From Isla Grande Airport to cruise terminal

[ConradMZ]

I am thinking of flying into Puerto Rico a week before my cruise is scheduled to depart. If I decide to spend some of that time on the islands of Culebra and/or Vieques, and then have a return flight to San Juan scheduled for the day my cruise is to depart, how do I get from the Isla Grande Airport to the cruise terminal?

 

I know from last time I sailed out of San Juan that the airport is right across the street from the cruise terminal, but the airport building (I can't just walk across the runway, climb the fence, and then cross the street, particularly not while dragging luggage) is on the SOUTH side of the airport, so I would have to walk all the way around the airport to get to the north side. All the advice on taxis I have seen assume that the passenger wants to go to/from the SJU International Airport--I assume the taxi fare for driving around the runway and across the parking lot would be much smaller, but maybe it is hard to find a driver willing to do that? Or is it walkable if I have wheels on my suitcase?

 

I would assume that, contrary to all the advice telling people not to fly in on the day of their cruise, this would not apply to a half-hour flight with no connections, where one can assume the luggage will not get lost, and where the airport is within sight of the cruise dock? It seems a shame to have to leave the area and check into a hotel to overnight and then come back the next day.

[Aviator of the Seas]

I assume you are sailing out of the Pan Am Pier. Walking around the runway from the air terminal to the pier is not advisable (lousy sidewalks, traffic, etc.). There are usually a few cabs waiting outside the Isla Grande terminal. If not, one can easily be called from the line at the Sheraton Convention Center or the one at the Pan Am pier. The way things are, they will take any fare.

[Aviator of the Seas]

Flying from Culebra/Vieques to Isla Grande is usually hassle free as long as the weather is VFR, which almost always is. However, and I say this from experience, confirm and double confirm with your airline (usually Air Flamenco or Vieques Air Link) THE DAY BEFORE your flight that they are indeed flying the next day.

 

It happened to us once from Culebra, on the day we were to leave, the FAA suddenly decided to ground both airlines because of a paperwork issue. We had to bum a private flight out to Ceiba on the east coast of the mainland of Puerto Rico, then an $80.00 cab to San Juan.

[ConradMZ]

Thanks for the answers and the weather caveat. Any idea what the fare would be for two people with a total of two suitcases, and what tip is appropriate? I would expect the base fare, considering the short distance, shouldn't be more than $4 or so, but there are potentially several add-ons.

 

Speaking of luggage, the planes to those islands are pretty small, and I think I read somewhere that they limit luggage to 20 lbs per person, which is much less than the 23 kg per piece of luggage that applies on regular (international) flights. If that means that we cannot take some of our luggage with us to the islands, is there a place to store it at either the Isla Grande Airport or at the cruise terminal for several days while we are off on the islands?

[Aviator of the Seas]

Taxi - I would pay them at least $10.00 to make it worth their while.

 

Luggage storage - Unfortunately, the only long term storage I know of is at the international airport (SJU). I'll ask around to see if there are others and get back to you. I don't know when you're travelling but if I don't get back to you by next week, please ping me here.

[ConradMZ]

Not traveling until February, so plenty of time to research this.

 

After a long search, I found an address I could enter into Google Maps to get an estimate of the distance involved--seems to be 1.5 miles. Looking at the website http://www.cabspr.com, I was able to determine that the distance-based metered fare should then be about $3, plus $1.75 flag drop charge, makes $4.75 base fare, plus $2 for luggage, and a 19% tip ($1.75) would be $8, unless they decide that that is a "tourist zone" fare from the "Convention Center area" to the "port area" and want to charge $12 plus luggage fees and tips. Whether we are talking $8 or $10 or $12 or even $16, I guess in comparison to the airfare to and from the islands, this all doesn't really matter so much. It seems a pity, though, that I can't just walk across the runway and cross the street--the two points are so close to each other on the map!

[Aviator of the Seas]

It seems a pity, though, that I can't just walk across the runway and cross the street--the two points are so close to each other on the map!

 

Do you want to hear a really pitiful story? Back in the 90's an United Airlines Boeing 757 landed at Isla Grande instead of SJU by mistake. The pilot had reported the runway in sight and ATC cleared him for the visual approach to runway 8 (I believe it was runway 9 at the time. Just like Isla Grande). Well, the pilot had Isla Grande, not SJU in sight and went for it. He only realized he was at the wrong airport when he almost ran out of runway and then couldn't taxi out of it.

 

It so happens that the flight was a charter (hence, the pilot's unfamiliarity with the area) for a Carnival cruise going out of the PanAm pier. The passengers were initially all exited because they had landed so close to their ship. The problem was that Isla Grande is not equipped to handle airliners, so the cruisers had to sit in the plane for a few hours while they fetched an aiport stair truck from SJU, and then wait another few hours while they unloaded and sorted all the luggage by hand. So much for enjoying the cruise right away.

 

Needless to say, the airplane could not have taken off with all the passengers onboard for proper handling at SJU.