Is San Juan a good place to start your cruise?

[thecaribbeancruiser14]

Is San Juan safe? That is my only hold back in staying there one or two days before the cruise. I want to make sure my girlfriend and I are in a safe and secure place. Do the hotels in San Juan offer transportation to the port? Is their a hotel shuttle waiting for you at the airport to bring you straight to the hotel? Im sorry for all the questions! I have never been on a cruise or farther south than Florida! So I have a lot of questions. Which hotels do you recommend? I want to make sure everything goes smoothly without any problems. Thanks in advance!

[srlafleur]

We've stayed in Old San Juan pre-cruise (about a block or so away from the cruise terminal) and never felt ill at ease. I even ventured out on my own to CVS (or maybe it's Walgreens) to pick up a few things while hubby napped, without incident.

We walked to the terminal from our hotel. Being able to do that depends on the location of your hotel, naturally.

 

Of course, take your common sense with you and use the same precautions you would anywhere regarding your safety.

Edited October 24, 2016 by srlafleur

[alfaeric]

Depending on what line you are planning on cruising from- the port is either right at the waterside of Old San Juan or well across the bay (Panamerican Pier for RCI and Celebrity)

 

We've been to Old San Juan a lot- probably more than double the times we've sailed out of there. It's a great old area to walk around. While my in-laws tried to scare us the first time we went, never have we felt unsafe.

 

The only "dangerous" part of Old San Juan is pretty difficult to get to- La Perla.

 

As for getting there- no hotel has shuttles for anything. You have to take a taxi. Which are $20-30 depending on how many bags- that's from the airport to hotel, hotel to Panamerican Pier, ship to airport, each.

 

Most of Old San Juan is a few hundred years old, and is very worth seeing. There are two very old forts to see- both part of the US National Park System. And lots of colorful old buildings to just see an enjoy.

 

It's not all perfect- some of the buildings can use restoration. But it is old, afterall.

 

Also, food should be a highlight to try, as well. Lots of places to try.

Edited October 24, 2016 by alfaeric

[floatn]

You won't find many hotels that offer airport shuttles in San Juan so you'd probably have to cab or pre-arrange transportation for transfer from airport to hotel. There are many hotels to choose from. Not all cruises start at the Old San Juan pier so know which pier you'll be sailing from before you look for nearby hotels. (Some depart from the Pan Am pier). For my upcoming cruise, I'll be staying at the San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino that offers several different dining options so I don't have to venture too far (unless I want to).

[CruiserBruce]

Whether or not hotels have airport shuttles is up to the hotel. You just have to do the research to find out which ones do.

 

Many people take cabs to and from the airport.

[JaJaSaHa]

Thank you everyone for your great input! :)

 

Much appreciated!

[sometimes sailor]

is using AIRBNB which we've had great success in OSJ. We generally go a day or two before sailing, especially in Winter, and enjoy the city and nightlife. Most the decent restaurants and clubs are within walking distance of the pier area.

[navybankerteacher]

It is great to start a southern or eastern Caribbean cruise from San Juan - especially in winter, so you are in warm waters right away. Also, it is the most interesting port in the Caribbean, with a lot of good restaurants, and worth spending a day or two pre- or post cruise to extend your vacation.

[Roz]

The biggest problem with San Juan is the airfare. I can't get anything much below $500 round trip. I've sailed to the Southern Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale and it was fine.

 

Roz

[sparks1093]

We just returned from a cruise originating in San Juan and just like any other place on earth there are safe places and dangerous places. We absolutely loved it and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Our hotel did not offer shuttle but it was easy enough to get a cab.

[martyap]

We have done several from San Juan. The airfare was already mentioned as it could be high. Ships are smaller and older but you can often get great deals. Hotels in San Juan can be expensive but there are many that offer more budget friendly rates. We stay at either La Concha or the Marriott Stellaris both in the Condado section of San Juan, both $$$ but there are many less expensive hotels as well. Taxis from the airport to the hotel about $20-$25; same from hotel to port.

 

What is good about cruises from San Juan is that you get to explore some great Southern Caribbean ports with great beaches and great things to explore. What you have to do in many of these ports is to use private excursions....you can get tips on these on CC....then you can go to the roll call for your cruise on CC and get a group to share these excursions.

 

San Juan is great! Great food, friendly people; good vibe; lots to see and do

Edited October 25, 2016 by martyap

[griffy116]

We LOVE San Juan. We stay at the Embassy Suites. We get a great breakfast and they call a taxi and have it waiting to pick us up for the cruise. They also have a free happy hour every evening. It's a short walk to several shops where you can purchase wine or toiletries inexpensively.

[Athankfulheart]

We love Puerto Rico, including San Juan. It's a fabulous place to cruise from. My only caution would be that you allow yourself enough time to enjoy PR before you have to board your ship ! We stayed a week before and 2 night post cruise and we still could have used a few more days. If you are willing to rent a car ( we used Charlies and Avis, both good experiences) then I would recommend staying at Playa Azul Towers and visiting the rainforest and bio bay. Condo's in the towers can be found on VRBO or Homeaway. We never felt unsafe all of PR. Common sense such as would be used in any place :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our first cruises were out of San Juan -- back in the 80's.

