Pre-cruise things to do in San Juan

[TravelingDunnings]

We are arriving at the San Juan airport at 5am and we are not able to get on our cruise ship until 2pm as it doesn't sail until 8:30pm. Since we don't sail until 8:30, we don't have to be at the ship until the latest at 5:30pm, so we have time for pretty much anything. There will be 4 of us, 2 women with canes in their 70's and myself and husband in our 40's. I'm looking for options of things we can do, places to store luggage, and places to get breakfast. Prefer not a lot of walking, looking more for a driving tour. Thank you in advance for the tips.

[slidergirl]

Get a rental car. Head up towards El Yunque. If you need to pick up any last-minute items pre-cruise, right where the tollway ends into highway 3 in Rio Grande, you'll find a Walgreens and a grocery store (Ralphs). continue up the highway and stop for breakfast at a place a block off of highway 3 - La Familia 2 Bakery. A lot of folks staying at the big resorts (with their big food prices) drive over to here for breakfast. And, you can get some of their very yummy sweets to take for the road! It looks a little "rough", but it is excellent. It's right behind another Walgreens. I went there when I was staying at the St. Regis - I'd grab a little breakfast, some coffee, and some pastries for my afternoon/evening snack. Do a drive up through El Yunque - go as far as the La Mina Falls station if you want. There is also a nice little waterfall, La Coca, literally at the side of the road up to La Mina; parking spaces on both sides of the little bridge for the falls. You could do this as quickly or as slowly as you want. It's an easy drive. On the way back, you could stop at some places in Rio Grande for a bite. If you want to "go local" again, try the BBQ at El Verde BBQ on highway 3. It's a "drive in" along the side of the road. I had good BBQ chicken, rice, and yuca there. I wish I wasn't driving myself because they had a very enticing looking sangria that all the locals were imbibing. And, they had a decent selection of beer.

A good look at Google Maps will show you the way and the location of the places I mentioned.

[TravelingDunnings]

Thank you for the tips.

[khm1]

If you are on a Royal Caribbean cruise, I know for a fact that they will begin boarding at noon or slightly earlier. You do not need to wait until 2. I always get to the pier around 11:30 and I am on the ship eating lunch by noon. I have cruise from San Juan at least 7 times (I've lost count).

 

Another option is to go to Old San Juan. Store your luggage at Barrachina for a small tip. You may want to check for when they open. You could have a nice, leisurely breakfast at one of the various restaurants and have a stroll around the old town. There is a free trolley that makes the rounds of the old city if you don't want to walk. The entire area is only several city blocks. It is a very easy area to tour in a morning.

 

You could also go to a hotel, have them store your luggage, and eat at their restaurant. They would probably be happy to have you. The Marriott in Condado or the El San Juan in Isla Verde are 2 good choices. You could wait in their lobby or by the pool or beach until 11, then head to the pier by taxi.

 

Hope this helps!

[pdc2013]

Their is a sheraton in Old Town and for sure they will store your luggage. Not sure though if you need to be a client.

 

You can also tour from the airport, get picked up, have a tour of Old San Juan and the forts till you are able to drop your luggage off at your ship. Great for people with mobility issues. Once you drop your luggage off if your not tired arriving so early you still have most of the afternoon to explore more of the city. You can do the same thing on departure day.

[TravelingDunnings]

Thank you for the info. We are on Celebrity and they said 2:30 now.

[TravelingDunnings]

Thank you for the info.

[Marylandteachergirl]

Here is a tour that can pick you up at the airport and Louis will drop you off at the cruise port. Louis's VIP tours often book up though, so if you are interested in any tour in San Juan, contact them sooner rather than later. San Juan is our favorite port from which to sail. Happy planning:

 

http://louieviptours.com/tour-information.html