San Juan Layover at airport

[sarge98]

We'll be on the Caribbean Princess cruise returning to San Juan at 6AM. From what I see on these threads we should be off the ship by 9am and our return flight is not untill 3:30PM. We are getting the Princess shuttle to the airport with a lot of time to kill, so I'd apprecaite any suggestions on what to do for the aproximately 4-5 hours.:)

[tahitiluvr]

My husband and I went on a Southern Caribbean cruise this past summer. Our ship ( Carnival Victory ) arrived back in San Juan at 7AM. We were off the ship by 9:45 but had to wait until a 6PM flight.

 

Old San Juan could be the best port for walking around and soaking up a different view of the world, miles from home. It is very old and beautiful. We walked the cobble stone streets and enjoyed the outdoor market and local vibe and ended up at El Morro Fort. After, we went for some authentic Puerto Rican food at Las Rises ( spelling?). The mofongo is amazing. I'm still thinking about it. After that, we headed to San Crisbobal Fort.

[Colo Cruiser]

We'll be on the Caribbean Princess cruise returning to San Juan at 6AM. From what I see on these threads we should be off the ship by 9am and our return flight is not untill 3:30PM. We are getting the Princess shuttle to the airport with a lot of time to kill, so I'd apprecaite any suggestions on what to do for the aproximately 4-5 hours.:)

 

What about a post cruise tour so you can take your luggage with you and be dropped off at the airport?

[sarge98]

What about a post cruise tour so you can take your luggage with you and be dropped off at the airport?

We looked at that one, it can only be gotten on the ship, we were wondering about getting to the airport in time for the flight and what o do with the bags while we are on the excursion.

[Colo Cruiser]

We looked at that one, it can only be gotten on the ship, we were wondering about getting to the airport in time for the flight and what o do with the bags while we are on the excursion.

 

They stay secure with the bus. Works nice and kills time very well.

 

Or find a guide at the pier there are lots of quality ones at a much less price then booking onboard.

[caribegal]

Great question..as dh & I are in the same boat (pun intended!), except our flight out of SJ is at 5:10pm.

Someone mentioned luggage being safe with the bus....so I take it this is a shuttle bus that takes us & our luggage from ship to airport? If so, can we leave our luggage with the bus, but we take a tour or shot, whatever, and then just meet our luggage at the airport?? Is this a good, safe idea? I need some clarification please!! We too would love to enjoy a bit of PR instead of sitting in her airport for hours on end...any advice would be great.

Thx so much! :p

[DrivesLikeMario]

Take a taxi to El Morro, walk around or walk to San Cristobal if you enjoy history. Walk around the shops in downtown and have a leisurely lunch.

 

I really think the post-cruise tour is the best way to waste time though. Your bags stay on the bus the whole time you're touring.

 

Caribegal - You want "Easy Check". Onboard the ship about the third or fourth day, there will be a form in your cabin to sign up for it. It's $20 per person for a max of 2 bags each. You turn over your luggage onboard the ship the last night and get your airline boarding pass. The next morning, you depart as you would normally. Your bags go from the ship to the airport, and end up at your end destination airport in the baggage claim.

 

You go about your day as you would normally and when you show up to the airport, you do not have to wait in the long airline lines, just the security checkpoint line.

 

There are certain airlines that participate in this program from SJU (I know CO, AA and Delta do, but I'm sure there are more) and your flights have to fit certain parameters (not before 11am, not after a certain time).

 

Call Princess or your TA for details on airline carriers and flight time limits.

[cruise-aholicRN]

Great question..as dh & I are in the same boat (pun intended!), except our flight out of SJ is at 5:10pm.

Someone mentioned luggage being safe with the bus....so I take it this is a shuttle bus that takes us & our luggage from ship to airport? If so, can we leave our luggage with the bus, but we take a tour or shot, whatever, and then just meet our luggage at the airport?? Is this a good, safe idea? I need some clarification please!! We too would love to enjoy a bit of PR instead of sitting in her airport for hours on end...any advice would be great.

Thx so much! :p

 

A few years ago we did a ship tour that loaded our luggage under the bus in compartments. We rode that same bus for our tour then we ended the tour at the airport. The bus driver dropped us at the correct terminal and unloaded the luggage at that time so we had it with us to check in. It was a super easy transition, a great way to kill time and we got to see a lot of cool spots in Puerto Rico. I am considering this again when we return in a few weeks!

 

Happy Sailing!

T.J.

[caribegal]

DrivesLIke Mario (I should nickname my dh that....with all of his speeding tickets!), thank you so much, your info was exactly what I was looking for. We are on Air Canada, so will check into it.

Cruise....thank you also, that is a great idea, having your luggage under you all the way, so you know where it is and who is on top of it!

Both ideas would work for us and that way we could enjoy some of PR.

 

Happy Cruising everyone. 9 days to go....I can hardly believe it, many places here in Ontario have lots of snow already:eek: Time to hit the seas!

[Stevesan]

The Rain Forest tour is a good option. As previously mentioned, you take your luggage with you. The tour bus drops off at SJU about 1PM.

You definitely want to spend only as much time at SJU as necessary. It's a zoo, the absolute worst major airport I've ever been.

I had access to Continental's Presidents Club. That, too, is the worst on the planet.

 

If you're flying within the Continental US, use the luggage EasyCheck, if it's still on offer.

You drop off your luggage at the end of the pier, and don't see it again until you arrive home.

[Roses2]

Check-in lines and security at SJU at times can be very long and frustrating.

 

Be sure to allow plenty of time for the process.

[TucsonRick]

We'll be on the Caribbean Princess cruise returning to San Juan at 6AM. From what I see on these threads we should be off the ship by 9am and our return flight is not untill 3:30PM. We are getting the Princess shuttle to the airport with a lot of time to kill, so I'd apprecaite any suggestions on what to do for the aproximately 4-5 hours.:)

You may not have as much time as you think. The airport was the most crowded and chaotic I had ever seen when we were there. You must go thru agriculture inspection before checking in. Lines for check-in and security were very, very long. It was a nightmare for us.:eek:

 

I would check to see if there are other ships disembarking on the same day and plan accordingly.

 

Rick