Miami vs. San Juan departure

[luvbermuda]

Hi,

I am deciding between two cruises - with one leaving from Miami and the other from San Juan.

Is there anything that should make me chose one above the other- ease of airport to port after cruise, hotels pre-cruise, crowds at airport, port facility etc.

The cruise from Miami is more expensive but airfare is less.

The cruise from San Juan is less but airfare is more so both work out the same financially.

Summit vs Reflection - I have been on Solstice and Summit and liked both!

Port stops are similar with the one from San Juan less sea days.

Thanks!

[edgee]

I just got off of Summit Bermuda cruise. it is a great refurbished ship with very nice crew. But I really think the opportunity to enjoy Celebrity's newest ship and travel with less hassle from Florida is a better choice.

[Lsimon]

Hi,

I am deciding between two cruises - with one leaving from Miami and the other from San Juan.

Is there anything that should make me chose one above the other- ease of airport to port after cruise, hotels pre-cruise, crowds at airport, port facility etc.

The cruise from Miami is more expensive but airfare is less.

The cruise from San Juan is less but airfare is more so both work out the same financially.

Summit vs Reflection - I have been on Solstice and Summit and liked both!

Port stops are similar with the one from San Juan less sea days.

Thanks!

 

The Reflection will be more like the Solstice than the Summit as it is an S class ship like the Solstice, but will be brand new as it is just now being completed and will make its first cruise this fall.

 

Flights will be shorter to Miami and pre/post cruise stays will be easier and less expensive if you are choosing an economic Hotel away from a tourist area. If you are looking for a beach front hotel then San Juan will be far cheaper and the downtown area of Old San Juan is more interesting (at least to me) as it is very different from, and much older than, mainland United States.

 

If you're emphasis is on the ports I'd choose the Summit as it can reach islands further south in 7 days as you're already in the Caribbean when you start (which is why it needs fewer sea days to travel to/from the Caribbean). If you're emphasis is life on the ship then I'd choose the Reflection as it is a brand new ship with newer amenities.

Edited September 4, 2012 by Lsimon

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

One leaving from Miami would be my pick ..

[dodger1964]

I've done 2 puerto Rico and 1 ft lauderdale celebrity cruises in last 2 years. Your preference for sea days or port days is where I would start decision process. I prefer San Juan.

 

The days at sea from Florida can get a little rocky.

 

I'm sure whatever u choose will still be a great cruise!

 

Enjoy

[chotton]

One thing to keep in mind is the weather. If you are going in the middle of the winter it can at times be cool even in Miami. Flying to San Juan you know the weather is going to be warm from day 1.

[hughdm]

San Juan is a destination in itself, more-so than Miami in our opinion. The minus for San Juan is that the airport is crowded and security is slow.

[sailawayjack]

Hi,

I am deciding between two cruises - with one leaving from Miami and the other from San Juan.

Is there anything that should make me chose one above the other- ease of airport to port after cruise, hotels pre-cruise, crowds at airport, port facility etc.

The cruise from Miami is more expensive but airfare is less.

The cruise from San Juan is less but airfare is more so both work out the same financially.

Summit vs Reflection - I have been on Solstice and Summit and liked both!

Port stops are similar with the one from San Juan less sea days.

Thanks!

 

:cool:When are you planning on going? Big factor to me. Miami in winter is not great, especially since I go down day early every time I sail. Being from PA, you should also do that in winter. Just in case. Miami--day early, cab to South Beach. Stay in Essex or Clevelander hotel. Cab next day at 10:30 and you are heading to ship. San Juan--airport sucks on way out. El San Juan hotel and casino for high end, or Hotel Milano in Old Town, not fancy but clean and in great location. Bottom lin---I always go for itinerary, then ship. Port is not that important:cool:JACK IS SAILING AGAIN

[luvbermuda]

Thank you all! I am planning this cruise for April - still deciding!

[Jborosara]

I MUCH prefer San Juan over Miami.... also prefer more ports than sea days, so would pick San Juan.... in fact, I just very recently chose San Juan...

[chotton]

We have sailed from San Juan 8 times and have never had a problem with the airport when it comes to the security. We get off the ship in one of the early groups and the longest security line we have ever encountered was 20 mins.

 

Usually at the airport by 8:30.

 

I agree if you wait to get off the ship that the lines to get really bad. We always try and get a flight that leaves around 10:30.

[Mr. Click]

We have done three cruises out of San Juan and one out of Miami. Our next cruise is out of San Juan in March. We really prefer the port intensive trips and we love the southern Caribbean. We have yet to have any airport issues in San Juan or at the port. We also have enjoyed being there a day early and seeing some of Puerto Rico on each trip. Yes, the airfare to SJU more than the fare to MIA or FLL but we have always found something reasonable.

[hancock]

With a Miami cruise, you have the option of flying into FLL. Generally, flights are cheaper out of FLL. Transfers to the port of Miami using http://www.ridesas.com are very reasonable.

