San Juan departures

[philpcruiser]

We are contemplating a cruise out of San Juan next April. Would appreciate if anyone can tell us of their experience with cruising from there. We'd like to hear about transportation to the pier, from pier to airport, where to stay for an overnight before sailing, ease of embarkation and debarkation, ports, etc. Thanks.

[cgags47]

It's relatively easy. We did a Summit sailing a few years ago, San Juan to Bayonne. We flew in the night before on JetBlue, and stayed at the Casa Condado hotel in the Condado neighborhood. It is small and no-frills to the tee, but if you are just looking for a bed for the night, you can't go wrong. Took a taxi cab from the airport to the hotel, and another cab in the morning to the pier. The cab fares can all be found online. Since it was a repo cruise, we didn't take a cab back to the airport, but I imagine it would be a similar experience. Everybody spoke english, things went smoothly. Like I said, it's a pretty easy experience.

[gretnagirl]

We love cruising from San Juan and have done it many times. We now stay at Posada San Francisco, a cute guesthouse in the heart of Old San Juan, literally a stone's throw from Castillo de San Cristobal. It's an easy 15-20 minute taxi ride from the airport and an even easier 10 minute ride to the port. Virginia, the owner of Posada, will help you out with anything you need- she is pure gold. And, you can't beat the price- around $50 for a private room! It truly is a wonderful place to stay.

[Lois R]

We are contemplating a cruise out of San Juan next April. Would appreciate if anyone can tell us of their experience with cruising from there. We'd like to hear about transportation to the pier, from pier to airport, where to stay for an overnight before sailing, ease of embarkation and debarkation, ports, etc. Thanks.

 

Hi,:) there is a San Juan forum on Cruise Critic with lots (and lots) of

threads on hotels/transportation/restaurants, etc......here is a link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=131

 

I agree with the other folks, it is very easy to get wherever you

need to go.....cabs are plentiful:)

[midwestchick]

We love cruising from San Juan and have done it many times. We now stay at Posada San Francisco, a cute guesthouse in the heart of Old San Juan, literally a stone's throw from Castillo de San Cristobal. It's an easy 15-20 minute taxi ride from the airport and an even easier 10 minute ride to the port. Virginia, the owner of Posada, will help you out with anything you need- she is pure gold. And, you can't beat the price- around $50 for a private room! It truly is a wonderful place to stay.

 

 

Does that guesthouse have elevators or is it all one story?

[gretnagirl]

Does that guesthouse have elevators or is it all one story?

 

 

The building is seven stories, I think, and has an elevator. It's old and small, but it does the trick. The building is shared with a number of businesses but I've never noticed any people wandering about and it's very safe.

[searoses]

San juan is my favorite port to embark....enjoy going down a couple of days early,taxis are plentiful and the distances pretty short....lots of markets,Walgreen type places for the last minute stuff....

[Elusive_Cruiser]

Strongly recommend going in a couple days early and staying in Old San Juan - especially if you can stay over on a Sunday (family picnic/kite day on the 'hill')!!

 

Old San Juan is extremely easy to walk around and there is also a free hop on hop off bus. We're not big into museums and such, but the culture in Old San Juan cannot be beat. Love the blue cobble stone roads and the plazas.

 

Sorry, no recommendation for a hotel - but would not stay at Hotel Milano again.

[chemmo]

We found the Embassy suites convenient for airport and port. Free breakfast and evening cocktails were good. The suite layout of bedroom, lounge with sofa bed, microwave and fridge worked well for us. Easy to go to the prettier parts of town but nice to return to in the evening.

[midwestchick]

Thanks. I'll check out those hotels.

Apologies to the OP....didn't mean to hijack your thread.

[philpcruiser]

Thanks. I'll check out those hotels.

Apologies to the OP....didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Don't mind the 'hijack'. All questions on this topic help. Sailing from San Juan opens up many new ports in the south east Caribbean not accessible from Florida ports. Also, the over night (or two) in osj opens up more touring opportunities.

Keep the comments and suggestions coming.

