San Juan

[vmbaskets]

We are leaving for a Royal Caribbean cruise on Jan 25 from San Juan. We are going to San Juan a day early. We've never been there before. Any suggestions on a hotel to stay at for the one night and also any suggestions on what to do the next day prior to boarding the ship would be great. This is our first time on RC, so any info would be helpful. I booked this cruise on a whim and didn't do much research ahead of time. We have cruised on Princess and Carnival. Our last cruise was on Carnival and we had bad experiences every night/morning around 3am with the young crowd of partiers. That's why we have decided to try RC. I hear that some of the RC ships have Johnny Rockets. Does the Adventure of the Seas have one and if so how does it work? Is there a fee? Also is there a Ben and Jerrys and if so what are the fees for it? I know this is a lot, but any comments at all will be very helpful. Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas to everyone.

[GeniRich]

We did this in August it is a great way to see SJ.

 

 

http://www.segwaytourspr.com/

 

Yes to Johnny Rockets not sure of the exact hours. They open around lunch and close I think around 10:30 or 11:00pm.. $3.95

[Rancher Dave]

We stayed at the Embassy Suites by the airport. After arriving and relaxing there really was not enough time to do justice to Old San Juan so we saved it for return...we spent that night as well, also at the same hotel.

 

I think the key will be how much time you have, there are sites outside of the city to see as well if you have time. Beaches can be nice as well.

[satxdiver]

My first trip to SJ, I stayed in the Embassy Suites just outside the airport and on the second trip, I stayed in the Holiday Inn Express in the Condado area (tourist area). I was being economical the second time. If nothing else a tour of old San Juan (OSJ) is mandatory. They have two spanish forts that are now part of the National Park service and well worth the time. You can do a walking tour of OSJ as it is not that big of an area and quite safe. They have free trolly busses that run in OSJ for the tourists so you can just jump on and off as you want. There are many shops, restaurants and bars in OSJ. Everything is there that you may need. I rode the city bus to OSJ both times instead of a $$ taxi ride.

 

The AOTS has both a JR and a Ben & Jerrys. JR is located on the upper deck and does charge a cover of $3.95 PP. The food is then free but the drinks are not unless you have a soda card in which case the soda is free. Deserts are reasonable but do cost. They will bring you all the french fries and onion rings you could possibly eat.

 

Ben & Jerrys is on the Promenade on deck 5 near the Promenade cafe. I am not an ice cream lover and do not know what they charge.

 

The AOTS leaves from the American pier which is across the bay from OSJ and the ship pier that is used by ships calling on SJ. There is a two lane road into the American Pier and the AOTS has 3100 pax. It can get very congested. In SJ, the taxis are controlled and charge by the zone. When you get off the airplane, go to the taxi stand and they will give the taxi driver a slip that has the charge written on it.

 

Since the ship sails from PR, there will be a number of Puerto Ricans aboard who almost always travel with extended famiily. Announcements will be given in English first and then Spanish. A number of Puerto Ricans do not speak English. Most in SJ, the capital of the commonwealth are bilingual. Your cell phone national package will probably include PR (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc).

 

On the way back to SJ on the ship, you will stop in St Thomas, USVI, a USA territory. Before being allowed off the ship, US Immigration will board and check your passports or other credentials. Everyone has to do this whether they get off or not. For USA citizens and documented aliens, you go through the dining room at the appointed time that morning and show your documents. It goes real fast. When you get back to SJ, you only have to clear US customs which also went really fast.

 

You will be impressed by the AOTS, a voyager class ship. The ship layout will be a lot different than the Princess and CCL. It has an ice skating rink on deck 3 with ice shows and free skating! Bon voyage.

[espmass]

I have stayed at the Embassy Suites at the airport three times. Even though it's further from Old San Juan, I find it very convenient by cab and I like the place. Great pool there too and a beach 2-3 blocks away. Old San Juan is beautiful to simply walk through. The forts are well worth touring and there are many government buildings and parks to walk past and view. You don't really need to pay for a tour although you can get a cabbie to take you through the area. If you are there in time for dinner the night before, try going to the Hotel El Covento for tappas. It's also a beautiful place to see as is the old church across from it. Down near the docks, the people set up a small market area on weekend afternoons where they sell cigars, candies, and crafts. Nice things and you can walk through without being pressured as you are on the various islands. Depending on where you are docking and what time you are leaving, you can usually drop your luggage at the ship to be held and go off to explore San Juan first and then go back, get your luggage and check in. Enjoy San Juan!

[A&S]

We just stayed at Stelaris on the night before our cruise, and La Concha the day of debarkation. We booked both through priceline for decent rates. La Concha was probably a bit nicer!

[BroncosFan2010]

We stay at the Holiday Inn Express. It is cheap, quiet, clean, and the people are friendly.

The AOS does have Johnny Rockets. There is a $3.95 charge to get in (each time).

There is a Ben and Jerry's on AOS as well. They charge about as much as a regular ice cream shop at home. $3-$5 for ice cream. It is located on the promenade deck out by all the shops.

