Bio Bay from the Liberty Question

[mamagina]

The Bio bay kayaking tour is not offered from the RCCL Liberty which is in port in San Juan from 3:00pm-10:00pm. Is this enough time to book this tour on our own? I read that there is a 6:15 tour. The moon is good when we will be in port during the 3 week in March. How can we book this with transportaion from the ship. I also read somwhere that even thugh the ship itinery says arrival at 3:00pm it is really 4:00pm in San Juan which would give us a little more time when it is dark.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

[rainforestgirl]

I don't know about the ship time/port time thing- I would double check with RCCL to make sure.

But if it is true, that you are in port SJ time 4-11p, you can do the tour. There are a few companies that can pick you up (for a fee- and you may need 5 or more people to make it worthwhile). Try Kayaking Puerto Rico.

The ride is long, but the tour is over at about 8:30p, so you can be back at the pier by 10p. You could rent a car,but then you have to deal with the drop off of the car and getting back to the ship. Might add too much time.

 

But if you are really in port PR time 3p-10p, you won't make it.

 

Here is my experience with the trip and info for companies:

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/fajardo-bio-bay/

[mamagina]

Thank you. I figured if we were leaving by 10 we probably wouldn't make it. I saw that most of the tour providers had a 9:00pm second tour so we probably would be back by 8:30-9:00pm. I'll check with RCCL. Does anyone know if any Kayak Tour providers just are available on the pier? I'm thinking that we could just approach them and ask if we will make it back in time. On the other hand it may be too big a risk.

[RayInPR]

The biobay is 90 minutes from the Old San Juan pier area. The operators that provide transportation aren't just "hanging out" in Old San Juan hoping to get extra people. They will be there to meet you if you have made prior arrangements with them. Transportation involves an additional per person fee, and usually has a minimum number of people (meaning they won't even schedule a pickup for less than 5 or so people).

 

There are plenty of people who just "show up" at Las Croabas (where the biobay kayaks launch from) looking to get on a tour at the last minute without reservations. The operators have more than enough to choose from there.

[mamagina]

Thank you for the info RayinPR. At 90 minutes away I don't think I would chance just going and trying to get a tour. The time constraint is probably why there are no ship excusions available. We are only three so we would have to round up a few more to get picked up.

 

BTW, I have really found your websites very helpful.

[Royal24car]

Just so everyone knows. When the US switches 1 hour ahead because of daylight savings time - PR doesn't. PR does not have daylight savings time. So after March 8th or so - PR and the ships out of a US port are on the same time.

 

I wanted to do this bio-bay tour but after finding this out (after a lot of research) I had to cancel my reservation because it was cutting it way too close. :(

[mamagina]

Just so everyone knows. When the US switches 1 hour ahead because of daylight savings time - PR doesn't. PR does not have daylight savings time. So after March 8th or so - PR and the ships out of a US port are on the same time.

 

I wanted to do this bio-bay tour but after finding this out (after a lot of research) I had to cancel my reservation because it was cutting it way too close. :(

 

That will be our situation also. We are on the Liberty departing 3/14. We probably will have to be back on the ship by 9:30 at the latest so it really cuts it close. We have been to San Juan before and have seen the forts, shopped (although more shopping would never be a problem for my daughter!) and my husband fell off a segway at disney world (actually flew over the top when the wheel got caught on a fence) and hurt his back so I don't think I can get him on one again. We had heard so much about the Bio Bay tour from friends that when we saw the moon was "right" we really thought this was it!:( Oh well we will have tovisit San Juan again!:)