What time is realistic to get to pier for Adventure of the seas?

[vacationlover_mn]

Steve- I was there a year ago, so my info is a tad old :)

 

 

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[bobmacliberty]

We typically target to arrive around 11:00am for any departure. Because our Adventure cruise was departing so late (8:00pm??), we decided to leave the luggage at our OSJ hotel and spend the day touring OSJ. After touring, we picked up the luggage and got to the ship late afternoon (maybe 3:00?). After a short wait to drop luggage, we walked right on. Cabins were alreay open. There seems to be 2 schools of thought:

1. You paid for the ship. Get on as early as possible and begin enjoying.

2. Treat departure day like a port day and enjoy San Juan.

 

We usually choose #1 but for San Juan, we went with #2. Glad we did.

[mollyeilis]

Looking at pictures from 12/17 our embarkation day....

 

We left our hotel room just at checkout time (noon). Went out, made sure all was well with the bill, waited for our turn to get a cab. (there was a HUGE group of what seemed to be cruise-goers there in front of us, and I've just realized their bags were all tagged for Viking and that must have been the Viking Sea/Ocean ship that kept showing up despite cruisett knowing nothing about it, LOL)

 

Got in the cab van, got to the pier. My first pic of the ship (actually of Summit) was at 12:51. In line for bag drop 3 minutes later.

 

Inside filling out health questionnaires at 1:21. First pic on the ship was at 1:45.

 

 

I liked the way we did it. We didn't rush out of our hotel as we had planned to do; the day before our cruise we found that they were painting the hall outside our room, and I am just ridiculously sensitive to chemicals like that. I started getting pretty sick, and DH thankfully got us moved to a different room. We were already packing up for the following morning, so it just encouraged us to hasten that process to get to the other room. I couldn't go to dinner b/c I was sick from the fumes, went to sleep early. And when we woke I just wasn't moving fast.

 

But it was OK. We've gotten on ships when everyone and their bags have invaded the buffet, and I really dislike it. We actually waited until 2 to drop carryons in our room and get a little bit settled, and THEN hit the buffet. To go there without carryons is just lovely.

 

We'd had 5 nights in SJ, so we really didn't have to go do anything, and I wasn't feeling up to it anyway. So thank goodness we didn't have any prepaid plans for that day, because they would have been wasted on me.

 

 

And...since we'd gotten the "please wait to arrive" email the week prior, telling us that deck 7 should arrive at 2:30, even though I knew that wasn't going to be stuck to, it just made me feel like more of a rule-follower to get there closer to that time than further from that time.

:)

 

So, I'm a bit confused. Is it Gold and up that has the faster line, or is it higher? We will be platinum, but not until after our cruise in February. Thanks.

 

Platinum and up, from the signage 12/17.

 

We were 3 nights from Plat at embarkation so we were very jealous, as we looked at the sign, and wished that we had sent me on a 3 or 4 night repositioning cruise over the summer to get us there for this cruise!

 

 

 

There is no terminal at old San Juan?

 

Are you asking a question? Day stop cruises generally stop at the terminal in OSJ. Cruises leaving from SJ leave from panamerican pier. Same basic water, but very different to get to. :)

 

 

I don't know why it's changed? The line is baggage or no baggage as of December 2016. Platinum or above baggage drop off is on the left side.

 

1 line for Plat and up to drop bags. Then those people go into the no-bags line.

 

Those of us Gold and under waited in one long line to drop bags then go in.

 

Oh wait, there was another line, it shows up in my pictures, for people using wheelchairs and people in suites. That was all the way to the left, no-bags in the middle, and bag drop on the right in the burning sun.

Edited January 4, 2017 by mollyeilis

[seashinesunshine]

There is no terminal at old San Juan?

 

I put this video on youtube a few years ago to show the perspective of where it is. I am on the Adventure and you can see the Carnival Victory which is at the OSJ pier. It is quite a long way around and not walkable. From what I understand, only Carnival ships will board in OSJ because Carnival owns that pier. Other ships board at the Pan Am pier. If it is a port day, just a normal daily stop, generally it will dock in OSJ, just for boarding it's at Pan Am.

