Question about departure times

I am looking at booking a cruise through Carnival that leaves out of Puerto Rico. Online it says 10pm. When would they start boarding or stop boarding?

Should start boarding around noon I would think. Our RCI Adventure cruise departed out of Pan American Pier in Puerto Rico at 8pm. They opened for boarding at 11 a.m. We got there about 9:45 and there were already about 60 people in line ahead of us (mostly locals).

Usually you have to be on board at least 2 hours prior to sailaway. So figure accordingly. Since your sailaway is 10 pm I would be on board by at least 6 pm at the latest!

Cool. Thanks. I just wanted to know. We plan on coming in to town the night before since I tend to have panic attacks if I'm rushed. It works out that we don't have to rush the morning of either, unless we are too excited :p

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

You are wise for choosing to fly in a day early. Too many things can go wrong with flights.

Remember that if you are leaving from the Pam Am pier -- it is not within walking distance of town.

Remember that if you are leaving from the Pam Am pier -- it is not within walking distance of town.

Krazy Kruizers brings up a good point. There are two cruise departure points in Puerto Rico. One is in Old Town San Juan and the other is at the Pan American Pier. If you're staying in OTSJ and leaving out of the Pan American Pier you will need to catch a cab. It's about a 10 minute drive and on the opposite side of the water from OTSJ.

On a side note, when you're leaving your ship after the cruise and get to the Luis Munoz Airport in San Juan, the first thing is to get a porter. The porter will then make sure that your luggage is taken though the agricultural inspection station and then to the check in counter. It was worth the $10 I paid the porter.

Enjoy your cruise!

We sailed out of San Juan a few years ago. Our hotel checkout time was noon, so we took a taxi to the port at that time. Boarding was already well underway, but the line was short. We were onboard by about 130pm, and we were by no means the first people on.

When we returned to San Juan after the cruise, people were able to begin leaving the ship by 8am. We got delayed by a medical emergency that time [not us, another cruiser] that caused disembarcation to be halted for a time, so we didn't actually get off until 1pm. In that case, the next group of cruisers couldn't begin to board until almost 3pm, I think.

Normally, though, the cruise before yours will be cleared by 10/1030am, and you can begin boarding then. If you show up early, the worst thing that can happen is you stand or sit in line for a while. No big deal, usually.

Terri-Eddie,

That is the information that I was looking for. Thank you.

If you want, after you check in, you can grab a cab to Old San Juan and enjoy the day exploring OSJ. We love going up to El Morro and then wandering our way back down to the port and then grabbing a cab back over to the ship.

If you want, after you check in, you can grab a cab to Old San Juan and enjoy the day exploring OSJ. We love going up to El Morro and then wandering our way back down to the port and then grabbing a cab back over to the ship.

We did see many people doing just that. Walk into the terminal, hand over your large/checked luggage, then leave again, although you must take your carry-ons with you if you don't want to check them. Or, you can go upstairs to complete your check-in, actually get on the ship and leave your carry-ons in your cabin if it's open. Then you can leave the ship again without excess baggage, to explore Old San Juan.

If you want, after you check in, you can grab a cab to Old San Juan and enjoy the day exploring OSJ. We love going up to El Morro and then wandering our way back down to the port and then grabbing a cab back over to the ship.

Oops! I believe Carnival ships dock at the pier in Old San Juan, so you don't HAVE to take a taxi to the fort. You might be able to catch the trolley, or you could walk up to the fort. It is uphill, but if you are in decent shape, it is doable.

Enjoy!