Marken Posted December 31, 2017 #1 Share Posted December 31, 2017 We are cruising on RCCL and spending the day in Ponce - looking for information on it. Can anyone help?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mafig Posted December 31, 2017 #2 Share Posted December 31, 2017 What ship stops at Ponce? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfaeric Posted December 31, 2017 #3 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Couple of sites to check out- http://welcome.topuertorico.org/city/ponce.shtml https://islandsofpuertorico.com/ponce-puerto-rico-points-of-interest/ Ponce, as well as most of the southern part of Puerto Rico, isn't really that set up for tourists. The downtown area around the Parque de Bombas is fairly small and does not take much time to see. Although, one must get ice cream at Kings Cream if you are there (coconut is amazing). Good beaches are pretty far away, although there are some at the Ponce Hilton (at least there were). The best beach area we've found is at Gilligans Island out near Guanica. About 40 min west of Ponce... Or Coffin Island (Caja de Muertos)- which you can take a ferry out to. There are some cool sights to see just north of there- the Tibes Indian site and the Hacienda Buena Vista are both just barely north of Ponce. And if you like art, the Museo de Arte is amazing. If your trip works out, I would bet that the area you dock near- Ponce Playa- will be improved for tourists. It's an old port area that isn't much used, but has a lot of potential. By working out- if the ships have a decent enough time there, and the potential as a port looks good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guatiao Posted January 4, 2018 #4 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Hey, hi and hello from PONCE!! I live in Ponce, and would love to try and help with any info that you cruisers would like to know. First and foremost, PONCE IS READY FOR VISITORS! The recovery efforts post María are well under way, and most tourist attractions are operational. Roads, power, running water, hotels, etc. are in working conditions, so feel free to ask! As to more details on Ponce, Puerto Rico's second most important city after San Juan, check these websites: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...erto_Rico.html (In Spanish) http://visitponce.com/historia-de-ponce/ I'd definitely recommend a walking tour in downtown Ponce, where apart from sightseeing, you can have great coffee, nice places for lunch, including Puertorrican fare places, and our very famous "helado de los chinos" (King's Cream ice cream parlor, said by locals to have been owned by Asian residents decades ago) right across the Ponce Firehouse in the Plaza Las Delicias. For shopping, Plaza del Caribe is our biggest mall, with stores including JC Penney, Sears, Macy's, etc. Also, right off the pier, La Guancha boardwalk is full of kiosks that serve food, beer, drinks, and some sell souvenirs. It's a very famous tourist attraction in the Island. I also saw that RCCL has a few shore excursions being sold online for Ponce visitors; http://www.royalcaribbean-espanol.co...de=PSE&wuc=PRI Let me know if I can be of any more help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfaeric Posted January 4, 2018 #5 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Also, right off the pier, La Guancha boardwalk is full of kiosks that serve food, beer, drinks, and some sell souvenirs. It's a very famous tourist attraction in the Island. Let me know if I can be of any more help! My MIL does not follow local news as much as my FIL did, so how do you see changes around Ponce Playa? That area seems to have a lot of potential for cruisers, but it has languished for a while. Even with the languish, we've always enjoyed going to El Ancla. (and for a LONG time now, we've wondered if the container port is getting used. Every time we come down, we've never seen a container ship at the port) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guatiao Posted January 4, 2018 #6 Share Posted January 4, 2018 My MIL does not follow local news as much as my FIL did, so how do you see changes around Ponce Playa? That area seems to have a lot of potential for cruisers, but it has languished for a while. Even with the languish, we've always enjoyed going to El Ancla. (and for a LONG time now, we've wondered if the container port is getting used. Every time we come down, we've never seen a container ship at the port) Thanks for your reply! As for Ponce Playa, you are correct, it does have a lot of potential for cruisers, so hopefully IF and WHEN other big ships visit, business owners will get busy! One example is Café Lucero (http://www.cafelucero.com/about.html), a local coffee harvester company, that opened a restaurant at Salmón street in Ponce Playa (https://www.facebook.com/cafelucerocoffee/). There's also El Ancla as you mentioned, Bahías restaurant (https://www.facebook.com/bahiasrest/) very near El Ancla, De Jesús restaurant (https://www.facebook.com/De-Jes%C3%BAs-Restaurant-107761169247753/), as well as open air restaurants at La Guancha that have very good offerings. As for the container port, that's a long story. i did some outside work as an auditor there during this year, and the necessary things to make it work before María were there. it was mostly local politics that kept the port in hiatus. Now, with cruise ships coming, and BIG ones like the Serenade of the Seas, along with Navy ships bringing equipment to the Island, hopefully it can FINALLY be used as it should be. The port is used mostly for bulk cargo, and sometimes as a stop for refueling for big tanker ships (i saw a huge one from Dubai a while ago there). I hope tourism brings a new chapter to the port! