How early can I drop my luggage off at the San Juan pier?

[laurmac]

Like a lot of cruisers we want to check out old San Juan before the ship sails. We're thinking of leaving our hotel in Condado around 10 am. Can we drop off our luggage that early? - we don't need to check in, but we would if we could.

[sparky1964]

There are luggage handlers with carts at the dock. I dropped mine off with them at 10:45. I had 2 suitcases and gave them a $5 tip. I had FTTF so I went onboard, had lunch, and was back off the ship by 1:00. If you don't board you'll have to find somrthing to do with your carry on luggage.

[mlrack101]

Is your hotel close to the pier? We've sailed twice out of that pier and our hotels held our luggage each time.

[Keith1010]

10:00 AM is fine.

 

Keith

[lego7191]

There are luggage handlers with carts at the dock. I dropped mine off with them at 10:45. I had 2 suitcases and gave them a $5 tip. I had FTTF so I went onboard, had lunch, and was back off the ship by 1:00. If you don't board you'll have to find somrthing to do with your carry on luggage.

 

We did the same - dropped off our luggage, checked in, had lunch, dropped carryon and wine in the cabin, then left the ship and went down the street to CVS for last minute stuff. When we came back to the ship, we purchased a couple of bottles of wine in the port, then got back on the ship. We then immediately got off the ship again and went right back to the shops in the port and got two more bottles of wine, a 12 pack of sodas and a 12 pack of water. Convenient having that CVS so close to the port and super convenient having those shops inside the port.

[NCTribeFan]

I'm staying at the Sheraton across from the pier and checkout is 11 am. So, you're saying I can just drag my cases across the street, give them to the porters, go check in AND board the ship that early? I'm Platinum so should be first-to-board anyway.

 

I sailed Victory from San Juan in 2009. I don't recall disembarkation being very early when we returned but I can't say for sure. We stayed a couple of days post-cruise so weren't in any hurry to get to the hotel.

 

I'm probably sailing solo (and won't have DD to act as my pack-mule), so being able to drop off my carryon, then go back out, do some more sight-seeing, and replenish my wine supply would be nice!

[lego7191]

I'm staying at the Sheraton across from the pier and checkout is 11 am. So, you're saying I can just drag my cases across the street, give them to the porters, go check in AND board the ship that early? I'm Platinum so should be first-to-board anyway.

 

I sailed Victory from San Juan in 2009. I don't recall disembarkation being very early when we returned but I can't say for sure. We stayed a couple of days post-cruise so weren't in any hurry to get to the hotel.

 

I'm probably sailing solo (and won't have DD to act as my pack-mule), so being able to drop off my carryon, then go back out, do some more sight-seeing, and replenish my wine supply would be nice!

 

Yes! I cannot remember what time we got on the ship, but it was definitely before noon (I am one of those that is at the pier well before 11 am). We had a super short wait (maybe five minutes) in the platinum cruisers' waiting room and then we were on the ship eating lunch. Just as an FYI, the CVS down the street has wine also, so you don't have to purchase it in the port. And it was awesome having several bottles of wine in our cabin! I am super glad we went back out for more. I love to have a glass or two or three (!) while I am getting ready for dinner each night and it's not always convenient to run out to one of the bars to get it.

[Karysa]

There are luggage handlers with carts at the dock. I dropped mine off with them at 10:45. I had 2 suitcases and gave them a $5 tip. I had FTTF so I went onboard, had lunch, and was back off the ship by 1:00. If you don't board you'll have to find somrthing to do with your carry on luggage.

 

I was recently told that The Valor out of San Juan did not have the FTTF program. Did you sail out of San Juan as the OP asked? If so I need to call Carnival back!

[jabberjaw070596]

I was recently told that The Valor out of San Juan did not have the FTTF program. Did you sail out of San Juan as the OP asked? If so I need to call Carnival back!

 

Valor has FTTF because I bought it for my sailing

[Karysa]

Valor has FTTF because I bought it for my sailing

 

Does anyone know the first sailing that offers FTTF from San Juan on the Valor. It was only a few months ago when I checked and they said that it wasn't available as of yet from San Juan.

[dee5211]

I understand you can bring 1 bottle of wine per person.....but are you able you bring on 1 bottle per person every time you get on & off in San Juan before departing?

 

 

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[GreytRacer]

I understand you can bring 1 bottle of wine per person.....but are you able you bring on 1 bottle per person every time you get on & off in San Juan before departing?

 

 

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This is my question too!

 

 

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[lego7191]

I understand you can bring 1 bottle of wine per person.....but are you able you bring on 1 bottle per person every time you get on & off in San Juan before departing?

 

 

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This is my question too!

