segway tour?

[CanWeGoYet?]

I took the 2 hour fortifications tour, not through RCCL but I would think timing & sites covered would be similar. We rode up to the fort, and got off our segways to walk through. We did see a lot, but I guess whether the time spent was enough is subjective. I could have spent more time there happily but didn't feel like we were rushed through or the time was inadequate.

One note on the segways that comes to mind - I brought a roomy travel type purse & there are only smaller baskets with a velcro type pouch enclosed on the segway- enough to put a wallet & a water bottle, but not a big purse. I had to leave my bag locked up at the office, & took a few things on the segway in the pouch attached to the vehicle. The people who had a backpack could carry their stuff with them the whole time, and not fiddle around with having to hand carry stuff in the fort. This was an issue because I couldn't leave valuables on the segway, and then had my wallet & some stuff to hand carry, and then had to walk down an incredibly steep, dark staircase inside the fort. I would have loved to have my hands free & this part of the tour did feel a bit risky without free hands for a railing.

 

I took the noon tour & temperatures that day were very warm. I think morning would have been cooler. It was comfortable the whole time on the segway though, you get a nice breeze as it moves and I think this is a huge plus over walking.

[Asil65]

I don't think that Princess offers this trip when we will be there on a Sunday this June.

[CanWeGoYet?]

I don't think that Princess offers this trip when we will be there on a Sunday this June.

 

Their office was only a 5 minute walk from where our ship docked, in sort of an alcove off the huge port building. From the street you will see an espresso & ice cream shop, the segway office is a few doors past this (furthest back in the alcove). When I didn't see exactly where the office was, a uniformed port employee pointed it out to me. It wasn't hard to find.

 

It's so close to where the ships dock that this is one excursion that would be pretty safe to book independently. They asked everyone in our group which ship they were with, and were aware of when people needed to be back on board. Also, they didn't require pre-payment on the tour. This was one of the most unusual & fun excursions I've been on.

[turks4]

so do they pick u up at the pier? this is my first cruise and i was sending my husband cause i thought he would like it!!!

[ajcruiser]

Island284,

We just returned from our cruise on RCI and took the 7:30 Segway tour. Was a highlight of the trip. Weather was perfect in the morning...plenty of time to see the Fort...if you follow the path of the guide in single file they keep out of harm's way. Most of the local traffic seemed used to seeing the segways and deferred to us. I believe that they will not take you if you do not wear the helmet.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy it.

[CanWeGoYet?]

so do they pick u up at the pier? this is my first cruise and i was sending my husband cause i thought he would like it!!!

They don't pick you up as you get off the ship, at the pier we docked at, we walked through a huge building with customs officials plus lots of shops. There were 4 piers in close proximity, their office is at pier 2. You show up there & they teach you how to ride the segway & all leave from there as a group.

[island284]

Thanks AJCruiser for the 7:30 information. I was concerned about the fort because it states on the website that it opens at 9:00 a.m.

 

One other question, did you have to ride the segway UP a steep cobblestone road on the way to the fort? It seems to me there was a sidewalk on your left as you went up this hill/road and buildings straight ahead. Two years ago when I did this tour I was "ejected" off the segway when one of the wheels hit a hole in the cobblestone and turned sharply one way when I wasn't expecting it. No, I didn't get hurt other than a bruise on my ankle.

 

island284

[ajcruiser]

There is a cobblestone road which must be negotiated and it is a slight uphill. Seemed to me that downhill was more dangerous. The uphill at the Fort seemed like a steeper incline although it was paved. You must be on the cobblestone road because the Segway is a motorized vehicle and cannot travel on the walkway in that part of Old San Juan to my understanding.

 

Good luck and have fun.

[olepamb]

This is the stepest part we went on.

 

[island284]

Thanks for the photo. That's the "hill" I was asking about. I remember the wall on the left side. Mmm, not sure whether or not I want to try to ride the segway up it again. Perhaps I can convince Jose' to ride it up and I'll walk.

 

island284

[alwaysfrantic]

so do they pick u up at the pier? this is my first cruise and i was sending my husband cause i thought he would like it!!!

 

It is about 5 minutes, at the most to walk to the office. We were at pier 3 maybe? Turned left on the sidewalk, and it is in a little street turn off at the coffee shop. It was very easy to get to.

 

To the parent concerned about kids, while mine were a little older, the segways travel in a line and the guide lines it up specifically, so I feel sure the children would be sandwiched between careful adults.

 

We saw a lot of sights on t he way to the fort. Stopped for some pictures, parked and toured the fort with the guide, then saw more sights as we travelled back. It was fantastic

[WNT]

Do they accept payment with leading charge cards?

[welldone60]

Do they accept payment with leading charge cards?

 

Yes they do.