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJP2 Posted January 7, 2018 #7 Share Posted January 7, 2018 It appears that the port is fairly far from the downtown area. What is the best way to get there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guatiao Posted January 8, 2018 #8 Share Posted January 8, 2018 It appears that the port is fairly far from the downtown area. What is the best way to get there? HI! The best way in my opinion would be to take state road 12, called Santiago de los Caballeros Avenue, which begins right where you exit the port. Driving the whole avenue going north will get you to state road 14, where you should turn left in front of a lion-themed fountain. This leads you directly to the downtown area. You can go down Mayor Street to go to the historic center of town. I estimate it should be a 15-25 minute drive if no traffic delays are present. GPS works well here, and most roads and streets are clearly marked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAijr Posted January 19, 2018 #9 Share Posted January 19, 2018 There isn't too much information about Ponce, and I am wondering how we would get into town when the cruise ship arrives (Royal Caribbean in March). Taxi or shuttle? We are considering renting a car and going to a coffee plantation then....or walking around town once we get into town. (I'm not sure if I am posting this correctly - i.e. in the right place. Sorry if it is in the wrong place.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guatiao Posted January 19, 2018 #10 Share Posted January 19, 2018 There isn't too much information about Ponce, and I am wondering how we would get into town when the cruise ship arrives (Royal Caribbean in March). Taxi or shuttle? We are considering renting a car and going to a coffee plantation then....or walking around town once we get into town. I Googled "list of tourist attractions in Ponce PR" and get some good hits with information on places to visit, maybe it can help you find places of interest. Downtown Ponce has plenty to offer, and the coffee plantation sounds like a good trip idea (Hacienda Buena Vista maybe?) I believe that the cruise that visited a few weeks ago were transported in city hall trolleys, apart from taxis that gave service. There's also lots Uber service in Ponce. GPS works well if you decide to rent a car for the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guatiao Posted February 2, 2018 #11 Share Posted February 2, 2018 I just found this nice blog about things to do in Ponce. The owners are conducting guided tours of downtown Ponce, so feel free if they have any set for your day at Ponce! https://islacaribe.co/blogs/news/the-best-of-ponce-for-first-time-visitors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAijr Posted February 4, 2018 #12 Share Posted February 4, 2018 I Googled "list of tourist attractions in Ponce PR" and get some good hits with information on places to visit, maybe it can help you find places of interest. Downtown Ponce has plenty to offer, and the coffee plantation sounds like a good trip idea (Hacienda Buena Vista maybe?) I believe that the cruise that visited a few weeks ago were transported in city hall trolleys, apart from taxis that gave service. There's also lots Uber service in Ponce. GPS works well if you decide to rent a car for the day. Thank you! City hall trolleys would be great! We are considering Hacienda Buena Vista or Hacienda Pomarrosa which is about an hour's drive from Ponce. I think downtown Ponce has some interesting buildings, museums, etc., but we might be doing the car rental adventure too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAijr Posted February 4, 2018 #13 Share Posted February 4, 2018 I just found this nice blog about things to do in Ponce. The owners are conducting guided tours of downtown Ponce, so feel free if they have any set for your day at Ponce! https://islacaribe.co/blogs/news/the-best-of-ponce-for-first-time-visitors Another good suggestion and quite reasonable $. Thanks. You have done better than me at finding possible things to do in Ponce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guatiao Posted February 4, 2018 #14 Share Posted February 4, 2018 Thank you! City hall trolleys would be great! We are considering Hacienda Buena Vista or Hacienda Pomarrosa which is about an hour's drive from Ponce. I think downtown Ponce has some interesting buildings, museums, etc., but we might be doing the car rental adventure too. That's awesome! Keep in mind that many stoplights are still not working due to the hurricane, so be extra careful while driving. Enjoy my city!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guatiao Posted February 4, 2018 #15 Share Posted February 4, 2018 Another good suggestion and quite reasonable $. Thanks. You have done better than me at finding possible things to do in Ponce. Being a local helps! ;);) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfaeric Posted February 4, 2018 #16 Share Posted February 4, 2018 That's awesome! Keep in mind that many stoplights are still not working due to the hurricane, so be extra careful while driving. Enjoy my city!! Some in very nerve wracking locations, too. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAijr Posted February 11, 2018 #17 Share Posted February 11, 2018 (I hope I am putting this in the correct place. I'm not too familiar with rules/steps for responding.) Here you can find a lot of information about Ponce, Puerto Rico. A couple of us cruisers asked about Ponce, and a couple local Ponce folks replied. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2578918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger-pr Posted February 12, 2018 #18 Share Posted February 12, 2018 While Ponce has just 5 more cruise visits scheduled in the next year and a half (4 from RCCL and incredibly one from Celebrity just after departing from San Juan!) the possibilities and things to do around the area are coutless IF......they allow for a long enough port stop. For those of you like me that plan your vacations year ahead hoping the world doesn't blow itself up first, this website: http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/category/south/ has tons of info on the region. One of the very useful features (even for me as a local) are that all the places referenced have GPS coordinates you can pluck into your device and even Google maps to help you get an idea of distances and time frames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guatiao Posted February 12, 2018 #19 Share Posted February 12, 2018 While Ponce has just 5 more cruise visits scheduled in the next year and a half (4 from RCCL and incredibly one from Celebrity just after departing from San Juan!) the possibilities and things to do around the area are coutless IF......they allow for a long enough port stop. For those of you like me that plan your vacations year ahead hoping the world doesn't blow itself up first, this website: http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/category/south/ has tons of info on the region. One of the very useful features (even for me as a local) are that all the places referenced have GPS coordinates you can pluck into your device and even Google maps to help you get an idea of distances and time frames. Let's hope no one presses that nuke button before more tourists get the chance to visit Ponce and other nearby towns which offer so many interesting things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mafig Posted February 26, 2018 #20 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Is there a casino in Ponce? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfaeric Posted February 26, 2018 #21 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Is there a casino in Ponce? 3 of them- Ponce Hilton, Ramada Ponce Plaza, and Holiday Inn west of town. Or at least that's where I've been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guatiao Posted February 26, 2018 #22 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Is there a casino in Ponce? Hi! Yes there are several, one in the Ponce Hilton hotel, another one in the Holiday Inn hotel, and one in the Ponce Plaza hotel (located in the main downtown square). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mafig Posted February 26, 2018 #23 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Good. I know Puerto Rico has been closing a lot of casinos lately. This may be all my dh needs to book Serenade.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacruise804 Posted March 16, 2018 #24 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Hey, hi and hello from PONCE!! I live in Ponce, and would love to try and help with any info that you cruisers would like to know. First and foremost, PONCE IS READY FOR VISITORS! The recovery efforts post María are well under way, and most tourist attractions are operational. Roads, power, running water, hotels, etc. are in working conditions, so feel free to ask! As to more details on Ponce, Puerto Rico's second most important city after San Juan, check these websites: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...erto_Rico.html (In Spanish) http://visitponce.com/historia-de-ponce/ I'd definitely recommend a walking tour in downtown Ponce, where apart from sightseeing, you can have great coffee, nice places for lunch, including Puertorrican fare places, and our very famous "helado de los chinos" (King's Cream ice cream parlor, said by locals to have been owned by Asian residents decades ago) right across the Ponce Firehouse in the Plaza Las Delicias. For shopping, Plaza del Caribe is our biggest mall, with stores including JC Penney, Sears, Macy's, etc. Also, right off the pier, La Guancha boardwalk is full of kiosks that serve food, beer, drinks, and some sell souvenirs. It's a very famous tourist attraction in the Island. I also saw that RCCL has a few shore excursions being sold online for Ponce visitors; http://www.royalcaribbean-espanol.co...de=PSE&wuc=PRI Let me know if I can be of any more help! Small world! My daughter is in Ponce this week for a mission trip with her school. Here is a post from their travel journal from Wednesday: We took a quick trip to Ponce Plaza tp wrap up our Wednesday. We ate some ice cream and saw the firehouse that we had researched before arriving in Puerto Rico! I'll have to ask if this is where they went for ice cream and what flavor she had. In the pictures I've see posted it looks like she is thoroughly enjoying your town and people:halo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfaeric Posted March 16, 2018 #25 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Small world! My daughter is in Ponce this week for a mission trip with her school. Here is a post from their travel journal from Wednesday: We took a quick trip to Ponce Plaza tp wrap up our Wednesday. We ate some ice cream and saw the firehouse that we had researched before arriving in Puerto Rico! I'll have to ask if this is where they went for ice cream and what flavor she had. In the pictures I've see posted it looks like she is thoroughly enjoying your town and people:halo: They went to the very famous Kings Cream. And if they were lucky, they got coconut ice cream. OMG that is good there. The ice cream is made right in front of you in some old copper ice cream makers. In the evening, the lines stretch a little down the block. Kings Cream is roughly right across the street from the Parque de Bombas (Firehouse). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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