 

 

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Yes! I ended up with 6 bottles of wine for our 8 day repositioning cruise! It was awesome! I still spent plenty on wine, beer and mixed drinks from the bar, but it was pretty awesome to have that variety of wine in the cabin. The shop in the port sells liquor also and while I know it's not permitted to be carried on, I did see quite a few people purchasing it and walking on with it. I don't know if the people screening just didn't care or weren't paying attention, but several folks were able to get on with their full bottles of just-purchased liquor. And nobody says a word about guests leaving the ship and getting right back on.

[PCHENG]

I have never sailed from an embarkation port which allows you to get off the shop after checking in, so how exactly does it work? Do you need to carry your passport with you for reboarding? Do you have to go through the whole security screening and customs again?

[lego7191]

I have never sailed from an embarkation port which allows you to get off the shop after checking in, so how exactly does it work? Do you need to carry your passport with you for reboarding? Do you have to go through the whole security screening and customs again?

 

We carried our sail and sign card and ID. You do have to go thru security each time you reboard but by the time we started our trips off and on, the security line was very short each time.

[PCHENG]

We carried our sail and sign card and ID. You do have to go thru security each time you reboard but by the time we started our trips off and on, the security line was very short each time.

 

Thank you. Since you need to go through security each time, when is the latest you must return to the ship (even though the ship leaves at 10 p.m.). I don't want to return to the terminal and find all custom agents had left and the terminal locked. Will carnival or the custom agents tell you when they lock the building and bar further entry?

[lego7191]

Thank you. Since you need to go through security each time, when is the latest you must return to the ship (even though the ship leaves at 10 p.m.). I don't want to return to the terminal and find all custom agents had left and the terminal locked. Will carnival or the custom agents tell you when they lock the building and bar further entry?

 

I think your boarding docs will have the time listed on it that you must be on board by. I think it's generally a couple hours before sail time. But if you are just getting your wine from the cruise terminal you'll be right there. Doesn't take long at all to make that round trip from the ship thru the terminal and then right back on. We had 6 bottles of wine within about 20 minutes, round trips dropping them off in the cabin then back thru the terminal.

[featherw8]

Does anyone know the first sailing that offers FTTF from San Juan on the Valor. It was only a few months ago when I checked and they said that it wasn't available as of yet from San Juan.

 

It started on the Valor on June 2. It was announced around the end of May

[sparky1964]

I was recently told that The Valor out of San Juan did not have the FTTF program. Did you sail out of San Juan as the OP asked? If so I need to call Carnival back!

Yes, I sailed from San Juan. FTTF started on June the 2nd for Valor.

[NCTribeFan]

I normally purchase a wine package, as I like to have both a bottle of red and one of white stashed in the dining room, so it's ready to go depending on what I choose for dinner that evening.

 

And I always bring my one carry-on. But it would be nice to have another bottle so I have one red, one white in the cabin, too. I've read that the selection of wine in the duty free gets depleted fairly quickly, and since I plan on being out and about in the old town anyway, stopping at the CVS will probably work best.

 

I'm not worried about missing the ship, since I plan on being back on board in plenty of time to get ready for dinner (although I'm sure San Juan on a Saturday night is a fun place to be!).

[hockeyluver]

Very interesting info, thanks for sharing.

[ktinnc]

 

I'm not worried about missing the ship, since I plan on being back on board in plenty of time to get ready for dinner (although I'm sure San Juan on a Saturday night is a fun place to be!).

 

The ship leaves on sunday night (not saturday) :) :)

[Karysa]

It started on the Valor on June 2. It was announced around the end of May

 

Makes total sense now. They said that they were working on it.:)

 

We have a 10:30 flight from San Juan to St. Maarten next month post cruise and I thought that it might be a good idea to purchase it solely to get off of the ship ASAP and quickly get through security and to the airport. Since DS and DBIL will be vacationing in St. Maarten during our port stop there we are just going to drop our luggage with them and get it the next day therefore saving us from lugging and checking in our luggage. Worked out better this way for me so no hard feelings.:)

[NCTribeFan]

The ship leaves on sunday night (not saturday) :) :)

 

Not mine! I'm on the 1-time Conquest sailing for 8 nights; it's the 2nd leg of the repositioning. Leaves San Juan on Saturday night, in St Kitts Sunday (my b-day), Dominica Monday, St Maarten Tuesday, Antigua Wednesday, at sea Thursday, Grand Turk Friday, at sea on Saturday, and returning to Miami on Sunday morning.

 

It's a great itinerary! I love San Juan so am flying down late Thursday and have all day Friday and most of Saturday before we sail. And since the flights home from MIA/FLL on Sunday were way expensive (Sunday before Thanksgiving), I decided I just needed to spend a night in South Beach and fly home Monday! :D

[ktinnc]

Not mine! I'm on the 1-time Conquest sailing for 8 nights; it's the 2nd leg of the repositioning.

 

 

Woops - sorry about that! Forgot that there might be another cruise leaving there..haha. I guess I just have the Valor on the brain since I'm totally obsessed :) Have a blast on your cruise - that sounds like a great itinerary!