The AOS is a beautiful ship. There is so much to do. Have a great time!

[ginger2000]

We are leaving for a Royal Caribbean cruise on Jan 25 from San Juan. We are going to San Juan a day early. We've never been there before. Any suggestions on a hotel to stay at for the one night and also any suggestions on what to do the next day prior to boarding the ship would be great. This is our first time on RC, so any info would be helpful. I booked this cruise on a whim and didn't do much research ahead of time. We have cruised on Princess and Carnival. Our last cruise was on Carnival and we had bad experiences every night/morning around 3am with the young crowd of partiers. That's why we have decided to try RC. I hear that some of the RC ships have Johnny Rockets. Does the Adventure of the Seas have one and if so how does it work? Is there a fee? Also is there a Ben and Jerrys and if so what are the fees for it? I know this is a lot, but any comments at all will be very helpful. Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas to everyone.

 

Come on over to the RC Roll Call section on Cruise Critic and find the Jan 25 sailing on the AOS. We are on that sailing as well and some of the people that are chating there have done this cruise many times and will be so helpful in answering any questions you have about the ship and the ports. Hope to see you over there!

Melissa

[mikepmcm]

We had also planned on staying at the Holiday Inn Express until we were able to win a bid on a room at the Marriott Stellaris on Priceline for the same price.

 

Look at this tread about bidding for a room in San Juan http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=412956

 

San Juan Hotels

Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino

Hotel Milano Old San Juan

Radisson Ambassador Plaza San Juan Hotel: Puerto Rico Hotel:

Marriott Resort & Casino

Caribe Hilton San Juan, Puerto Rico

[GeniRich]

 

The AOTS has both a JR and a Ben & Jerrys. JR is located on the upper deck and does charge a cover of $3.95 PP. The food is then free but the drinks are not unless you have a soda card in which case the soda is free. Deserts are reasonable but do cost. They will bring you all the french fries and onion rings you could possibly eat.

 

Unless something has changed this is not accurate. The sundaes and pie are included in the cover charge.

[waterbugohio]

I will have to agree with both the segway tour in San Juan. Jose' and his wife are the best, and the tour is well worth the money. what a great way to see alot of San Juan in 2 hrs.

 

Also, check into priceline for a hotel. We got the El San Juan for $144 a night. We could have gotten the comfort inn or holiday inn express for about the same money, but it no way would it compare to the El San Juan. I had never used priceline either. Just follow the thread above and make sure you bid on "resort only" and you will be happy with whereever you get.

[MDSue]

We stayed at the Howard Johnson's, right in the center of Old San Juan. There are 2 HoJo's, but the one to stay at is Old Town. It is in a restored building that doesn't even look like a hotel from the outside. We really enjoyed this location. From here you can walk just about anywhere or catch the trolley. You will love this town. Beautiful architecture and historic forts. Most hotels will hold your luggage until you are ready to head to the ship.

If you like Ben and Jerry's, there is one in Old Town that's worth a visit while you are there. I can't remember exactly where it is though, but I'm sure someone can steer you in the right direction.

Whether you take a walking tour or Segway, this is a really cool place to visit. The city is around 400 years old. Many of the steets are lined with blue cobblestone pavers that were used as ballast in old Spanish Galleons. The buildings are painted in vibrant pastels. It is very safe to walk around. The forts that surround the town are really interesting. One has a large grassy field that the locals use to fly kites.

I hope you enjoy your visit as much as we did.

[ken_nyc]

We are going on the AOS for the first time in August and bid on the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in Candado on Priceline. This was my first time bidding and got a really good deal for our pre-night stay, I also went to this link which was VERY helpful and strongly suggest it: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=412956

Have a GREAT CRUISE!

[pmshirl]

I too am staying in San Juan at the Marriott Stellaris Resort. I booke directly with Marriott for $279.00 and then went to priceline and bid and got it for $125.00 a night. I just cancelled my own booking I made and saved Half the Price!:)

 

There is a JR on the AOS and the info above is correct . You Do Not pay for deserts, just milksahkes and soda's ( if you don't have a soda card)! The fee to enter is $3.95 and if you get the C&A coupon book , there is a coupon for free entry to JR.

 

Ben & Jerry's is alos on the ship and you pay for what you purchase from there!

 

In Old San Juan their is a Cold Spot ( ice cream store right acrossfrom the Old San Juan pier). The AOS leaves from the Pan Am pier, which is not close to the Old San Juan port. You have to take a taxi to get to Old San Juan from the Pan Am Pier!

 

Hope this helps!

[ken_nyc]

My accepted bid was also $125. Excellent deal for both of us!

[bilyclub]

On the way back to SJ on the ship, you will stop in St Thomas, USVI, a USA territory. Before being allowed off the ship, US Immigration will board and check your passports or other credentials. Everyone has to do this whether they get off or not. For USA citizens and documented aliens, you go through the dining room at the appointed time that morning and show your documents. It goes real fast. When you get back to SJ, you only have to clear US customs which also went really fast.

