Buying wine in San Juan

[bamboo29]

After reading all the wine threads I am interested in more information on buying wine in San Juan. What exactly is available at the pier? We stayed in the Condado area of San Juan (and are staying there again in Jan.) but did not pay attention to where wine is sold. Any recommendations on where is buy wine in that area. Might pack a bottle or two in checked bag (as well as bringing some in carry on).

Another question? In other threads some have suggested bringing your two bottles in carry on and then leaving ship, going to shop at pier and bringing on another two. Has anyone done that or had a problem doing that in San Juan?

[janandjon]

My wife and I sail on the Crown Princess out of PR last dec. We were at pier 4. The embarkment was long as they had problems with some of the scanning equip. Sooo!There was a liquor store along the path to the scanners. They were giving free samples of their wares. Rum,Baileys,Rum,Wines Rum etc.

The pricing was much less then in Pa. We purchased some Baileys and put in in our carry on-no problem boarding.

To answer your quest. --simply-You have no problem finding a spirits store to your delight.

Have a great sailing.

[BEAV]

After reading all the wine threads I am interested in more information on buying wine in San Juan. What exactly is available at the pier? We stayed in the Condado area of San Juan (and are staying there again in Jan.) but did not pay attention to where wine is sold. Any recommendations on where is buy wine in that area. Might pack a bottle or two in checked bag (as well as bringing some in carry on).

Another question? In other threads some have suggested bringing your two bottles in carry on and then leaving ship, going to shop at pier and bringing on another two. Has anyone done that or had a problem doing that in San Juan?

 

Celebrity & Royal Caribbean ships utilize the Pan American Pier in San Juan, which is in a different location than the Princess ships (Old San Juan). As to your question about wine purchases at the pier in San Juan, there is a duty-free liquor store inside the terminal between the check-in area and the terminal's security. The store stocks very little in the way of wine. It primarily stocks liquor. As you probably know, Celebrity's policy is to allow each passenger two bottles of wine. Because of the very limited selection of wine in the terminal store, we only purchased liquor. Here's the "trick", which the employees in the liquor store are all too happy to let you in on (hey, they want to sell liquor!). They tell you to pack the liquor in your carry-on baggage and NOT in the liquor store bag. After you pass through the terminal security, which could care less about any wine/liquor you may have, you then proceed to the ship. As you first step onto the promenade deck there is a desk set up with Celebrity (not to be confused with terminal) security people. They do not inspect personal carry on bags, but rather are there to confiscate people carrying liquor in bags provided by the liquor store. If your liquor store bag contains two bottles of wine, that is no problem because this is allowable under Celebrity's policy.

 

When we first boarded the ship, we purchased a bottle of liquor in the terminal store, stowed it in our carry on bags. We passed the ship's security and weren't stopped (again, they are looking for bags which identify you've been to the terminal liquor store). Once aboard ship, we unpacked our carry on bags, left the ship with an empty carry-on bag in tow, returned to the terminal liquor store, bought a couple more bottles of liquor, packed them into the carry-on bag, went through terminal security, walked the gangway, walked past the Celebrity security on the promenade, and back onto the ship.

 

So that's the story of wine, liquor and the two different types of security at the Pan American Pier.

 

As to wine purchases in other areas in/around San Juan, I can't help you with that as we arrived at 10:00pm the evening before we boarded the ship, so no time to shop for wine/liquor.

[Peteymil]

We stayed at the Sheraton Old San Juan, and there is a liquor store across the street (on the water) that had a nice selection of wine-Beav is correct that the wine selection is almost nonexistent in the terminal building.