[WNT]

Thanks Welldone! Our family of four is booked for the two hour version for this July.

[welldone60]

Thanks Welldone! Our family of four is booked for the two hour version for this July.

 

 

You will enjoy it, we had a bast.

[Casey9]

Just returned from San Juan and this was an excellent tour! The segways are really easy to use and tons of fun! Jose was the guide for our group of 4 and he did a great job. We took the 2-hour tour. This was definitely the highlight of my trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

[dolfndreams]

Absolutely loved this tour. I did the 2hr with Natalya and great information a rainy day and they supplied raincoats and she reminded us it was actually a advantage since less traffic on the streets. I may be repeating it next year when I go it was that fun.

 

No one in our group found the Segways difficult to manage. Much simpler than they appear and Natalya (and I hear Jose) are very safety conscious, follow their advice and things go well.

 

On the location question; I'm not sure which ship you are leaving on but if it is Carnival Victory, the Segway office is just off where you get on the ship. the port and you can leave your luggage in a shop next door. Can't get much closer. No bus needed.

[cavok]

We also had this tour, booked through celebrity.

 

Unfortunately we cannot recommend it (at least not to anybody that has already been on a segway).

 

Although Jose was very nice and knowledgeable, the rest of the tour was disappointing at best.

 

They err way too much on the safety-conscious side as a previous poster noted (as a positive in his opinion) or at least make it look like that.

However it is not so safe where it would really matter! They provide helmets without the proper padding ("for disinfection reasons") to the point that the helmets fit as good as if you'd put a cooking pan on your head. Actually they would strangle you with the straps in case of a fall and the head wouldn't be shock protected either. So you might just as well be not wearing one at all... (Exactly what Jose says and does by the way ;-) But beware of such jokes, you'll get to know a very rude lady... along the lines of "shut up or bring your own helmet..."

 

Then the really big dealbreaker for anyone that's already ridden on a segway: you never get to even leave the beginner/turtle mode and they take the remote controls away! This sucks big time as it stops you anytime it starts to get fun. Of all the segway tours i've done this has never been the case. Agreed, a lower speed limit (which is software configurable by the way) would make sense in San Juan, but not at the turtle limit where you might just as well walk. Also, when deducting the time spent at the fort, it's actually a very short distance/time you spend on the segways, yet it was the most expensive segway tour compared to all the others i had done before.

Even though you have to sign all kinds of waivers, they treat you like an irresponsible baby.

 

This was fortunately the only bad experience during the whole cruise (will post a review in the main celebrity forum later).

We had much better shore excursions through celebrity as well.

 

And two thumbs up to celebrity: after we had provided both positive (sailing in St.Thomas, will also write a review) and negative feedback (segway ripoff) they reimbursed us with 25% of the segway tour price unasked for. Goes to show how they really paid attention to every detail on the cruise, which really blew us away :-)

[CanWeGoYet?]

I took this tour last march, and I believe we went off training mode on the way back from the fort. I believe that is what we were told, I am not sure because all we did was go as fast as the person in front of us.

 

Not sure what you mean by getting to know a very rude lady, both Natalya and Jose were perfectly polite, friendly and pleasant to everyone I saw them interact with. I never felt like we were being treated like irresponsible babies. If you (previous poster) are experienced at driving a segway, then I can see why it felt like too much caution and too many rules & constraints. For most people who are on their tours though, it is their first experience and I think to run a safe tour it is necessary to have it structured the way they do. Serious injuries can and do happen with these devices.

[McDebbie]

We are thinking of this tour for our September cruise, thanks for all the positive respones. The one negative response is actually positve for me because I sure don't want to be going faster than training speed. :D

[trainnut]

Check with them first for the September trip - I contacted them and they're not open on the 20th, as this is their low season. Someone in another thread said they're closed the entire month of Septmber.

 

Oh, well - we can always try this in San Maarten!

[sallywallygal]

We did this tour last week when we were on our Carnival Liberty cruise. We loved the Segway tour with Nataliya. We chose the 45 min. tour as I felt that the 2 hour tour gave us only a few more minutes of actual Segway riding since a good bit of time is spent walking around the fort. We went to that on our own.

Nataliya stopped to show us lots of places and gave us time to take pictures. She even took several pictures of each family on the Segways at good photo stops. I was very comfortable riding it within a few minutes and could even reach in my pocket, grab my camera and snap photos as we rolled along.

My husband and I both thought it was the highlight of our cruise.

[McDebbie]

Check with them first for the September trip - I contacted them and they're not open on the 20th, as this is their low season. Someone in another thread said they're closed the entire month of Septmber.

Thanks, I did send them an email. Maybe if it is slow we can get a tour at 10am instead of 9am, I sure hate getting up early on vacation.