What pier does Celebrity sail from in San Juan?

[Arwenmark]

Title pretty much says it all which pier does Celebrity sail from in San Juan? and what are the closest hotels?

thanks.

[frito58]

It sails from the Pam Am Pier. We have stayed in the Isla Verde and Condado area and both were 10-15 minutes away. We are staying in OSJ this time and I have read its about the same disatance away. Hope this helps.

[Texed]

Title pretty much says it all which pier does Celebrity sail from in San Juan? and what are the closest hotels?

thanks.

 

If you are embarking in San Juan, it is the Pan American Pier, which is a taxi ride away from any hotel.

[JRarey]

Arwenmark,

 

Pier is as stated above. The taxis in San Juan charge by zones, so the fare is just about the same whether you are coming from the Caribe Hilton less than a mile away, or from Old San Juan or Isla Verde, which are more like 5 miles. Your fare will be ~$20 -$25 depending on the number of passengers and bags.

Even if you are at the Caribe there is no way to walk to the Pan American pier unless you feel up to crossing about 8 lanes of urban interstate type highway with bags in tow. :eek:

 

Too much adventure for my blood and I've been known to willingly jump out of perfectly good airplanes.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Joe

[Lsimon]

My recommendation is to stay in Old San Juan even if it is a little further from the port than other hotels. It is a little further but it has the special charm you'll find only in San Juan. The newer hotels by the beach are fine - but on your cruise you'll see some of the best beaches in the world far surpassing the beaches of San Juan. But the Old San Juan area is unique in what you'll see in on your cruise and a great tourist area on its own - so why not stay there? Even if you are arriving the night before your cruise you can still spend a few hours exploring the city a little before you board the ship the next day - just leave your bags at the hotel desk for a while before you grab a cab to the ship.

 

Old san Juan is probably about 15 minuites and $5 more in cab fare than the "closest" hotels.

[eileen & jay]

Stay in "Old San Juan" if you can. Like Lsimon stated "it has a special charm you'll only find in San Juan." Let me suggest Hotel El Convento in Old San Juan. We spent 2 wonderful nights there before our cruise...very romantic!:D

[robtulipe]

In late Oct/06, before our Regal Princess Panama Canal cruise, we stayed at the Hotel Miramar on Ponce de Leon Ave in the Miramar section which is the closes hotel to the Pan Am pier that is about 1/2 mile away on Isla Grande. It is a smaller hotel that was quite nice with very large rooms and a very friendly staff. It's location is just the other side of Hwy #1 from Isla Grande area but it is difficult to walk with luggage between the hotel and pier because of having to cross the many lanes of that highway and the off ramps there. You can actually see the ship at the Pan Am pier from infront but there is a taller government building blocking the view from the hotel including it's roof which has an observation area. I suggest taking a taxi to get to the pier. It should be a $10 flat fare for up to 5 paxs plus $1 per check size bag (not on carry on size bags).

We had a rental car so I dropped luggage, DW and another couple off at the ship on the morning of embarkation before returning the rental car to the Holiday Inn in Isla Verde (on way to airport) and returned to Isla Grande on the local #1 bus which had a stop across from the Sizzler restaurant on Hwy #1. From there it was about a 10 minute walk to ship. We had arrived two days early in order to have time to visit before embarkation. The restaurant Los Pinos, nearby offered very good and reasonable priced local fare. There was a Walgreens and a Pueblo supermarket also nearby to shop for cruise supplies (soda, water, etc.) Go to miramarhotelpr dot com for more info.

Here are the SJ zones taxi rates. It is a JPEG file so you can right click on it to print it out or save it to your computer.

 

Hi Eillen & Jay, our uppish (as in having the aft balcony above us) from our Century TA last month. Saw your greeting on our roll call

[robtulipe]

Here is a aerial shot of the Miramar sector of SJ. To the bottom left is Hwy 1 and the Pan Am pier is in Isla Grande sector just beyond that highway. Top left above causeway going to start of Candado sector is the eastern tip of OSJ sector and top center and right above lagoon is western Condado sector.

