Check in questions for AOS in San Juan

[ballarinamom]

Multiple questions-

1.) We are platinum members. Will this be helpful at check-in? We plan on being at Pan Am pier around 11:30 and we are on the Aruba route.

2.) Will we be waiting outside in the heat or in the AC if the St. Lucia route is not cleared early enough?

3.) Also, we plan on adding on two nights at El Convento. We are taking advantage of our custom air benefit with RCI. Do we still have transfers to the hotel and to the pier included? We don't mind getting a cab but if it isn't too aweful, we would like the transfers.

 

Thanks CC members! We have cruised out of San Juan several times but it has been over 6 years since the last time and I know things have changed.

[wrp96]

Multiple questions-

1.) We are platinum members. Will this be helpful at check-in? We plan on being at Pan Am pier around 11:30 and we are on the Aruba route.

 

Yes, there is a platinum check in line if you have to wait.

 

2.) Will we be waiting outside in the heat or in the AC if the St. Lucia route is not cleared early enough?

 

We had to wait outside, but there is a shaded awning.

 

3.) Also, we plan on adding on two nights at El Convento. We are taking advantage of our custom air benefit with RCI. Do we still have transfers to the hotel and to the pier included? We don't mind getting a cab but if it isn't too aweful, we would like the transfers.

 

Even if your transfers are included, I would take a taxi to the pier, especially if you want to get to the pier around 11:30am. We had everything booked through RCCL in March (stayed at a different hotel) so we had transfers from airport to hotel, hotel to pier, etc. We had to be checked out of our hotel by 11am, but the RCCL transfers weren't scheduled to pick us up at the hotel until sometime between 1pm and 2pm - and they couldn't tell us an exact time. Just take a taxi to the pier instead of using the transfers.

[ballarinamom]

That's what I figured! But it's good toget verification from CC members!

[njoyndride]

We were platinum our last cruise which was AOS Aruba route and now qualified us now for Diamond woohoo. We got to the port around 11:20 and waited about 15-20 minutes for the doors to open. We went through the the x-ray and to the platinum check-in, taking a whole 3 minutes and then were directed to the section of platinum on up plastic chairs, not to be confused with the plastic chairs for everyone else that was 10 feet away. :)

 

The immigration process did take a long time from the previous Barbados route but they gave us updates. At around noon they announced that it would be another 90 minutes before they'd get through it but they actually opened the big roll up door at about 12:45. We boarded directly behind a wedding party. Still not bad, we were inside the terminal with AC, lemonade, cookies and the duty free store. There were 100's of passengers outside in the sun as once they fill the rows of plastic chairs (probably 250-300 passengers) they close the doors until the first passengers start embarkation. Bottom line either come early and prepare to wait a bit inside the terminal or wait until 2ish and walk onboard.

 

Happy to help if you have any other questions.

[uksimonusa]

We were platinum our last cruise which was AOS Aruba route and now qualified us now for Diamond woohoo. We got to the port around 11:20 and waited about 15-20 minutes for the doors to open. We went through the the x-ray and to the platinum check-in, taking a whole 3 minutes and then were directed to the section of platinum on up plastic chairs, not to be confused with the plastic chairs for everyone else that was 10 feet away. :)

 

The immigration process did take a long time from the previous Barbados route but they gave us updates. At around noon they announced that it would be another 90 minutes before they'd get through it but they actually opened the big roll up door at about 12:45. We boarded directly behind a wedding party. Still not bad, we were inside the terminal with AC, lemonade, cookies and the duty free store. There were 100's of passengers outside in the sun as once they fill the rows of plastic chairs (probably 250-300 passengers) they close the doors until the first passengers start embarkation. Bottom line either come early and prepare to wait a bit inside the terminal or wait until 2ish and walk onboard.

 

Happy to help if you have any other questions.

 

If people are having to wait for the ship to be cleared, does this mean that the previous passengers are still on the ship, we sail the AOS on May 20th next year, and have 12:40 flights out of SJU back home, you think this flight is too early?

[chazg]

If people are having to wait for the ship to be cleared, does this mean that the previous passengers are still on the ship, we sail the AOS on May 20th next year, and have 12:40 flights out of SJU back home, you think this flight is too early?

 

You should be fine. we had a 2:30 flight and where in group 3 to exit the ship. We made it to the Airport by 10:45 and just hung out there.

[wrp96]

If people are having to wait for the ship to be cleared, does this mean that the previous passengers are still on the ship, we sail the AOS on May 20th next year, and have 12:40 flights out of SJU back home, you think this flight is too early?

 

12:40 should be perfectly fine. Anything before noon would be pushing it.