B2B in San Juan

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We are booked on a B2B on the JOTS next year in San Juan. What did you do on turn around day? Stay on the ship? Go shopping in OSJ? Go on a ship sponsored excursion?

 

We have been to San Juan 3X - twice before as a port stop and once as an embarkment port, but we've never done a B2B. Looking to see what others have done.:)

Edited June 10, 2013 by Sunny AZ Girl

[Miss Vickie]

We are booked on a B2B on the JOTS next year in San Juan. What did you do on turn around day? Stay on the ship? Go shopping in OSJ? Go on a ship sponsored excursion?

 

We have been to San Juan 3X - twice before as a port stop and once as an embarkment port, but we've never done a B2B. Looking to see what others have done.:)

 

We relax on board, watch others leave, play miniature golf while the ship is empty....

[erniesband]

If you have enough back 2 backers they will have a special lunch in the MDR for you. We had access to our cabin to whole time we stayed on board too. Our steward asked us to stay away for an hour so he could clean but that was it.

[sail7seas]

San Juan is wonderful.

Go to the forts, go shopping, go for a great lunch ashore.......

Don't just sit on the ship. IMO

[Sunny AZ Girl]

If you have enough back 2 backers they will have a special lunch in the MDR for you. We had access to our cabin to whole time we stayed on board too. Our steward asked us to stay away for an hour so he could clean but that was it.

That would be delightful! What is the process for the B2B people? I understand you get off the ship, get new cards and get back on? How early is that? (RCI, JOTS)

 

San Juan is wonderful.

Go to the forts, go shopping, go for a great lunch ashore.......

Don't just sit on the ship. IMO

You are right. I also love San Juan. However, we will be there for 2 nights pre-cruise and this will be our fourth visit. I was thinking of maybe getting off in the afternoon when the hoards are boarding and jamming up the Windjammer (appropriately named at that time). Perhaps a little shopping downtown? There is also a post-cruise excursion to the rain forest which will return you to the ship. I have done that one in the past on a port stop and it's a nice break from the heat, but we would miss the empty ship phenomena that I am looking forward to experiencing!

[erniesband]

That would be delightful! What is the process for the B2B people? I understand you get off the ship, get new cards and get back on? How early is that? (RCI, JOTS)

 

On our last B2B on Serenade from San Juan we didn't leave the ship. This was 2 years ago so things may have changed but here's what we did. There was a meeting for the B2Bers' held on Friday where you were given the "ARE YOU HEALTHY" surveys to fill out again. ( Like anyone is gonna say yeah I've got Noro) Along with info for the following week, they try to sell excursions and spa treatments. Then on Saturday we had to go to the Viking Crown lounge between 8 and 9 AM to turn in old seapasses and get our new ones. That's also where you got your "In Transit" passes so you could leave the ship and get back on and bypass all the check in lines. We were told that if we left the ship we could not reboard till after regular checkin started ( 11AM ). Anyone who left after 11AM had no problem getting back on board. They treat this as 2 separate sailings so you get to do muster again too :rolleyes: And remember when you are filling out your online check in material to tell them you are a consecutive cruiser, it's in the section about what flights you are on. If for some reason you don't get materials sent to your cabin about being a consecutive cruiser by Thursday, they most likely missed you and you should go to guest services and let them know, it happened to one of our party and caused some confusion but it all worked out in the end.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

On our last B2B on Serenade from San Juan we didn't leave the ship. This was 2 years ago so things may have changed but here's what we did. There was a meeting for the B2Bers' held on Friday where you were given the "ARE YOU HEALTHY" surveys to fill out again. ( Like anyone is gonna say yeah I've got Noro) Along with info for the following week, they try to sell excursions and spa treatments. Then on Saturday we had to go to the Viking Crown lounge between 8 and 9 AM to turn in old seapasses and get our new ones. That's also where you got your "In Transit" passes so you could leave the ship and get back on and bypass all the check in lines. We were told that if we left the ship we could not reboard till after regular checkin started ( 11AM ). Anyone who left after 11AM had no problem getting back on board. They treat this as 2 separate sailings so you get to do muster again too :rolleyes: And remember when you are filling out your online check in material to tell them you are a consecutive cruiser, it's in the section about what flights you are on. If for some reason you don't get materials sent to your cabin about being a consecutive cruiser by Thursday, they most likely missed you and you should go to guest services and let them know, it happened to one of our party and caused some confusion but it all worked out in the end.