Makes cruising from San Juan a little sweeter with Carnival because if you get there early it's like another port day to get off the ship. We will also be on the Adventure on Jan 14th!! Can't wait.

[VMIMarine]

Not just Carnival, but Carnival Corp, we have left from there twice on Princess [CB].

[leadvocal]

My flight arrives in San Juan at 12:40pm so I'm guessing by the time we get our bags and a taxi to the ship it'll be at least an hour or so later. Will the rooms be open by that time (1:45-2:00)?

[Clarea]

My flight arrives in San Juan at 12:40pm so I'm guessing by the time we get our bags and a taxi to the ship it'll be at least an hour or so later. Will the rooms be open by that time (1:45-2:00)?

Our experience has been that the staterooms are open by 2pm on Adventure.

[aubreyc1988]

Almost all cab rides in San Juan are a set price. Ask before you get into the cab. Be aware they charge you $1 PER LUGGAGE PIECE. Plus if there is a lot of traffic from your hotel to the pier drop off there will be a $5 extra charge. We were just there.

 

do they do this for Uber even?

[steveru621]

Steve- I was there a year ago, so my info is a tad old :)

 

 

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LOL, and it will probably change next month! I believe other than the C&A luggage drop off, every time we have been there it was different. :cool:

[steveru621]

do they do this for Uber even?

 

Never used UBER, so I can't comment on price.

 

What I do know is UBER is/are not allowed into the port area. If you decide to go that route you will have a significant walk with luggage.

[mollyeilis]

do they do this for Uber even?

 

 

 

I don't know. I doubt it. BUT!!! I'm not sure it matters; not sure there's any place you could go where you would have luggage (other than hotel to hotel).

 

Uber is tricky in sj and we chose to not use it for our airport or port trips. We used it for touring around town and every trip was different even though we went about the same places. One day they couldn't stop at plaza Colon, the next day they could. They are under a lot of pressure from the cab drivers.

 

I'm not sure they can pick up at the airport and I don't think they do anything with panamerican pier at all.

 

I noticed that the hotel's outside of the pier area are walkable, but I wouldn't want to have to walk it with bags.

[khm1]

My flight arrives in San Juan at 12:40pm so I'm guessing by the time we get our bags and a taxi to the ship it'll be at least an hour or so later. Will the rooms be open by that time (1:45-2:00)?

 

 

 

We cruised on Adventure this past July. The staterooms opened promptly at 2.

[njkruzer]

If I remember correctly there was a desk at the airport where you went to get a taxi fter getting our luggage. Told them where we were going and number of bags, they wrote out the cost and put us in a cab. The driver had the slip and so did we. There is a charge for bags over 2 but I don't recall how much.

[leadvocal]

Our experience has been that the staterooms are open by 2pm on Adventure.

 

We cruised on Adventure this past July. The staterooms opened promptly at 2.

 

Thanks. It'll be easier to drop off our carryons in the room before grabbing some lunch in the Windjammer.

[kenholt]

For anyone that have already sailed on AOS, please tell me about Debarkation. What time would you advise for return flights back to the states? How long does it take to get from the ship to the San Juan airport? And are there vans avail at the peir to transport large groups of 15 ppl?

[Clarea]

For anyone that have already sailed on AOS, please tell me about Debarkation. What time would you advise for return flights back to the states? How long does it take to get from the ship to the San Juan airport? And are there vans avail at the peir to transport large groups of 15 ppl?

It takes 20-30 minutes to get from the pier to the airport. Give yourslef extra time because all bags (including carry-ons) must go through agricultural inspection before they are accepted by the airlines.

[zdad59]

If I remember correctly there was a desk at the airport where you went to get a taxi fter getting our luggage. Told them where we were going and number of bags, they wrote out the cost and put us in a cab. The driver had the slip and so did we. There is a charge for bags over 2 but I don't recall how much.

 

I have attached a PDF of the taxi rate sheet. Found it on the San Juan airport web site. It show all the charged, which are fixed. Simple enough to calculate you fare before you ever get in the cab.