[jollyjones]

Stay in "Old San Juan" if you can. Like Lsimon stated "it has a special charm you'll only find in San Juan." Let me suggest Hotel El Convento in Old San Juan. We spent 2 wonderful nights there before our cruise...very romantic!:D

 

... I agree that Old San Juan is the place to stay if you don't have a lot of time to get a taste of Puerto Rico - everything you need is right there within walking distance (just as well, traffic in OSJ is impossible) and the El Convento is nice - I stayed there when I still had an income coming in - but it sure ain't cheap! Before my last cruise I got a good rate at the HoJo Plaza de Armas - as central as you could wish with all shops you need right there (drugstore, supermarket etc) and it was clean, comfortable and efficient with free WiFi in the rooms. Just be aware that not all rooms have a window, didn't bother me, sorta like an inside cabin - but important to know ahead of time. I'd stay there again and I'm fussy! $15 taxi fare to the pier - loads of taxis right outside the hotel.

[robtulipe]

Re my post on the Hotel Miramar that #1 bus and several others go straight to OSJ (fare was $1.25 a couple years ago). You end up at bus terminal beside which is a free tourist board trolley bus to both forts (San Cristobal and El Morro) and back that you catch at the stop on J.A. Corretjer St. beside the bus station which is across the road (La Marina St.) from cruise ship pier 4 in OSJ. There is a bar/beverage store with outside tables that faces the trolley stop so you can have a cold beer or other drink while waiting for the trolley. There is also a second trolley bus that stops there that only goes as far as Plaza de Armas and the City Hall (2/3 way to El Morro).

I got this hotel for $65 or $70 per night on Hotwire dot com two years back and it seems to be available for $75 now for the mid Feb. date I used. If you do a search on for a package (like a hotel and car) Hotwire gives the hotel name. If you want the hotel only, for which Hotwire doesn't give the hotel name until you have (blind) booked, the Miramar is the only 3* hotel offered in the SJ area without a pool. You just match up amenities to the hotel which are as follows for this hotel.

Hotel features: Near Beach, Smoke Free Rooms, Complimentary Breakfast, Fitness Center, Restaurant(s), Business Center, Laundry Facilities, High-speed Internet Access

[peter123]

Hi,

 

Is it possible to walk from the ship at the Pan American Pier to Old San Juan. What we would like to do, if possible, is to board the ship as soon as it is allowed and then walk from there to Old San Juan to look around, vists. Is it walking distance? 2 or 3 miles wouldn't be a big deal for us. Obviously we wouldn't have our luggage since we would have boarded the ship.

There are mentions of a large highhy to cross, however, there must be passage ways, or overpass right ?

 

Would appreciate help on this.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

In late Oct/06, before our Regal Princess Panama Canal cruise, we stayed at the Hotel Miramar on Ponce de Leon Ave in the Miramar section which is the closes hotel to the Pan Am pier that is about 1/2 mile away on Isla Grande. It is a smaller hotel that was quite nice with very large rooms and a very friendly staff. It's location is just the other side of Hwy #1 from Isla Grande area but it is difficult to walk with luggage between the hotel and pier because of having to cross the many lanes of that highway and the off ramps there. You can actually see the ship at the Pan Am pier from infront but there is a taller government building blocking the view from the hotel including it's roof which has an observation area. I suggest taking a taxi to get to the pier. It should be a $10 flat fare for up to 5 paxs plus $1 per check size bag (not on carry on size bags).

We had a rental car so I dropped luggage, DW and another couple off at the ship on the morning of embarkation before returning the rental car to the Holiday Inn in Isla Verde (on way to airport) and returned to Isla Grande on the local #1 bus which had a stop across from the Sizzler restaurant on Hwy #1. From there it was about a 10 minute walk to ship. We had arrived two days early in order to have time to visit before embarkation. The restaurant Los Pinos, nearby offered very good and reasonable priced local fare. There was a Walgreens and a Pueblo supermarket also nearby to shop for cruise supplies (soda, water, etc.) Go to miramarhotelpr dot com for more info.

Here are the SJ zones taxi rates. It is a JPEG file so you can right click on it to print it out or save it to your computer.

 

Hi Eillen & Jay, our uppish (as in having the aft balcony above us) from our Century TA last month. Saw your greeting on our roll call

[DeltaOne]

Is it possible to walk from the ship at the Pan American Pier to Old San Juan.

It's too far to walk, but a short cab ride. It's been six years but I remember paying less than $20 for our cab ride from Old San Juan to the ship at the Pan American Pier. Drive time was between 10 and 15 minutes.

[Arwenmark]

There will be four of us a wheelchair, a scooter, and a walker and all our luggage. So I am thinking perhaps hotel room with transfers from Celebrity, probably not the cheapest hotel package I could get but they will get us accessible transportation to the ship.

