How far are attractions from the port please

[ladybugpug]

Hi, we are cruising this upcoming December and I'm trying to be pretty economical (think cheap) as we are a family of 5 plus bringing my son's best friend.

 

When we arrive at port are we right in the city? Within walking distance of some attractions? And are their nearby beaches that we could just grab a taxi to?

 

I don't want to spend huge amounts on cruise ship excursion prices if I don't have to. We are more looking to just hang around on the beaches and shop a bit.

 

Also I don't want to clog the ports boards with my questions so if anyone knows the answers to the same quesions for Samana and St. Thomas it would be very appreciated!! :)

[MDSue]

Hi, we are cruising this upcoming December and I'm trying to be pretty economical (think cheap) as we are a family of 5 plus bringing my son's best friend.

 

When we arrive at port are we right in the city? Within walking distance of some attractions? And are their nearby beaches that we could just grab a taxi to?

 

I don't want to spend huge amounts on cruise ship excursion prices if I don't have to. We are more looking to just hang around on the beaches and shop a bit.

 

Also I don't want to clog the ports boards with my questions so if anyone knows the answers to the same quesions for Samana and St. Thomas it would be very appreciated!! :)

 

The forts are pretty cool and you can walk or grab a trolley- for free! You really don't need to spend any money on excursions, at all in Old San Juan. It is a very walkable city with lots of restaurants, shops, cool architecture- and forts. The city is surrounded by them. You should pick up walking map at any of the nearby shops and you can find plenty of places to see and do. The trolley circles the city and stops frequently.

 

The beaches in San Juan really don't compare to most other Caribbean islands, so I would explore the city before I did a beach day. However, if you do want to hit the beach, I would probably grab a cab and head to Isla Verde. A regular cab should cost $19 per cab to go to Isla Verde; about a 15-20 minute ride. Lots of cabs are vans and should fit the entire family. The prices are per cab, not per person, so your fare should be cheap. There are other beach areas that are closer, but they are not as nice as the Isla Verde ones.

 

El Morro is one of the larger, more popular forts. Lots of families bring kites to fly on the lawn, also. There is a cool water fountain near the entrance to the fort also.

[OCruisers]

Hi, we are cruising this upcoming December and I'm trying to be pretty economical (think cheap) as we are a family of 5 plus bringing my son's best friend.

 

When we arrive at port are we right in the city? Within walking distance of some attractions? And are their nearby beaches that we could just grab a taxi to?

 

I don't want to spend huge amounts on cruise ship excursion prices if I don't have to. We are more looking to just hang around on the beaches and shop a bit.

 

Also I don't want to clog the ports boards with my questions so if anyone knows the answers to the same quesions for Samana and St. Thomas it would be very appreciated!! :)

 

Please, in no way will you be clogging the ports board with your questions. Do post your questions there as well! You'll certainly get more replies for St. Thomas if you do.

_______________

 

Yes, when you arrive in San Juan for your port stop, you'll be right in the city. Probably, you will find the kids sort of interested in the old forts and walking around there. Our teen grandchildren liked walking around and shopping there. The beaches are inconvenient and would require a taxi ride.

 

Lots better beaches are in St. Thomas! Don't miss going to one of them! :)

 

Have fun planning!

 

LuLu

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[Lard Greystoke]

Also I don't want to clog the ports boards with my questions so if anyone knows the answers to the same quesions for Samana and St. Thomas it would be very appreciated!! :)

 

If the ports boards weren't clogged with questions, this site wouldn't exist. But I can tell you that Samana is a tender port - the ship parks in a bay off the city of Samana, near a small island. You can go to the small island and hang out at the beach. Visiting the mainland would require more planning.

 

St Thomas has lots of beaches. By all means visit the board and get some opinions. I can recommend Magen's. There are half a dozen other good choices. Shopping is easy and plentiful. Ask around.

[Scrapnana]

I would definitely suggest making use of the free trolley service. There are three stops very close to the pier. I did one complete circle (took about 35 minutes) thinking about where I wanted to investigate further. Check this out. http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/free-trolley-old-san-juan/

[ladybugpug]

Thank you all for your info and advice!! You have eased my mind for the San Juan portion of our trip. The ship doesn't even arrive at port unitl 3pm so taking the trolley and looking at the forts and town until evening sounds great. I will ask more questions for the other ports. Definitely want to do at least one gorgeous beach day. :)