Flyer-Rates-Taxi WOC.pdf

[aubreyc1988]

I have attached a PDF of the taxi rate sheet. Found it on the San Juan airport web site. It show all the charged, which are fixed. Simple enough to calculate you fare before you ever get in the cab.

 

Does Uber have the same sort of fares?

[zdad59]

Does Uber have the same sort of fares?

 

I don't know for sure, but everything I have read so far says Uber in San Juan is a sketchy proposition. Unless it has changed recently, they are not permitted to pick you up at the airport. The taxis have a monopoly there. Many hotels do not let Uber use their taxi stands. You'd have to walk off property to meet them. And reports say cabbies have been know to harass Uber drivers trying to pick up passengers.

 

I say, you are in very unfamiliar territory. Don't sweat the couple bucks difference, and get a traditional cab.

[subtchr]

For anyone that have already sailed on AOS, please tell me about Debarkation. What time would you advise for return flights back to the states? How long does it take to get from the ship to the San Juan airport? And are there vans avail at the peir to transport large groups of 15 ppl?

 

We disembarked from Jewel about a month ago. Slightly smaller ship, but I would think it would be similar.

 

We had booked an 11:15 flight and decided to do self-disembark, just to be cautious. We went to breakfast in the Windjammer at 6, and retrieved our bags and were at the theater by about 6:40. That put us maybe #15-20 in line for self-disembark. A few minutes before 7:00, we were directed to the elevators to depart the ship. Customs just took a few minutes, so we were out and climbing in a taxi by 7:10. At the airport by 7:25, agricultural inspection only took 2 minutes, then bag check for Southwest and TSA precheck for security, and we were at our gate by 7:45. It was crazy!

 

The taxis are almost all vans, but would not fit 15 plus luggage, so you'd have to take 2, unless you pre-arranged a special van. But they are all lined up and ready to go. Just be prepared for the guy meeting you outside the doors, that directs you to the taxi, passes you off to the driver, then demands a tip. ;)

[aubreyc1988]

I don't know for sure, but everything I have read so far says Uber in San Juan is a sketchy proposition. Unless it has changed recently, they are not permitted to pick you up at the airport. The taxis have a monopoly there. Many hotels do not let Uber use their taxi stands. You'd have to walk off property to meet them. And reports say cabbies have been know to harass Uber drivers trying to pick up passengers.

 

I say, you are in very unfamiliar territory. Don't sweat the couple bucks difference, and get a traditional cab.

 

Ah ok thank you for the info, I typically use Uber in the states so wasn't sure

 

Do you know how much the fares are from Condado to OSJ? Trying to pick a good go between airport and cruise port, since I'll be there a few days early and will want to go to OSJ one day and don't want to ring up a ton of cab fares.

[meadowlander]

I have attached a PDF of the taxi rate sheet. Found it on the San Juan airport web site. It show all the charged, which are fixed. Simple enough to calculate you fare before you ever get in the cab.

 

I was going to point out that there is also a "gas tax", as well as a luggage fee, added to each cab ride but I see it is included on the fare sheet. I was able to pay with a credit card for the cab ride from the airport to the hotel but could not find a taxi that would accept a credit card from the cruise port to the airport.

[aubreyc1988]

I was going to point out that there is also a "gas tax", as well as a luggage fee, added to each cab ride but I see it is included on the fare sheet. I was able to pay with a credit card for the cab ride from the airport to the hotel but could not find a taxi that would accept a credit card from the cruise port to the airport.

 

Thanks so much for this info! I wasn't even thinking about potentially having to pay for the cabs in cash, but I will make note of that in my planner!

[mollyeilis]

Our uber rides between Caribe Hilton and OSJ (dropped or picked up in the plaza Colon area of OSJ) were between 5 and 7 dollars. I tipped about 2 more in cash each way.

 

 

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Edited January 8, 2017 by mollyeilis

[mollyeilis]

I strictly paid for cabs in cash btw. Used cans between airport and Caribe, Caribe and panamerican, and panamerican and airport.

 

Uber everywhere else.

 

 

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