Almost a full day in San Juan after cruise (flight out at 6:50pm) - what to do?

[MisterBill99]

We are sailing on Celebrity Galaxy in a few weeks. I got airfare through Celebrity since it was cheaper than I could do on my own (President's week) and they booked us on a 6:50pm flight home, which means we have the entire day to kill. I guess this is better than the 10am flight they originally had us on (which they changed after the connecting flight in Detroit got cancelled and it turned into a 3+ hour layover). The good news is we now have a non-stop (to Newark) but don't get in until 10pm.

 

I figured if we got a lemon flight we may as well make lemonade so I figured we would take the transfer to the airport and check out luggage, and I rented a car with Hertz (less than $50) and figured we would drive around for the day, probably go to El Yunque. Now it appears we might not be able to check our luggage that early so we might have to keep it with us in the car, which would be a pain and mean I'd need a larger car, to boot.

 

Any suggestions? Does anyone know if Celebrity has a way to check your luggage in with the airlines automatically for a fee like NCL does? If so, does AA participate? Any other suggestions? I guess we could book an all day tour with someone and let them worry about our luggage. I don't want to do the cruise line's tour, as I'm sure it's expensive and won't kill enough time.

 

Oh, we were in SJ a couple of years ago and did the forts so we don't want to do that again.

 

Thanks...

[Coqui2007]

Check this link - it looks like AA have a pier check in (at the Old san Juan peirs)

http://www.aa.com/content/urls/advanceBagCheck.jhtml?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=aadvancebagcheck

 

The drive from the airport to El Yunque is about 45mins and there are several trails you can take. There is a summary of the trails at my blog

http://www.visit-the-coqui.com/places-to-see/el-yunque/walking-trails-in-el-yunque-rainforest/

 

Another option would be to just check out Old san Juan - fortsm cathedral etc. See this post http://www.visit-the-coqui.com/2007/05/pre-or-post-cruise-in-puerto-rico/

 

Enjoy

[MisterBill99]

Actually, the AA site says Port of San Juan. Is that the OSJ pier or the

Pan American Pier, which is what Celebrity uses? Celebrity's website (http://www.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/faq/home.do;jsessionid=0000uFv18iaUBf1frJ3HqRiUret:12hdebdrn?faqSubjectName=Directions&faqId=449&pagename=faq_answers) seems to say it it the Pan American.

 

Not sure if that link will work, if not, sorry.

 

Also we already did the forts on our stop in SJ on our cruise a couple of days ago.

[suzski]

I got airfare through Celebrity and they booked us on a 6:50pm flight home, which means we have the entire day to kill.

 

I figured if we got a lemon flight we may as well make lemonade so I figured we would take the transfer to the airport and check out luggage, and I rented a car with Hertz (less than $50) and figured we would drive around for the day, probably go to El Yunque. Now it appears we might not be able to check our luggage that early so we might have to keep it with us in the car, which would be a pain and mean I'd need a larger car, to boot.

 

I've got virtually the same question, but we're sailing Carnival, which doesn't participate in the AA drop-off program. We're also not flying out till after 8:00 pm, so we have even more time to kill...and top that off that there are 5 of us (including 3 teens). So, I'm looking for viable options.

 

We haven't been to San Juan before so I'd love to explore the city or the island since I see this as an extra day of vacation...just as long as I can somehow get rid of 5+ suitcases!

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[MisterBill99]

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

What pier do you arrive at? AA's website claims they are at the Port of San Juan, which I think is the downtown one, and someone in another thread told me that they are also at the Pan American pier where Celebrity arrives. So IN THEORY you should be ok. You could always take the cruise line's tour (which will take your luggage for you) but that will still get you to the airport much too earlier.

 

