San Juan Taxi story

[hillbilly73]

I wanted to pass along a wonderful experience we had with the taxis in San Juan. We arrived and waited in line for the taxi into Old San Juan. They will fill out a form and give it to you as you are waiting make sure that it is filled in completely with the taxi number before leaving that is very important information we found out later.

 

As we are pulling up to the hotel the upsell fairy calls from Carnival, being our 30th anniversary I would of loved to upgrade to a suite if the price is right so I was really listening to the Carnival reps sales talk. We unloaded all our luggage and I am still on the phone standing in line to check in I finally finish with the rep and hang up. I hadn't grabbed my backpack out of the van. It had my GoPro with accessories, tablet and about a third of our cash we brought with us. We hadn't checked the form closely and didn't notice the taxi number hadn't been filled in.

 

My wife being the quick thinker runs back out grabs another taxi and heads to the airport. I watch the surveillance video with the hotel staff unable to make out the number and then my daughter, son in law , and I all go to different taxi stops on the remote chance we see the driver at one of those. Everyone from the airport taxi folks to the Casablanca Hotel staff were doing everything they could top help us find the driver. Turns out the driver was calling the hotel after we had all scattered in our backpack quest. The story ends well the airport staff was able to find the driver the backpack was returned with everything still in it the driver got two tips from us that day one very large and all is well.

 

Please if you are going to San Juan and taking a taxi when you arrive make sure when the form at the airport is filled in with the taxi number it would of been much easier if we had done that.

Edited May 31, 2014 by hillbilly73

[bumbletigger]

I'm glad that it worked out well for you. There are too many taxi horror stories out there.

 

Thanks for the advice. Did you get the suite?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[hillbilly73]

I'm glad that it worked out well for you. There are too many taxi horror stories out there.

 

Thanks for the advice. Did you get the suite?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

No after all that we didn't take the upsell. Like you I had heard so many Taxi horror stories when it first happened I thought it was a goner. The taxi folks at the airport, the hotel employees, and the driver going out of his way to return it, everyone were so helpful. It was our first time cruising from San Juan we will do it again the friendly local people we meet alone were enough to make us want to go back.

[Chelleum]

I'm happy it turned out well for you. Thanks for the tip.

[imluvncruzn]

We had a somewhat similar experience on June 1st in San Juan. After disembarking the Valor we hired a taxi driver to take us to the San Juan Cathedral and Coach outlet (both are just steps from one another). The cab driver gave us his cell phone number and told us to call him when we were ready because there was no where for him to park on the street. We took pics at the cathedral, I did some shopping in Coach and then we called him to come and get us. We then proceeded to the airport to catch our flight home. We didn't realize until we were back home the next day that my husband had left our $320 underwater camera on the seat of the cab. Luckily, my husband had the cab driver's phone number. He called several times and texted him. The next day the driver returned the call and said he had my camera! He mailed it out priority with tracking number on Friday. I should have it Monday evening! So thankful there are still honest people out there!