NCL from San Juan pier?

[johnnydeo]

Got different answers on websites.  One says Pan American and the other San Juan terminal.. Which is it plz?

[ColoradoKen]

Pan American

[tacoville]

Was on repositioning cruise out of Boston in November. We disembarked Pan American pier (although we thought it would be San Juan). I saw on another post that NCL docks in San Juan when PR is a stop mid-itinerary, but docks at Pan American on embarkation/disembarking.  Don't know if that's the key, just what I read.  Hopefully it helps

[johnnydeo]

Guess it's Pan American then for embarkation/disembarking.

TY

[don't-use-real-name]

Graphic image for reference LINK:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@18.4602172,-66.1074977,1949m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

The Pan-American pier (right centered in the image) is not as convenient as the San Juan Cruise Port Terminal

(left centered in the image) for activities in and around the ole downtown areas and the fort.

[ColoradoKen]

15 minutes ago, johnnydeo said:

Guess it's Pan American then for embarkation/disembarking.

TY

 

That's correct, tacoville is right.

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, johnnydeo said:

Got different answers on websites.  One says Pan American and the other San Juan terminal.. Which is it plz?

 

Pan American for embarking for NCL. For a visit it is the pier in old town. The only lines that embark at old town are the luxury lines.

Edited January 29, 2019 by zqvol

[PatandStu]

if you go to cruisenews.com you’ll see that some of NCL ships are now sailing out of the frontier navy pier? The article makes it sound like all NCL ships but someone on fb mentioned its only certain ships. The member mentioned they sailed from the Pan American pier, but disembarked at the frontier pier. 

I have a call into my ta asking her to verify ours. 

[johnnydeo]

Getting some different opinions/answers....

Will eventually call NCL and just ask them..,,

[Stinger-pr]

Take it from a local and someone who has sailed from San Juan an NCL. NCL (and Royal Caribbean sailings that start in and return to PR) embarks and disembarks at the Pan American Pier. Forget the Navy Frontier Pier. That is an old dock just across the way from the PamAm pier which is basically unused and has no facilities. Carnival is the only mainstream cruise line to dock in Old San Juan (actually on Pier 4). Other lines include Windstar and Viking.

 

NCL and almost everyone else uses the Old SJ piers when stopping for the day.

[johnnydeo]

Thanks to all who said PAN AMERICAN☺

[ninjanurse77]

so we did call NCL yesterday, they *will* be using the Navy Pier in the future for certain sailings.

[johnnydeo]

Thanks to all who responded..,

[johnnydeo]

When did NCL say they will be using Navy Pier?

[ninjanurse77]

We didn't ask that, just specifically for our cruise next month.

[PatandStu]

cruiseharbournews.com has an article stating that NCL has reached an agreement with PR ports authority to use the old navy pier & to build a terminal. 

There was a posting on a FB forum that one family reported leaving from the Pan American pier but returning and disembarking at the old navy pier. 

As well, the marine tracker website clearly showed the Dawn at the old navy pier this past Sunday. 

Hopefully NCL will inform passengers if a particular ship changes ports. 

My TA is calling NCL for me to verify which port our Dawn 3/3 sails from. 

[johnnydeo]

20 minutes ago, PatandStu said:

cruiseharbournews.com has an article stating that NCL has reached an agreement with PR ports authority to use the old navy pier & to build a terminal. 

There was a posting on a FB forum that one family reported leaving from the Pan American pier but returning and disembarking at the old navy pier. 

As well, the marine tracker website clearly showed the Dawn at the old navy pier this past Sunday. 

Hopefully NCL will inform passengers if a particular ship changes ports. 

My TA is calling NCL for me to verify which port our Dawn 3/3 sails from. 

When did NCL say they will be using Navy Pier?

[johnnydeo]

Let me know as I also leave on the 3rd... Thanks

[PatandStu]

The article said “today” and it was published January 27, 2019

Cruiseharbournews.com

But it goes on to say it’s to accommodate the larger ships. 

There was a comment on Fb about an NCL ship that departed Pan American pier on January 20, but returned to the navy pier on January 27.  I do not recall which ship it was and I now can’t find the post to check. 

 

[NJLVW]

4 hours ago, johnnydeo said:

Let me know as I also leave on the 3rd... Thanks

Come join our roll call!

[Stinger-pr]

 

In the picture above, the Navy Frontier pier is just across (up) from the Pan American pier. Pictured is the Adventure of the Seas at the PanAm. While the space at the old Navy pier certainly lends itself for future terminal development it currently lacks the facilities to take on that duty.It actually serves as a cargo unloading and cache site, especially for motor vehicles. I also saw the news about the agreement with the Government. But it was just that: an Agreement of Understanding. It is not set in stone and even locally the information surrounding this agreement was very lacking. And with the Government pushing more and more PR as a premier cruise destination, a big deal would've made quite a splash here. It is entirely possible that NCL will expand their footprint in PR in the future even more, hence the Epic's repositioning for her next winter season and the announcement of a new terminal. Besides, with new cruises being built and set to sea each year, cruise lines need more places to put their ships. Eventually they won't all fit in Florida!! hahaha

 

There have been conflicting reports about people being told they leave/arrive using the Navy pier (and I have seen pics of documents stating so), the reality is that the only way they embark or debark is by using the same gangways they use for the port stops on the islands. I'm not aware (and neither is my source at the ports) of any working terminal or customs checkpoint for arrivals. By all accounts, that pier has not been used for passenger purposes in decades. 

 

EDIT: And just as I hit "submit" I see a live review with pictures of the Navy Pier being used. DOH!!!

 

I guess I need to cruise more!! Oh honey.......

 

So people yes, in fact, you MIGHT be using the Navy Frontier pier so watch your documents and the info.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Stinger-pr
Added more current information

[newmexicoNita]

5 hours ago, PatandStu said:

cruiseharbournews.com has an article stating that NCL has reached an agreement with PR ports authority to use the old navy pier & to build a terminal. 

There was a posting on a FB forum that one family reported leaving from the Pan American pier but returning and disembarking at the old navy pier. 

As well, the marine tracker website clearly showed the Dawn at the old navy pier this past Sunday. 

Hopefully NCL will inform passengers if a particular ship changes ports. 

My TA is calling NCL for me to verify which port our Dawn 3/3 sails from. 

the good news is: usually the taxi driver knows exactly where the port is for each ship. 

[PatandStu]

I just got off the phone with NCL and confirmed that the March 3 sailing of the Dawn is from the Pan American pier, pier 4.

 

She said the Navy pier was only used for the January 27th sailings because of maintenance/hurricane repairs on the Pan American pier.

 

She said NCL would email all passengers involved if there was a change of pier for whatever reason.

 

Pat

[Newleno]

19 hours ago, johnnydeo said:

Got different answers on websites.  One says Pan American and the other San Juan terminal.. Which is it plz?

On Jan 17 we embarked from Pan American, on Jan 27 we dis-embarked at the Frontier Pier (right across the water from the Pan American) That was NCL Dawn

[Newleno]

1 hour ago, newmexicoNita said:

the good news is: usually the taxi driver knows exactly where the port is for each ship. 

Hmm we often have problems with taxi drivers, Puerto Rico no exception at the airport the dispatcher circled the wrong fare, (perhaps thinking I did not know how much it should cost)