BTW, the service is provided by a separate company, and they claim that Carnival is part of their program: http://www.airportbags.com/body { margin: 0 0 0 0; padding:0 0 0 0 }td,div { font-family:Tahoma;font-size:10pt;vertical-align:top }body { margin: 0 0 0 0; padding:0 0 0 0 }.transcript { background-color:#d2d2d2; }.messageBlock { margin-left:4px; margin-bottom:3px }.message { margin-left:100px; word-wrap:break-word; white-space:-moz-pre-wrap; _white-space:pre; }.messageCont { margin-left:100px; word-wrap:break-word; white-space:-moz-pre-wrap; _white-space:pre;}.other { color:#39577a;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;float:left; width:95px; }.myself { color:#da8103;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;float:left; width:95px; }.otherCont { font-size:8px;text-align:right; color:#39577a;font-family:Arial,Lucida Grande;font-style:normal;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;float:left; width:95px; }.myselfCont { font-size:8px;text-align:right; color:#da8103;font-family:Arial,Lucida Grande;font-style:normal;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;float:left; width:95px; }.system { margin-left:4px; word-wrap:break-word;color:#da8103;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal; white-space:-moz-pre-wrap; _white-space:pre; }.showTimestamp { margin-right:3px; float:right; color:#999999;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal; }.other1 { color:#ac2000;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;float:left; width:95px; }.otherCont1 { font-size:8px;text-align:right; color:#ac2000;font-family:Arial,Lucida Grande;font-style:normal;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;float:left; width:95px; }.other2 { color:#3c9fa8;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;float:left; width:95px; }.otherCont2 { font-size:8px;text-align:right; color:#3c9fa8;font-family:Arial,Lucida Grande;font-style:normal;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;float:left; width:95px; }.other3 { color:#e25614;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;float:left; width:95px; }.otherCont3 { font-size:8px;text-align:right; color:#e25614;font-family:Arial,Lucida Grande;font-style:normal;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;float:left; width:95px; }.other4 { color:#0b6ac8;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;float:left; width:95px; }.otherCont4 { font-size:8px;text-align:right; color:#0b6ac8;font-family:Arial,Lucida Grande;font-style:normal;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;float:left; width:95px; }.other5 { color:#b23290;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;float:left; width:95px; }.otherCont5 { font-size:8px;text-align:right; color:#b23290;font-family:Arial,Lucida Grande;font-style:normal;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;float:left; width:95px; }.other6 { color:#02e7c7;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;float:left; width:95px; }.otherCont6 { font-size:8px;text-align:right; color:#02e7c7;font-family:Arial,Lucida Grande;font-style:normal;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;float:left; width:95px; }.other7 { color:#5b3284;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;float:left; width:95px; }.otherCont7 { font-size:8px;text-align:right; color:#5b3284;font-family:Arial,Lucida Grande;font-style:normal;vertical-align:top;font-weight:bold;float:left; width:95px; }.tsDisplay { display:block }

[Coqui2007]

These 2 places will apprently store your luggage

 

http://www.barrachina.com/ click on free services (but I don't think it's free)

 

http://www.audioguiapr.com/

[MisterBill99]

The other question is, how far in advance of your flight will the pier people accept your luggage? Will they take it if you have an evening flight?

[wrp96]

You could always take advantage of the Onboard Luggage Valet Service that Celebrity offers. For a fee, they will check you in for your flights (including printing your boarding pass and luggage tags). Just past customs, you drop off your bags and they are taken to the airport for you (you see them again when you get home) and then you are free to do what you want.

[MisterBill99]

You could always take advantage of the Onboard Luggage Valet Service that Celebrity offers. For a fee, they will check you in for your flights (including printing your boarding pass and luggage tags). Just past customs, you drop off your bags and they are taken to the airport for you (you see them again when you get home) and then you are free to do what you want.

Well now I am confused. Are there two different programs, one where you can not even have to pick up your luggage when you get off the ship and the other (this one) where you do? I think it's time for a separate thread to get the real details for San Juan.

 

PS apologies for the mess after the URL in my earlier post. I didn't notice it until it was no longer editable (ridiculous CC rule) and I sent an alert but it hasn't been fixed yet.

[wrp96]

Celebrity and RCCL offer a program called Onboard Luggage Valet. You sign up mid cruise and the last night of the cruise they check you in for your flights and print off your boarding passes and luggage tags for you. When you put out your bags that night, you put your airline luggage tags on your bags in addition to your cruiseline luggage tags. The next morning, after you get off the ship and go through immigration, you retrieve your bags then go through customs. Just past customs you find an area where you drop off your bags. Your bags are taken to the airport (and to the plane for you). It is extremely easy. The airlines that participate are American, Delta, Continental, and Northwest. Your flight has to be after a certain time (usually noon), has to be completely within the US, and has to be all on one airline.

 

This service is different than Pier check in (where you stand in line at a counter like at the airport and check in your bags). They do not offer pier check in at the Pan Am Pier (which Celebrity and RCCL use).

[MisterBill99]

Thanks. Do know what the fee is for this? Would we have to do it for everyone in our party if only 2 people are checking luggage (i.e., 2 cabins, 4 people, 4 bags)? With the NCLA program you did not have to retrieve your luggage so you could get off the ship with the "carry your own" people. I'm guessing can't do that here because you have to go through customs (which I had not considered previously).

[usha]

MisterBill99, DH & I opted for the luggage valet service last year after our Galaxy cruise, and we'll more than likely do it again when we get off Summit. The cost was $20 pp, and well-worth it not to have to schlepp your stuff around with you all day until an early evening flight! You will have to claim your luggage at the cruise terminal, and go through customs with it, but that takes only minutes. It's really painless. Then you can jump in a cab & go to the beach until time to check in for your flight home!:D