Di+Bob

I never heard back from him. I would go with Cosol Tours. We went with him the last time and it was the best tour we've been on , Land & Sea

I talked to Cosol Tours by phone and he explained that yes there is a speed boat ride from the mud bath area to the snorkel beach. The ride the rest of the way back is by van/bus again. That's OK. We booked it. Wow they were fast with their email and phone responses, much more professional. Thanks for the recommendation.

I never heard back from him. I would go with Cosol Tours. We went with him the last time and it was the best tour we've been on , Land & Sea

Thanks! I thought Cosol Tours was bus or van both ways, seems like land only from their website. You indicated "Land & Sea". We are really wanting a tour that takes us by land one way and by sea the other so we see it all. Does Cosol do that?

Or do any other good companies do that?

Any recent news on Herod's? I tried to book them, web site seemed functional, but I never got a confirmation email. Is that normal for him? I tried to write him several days ago to confirm and I'm trying to call him with response. I'm about to go to another tour operator but thought I'd see if anyone who has used him before can add insight or another way to confirm my reservation. My tour with him was supposed to be on October 19 so time is short.

Who else offers a similar land and sea excursion?

La Terraza in Old San Juan is open but barely. They said they are running emergency lights from a small generator and do not have AC or guest wifi. No power anyplace in Old San Juan except businesses running on generators it seems.

When I contacted them for confirmation, they did have my reservation I had made two days ago in booking.com so surprisingly that worked. Note they do not answer their phone and voicemail is full. They responded to the direct email below pretty quickly so I'd go that route to check true availability and reserve.

Once I managed to reach the hotel by direct email reservations@laterrazahotelsanjuan.com and heard the situation described above, I decided to cancel my reservation. But, hey, it is a bed if you are desperate.

La Terraza in Old San Juan is open but barely. They said they are running emergency lights from a small generator and do not have AC or guest wifi. No power anyplace in Old San Juan except businesses running on generators it seems.

When I contacted them for confirmation, they did have my reservation I had made two days ago in booking.com so surprisingly that worked. Note they do not answer their phone and voicemail is full. They responded to the direct email below pretty quickly so I'd go that route to check true availability and reserve.

Once I managed to reach the hotel by direct email reservations@laterrazahotelsanjuan.com and heard the situation described above, I decided to cancel my reservation. But, hey, it is a bed if you are desperate.

I reached out to several tour companies in OSJ trying to set something fun up for this Saturday and only one was able to reply. Based on this, it seems nothing tour wise is operating. Here is what I heard from the one walking tour operator that was able to reply: "Puerto Rico is still under great devastation so there will not be any food tours going forward until further notice. When the island is up and running better and there is reliable communication we will reach out to you on behalf of San Juan Food Tours regarding your booking and what the options are going forward. Meanwhile, there will be no tours taking place until further notice. We greatly appreciate your patience in this matter."

Talking to my Hotel in OSJ by phone, they believe nobody in OSJ has power yet and any business that is open is running on a generator. He said there are good restaurants open in OSJ so eating will not be a problem. More restaurants are open during the day however than at night he said.

We’ll be staying in Old San Juan October 13 to 15. I seem to have a room secured there, fingers crossed. Now I’m wondering what is open to do during our stay? Are the forts, museums, and tourist attractions open? Is the free trolley running? Are there plenty of restaurants and bars open in Old Town? Are musicians playing and has any fun returned? Forgive me for asking about fun; I'm very aware of much suffering still going on, but the Puerto Rico people need the money us tourist will bring and that's one way we can help.

I hope not, but based on some brief conversations with a few Airbnb hosts, it appears to me much if not all of Old San Juan is still without power and what businesses are open may only be running on generators. Sounds noisy. Can anyone tell us what to expect in Old San Juan?

I spent almost all day trying to find an air bnb in old san Juan. Every one that replied said "no power yet". Did not find one.

for the Marysol Tours, you will have to meet them outside the cruise terminal. if you have issues walking or have a disability, i rather spend the few extra dollars and get the ship tour that meets you near the ship.

Thanks for the info. In our case we are OK for walking.

Bob

OH! Just found a similar tour that does more for less money: Marysol Tours "Puerto Plata City Tours" thanks to a poster in another thread. Any comments on this one or others which are similar?

I found this one offered by shore excursions group for $69 each. They take you to Fort San Felipe, the Parque Independicia park, and then to the summit of Mount Isabela de Torres. They put you on the cable car tram to ride down then pick us back up at the bottom and return us to the cruise center. We want to do something besides the beach or water sports so this sounded interesting. I’m hoping someone here has taken this tour and can comment.

Alternatively, is there a way we could somehow see these things on our own without too much hassle and less expense?

Thanks so much. Mostly, I am wondering about how difficult the walking is for someone older. 3 hours of eating and walking in heat and humidity might be too much for my loved one. They are mobile but their feet hurt with overexertion.

The tour really is 3 hours long but during it there are 3 longer stops where we sit down and relax for 20 to 30 minutes and eat and drink. So the periods on your feet are maybe 30 to 40 minutes at a time. In that 30 to 40 minutes, most of it is standing and listening to the guides talk rather than walking. You don't walk more than a block without a stopping for something. You don't get winded from the walking because of the frequent stops to look and listen, but note there is not a place to sit each time we stop to look and listen so a person needs to be able to stay on their feet for the 30 to 40 minutes at a time. Long story short, this "walking" tour is far from strenuous.

Hope this helps. You will love the tour, we did.

I did see a guest in a wheelchair in one of their facebook pictures. :)

I am mobility challenged. Is this tour one where I could ride my scooter on? Am trying to find an excursion I can take part in while in Falmouth.

I'll give that a maybe, or probably. I suggest you ask the tour operator before you book. Here are links to their facebook page and their website. Note it is a very small and personable operation so they will certainly answer and answer correctly.

https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaculinarytours/?fref=ts

http://jamaicaculinarytours.com/home

I'm hoping they can make some accommodation for you because this was such a wonderful tour. I'm trying to remember the route and picture a scooter on it. There were places where the street's sidewalks we were walking on were narrow and crowded. We did have to go up and down some curbs and several steps into one eatery in specific, but there may have been ways around that which I did not notice. Most of the tour would have been great for a scooter, just a couple tight spots and possible step/curb issues.

Excellent tour - do it! We just did it last week. You see the real town away from the tourist areas and eat the food where the locals eat. The history part was fascinating as well. It leaves from the Royal Caribbean port in Falmouth so probably not available if you are on another line.