[JRarey]

So I am thinking perhaps hotel room with transfers from Celebrity, .

 

You can always get just the transfers, but I don't believe you will be any better off compared to getting a taxi from a hotel. If you buy transfers Celebrity will just herd you into a large van or bus, most likely.

 

If you arrange for a hotel yourself explain your situation to the manager and make sure they know you are depending on their help. The bell captain can easily arrange for a taxi van, and I think you will save a whole lot of money.

 

I really suggest at least pricing out making your own arrangements versus a Celebrity package, to find out the actual difference in cost.

 

No matter what, happy cruising!

 

Joe

[robtulipe]

Is it possible to walk from the ship at the Pan American Pier to Old San Juan. What we would like to do, if possible, is to board the ship as soon as it is allowed and then walk from there to Old San Juan to look around, visits. Is it walking distance? 2 or 3 miles wouldn't be a big deal for us. Obviously we wouldn't have our luggage since we would have boarded the ship.

There are mentions of a large highway to cross, however, there must be passage ways, or overpass right ?

 

Would appreciate help on this.

Thanks

My San Juan map shows it be be approximately 2 miles from the Pan Am pier to Pier 4 or the bus station in OSJ. You would have to go east back to Hwy # 1 where you enter Isla Grande to cross over the lagoon before heading west on that highway. To walk this you could do so on the west (Isla Grande) side of the highway for about 1/8 of a mile that is part of the causeway crossing the Candado lagoon there. There is a side walk there if I recall correctly and once pass the lagoon area you are on city streets. Go to the other (west) side of the bus terminal from the direction you have come from to catch that free tourist board shuttle to the fort I mentioned earlier in this thread.

It might be better to cross the highway (#1) just before the Sizzler restaurant to Ponce de Leon Ave (about 1/2 mile distance) and take the city bus downtown to the bus station. The bus stop is just after an off ramp overpass at the end of that avenue. There isn't an pedestrian or any overpass across the highway there but is isn't that busy of a highway and is easy to cross over without luggage.

The bus stop on the way back is at the entry to Isla Grande but that is a different bus than the ones that go into Miramar and on to Ocean Pak, Isla Verde and the SJU airport. It's the bus that goes to Plaza Las Americas or just ask at the bus terminal for the bus that stops at Isla Grade. I don't know where that bus stops when going towards the downtown but I suspect it also goes along Ponce de Leon on it's return trip since there isn't a bus stop along Higwy 1 on the opposite side from Isla Grande.

[Lsimon]

Is it possible to walk from the ship at the Pan American Pier to Old San Juan.... ....2 or 3 miles wouldn't be a big deal for us...

 

I'm a big walker and from what I remember about the ride over I don't think I'd want to walk that route. I'd take a cab and save my walking for self-touring around old San Juan. I believe cab fare is just $10 without luggage charges.

 

There is plenty of great walking around Old San Juan. Walk down the Paseo de la Princesa to the path on the water, then walk up at least as far as the city gate. Walk back into town and then head up to the El Morro fort, you can tour there and then walk along the north coast to the other fort (Cristobal?). The views at El Morro and along the road on the tip of the bluff along the north coast are fantastic. You can then return to the heart of the shopping/restuarant district in town and have lunch or a drink. Frankly I doubt that you'll have enough time and/or energy to do all that and I'd much prefer to save time and energy for touring rather than walking the long difficult, and not very scenic, trip to/from the pier.

 

Pay attention on the cab ride there and if you're comfortable with the route and if feel you have enough energy and time left after your touring you could always walk back.

 

I found this site which has great info and maps. Be sure to click the link in the first paragraph for the "San Juan Guide":

http://www.langland.org/cruises/sanjuan.asp

[BurgerBits]

I'm a big walker and from what I remember about the ride over I don't think I'd want to walk that route. I'd take a cab and save my walking for self-touring around old San Juan.

 

Larry - thanks for the tips! Your posts are always so helpful.

 

LOVE THE NEW AVATAR!!

 

Dawn

[peter123]

:) Thanks a lot. Could you be more precise !!! (joking). Can't ask for a better answer. Exactly what I needed. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

My San Juan map shows it be be approximately 2 miles from the Pan Am pier to Pier 4 or the bus station in OSJ. You would have to go east back to Hwy # 1 where you enter Isla Grande to cross over the lagoon before heading west on that highway. To walk this you could do so on the west (Isla Grande) side of the highway for about 1/8 of a mile that is part of the causeway crossing the Candado lagoon there. There is a side walk there if I recall correctly and once pass the lagoon area you are on city streets. Go to the other (west) side of the bus terminal from the direction you have come from to catch that free tourist board shuttle to the fort I mentioned earlier in this thread.

