Sailing Fascination in August San Juan Hotels ?

[phoneman69]

Sail out of San Juan on august 23rd. Looking for some Hotel recommendations as flying in the day before. Cruise was rescheduled from a May Magic trip. Any hotels offer free rides to port day of cruise?

[buckeyefrank]

We are going to be on this sailing as well, assuming it goes.  Will be sorely disappointed if it's cancelled.

[robinbtigger]

We sailed NCL out of San Juan in December 2018.  The port and the airport are very far apart and (at time time) the taxis are regulated by how much they charge via a zone system.  IIRC, it was about $30-$35 to get from the airport to our hotel.  There was no Uber pickup from the airport, but we did take an Uber when we returned.  We stayed at the Doubletree which was a short Uber ride to Old San Juan or the port (we sailed out of the Pan American Pier).  There were nearby restaurants within walking distance.    The Sheraton in Old San Juan looked nice and it appears to be within walking distance of the San Juan Terminal.  I'm not sure which pier Carnival uses.

[TooManyWakeUpsTilWeSail]

There are so many IFs right now.  I’d say splurge on the Sheraton robintigger mentioned above.  It’s the closest to OSJ port 4 but also very pricey.  No hotels in San Juan ever offer free airport transportation.

 

MAKE SURE your reservation IS refundable.  

Edited April 17, 2020 by TooManyWakeUpsTilWeSail

[phoneman69]

28 minutes ago, buckeyefrank said:

We are going to be on this sailing as well, assuming it goes.  Will be sorely disappointed if it's cancelled.

That would make 2 of us as this is a reschedule from our May cruise. Airfares where right price at the time to make it worth while. Now just have to wait for the 90 day check in and hope enough of this mess is over and where allowed to cruise. Stay Safe

[coevan]

1 hour ago, phoneman69 said:

Sail out of San Juan on august 23rd. Looking for some Hotel recommendations as flying in the day before. Cruise was rescheduled from a May Magic trip. Any hotels offer free rides to port day of cruise?

 

 

I would wait a few months before booking

[phoneman69]

29 minutes ago, robinbtigger said:

We sailed NCL out of San Juan in December 2018.  The port and the airport are very far apart and (at time time) the taxis are regulated by how much they charge via a zone system.  IIRC, it was about $30-$35 to get from the airport to our hotel.  There was no Uber pickup from the airport, but we did take an Uber when we returned.  We stayed at the Doubletree which was a short Uber ride to Old San Juan or the port (we sailed out of the Pan American Pier).  There were nearby restaurants within walking distance.    The Sheraton in Old San Juan looked nice and it appears to be within walking distance of the San Juan Terminal.  I'm not sure which pier Carnival uses.

Thank you will give the Doubletree's web site a look. Don't know the cruise port terminal name

[buckeyefrank]

12 minutes ago, phoneman69 said:

That would make 2 of us as this is a reschedule from our May cruise. Airfares where right price at the time to make it worth while. Now just have to wait for the 90 day check in and hope enough of this mess is over and where allowed to cruise. Stay Safe

We were supposed to sail out of Tampa on Sunday but that was cancelled so we rebooked into this cruise.  We have another booked for June 5th on NCL that will guaranteed be cancelled.  Unfortunately it's my son's graduation present that he won't be getting.  We're going to add him to this one if we think it'll go.

[xDisconnections]

For San Juan, my preference is the La Concha Renaissance. It’s always a lovely experience there. We also previously stayed at the San Juan Marriott Stellaris and the Sheraton Old San Juan. The other two are suitable as well and the Sheraton is right across from the port. If you have any Marriott loyalty status, the La Concha is usually generous with upgrades.

[LittleYiaYia]

The Fascination will port in OSJ at Pier 4.  Yes, the Sheraton OSJ is across the street.  It is a large, crowded, typical Sheraton.  My suggestion is to go into town a few blocks to El Convento or Casa Blanca (our favorite).  You will be right in the middle of all the restaurants, and if you wish, shopping. If you book through Hotels.com you can book a fully refundable rate, with cancellation 24 to 48 hours before arrival.  The price booking at Hotels.com is not any different than calling and booking direct.  A taxi from the airport to OSJ cost us $25 (3 bags).  If you want to taxi to the port instead of walking, it will cost approximately $12.00.  This is our favorite itinerary, have a great cruise.

 

 

 

 

[robinbtigger]

FWIW, we were looking at this cruise too.  It's dirt cheap, but getting to San Juan can be pricey.  

[FlaMommy75]

We  loved this cruise and loved cruising out of San Juan. We stayed at the Sheraton Old San Juan and the ship was literally outside our window when we woke up. We sat outside our balcony and drank our morning coffee (the coffee in Puerto Rico is amazing, even hotel coffee!) and watched everyone walk off the ship. By about 10:30am the line of people leaving slowed down so we packed up our room and walked across the street. We literally walked right on the ship and were on the lido deck eating lunch by 11:20am. It was by far the easiest embarkation and debarkation we have ever experienced.

