination of time of day and the driver. We got there in one piece which is what counts.

[Scottee25]

When we were in San Juan, traffic was very heavy and our driver was weaving in and out of different lanes, speeding up/slowing down really quickly, squeezing through really narrow gaps, etc. Probably just a combination of time of day and the driver. We got there in one piece which is what counts.

Oh, well yes, cabbies drive like crap tho EVERYWHERE in the world :) Since many earn based on the ride not the time, it is in their best interest to get yuo to your destination as quickly as possible so they can pick up their next fare. However, the general public in PR drives very slow in my opinion. They are a notch up from "island time" but just barely :)

[ncbeachteacher]

We went last summer on the Victory and had a grand time. We stayed pre- and post-cruise at the San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino in Condado Beach. I got rooms for $100 a night on Priceline. We would definitely stay there again but I wouldn't hesitate to check out other properties in the same area.

 

We walked the main road there in front of the resort each night with no worries. Lots of restaurants and bars, very nice... Lots of other people (tourist included) walking and enjoying the evening.

 

We also took cabs into the old city several times during the day and evening and never had a problem with the cabbies, rates, or anything of that nature. We never paid per person, it was always by the fare and if I recall, it was never more that $15.00.

 

If you are only staying overnight, then getting on the ship, I would not book a resort but would stay across the street from the port. Several days though, definitely, get out of the port area, enjoy the beaches and the pools.

[Harbie]

Wow! Everyone on here is SO helpful. We are cruising January 15th 2012. So we will have to find a hotel for the night of the 14th and then the 22nd. And I guess walking and cabs it is! :) Hope to see lots and do lots, we have never been to this area. Thanks everyone!

[shwabob]

Wow! Everyone on here is SO helpful. We are cruising January 15th 2012. So we will have to find a hotel for the night of the 14th and then the 22nd. And I guess walking and cabs it is! :) Hope to see lots and do lots, we have never been to this area. Thanks everyone!

 

Take your time and enjoy yourself. It's much better if you stay the night after debark because the SJU airport on Sundays can be a mess. We wish we had booked an extra night.

[excalwop]

Wow! Everyone on here is SO helpful. We are cruising January 15th 2012. So we will have to find a hotel for the night of the 14th and then the 22nd. And I guess walking and cabs it is! :) Hope to see lots and do lots, we have never been to this area. Thanks everyone!

 

HARBIE, good you are on the 15 Jan cruise.

Join us on Roll Call= Carnival roll calls= Carnival Victory= Jan 15 2012 sailing.

Have you heard of the San Sebastian street Festival:D. You will in Old San Juan for it. You are right walking and Cabs are in order

Oh yes wife was born in Ligerwood ND and raise in Long Beach ca.

Paul

207 days to go

[Harbie]

We are very excited to be taking this cruise. Our second one ever and we are officially hooked on cruising :). We are staying at the Intercontinental and we flying in the day before the cruise and staying until the day after the cruise to avoid alot of hastle at the airport. Only 88 days to go...:D

[BenjiRodney]

We are staying post cruise at the Sheraton Old San Juan. We leave in 18 days finally.