 

Thank you! That is exactly the information I was looking for. Now I guess I will just need to decide if we want to stay onboard or go off in search od adventure in San Juan. Lots of time to decide. We may not even decide until we are on the ship - very unusual for me, but we have every intention of not wearing ourselves out on this port intensive cruise.

[sail7seas]

<snip>

 

 

You are right. I also love San Juan. However, we will be there for 2 nights pre-cruise and this will be our fourth visit. I was thinking of maybe getting off in the afternoon when the hoards are boarding and jamming up the Windjammer (appropriately named at that time). Perhaps a little shopping downtown? There is also a post-cruise excursion to the rain forest which will return you to the ship. I have done that one in the past on a port stop and it's a nice break from the heat, but we would miss the empty ship phenomena that I am looking forward to experiencing!

 

 

 

:D We've been to San Juan probably 2 dozen + times including resort stays and never get enough time there. We really enjoy our stays/visits and definitely would get off for a while.

 

The empty ship penomena is not nearly what it used to be. What with earlier embarkation, the ship really is only empty a very short time. Back when embarkation didn't start until after 2:00, we used to really have a number of hours when the ship was 'our private' huge yacht. :)

 

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Has anyone done the B2B on the Jewel of the seas since she started sailing out of San Juan? What were the procedures?

[Shirley C]

Deleted -- wrong thread

Edited April 18, 2014 by Shirley C

[Miss Vickie]

Has anyone done the B2B on the Jewel of the seas since she started sailing out of San Juan? What were the procedures?

 

We did a b2b on Jewel in January, are booked for b2b's in January 2015 and January 2016 on Jewel. There was a meeting on the sea day where everyone got their new sea passes and in-transit passes. On turn around day all the b2b'ers met in the Safari Lounge, and waited until everyone else had disembarked, then before they started embarking the new passengers they took us out as a group, we dinged out with our old cards, went through immigration and then could leave the terminal if we wanted or get back on with the new sea pass. The in transit pass gets you through security if you leave and come back before the new passengers start embarkation. This procedure could change from week to week; Immigration and Customs actually dictates the process.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We did a b2b on Jewel in January, are booked for b2b's in January 2015 and January 2016 on Jewel. There was a meeting on the sea day where everyone got their new sea passes and in-transit passes. On turn around day all the b2b'ers met in the Safari Lounge, and waited until everyone else had disembarked, then before they started embarking the new passengers they took us out as a group, we dinged out with our old cards, went through immigration and then could leave the terminal if we wanted or get back on with the new sea pass. The in transit pass gets you through security if you leave and come back before the new passengers start embarkation. This procedure could change from week to week; Immigration and Customs actually dictates the process.

 

Thank you. I guess we'll be finding out for ourselves in just a little over two weeks!:D

[Miss Vickie]

Thank you. I guess we'll be finding out for ourselves in just a little over two weeks!:D

 

Have a great time!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Have a great time!

 

Thank You! I plan to write a review upon our return, so I will report on our experience at that time.:)

[Nana57]

We are also on a b2b in July on the Jewel. Let us know what you did on turnaround day. Considering going into Old San Juan to tour the Forts but am afraid of getting a taxi back to the ship. What time to return to the ship, etc. Would like to know if they will offer you a special lunch. Will be looking forward to your review.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We are also on a b2b in July on the Jewel. Let us know what you did on turnaround day. Considering going into Old San Juan to tour the Forts but am afraid of getting a taxi back to the ship. What time to return to the ship, etc. Would like to know if they will offer you a special lunch. Will be looking forward to your review.

 

At this point we are planning on spending turnaround day on the ship. I will let you know what happens upon our return.

[Miss Vickie]

We are also on a b2b in July on the Jewel. Let us know what you did on turnaround day. Considering going into Old San Juan to tour the Forts but am afraid of getting a taxi back to the ship. What time to return to the ship, etc. Would like to know if they will offer you a special lunch. Will be looking forward to your review.

 

There was a b2b lunch in the dining room for us. There wouldn't have been time to go to the forts before the lunch, and on a normal Saturday it might be okay to so after - it shouldn't be hard to get a taxi in either direction, and all aboard should be late enough to allow it, providing you're not planning on early dinner in the MDR. Our turnaround day this year was during the San Sebastián Festival and traffic between the port and OSJ was very bad. It made trying to go into OSJ a bad idea.