Puerto Rico boarding info

[StringerBell]

So our boarding info for the valor says boarding begins at 2:30. Obviously in Miami we usually board long before the suggested time on the funpass. So what's a realistic boarding time in SJ? We would like to get on early (do they have lunch boarding day?) dump our luggage and head out for the day in SJ. Also....what's the current situation for picking up booze during embarkation? You guys are the best.

[BenjiRodney]

We checked in at noon last month and were having lunch on lido by 1230.

[treasure4two]

We checked in at noon last month and were having lunch on lido by 1230.

 

About same for us-showed up at 11 AM and one of first in line-ended up in group 2 and on board about 12 noon. We had come in a day ahead of time and just stayed on ship, relaxing, and watching football. Be prepared to eat dinner, if in dining room, by about 7:45 PM. The boat drill takes forever and is the most worthless 45 minutes of your life-in English and Spanish, and no one paid attention, so from there, everything went up hill!!Enjoy!

[StringerBell]

Awesome, thanks guys. We are coming the day before as well...so probably check out of the hotel (still haven't picked one) and head to the ship noon ish.

[Walkenkeg]

I was on the Victory last Sept and asked a carnival rep about this, here is what I found out.

 

Info on Enbarkation times:

 

You can check your baggage starting @ 10:30am

Check in time starts @ 11:00am

Boarding starts @ 12:30pm

You must be checked in and back on the ship by 8:30pm

 

Lunch will be ready and you can drop off your carry-on bags when rooms are ready.

You may go back into town but must be back by 8:30pm.

I can't respond to the booze issue because I didn't try.

[kingoftheicedragons]

We arrived at the port around 10ish. It was somewhat chaotic, with other people just milling about, and some people still coming off the ship. It was about 10:30ish when we checked our baggage and found the correct line to be in for boarding. The check-in line opened up at about 10:45, so we were checked in by 11ish. Boarding started at noon.

 

There is a liquor store in the terminal after you check-in, but we didn't go there. It was located in an unusual spot, you had to walk past the chairs of people waiting to board to get to the liquor store.

 

Lunch is being served immediately upon boarding. Unlike mainland departures where everyone boards right away and rushes up to Lido to eat, in SJ with a much more relaxed boarding, you will have no problems finding someplace to sit when you have lunch.

[Brenna's Mom1]

Go ahead and board early but once you can put your junk in your room head off the boat and enjoy what San Juan has to offer...treat it like a port-of-call (you'll be on the boat enough over the next 7 days).

[deladane]

I just got off Victory yesterday. When we boarded last week, we were the second group of passengers to arrive at around 10:30am. They opened the doors to let us check in at 11:30am, but then we sat and waited until 12:45pm before they would let us go through security to board the ship. It was a bit disappointing after reading so many reviews of people boarding at noon, since we had to wait an extra hour. In general, things seemed to move verrrrry slowly for both embarkation and disembarkation and the San Juan port seemed delayed in both directions. Yesterday, they finally allowed the first group of non-priority passengers to leave the ship at 9:30am, which was also later than I had expected.

[dbrucern]

We are VIP so we were first to board at approximately 12 noon had lunch on the lido deck, dropped our carry on bags in our room and then left the ship to enjoy San Juan for one more day. We were told to be back to the ship by 8:30pm, muster drill was at 9pm.

[Brenna's Mom1]

It was a bit disappointing after reading so many reviews of people boarding at noon, since we had to wait an extra hour.Yesterday, they finally allowed the first group of non-priority passengers to leave the ship at 9:30am, which was also later than I had expected.

 

Boarding in San Juan on Carnival is posted for 2:30. Anything before then is gravy and should be considered a perk and not a disappointment, I would think. And unless you live in San Juan and want to get home for church I wouldn't think slower disembarking would be a major catastrophe. The airport is such a zoo I wouldn't even think to book a flight earlier than 2pm. They always have to kick me off the ship and by the time I'm at the airport the other 5000 or so cruise passengers from various lines are long gone.

[terri-eddie]

For our San Juan cruise, our pre-cruise hotel had a noon check-out time, so we got a taxi to the port and were able to check our bags and line up for boarding...only took about 30 minutes total. But....when our cruise returned to San Juan, there was a medical emergency that held up the debarkation process, so we didn't get off until almost 1pm. On the cruise that followed ours, I would imagine guests did not get to board until well after that time.

[dalsti]

If the ship doesnt leave till 10pm, do they still serve dinner in the dining room that evening?

 

Thanks

[t1adams]

If the ship doesnt leave till 10pm, do they still serve dinner in the dining room that evening?

 

Thanks

 

I'm going on this cruise in March. I have seen in numerous places that yes, dinner is served.....and so is lunch earlier that afternoon (on Lido Deck-buffet choices). But the dinner is open-seating for all, on that first night.

[StringerBell]

I was on the Victory last Sept and asked a carnival rep about this, here is what I found out.

 

Info on Enbarkation times:

 

You can check your baggage starting @ 10:30am

Check in time starts @ 11:00am

Boarding starts @ 12:30pm

You must be checked in and back on the ship by 8:30pm

 

Lunch will be ready and you can drop off your carry-on bags when rooms are ready.

You may go back into town but must be back by 8:30pm.

I can't respond to the booze issue because I didn't try.

 

That's great info. Kinda what were were planning on doing too. Check out of the hotel around 11-noon and head to the ship, dump our gear and have lunch, then head back out to old SJ for the day. We like it there so it really will be like another port day. Thanks for the info!

[kingoftheicedragons]

If the ship doesnt leave till 10pm, do they still serve dinner in the dining room that evening?

 

Thanks

 

Yes, it's open dining for dinner the first night.

[elcuchio24]

Can you still get Booze at that giftshop before you board? We're cruising out of PR in the spring for the first time in a couple years.