[Lonedaddy]

The summit shows an 830 pm departure. What time do people go to the ship and how long does it take to check in if you do online and have a suite. We are flying in the morning before and plan to see osj the day before and then hang at the beach on the morning of departure day at the Hilton caribe.

[susiej4]

We've done two out of San Juan this year and walked right on in the afternoon around 2ish I believe. I also concur with those before...my favorite port to sail from. Love having a few extra days to take in the culture before leaving. Last time we stayed at Ciqala Suites because we had a need for 3 bedrooms. Beautiful unit, upstairs pool area and bar, centrally located. Very, very nice. They had an elevator, full kitchen, 2 baths, living room, dining room and laundry.

[midwestchick]

Don't mind the 'hijack'. All questions on this topic help. Sailing from San Juan opens up many new ports in the south east Caribbean not accessible from Florida ports. Also, the over night (or two) in osj opens up more touring opportunities.

Keep the comments and suggestions coming.

 

 

Are you looking at the April 23 sailing?

That's the one we're booked on.

[chemmo]

Boarding in the afternoon would be fine. I suggest you see if your hotel can arrange a late check out for you. The only thing you will miss by boarding later is having lunch at Luminae which I think closes at 1pm or 1.30pm.

 

Have a great cruise!

[deladane]

I have sailed from San Juan 3 times... once on the Summit and twice on Carnival ships (Valor and Victory). The taxi fares in Puerto Rico are regulated by zones, so you don't have to worry about the taxi driver charging too much. If you stay in Condado or Old San Juan, the taxi will cost about $20 from the airport to your hotel, plus a $2 surcharge for gas and $1 charge per suitcase (excluding any backpacks or purses you plan to hold in your lap).

 

I see you live in North Jersey- there are a ton of flights everyday direct to Puerto Rico (I have flown JetBlue direct from JFK all 3 times) I imagine Newark also offers easy and inexpensive flights several times day :)

 

Keep in mind that San Juan has 2 different port areas- Carnival ships sail from the pier in Old San Juan, but Celebrity ships use a different pier on the opposite side of the bay (I think it's called the Pan-American pier). It will involve another short taxi ride to get from your hotel to the pier that morning, probably around $20 again.

 

As I recall, when I sailed with Celebrity, I arrived at the pier at around 11am and was on the ship within 15 minutes. There weren't any lines and the check in process went so quickly that I barely had time to process what was happening! haha Super easy and lots of staff on hand to help you get on board quickly.

 

I would HIGHLY recommend staying in San Juan for a few days either before or after your cruise (or both! haha). It is such a beautiful city with so many historical places to explore, and wonderful food too! Lots of people enjoy checking out the two forts (~$5pp entry fee) and the old churches. And I would highly recommend you try some Mofongo if you've never had it- it's a traditional Puerto Rican dish that my boyfriend and I both became obsessed with the moment we tried it!! Barrachinas restaurant in Old San Juan is famous for supposedly inventing the pina colada, so try to stop in there for a delicious drink if you get a chance :) And if you have an extra day to spare, head out to the El Yunque Rainforest on the far northeast side of the island for a beautiful day of hiking, waterfalls, and maybe some kayaking on the bioluminescent bay!!

 

You might want to check out the Puerto Rico ports of call forum- there is TONS of info in there that will be very helpful to you. Also, I always write very detailed reviews of my cruises with lots of photos, so you might want to check those out in my signature below. I stayed in Puerto Rico for a few days before and after both my Valor and Victory cruises, so there's lots of info in those reviews about where we ate, what hotels we used, and what we did all day! Please let me know if you have any questions... Also, which ports are you going to on your cruise? You might find some helpful info in my reviews if we have any ports in common- I've been to ~10 of the Southern Caribbean ports :)

[luv2trvlnow]

The summit shows an 830 pm departure. What time do people go to the ship and how long does it take to check in if you do online and have a suite. We are flying in the morning before and plan to see osj the day before and then hang at the beach on the morning of departure day at the Hilton caribe.

We were on the Summit in March. We had no priority check in since we were not in a suite and this was our first Celebrity/RCCL cruise. We arrived at the port a little before 11 and they started checking us in a little after 11. It was very quick and easy even with a line. So if you arrive in the afternoon I would expect it to be even faster.