Loved it.

Just like any place -- always take stock of where you are and the people around you.

We have been back to San Juan many times and use taxis.

[runnerodb83]

San Juan is a great place to start you cruise from - you get to the warmer waters and more unique islands in a 7 day cruise rather than a 10.

 

Old town is a great place to stay, we stayed here and loved it - very personal service, nice rooms, right in the heart of town.

 

https://www.cervantespr.com/

 

As others have stated, dont do anything you wouldn't do in a big city near where you live now and you will be fine.

[PrettyHazardous]

I loved cruising out of San Juan especially because of the great itineraries available. We stayed in Old San Juan at a small boutique type of place in the heart of Old San Juan. Not our cup of tea but it was different. We never felt unsafe or anything (very touristy) but to oldish, non modern for us. Great experience though. The worst part for us was the expensive flight. We would cruise out of there again in a heartbeat if the cost of flights were better. If you stay at one of the name brand hotels they will offer transport and you can walk right to the port.

[robc1972]

I like starting cruises in San Juan. Fly in a day or two early and enjoy the history of the city.

You can either stay in the old city or stay in Isla Verde area next to the airport where the hotels are right on the beach with plenty of shops and places to eat nearby.

Taxis are readily available and are flat fee by zone.

[JimAOk1945]

Yes. We did it twice and enjoyed it both times. Looking forward to doing it again sometime.

 

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Edited November 9, 2016 by JimAOk1945

[Mr2Scents]

We love sailing from San Juan. I had the same trepidation that you have, but we loved staying in Old San Juan before both of our cruises that left from there. It's a different vibe. It's loud and busy which is nothing like the semi-rural environment we live in. We loved the atmosphere and the charm of OSJ. We stayed once at the Sheraton right across from the Carnival docks. Walked there with our luggage in 5 minutes. The first time we stayed in this quaint boutique hotel in the middle of OSJ. It was a fabulous experience.

 

Grabbing a cab from the airport is a piece of cake. They charge by the zone, not per mile so you know the price in advance. We stayed in OSJ and walked so I can't speak to transportation to the port.

 

Most importantly I enjoyed embarking from OSJ because you're already in the Caribbean when your cruise begins. The ship never had to go faster than 9 knots at any time and you were truly "cruising" and not running at 24 knots making the trip from Miami or Pert Everglades. Do it and enjoy it. You'll have a blast.

[GalCruzer]

We love Puerto Rico, including San Juan. It's a fabulous place to cruise from. My only caution would be that you allow yourself enough time to enjoy PR before you have to board your ship ! We stayed a week before and 2 night post cruise and we still could have used a few more days. If you are willing to rent a car ( we used Charlies and Avis, both good experiences) then I would recommend staying at Playa Azul Towers and visiting the rainforest and bio bay. Condo's in the towers can be found on VRBO or Homeaway. We never felt unsafe all of PR. Common sense such as would be used in any place :)

 

We want to visit the rainforest, El Yunque, is that the one you're referring to? If so how close is Playa Azul Towers to El Yunque?

 

TiA

[Stinger-pr]

Whether or not hotels have airport shuttles is up to the hotel. You just have to do the research to find out which ones do.

 

Many people take cabs to and from the airport.

 

Completely not true. Due to taxi union agreements NO hotel in the Isla Verde/Condado/San Juan area are permitted to have any type of shuttles either to/from the airport or cruise terminals. Cruise lines are allowed shuttles only if pre-paid and only from the ship to the cruise. The only hotels allowed shuttles to/from the airport only are those located outside the Metro area like El Conquistador, for example.

[Stinger-pr]

We want to visit the rainforest, El Yunque, is that the one you're referring to? If so how close is Playa Azul Towers to El Yunque?

 

TiA

 

ESJ Azul Tower is located in Isla Verde very near the airport. It should take you between 50 mins to 1 hour from Isla Verde to reach the center of the forest. It is mostly highway to and from the outskirts of El Yunque.

[sparks1093]

ESJ Azul Tower is located in Isla Verde very near the airport. It should take you between 50 mins to 1 hour from Isla Verde to reach the center of the forest. It is mostly highway to and from the outskirts of El Yunque.

 

We signed up for the post-cruise excursion to El Yunque but it was cancelled due to lack of participants so we settled on the city tour with Bacardi Distillery tour.

[teegypsy]

My teenage daughter and I cruised out of San Juan this summer. We never felt unsafe. Arrived at 2am the day of the cruise and had no problem getting from the airport to the Sheraton Old San Juan, where they graciously gave us a late check out. We woke up to the Carnival ship sitting right in front of our room and easily walked over when we were ready. Rented a car at the end of the cruise from the Hertz in the hotel lobby and took the easy drive to El Yunque and the bio bay, staying a couple days after the cruise at El Conquistador. You can use you phone navigation easily to get around. It is unique because it is the US and feels familiar but also has the feel of traveling to a foreign land! I was afraid of driving because I heard it was chaotic but it was no worse than any city. Stay a few days there, you will enjoy it. I will return!

 

 

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[GalCruzer]

Is El Conquistadors by any chance near El Yunque?