Where does NCL test us in San Juan?

[barbatkins]

Sailing on Epic Jan 30……Just wondering if anyone knows where NCL

does the pre cruise Covid testing in San Juan?  Is it done at Pan American

pier?  Thanks……

[Wildcat24]

I heard it is done at the Sheraton by the Convention Center.

[kdawg954]

Yep at the Sheraton near Pan American.

 

Up the escalator, take the Uber directly there if you don't mind keeping your luggage with you.

[barbatkins]

8 hours ago, kdawg954 said:

Yep at the Sheraton near Pan American.

 

Up the escalator, take the Uber directly there if you don't mind keeping your luggage with you.

 

do they run buses from the pier to theSheraton if we go drop off luggage

[Viajera7]

Yes, I dropped my luggage and got the bus at the pier to go to the Sheraton hotel.

[ktpc2005]

I was going to ask this question too.  As I am staying at the Hyatt Place right up the street from the Sheraton, that saves paying for a cab ride for my group to the pier only to go back to the Sheraton.  We will just walk across to the Sheraton as we all pack light.

[Cruise Gopher]

So if you go directly to the Sheraton to test, can you then bring your luggage on the bus back to the port or do you have to grab your own Uber to the port?
 

Because most people will have already dropped bags at the port before being shuttled to the Sheraton. Not sure how the bus drivers would react to people with luggage coming for a ride back to the port??

[CruiseMH]

If i check the google maps correctly the way from the pier to the hotel is rather short.

Is it possible to walk back and forth? Or do i have to take the shuttle bus?

I would prefer to walk a bit after the long flight and also would reduce the risk of getting quarantined due to a close contact in the bus.

 

 

[CiaraMissed]

 

On 1/10/2022 at 7:50 AM, ktpc2005 said:

I was going to ask this question too.  As I am staying at the Hyatt Place right up the street from the Sheraton, that saves paying for a cab ride for my group to the pier only to go back to the Sheraton.  We will just walk across to the Sheraton as we all pack light.

As long as "packing light" means about a carry-on size bag. They don't stow bags under the bus. I didn't want to check any of my luggage at the pier, so I had a carry-on and a backpack I wheeled with me at the testing site, then hogged an extra seat on the bus. No one seemed to mind.

 

19 hours ago, Cruise Gopher said:

So if you go directly to the Sheraton to test, can you then bring your luggage on the bus back to the port or do you have to grab your own Uber to the port?
 

Because most people will have already dropped bags at the port before being shuttled to the Sheraton. Not sure how the bus drivers would react to people with luggage coming for a ride back to the port??

 

No one seems to care about the luggage, except if it's larger than a carry-on sized bag. If you have a full-sized (i.e. checked luggage size) suitcase, then they may care and may force you go to the pier via Uber first.

 

1 hour ago, CruiseMH said:

If i check the google maps correctly the way from the pier to the hotel is rather short.

Is it possible to walk back and forth? Or do i have to take the shuttle bus?

I would prefer to walk a bit after the long flight and also would reduce the risk of getting quarantined due to a close contact in the bus.

 

 

They don't do any contact tracing or tracking of those who ride the bus to the testing site. They board the buses quickly and total dwell+travel time is less than 10 minutes (too little time for a close contact). The only passengers boarding the shuttle bus back to the pier are those who had a negative result (you get a color-coded wristband). The walk is not far, but there isn't really a sidewalk, just some rough asphalt and small uneven grass.

[Mashed Potatoes!]

Found this video posted on a NCL Epic FB page:

 

 

[CruiseMH]

Thats what i call a helpful Video.

thanks for posting it.

[GoGreen1]

So if we stay at the Sheraton the night before we cruise, we could test before going to check in at the pier?  Then Uber to the pier After our negative tests?  Just want to verify we don’t have to go to the pier first, it would save us some time. 

[Timbers]

Hi , I did check in for my back to back on epic out of San Juan Feb 6 and 13  under one reservation , I  did the link to eurofin covid test , created my account and it shows date of Feb 13,   Should I assume because they link from ncl they know I need Feb 6 test , maybe not the 13 th if I stay on ship .    Also should I still get the test before my flight to San Juan ( have test set up in Portland) , will  Puerto Rico let cruisers in without test if they cruise within 2 days