Question about San Juan Cruise Terminal

I am taking my first cruise out of San Juan on the Dawn and am curious about the port. Info I have been able to look up is giving me 2 different addresses. I am getting Pan American Pier 1, or

We cruised last November on the first trip out of San Juan after Hurricane Maria. The terminal then was Pan American Pier. There was a suite and Haven check-in line and a separate seating/waiting area with some beverages and pastries. And, we did have priority boarding as well. We loved the Dawn! If you like the Bimini bar back above the pool, look for waiters Ronaldo and Ida. They were fantastic!

I am taking my first cruise out of San Juan on the Dawn and am curious about the port. Info I have been able to look up is giving me 2 different addresses. I am getting Pan American Pier 1, or

Marina Bay Cruise Center, and am a little confused. Also, I just took a cruise on the Pearl in Alaska and we had priority boarding and a Suite and Haven waiting room, does San Juan have the same. Any help or info is greatly appreciated. Thank you

Both names refer to the same pier. The " Marina" part is due to the close proximity of the San Juan bay marina. This pier is located across the bay from Old San Juan, near the Convention Center.

They have used both the Pan Am pier and OSJ so check your edocs.

I know in Pan Am they have an improvised area that is just roped off and nothing special compared to other ports for suites.

We did a B2B from San Juan last year . We embarked and disembarked from the Pan American Pier . We've used the downtown location only when it was a port day . Your edocs will tell you pier .

That is what is confusing me. Me docs state Marina Bay Cruise Center not OSJ or Pan-american. Also on the Pearl they did all the contest shows (Newlywed game, perfect couple, etc.) In the Spinnaker Lounge. Where do they do that on the Pearl. Sorry about the questions but am very excited for the cruise but have never been to San Luan before.

Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity use the Pa-am/Marina Bay pier for embarking and debarking passengers whose cruise start and/ or ends in San Juan. All of those lines use the Old SJ for port stops. The only mainstream line that uses the per in OSU for embarkation, etc is Carnival. Sometimes smaller, luxury lines like Viking, Windstar and Seabourne use the OSj pier 1 for their few cruises out of PR.

Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity use the Pa-am/Marina Bay pier for embarking and debarking passengers whose cruise start and/ or ends in San Juan. All of those lines use the Old SJ for port stops. The only mainstream line that uses the per in OSU for embarkation, etc is Carnival. Sometimes smaller, luxury lines like Viking, Windstar and Seabourne use the OSj pier 1 for their few cruises out of PR.

This is correct.

We did a B2B from San Juan last year . We embarked and disembarked from the Pan American Pier . We've used the downtown location only when it was a port day . Your edocs will tell you pier .

Can you elaborate on the BTB process in San Juan? Did they make you debark? I’ve heard sometimes they have you go to a certain spot on the ship and your don’t debark, but I’ve also read where you debark. I’m just curious as to what they did in San Juan as we will be doing a BTB there next March,

We all met in the area the Asian restaurant . Initially they were going to walk the group off the ship but we ended up being checked off a passenger list there(showed our passports ) and went about whatever we wanted to do . We have done a couple of B2B s . In Europe you are cleared on the ship . In the US (Cape Canaveral ) we were giving stickers to wear and walked off the ship and right back on . It's a very easy process . There will be a letter in your stateroom prior to when you would disembark for the first leg .

We all met in the area the Asian restaurant . Initially they were going to walk the group off the ship but we ended up being checked off a passenger list there(showed our passports ) and went about whatever we wanted to do . We have done a couple of B2B s . In Europe you are cleared on the ship . In the US (Cape Canaveral ) we were giving stickers to wear and walked off the ship and right back on . It's a very easy process . There will be a letter in your stateroom prior to when you would disembark for the first leg .

Thank you!

Does anyone also know what time you can embark on the ship? We will be cruising out of San Juan on the Dawn as well. It does say we leave the port at 9:00pm. I am used to going out of Florida with a 4pm cruise time. We are always at the port by 10ish in the morning. Yes I like to be first one on!!! Just do not want to get there to early and can not check in. Anyone know? Thank you in advance..

You can board as usual . Sail away is at night . Neat seeing SJ and the forts all lit as you head out .

On 9/21/2018 at 2:26 PM, Dingawing said:

I am taking my first cruise out of San Juan on the Dawn and am curious about the port. Info I have been able to look up is giving me 2 different addresses. I am getting Pan American Pier 1, or

Marina Bay Cruise Center, and am a little confused. Also, I just took a cruise on the Pearl in Alaska and we had priority boarding and a Suite and Haven waiting room, does San Juan have the same. Any help or info is greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

Don't worry. You will see the ship. It's just across the bay, from Old San Juan, near the convention center.  Can't miss it--sort of like the elephant in the room. The boarding process is not bad.

On 9/23/2018 at 10:28 AM, delaware32 said:

You can board as usual . Sail away is at night . Neat seeing SJ and the forts all lit as you head out .

Thank you. Sounds like I can get on the ship early to enjoy my time on board! As many cruises as I have been on I still like the feeling of first seeing the ship and being one of the first ones to board! 

Boarding the Norwegian Epic that’s starting and ending in San Juan. Is it the Old San Juan Port or Pan American Pier?

I just took a cruise on NCL in November.  My ships was at the Pan-American Pier.  It is my understanding that if San Juan is your starting or ending port it is Pan-American pier, if the ship is just stopping for a day in San Juan it is the Old San Juan piers.  I hope that helps.

That is what I have seen recently. I live in Puerto Rico.  It's just a taxi ride away from Old San Juan.  If you are there on March 30, 31 of 2019 there is a great Coffee & Chocolate Expo at the convention center near the pier.  I recommend you purchase the VIP pass because the line gets very long.  The website coffeeandchocolateexpo.com.