We also loved Old San Juan and stayed there 2 nights before the cruise and 1 night after the cruise.  🙂

[coevan]

16 minutes ago, LittleYiaYia said:

The Fascination will port in OSJ at Pier 4.  Yes, the Sheraton OSJ is across the street.  It is a large, crowded, typical Sheraton.  My suggestion is to go into town a few blocks to El Convento or Casa Blanca (our favorite).  You will be right in the middle of all the restaurants, and if you wish, shopping. If you book through Hotels.com you can book a fully refundable rate, with cancellation 24 to 48 hours before arrival.  The price booking at Hotels.com is not any different than calling and booking direct.  A taxi from the airport to OSJ cost us $25 (3 bags).  If you want to taxi to the port instead of walking, it will cost approximately $12.00.  This is our favorite itinerary, have a great cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We shop the travel websites, but always book directly with the hotel. Much easier to make changes and we always get a good rate.

[LittleYiaYia]

I did not say you could not get a good rate by booking directly with the hotel.  In my experience, booking directly with these two hotels I mentioned did not save any money over Hotels.com. 

[xDisconnections]

1 hour ago, coevan said:

 

 

We shop the travel websites, but always book directly with the hotel. Much easier to make changes and we always get a good rate.

Book direct or don't book at all in my opinion.

Edited April 17, 2020 by xDisconnections

[xDisconnections]

1 hour ago, LittleYiaYia said:

I did not say you could not get a good rate by booking directly with the hotel.  In my experience, booking directly with these two hotels I mentioned did not save any money over Hotels.com. 

Booking through an OTA such as Hotels.com which is actually Expedia, you'll only be able to reserve at what is considered BAR or Best Available Rate. Hardly ever is this considered the perceived value's best available rate. As a rewards member with any of the larger programs, you'll save 2-3% off the BAR in what is called an MEO, or Member's Exclusive Offer allowing the hotel group to say they have the lowest rates by booking direct. This is a way to move bookings from an OTA to direct to allow guests more personalization, additional flexibility and also to remove the 17-33% commission to the hotel owners. When booking direct, you will also earn rewards points if applicable and earn any elite benefits.

 

Not only is an MEO better than BAR, when booking direct, there are other rate programs you can reserve at such as AAA, AARP/Senior, Gov/Military, LPR, and Business Transient oftentimes providing even greater flexibility with cancellations permitted until as late as 6pm day of arrival.

 

When booking through an OTA, your bed type, room type and smoking preference is not guaranteed and in the event of an oversell, you'll be one of the first to be walked. Always book direct...

Edited April 17, 2020 by xDisconnections

[phoneman69]

4 hours ago, LittleYiaYia said:

I did not say you could not get a good rate by booking directly with the hotel.  In my experience, booking directly with these two hotels I mentioned did not save any money over Hotels.com. 

Thank you for more hotel choices to look at with recommendations. I like to stay were others have so as not to run into a bad experience. So looking forward to this sailing and the stay before and after cruise.  

[phoneman69]

5 hours ago, LittleYiaYia said:

The Fascination will port in OSJ at Pier 4.  Yes, the Sheraton OSJ is across the street.  It is a large, crowded, typical Sheraton.  My suggestion is to go into town a few blocks to El Convento or Casa Blanca (our favorite).  You will be right in the middle of all the restaurants, and if you wish, shopping. If you book through Hotels.com you can book a fully refundable rate, with cancellation 24 to 48 hours before arrival.  The price booking at Hotels.com is not any different than calling and booking direct.  A taxi from the airport to OSJ cost us $25 (3 bags).  If you want to taxi to the port instead of walking, it will cost approximately $12.00.  This is our favorite itinerary, have a great cruise.

 

 

 

 

sounds like taxi way to go verses Carnival Transportation Bus. Thanks

[LittleYiaYia]

You are welcome.  I do hope that your cruise will sail.  Fingers crossed.  Whatever hotel you choose (and no matter how you choose to make the reservations), have a great time in Puerto Rico.  We have been staying there for over 30 years and it is one of our favorite places.  We sometimes take land vacations there because we enjoy it so much. We have stayed all over the island, from OSJ to "New" San Juan, from the beaches to the neighboring islands, something for everyone.  Enjoy PR  and your cruise. 

 

 

 

 

[Roger88]

Sheraton old San Juan sounds good. A very nice hotel with all the needed accommodations. Ive stayed there a few times. Not at San Jose  but in many others before. Very nice rooms, service. I really like the fact that they had a nice parking, like all their hotels.

[sft429]

If you're just looking for a room for the night try the CIQALA Luxury Suites.  It is one of the Hotwire Hot Rate hotels.  Very nice and inexpensive but absolutely nothing to do in the immediate area.  However, no free rides.

Edited April 18, 2020 by sft429