[Lois R]

The summit shows an 830 pm departure. What time do people go to the ship and how long does it take to check in if you do online and have a suite. We are flying in the morning before and plan to see osj the day before and then hang at the beach on the morning of departure day at the Hilton caribe.

 

I have sailed SUMMIT 6 times over the years.....4 of those times were

out of San Juan:D.......I was on board the ship before noon.....I arrived

at the port somewhere between 10:30--11:30......I am going again

in November:D

[jsf]

My felling is that when you leave San Juan and head south your going to the real caribibean.

J.

[midwestchick]

We love cruising from San Juan and have done it many times. We now stay at Posada San Francisco, a cute guesthouse in the heart of Old San Juan, literally a stone's throw from Castillo de San Cristobal. It's an easy 15-20 minute taxi ride from the airport and an even easier 10 minute ride to the port. Virginia, the owner of Posada, will help you out with anything you need- she is pure gold. And, you can't beat the price- around $50 for a private room! It truly is a wonderful place to stay.

 

 

Just read some reviews......sharing rooms and bathrooms freaked me out. Someone posted their room had about 10 beds and shared baths.

Happy to see you did mention you had a private room. Did you also have a private bath?

[gretnagirl]

Just read some reviews......sharing rooms and bathrooms freaked me out. Someone posted their room had about 10 beds and shared baths.

Happy to see you did mention you had a private room. Did you also have a private bath?

 

When booking, you select if you want a private room or a shared dorm room. We always go with private so that we can have peace of mind but if I were on a serious budget, I would consider a shared room as they have a locked storage area for luggage (which you can use after you've checked out if you're planning on touring a bit longer). The bathrooms are shared but let me explain. There are basically enough bathrooms for every 1.5 rooms and they are a mix of full and half baths; you'll generally be only a few steps away from a bathroom. You choose the one that suits your needs, lock the door, and you're good to go. You'll be left towels on your bed that you'll take with you when you shower and there are hand towels and soap in the bathrooms, ready for use. I know that shared bathrooms can be a little scary, but rest assured- these are as private as shared bathrooms can be! We really wouldn't consider staying anywhere else as we love it so much!

[wallie5446]

Read Heather's 2 reviews. They did this 2 times in 6 months, and offer some great insight.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1987902

[midwestchick]

When booking, you select if you want a private room or a shared dorm room. We always go with private so that we can have peace of mind but if I were on a serious budget, I would consider a shared room as they have a locked storage area for luggage (which you can use after you've checked out if you're planning on touring a bit longer). The bathrooms are shared but let me explain. There are basically enough bathrooms for every 1.5 rooms and they are a mix of full and half baths; you'll generally be only a few steps away from a bathroom. You choose the one that suits your needs, lock the door, and you're good to go. You'll be left towels on your bed that you'll take with you when you shower and there are hand towels and soap in the bathrooms, ready for use. I know that shared bathrooms can be a little scary, but rest assured- these are as private as shared bathrooms can be! We really wouldn't consider staying anywhere else as we love it so much!

 

 

A shared bathroom is a deal breaker for us. The $$$$$$ savings sounds nice but there is a limit to what we'll do to save money. Sharing a bathroom with a total stranger is not one of them.

[chief joe]

Did a San Juan departure several years ago. Flew down a couple of days early so could see some of the local area. Stayed at At Windchimes Inn , it was a small boutique hotel could walk to beach. People were great had small bar and could get food also. They arranged several trips for us and we went to fort saw all the families flying kites. Had a great time.

[dodger1964]

We have flew in day of departure (once)...nonstop flight worked great, and two other times came in the night before the cruise (actually got into SJU just after midnight same day as cruise)...

 

We stayed at the hotel that is in the airport those two times...it is a great hotel for just sleeping (and eating free breakfast)...cheapest place we could find, room very basic, but clean and great place to get sleep.

 

The other time we actually were able to get into SJU 2 days early and stayed at the Sheraton on OSJ...great location.

 

Have a great trip.