Caribe Hilton or Embassy Suites(Isla Verde)

[Jme4166]

We are staying 2 nights pre cruise at the end of November(weekend after Thanksgiving) We are debating between these 2 hotels. Our group is all adults and 2 young kids ages 5 and 10. Thanks in advance for any help or advise.

[sealeggs]

We are partial to Embassy Suites. The hotel is great and only 2 blocks from the beach and has a wonderful pool area. The Managers Evening Cocktail reception is also very nice as is the made to order breakfast.

[tigers2425]

We are partial to Embassy Suites. The hotel is great and only 2 blocks from the beach and has a wonderful pool area. The Managers Evening Cocktail reception is also very nice as is the made to order breakfast.

 

Sounds nice! How far is it from the port in OSJ? Is the cocktail reception and breakfast included in the price of the hotel stay? Please advise. Thank you.

 

Tigers2425

[luv2trvlnow]

Sounds nice! How far is it from the port in OSJ? Is the cocktail reception and breakfast included in the price of the hotel stay? Please advise. Thank you.

 

Tigers2425

 

We also like the Embassy Suites. And yes the cocktail reception and breakfast are included in the price of the hotel.

 

I see from your signature that you have cruised on RCCL. If your cruise out of San Juan is on them you will not be leaving from the port in OSJ. But OSJ is about a 15 minute cab ride away from the Embassy Suites. The Embassy Suites is very close to the airport. The cab ride to the Pan American pier which Royal and Celebrity go out of is about 15 minutes also. Not much different in time but you just can't walk around OSJ and get on the ship if leaving from the Pan American pier

[tigers2425]

We also like the Embassy Suites. And yes the cocktail reception and breakfast are included in the price of the hotel.

 

I see from your signature that you have cruised on RCCL. If your cruise out of San Juan is on them you will not be leaving from the port in OSJ. But OSJ is about a 15 minute cab ride away from the Embassy Suites. The Embassy Suites is very close to the airport. The cab ride to the Pan American pier which Royal and Celebrity go out of is about 15 minutes also. Not much different in time but you just can't walk around OSJ and get on the ship if leaving from the Pan American pier

 

Thank you for the info. We are cruising Royal again this time. How is the airport there? Busy, small, easy to navigate? We have only been to Old San Juan on a cruise so we don't know the ins and outs of flying there and sailing out of there.

 

Any information is greatly appreciated. Our board has about 5 total posts on it. I know it's a little less than a year but I have never seen a board be so un-utilized.

 

Thanks again.

 

Tigers2425

Lori

[luv2trvlnow]

Thank you for the info. We are cruising Royal again this time. How is the airport there? Busy, small, easy to navigate? We have only been to Old San Juan on a cruise so we don't know the ins and outs of flying there and sailing out of there.

 

Any information is greatly appreciated. Our board has about 5 total posts on it. I know it's a little less than a year but I have never seen a board be so un-utilized.

 

Thanks again.

 

Tigers2425

Lori

The 2 times we flew in there were pretty easy. We just followed the signs for the luggage pickup. I didn't have any luggage to pick up either time buy my son did the one time. Then we just followed the signs for the taxis. You will get in a line and someone will come and ask where you want to go, how many people, and will count your luggage and put all of that on a slip of paper. You can see what it will cost ahead of time. No worries about the driver trying to get more money from you. You then wait until your taxi comes. It has been very fast. You show the driver the paper and off you go.

 

It seems to be a pretty good system. The fact is there are no shuttles from any of the hotels. I believe that is due to the taxi union getting the airport to make people take taxis.

 

When flying home make sure to put all your baggage through the agricultural inspection. They put a sticker on each bag. They even put one on my purse. This shows each bag has gone through that inspection. And you do this before going to the check in desk; or if not going to the check in desk before heading to the gate.

 

Yes I know some of the roll calls can be dead. Our one for our last cruise was totally dead. That was my first experience with that. Our current one has been pretty dead but has had a few posts lately. Sometimes we go weeks and no posts. I look at the views and it doesn't even have any views for a week or more at a time. I do know that our current roll call also has a page elsewhere but I am not over there. Our cruise is a little less than 11 months away. Maybe it will pick up and maybe it won't. I just keep checking the ports of call to see what others have done at the ports and see if it is something we would like.

[63galaxie]

We highly recommend cCaribe Hilton. We've stayed there multiple times. It has beautiful ocean view rooms, it's own private beach, water toys, play ground, tropical garden and lagoon with aviary, walking trail on the beach, large infinity pool with swim up bar, palm trees with hammocks, shops, enormous open air lobby, shops, restaurants, Subway one close block away, Starbucks in the lobby with delicious Puerto Rican pastries, and so much more. It's beautiful, relaxing, and right on the water.

 

Btw, the airport is very small, and easy to navigate.

[pdc2013]

We are staying 2 nights pre cruise at the end of November(weekend after Thanksgiving) We are debating between these 2 hotels. Our group is all adults and 2 young kids ages 5 and 10. Thanks in advance for any help or advise.

 

Caribe Hilton for sure especially with the 2 young kids.

[tigers2425]

We highly recommend cCaribe Hilton. We've stayed there multiple times. It has beautiful ocean view rooms, it's own private beach, water toys, play ground, tropical garden and lagoon with aviary, walking trail on the beach, large infinity pool with swim up bar, palm trees with hammocks, shops, enormous open air lobby, shops, restaurants, Subway one close block away, Starbucks in the lobby with delicious Puerto Rican pastries, and so much more. It's beautiful, relaxing, and right on the water.

 

Btw, the airport is very small, and easy to navigate.

 

Thank you so much for the info. It is greatly appreciated.

 

Tigers2425

Lori

[tigers2425]

The 2 times we flew in there were pretty easy. We just followed the signs for the luggage pickup. I didn't have any luggage to pick up either time buy my son did the one time. Then we just followed the signs for the taxis. You will get in a line and someone will come and ask where you want to go, how many people, and will count your luggage and put all of that on a slip of paper. You can see what it will cost ahead of time. No worries about the driver trying to get more money from you. You then wait until your taxi comes. It has been very fast. You show the driver the paper and off you go.

 

It seems to be a pretty good system. The fact is there are no shuttles from any of the hotels. I believe that is due to the taxi union getting the airport to make people take taxis.

 

When flying home make sure to put all your baggage through the agricultural inspection. They put a sticker on each bag. They even put one on my purse. This shows each bag has gone through that inspection. And you do this before going to the check in desk; or if not going to the check in desk before heading to the gate.

 

Yes I know some of the roll calls can be dead. Our one for our last cruise was totally dead. That was my first experience with that. Our current one has been pretty dead but has had a few posts lately. Sometimes we go weeks and no posts. I look at the views and it doesn't even have any views for a week or more at a time. I do know that our current roll call also has a page elsewhere but I am not over there. Our cruise is a little less than 11 months away. Maybe it will pick up and maybe it won't. I just keep checking the ports of call to see what others have done at the ports and see if it is something we would like.

 

I sincerely appreciate all of the info. Thank you for taking the time to help.

 

Tigers2425

Lori

[Jme4166]

We decided to booked the Caribe. Hotel looks beautiful just worried about not getting an updated room.

[Arzeena]

We also like the Embassy Suites. And yes the cocktail reception and breakfast are included in the price of the hotel.

 

 

We also booked the Embassy Suites.