San Juan Local? San Sebastian Festival Question

[Scarlett824]

I just found out my cruise leaves on the weekend of the San Sebastian festival. We are boarding at the Pam Am Pier. My flight is scheduled to arrive at noon on Saturday 1/16. Will I really sit in hours of traffic?

 

Also, if I decide to come in a day early, which hotels are closest to the Pan Am Pier?

 

Thanks in advance.

[RayInPR]

The PanAm pier on on the south side of the San Juan Bay, near the Convention Center. There is a Sheraton there. Old San Juan (where SanSe happens) is on the north side of the bay. You do not have to go into Old San Juan at all to get to the PanAm pier, though the ride from the SJU airport to both the convention center district and Old San Juan start out on the same route, and then split near the Condado Lagoon. There is the possibility that you might end up in _some_ traffic, but not the nightmare of going all the way into Old San Juan during SanSe.

[khm1]

I was in PR for a week this past January during the San Sebastián festival. I have also cruised from PR numerous times. Early in the day, you shouldn't have any trouble. Most of the traffic and festivities occur in the evening hours. However, I would avoid Old San Juan (OSJ) completely if I were you. We had a REALLY hard time getting back to Isla Verde from OSJ on Sunday night, the last day of the festival. We had to take the packed bus, as there were no taxis to be had. It took us around 2 hours to get back to our condo. I will NEVER do that again!

 

Pan American pier is across a harbor from OSJ. The traffic around the pier should not be too much worse than usual. The closest hotels to the pier would be the Sheraton Puerto Rico resort and Casino (not to be confused with the OSJ Sheraton!) and the Hyatt House. Neither are walking distance to the pier. I would elect to stay in the Condado or Isla Verde areas instead. The area near the pier is not very walkable and there are limited options for restaurants and stores.

 

Get to the pier as early as possible (around noon) and stay completely away from OSJ and you should be fine.

Edited August 24, 2015 by khm1

[Scarlett824]

The PanAm pier on on the south side of the San Juan Bay, near the Convention Center. There is a Sheraton there. Old San Juan (where SanSe happens) is on the north side of the bay. You do not have to go into Old San Juan at all to get to the PanAm pier, though the ride from the SJU airport to both the convention center district and Old San Juan start out on the same route, and then split near the Condado Lagoon. There is the possibility that you might end up in _some_ traffic, but not the nightmare of going all the way into Old San Juan during SanSe.

 

Thanks Ray! Based on what you said, I may still come in the day of the cruise instead of the day before.

[Scarlett824]

Pan American pier is across a harbor from OSJ. The traffic around the pier should not be too much worse than usual. The closest hotels to the pier would be the Sheraton Puerto Rico resort and Casino (not to be confused with the OSJ Sheraton!) and the Hyatt House. Neither are walking distance to the pier. I would elect to stay in the Condado or Isla Verde areas instead. The area near the pier is not very walkable and there are limited options for restaurants and stores.

 

Get to the pier as early as possible (around noon) and stay completely away from OSJ and you should be fine.

 

Thanks, but if we do decide to fly in a day early we will stay near the pier. I don't need to walk around or shop. We've been to San Juan a handful of times (just never sailed out of PanAm Pier) and we'll eat at the hotel. It's just one night.

[tallyho8]

My question, we are spending the 13th in Old San Juan and walking to our ship to check in on the 14th about noon. Then we are coming back out till about 6pm to see the festival.

 

What and where are the "don't miss" parts of the festival that day that we should try to see between 1 pm and 6 pm, if any?

 

I have walked Old San Juan before and am fairly familiar with it.

Edited August 27, 2015 by tallyho8

[RaiderFaninNM]

Wow, we are scheduled to leave on the 14th of Jan 2016 which I think is the first day of the SSF, will have to consider this into our travel plans that day.

[khm1]

My question, we are spending the 13th in Old San Juan and walking to our ship to check in on the 14th about noon. Then we are coming back out till about 6pm to see the festival.

 

What and where are the "don't miss" parts of the festival that day that we should try to see between 1 pm and 6 pm, if any?

 

I have walked Old San Juan before and am fairly familiar with it.

 

 

Is your ship docked at the city pier, or Pan American pier?

 

The festival as far as I could tell, is an excuse to eat, drink excessively, and watch live bands at various locations in Old San Juan. It is a traffic nightmare. If your ship is docked at Pan American, I would not try to go if I were you. If you are docked at the city pier, it should be easy for you to go.

[Becci]

Tallyho8- my friend and I were in San Juan last year for a cruise during the SanSe festival. We were very excited as I had read that the festival is "the Mardi Gras of the Caribbean". Apparently whoever said that has never been to Mardi Gras because it was not so much a festival as just a few musical acts set up around OSJ and a ton of people. I don't know if it is a tradition or what but all the people who seemed to be local had whistles that they blew continually, so much so that you could not hear the music acts that were going on.

 

I'm not trying to be a party pooper but even the smallest of county fairs is better. Aside from booze, there were no vendors. No local food, no local crafts, no attractions other than the couple stages set up for music. Just a lot of people and a lot of noise. Don't get too excited!

 

I spoke with a local at our hotel that said the mayor raised the license fees for vendors so high a few years ago that she ran them all out of town.

 

As far as the traffic goes- it was very bad Saturday night but Sunday morning we had no trouble whatsoever getting to port.