 

Immigration is no longer done in St Thomas. Everything is done in SJ. Getting physically to the pier is the hardest. Cabbies don't like going there and will want more money because of the gridlock on the road getting in.

Getting off the ship was pretty fast, once the line got going. It seemed that they were checking the people that got off first pretty closely. We collected our bags, handed the declaration form in and walked off. The road out was a lot faster then coming in.

[vmbaskets]

Come on over to the RC Roll Call section on Cruise Critic and find the Jan 25 sailing on the AOS. We are on that sailing as well and some of the people that are chating there have done this cruise many times and will be so helpful in answering any questions you have about the ship and the ports. Hope to see you over there!

Melissa

 

 

How do I get to RC Roll Call?

[MDSue]

How do I get to RC Roll Call?

Go to the main page for the message boards, look for Members only- roll calls, then click on Royal Caribbean. Once the Royal Caribbean page opens up scroll down until you find your ship and the date you are sailing.

Maybe someone more talented than me can post a link for you.

[bilyclub]

Here:http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=256

[bilyclub]

Better yet: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=581327&page=39

[satxdiver]

On the way back to SJ on the ship, you will stop in St Thomas, USVI, a USA territory. Before being allowed off the ship, US Immigration will board and check your passports or other credentials. Everyone has to do this whether they get off or not. For USA citizens and documented aliens, you go through the dining room at the appointed time that morning and show your documents. It goes real fast. When you get back to SJ, you only have to clear US customs which also went really fast.

 

Immigration is no longer done in St Thomas. Everything is done in SJ. Getting physically to the pier is the hardest. Cabbies don't like going there and will want more money because of the gridlock on the road getting in.

Getting off the ship was pretty fast, once the line got going. It seemed that they were checking the people that got off first pretty closely. We collected our bags, handed the declaration form in and walked off. The road out was a lot faster then coming in.

 

 

Immigration officers came aboard in St Thomas on our cruise in late September. If they no longer do that, they must have changed it recently. We only had to clear USA customs in SJ which was accomplished by simply handing our form to the customs officer standing at the door. No questions were asked and they did not even look at the forms. We just kept walking.

[Darkwolfe]

 

Immigration is no longer done in St Thomas. Everything is done in SJ. Getting physically to the pier is the hardest. Cabbies don't like going there and will want more money because of the gridlock on the road getting in.

 

There are fixed cab fares through the tourist zones in San Juan. The above is not correct. (Sorry bilyclub, gotta be accurate. )

 

This link explains it:

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/getting-around-by-taxi/

 

This link is the Zone map:

http://www.gotopuertorico.com/images/interior/mapa-taxi-rates.jpg

 

Both of those sites have much more information about getting around San Juan and Puerto Rico as well. Enjoy!

 

Almost forgot.. Last I heard, there's a desk a Luis Munoz Int'l Airport that has a map and the rates. I'll be looking for it when we get there for our Serenade cruise. If a cabbie tries to charge you more than the rates, he's in violation of the law.

[Joyce From Yardley]

Hello & Happy Holidays To All,

 

Going from the airport to a hotel or the cruise port, it is a set fee & you pay per zone.

 

When we sailed out of SJ pre cruise. We stayed at the HI Express in the Condado area. Each time ( 3 ) we paid a different amount to get to the same pier. It seems the cabbies at this hotel, will charge whatever they feel like. To us it seemed as if a NICE tip was already added on so we didn't give anything additional.

 

Enjoy your crusie & safe travels.

 

Joyce & Of Course Harvey

[Guest scfjjb]

Hello & Happy Holidays To All,

 

Going from the airport to a hotel or the cruise port, it is a set fee & you pay per zone.

 

When we sailed out of SJ pre cruise. We stayed at the HI Express in the Condado area. Each time ( 3 ) we paid a different amount to get to the same pier. It seems the cabbies at this hotel, will charge whatever they feel like. To us it seemed as if a NICE tip was already added on so we didn't give anything additional.

 

Enjoy your crusie & safe travels.

 

Joyce & Of Course Harvey

 

This November the fares were "fixed" plus additional amount depending on how much luggage you had.

[bilyclub]

I have the taxi form that they give you at the airport/pier. Have to scan it when I get home. There is no official giving out forms at the hotels, like at the airport and pier. When went to get a cab at the hotel the cabbies would not take us. They stated that the traffic was gridlocked at the pier, that it took too much time for the set fair. We complained to the Hotel, who stated it was not their problem. We had to wait for another couple, and the cabbie wanted $20 a piece for a total of $40. The rate should have been $15.50, not $40. He did not get a tip. The set rates are fine when the tourism people fill out the form, but cabbies are born to scheme....

 

There are fixed cab fares through the tourist zones in San Juan. The above is not correct. (Sorry bilyclub, gotta be accurate. )

 

Cabbies are not supposed to take the airport tunnel to the strip in Vegas, too.