[Notagoose]

I like leaving out of Florida because of the extra sea days..gives you time to relax before you start waking up at the crack of dawn to hit the ports, and then some time to relax at the end before heading back home and going back to work (for those of us still working). But I also love seeing a lot of ports - this is why I tend to choose longer itineraries (10-14 days) out of FL.

[maggie.1008]

I want to take my 80yr old dad on a cruise out of San Juan. Would like to avoid winter or spring break. I`m sure Jan. would be o.k. how about February ?

[olemissreb]

Count me in the San Juan departures. Yes the airport can be a PITA, but to be able to get off the plane and immediately feel like I'm on vacation is worth it. I just love the Southern itineraries too. We've been on 2 and am looking forward to more someday in the hopefully not to distant future!

[iancal]

Another vote for San Juan. We much prefer it to Miami as a port of embarkation. Not as convenient, but for us far more interesting.

[richsea]

I would prefer leaving from San Juan for a number of reasons, mainly that the itineraries out of San Juan are more interesting to us. Leaving from Florida usually means that at least one port, (San Juan), you're stay is so short, it's hardly worth getting off the ship. Also, you can go early & explore San Juan, which has so much to offer. In 7 sailings from San Juan, we have never experienced problems with the airport, in fact, getting a taxi from the airport to the pier or your hotel, is very organized & painless.

Whatever you choose, have a great cruise!

[COMBOY]

I did the Summit last March. Getting to/from San Juan airport and pier is no more than 30 min and painless. San Juan airport is modern but crowded on weekend when ships are turning around so give yourself plenty of time on the return flight. I would agree if you are taking your cruise in the winter months to fly directly to Puerto Rico and get to the warm weather ASAP. The southern Caribbean is more port intensive so fewer sea days then sailing from Florida, but the ports are much more interesting. Puerto Rico is the US for no customs or immigration issues. I love the Summit. Everything was first rate. Beautiful ship. No complaints. The only downside to leaving San Juan is it about 2 1/2 hours further then Florida and airfare is usually more costly. Cruise fares out of PR are usually cheaper then Florida departures.

[virginialucy]

I want to take my 80yr old dad on a cruise out of San Juan. Would like to avoid winter or spring break. I`m sure Jan. would be o.k. how about February ?

 

College spring breaks are usually end of February to mid-March. I know the K-12 kiddos up here get February vacation but I don't know how many schools do that, and spring breaks (at least in my experience) are sometime around Easter.

[Trainer]

I avoid Miami airport whenever possible. If you go to San Juan the day prior to the cruise, that would be my choice. As someone suggested, if you want to sail out of Miami you can fly into Ft. Lauderdale (again I'd go one day prior to cruise) and then go to Miami, thus by-passing the Miami airport. I've done cruises from both ports and to me it is a toss-up, decide by itinerary or ship or price whichever is more important to you.

[debandbruce]

my vote is for Miami. The Reflection is new and even though she is an S class ship she has some new things added that make her different from the rest. We love Miami and the weather in April is beautiful. We love to go to South Beach and eat at one of the sidewalk cafes, we shop and enjoy the beach. We aren't big fans of San Juan overall, have been there twice and it's kind of been there done that for us. Either way you can't go wrong, sailing with Celebrity is a wonderful cruise experience, top notch staff and beautiful ships.

[phoenix_dream]

There are pros and cons to both so it just depends what you want. I personally prefer more days in port as I am prone to seasickness, so I like San Juan for that reason. I also prefer M class ships (although like S class alot too!). Have been to San Juan so many times it is not really a tourist attraction for us anymore, but if you have not there are some nice things to see. The airfare is usually higher, as are the hotels. I would definitely ALWAYS fly in at least a day early, especially going that far and especially in winter or early Spring due to weather concerns. Keep in mind that there are fewer flights to SJU so if your flight gets cancelled or delayed options are fewer - another reason to add a day or two pre-cruise. The flight time of course is also longer which is a negative. In reading over what I wrote I guess you wouldn't understand why I would pick SJU over MIA, but again, I think the main reason is the time in ports. Even if we have been to the islands many times before, it is very relaxing to just spend some time on the beach or shopping and then chill out on the ship. I do agree that sea days have their attraction as well, in my case as long as the seas are calm. If they are not those sea days can seem never-ending:)

[Lsimon]

...,Have been to San Juan so many times it is not really a tourist attraction for us anymore, but if you have not there are some nice things to see.....

 

We felt that way last time we sailed from San Juan (our 4th trip there). I usually recommend staying on Old San Juan for a newbie as it is a great place but on that trip we just wanted a beach to get away from winter. We ended up flying to St. Thomas. The beach resort we stayed at was about the same price or less than the nicer San Juan resorts and the airfare, including the 70 mile island hop to get to the cruise ship, was the same as just the round trip to San Juan.

[Tangi3]

can we plan our cruise ship from puertoRico in month of july?any tips ?weather?