It might be better to cross the highway (#1) just before the Sizzler restaurant to Ponce de Leon Ave (about 1/2 mile distance) and take the city bus downtown to the bus station. The bus stop is just after an off ramp overpass at the end of that avenue. There isn't an pedestrian or any overpass across the highway there but is isn't that busy of a highway and is easy to cross over without luggage.

The bus stop on the way back is at the entry to Isla Grande but that is a different bus than the ones that go into Miramar and on to Ocean Pak, Isla Verde and the SJU airport. It's the bus that goes to Plaza Las Americas or just ask at the bus terminal for the bus that stops at Isla Grade. I don't know where that bus stops when going towards the downtown but I suspect it also goes along Ponce de Leon on it's return trip since there isn't a bus stop along Higwy 1 on the opposite side from Isla Grande.

[robtulipe]

There is plenty of great walking around Old San Juan. Walk down the Paseo de la Princesa to the path on the water, then walk up at least as far as the city gate. Walk back into town and then head up to the El Morro fort, you can tour there and then walk along the north coast to the other fort (Cristobal?). The views at El Morro and along the road on the tip of the bluff along the north coast are fantastic. You can then return to the heart of the shopping/restuarant district in town and have lunch or a drink. Frankly I doubt that you'll have enough time and/or energy to do all that and I'd much prefer to save time and energy for touring rather than walking the long difficult, and not very scenic, trip to/from the pier.

 

What we have done many times in the past is to take the tourist board trolley bus to Cristobal fort, then walk over or again hop on the free trolley to El Morro fort (ask the driver how often it runs when on board), followed by walking back (downhill) to the harbor front thru the old town seeing the tourist sites and shopping along the way. Alternatively you could go along the harbor walkway from the fort (Paseo de El Morro) to the La Princesa fountain and along Paseo de la Princesa to the pier area.

[Lsimon]

...Alternatively you could go along the harbor walkway from the fort (Paseo de El Morro) to the La Princesa fountain and along Paseo de la Princesa to the pier area.

 

If you haven't continued past the fountain, along the city wall and to the city gate - then up the side street you ought to try that. The whole area is very nice and not too long of a walk.

[phoenix_dream]

There will be four of us a wheelchair, a scooter, and a walker and all our luggage. So I am thinking perhaps hotel room with transfers from Celebrity, probably not the cheapest hotel package I could get but they will get us accessible transportation to the ship.

 

I agree with arranging your own transportation. We don't have a wheelchair but do travel with three elderly ladies (one legally blind; one walks slowly and with a cane) and we have no problem at all in finding transportation. Just talk with you hotel front desk well ahead of time and I'm sure they will help you find what you need.

[robtulipe]

Alternatively you could go along the harbor walkway from the fort (Paseo de El Morro) to the La Princesa fountain and along Paseo de la Princesa to the pier area.

 

If you haven't continued past the fountain, along the city wall and to the city gate - then up the side street you ought to try that. The whole area is very nice and not too long of a walk.

Yes we've been in and out of all the city gates along the western wall of OSJ which goes from El Morro to the La Princesa fountain.

That walkway along San Juan Bay (I wrote harbor above) which is called Paseo de El Morro is accessed at El Morro fort from the southern corner of the open grounds in front of the fort. There if you go north-west (to the right at the water's edge) you walk just below the wall protecting the open grounds and the fort. It goes to just beside the point where the Water Battery or the lowest part of El Morro fort is located.

If you go south-east (to the left), you walk below/beside the city portion of that wall and there are several gates that you can access the old town from that walkway.

Here is a portion of the map I got from the tourist board kiosk which was located on the block to the left across the road from Pier 4 and one block down to the west of the trolley bus stop and bus terminal.

[memixer]

I am glad I came back and re-visited Cruise Critics as I have never gone out of the Pan Am pier .. only the OSJ one.. we were going to stay at the Sheraton but that doesn't appear to gain us anything in terms of being closer to the Celebrity Summit. Besides the Sheraton is more expensive.. we might just do the Miramar for the one night and take the taxi over the next day.

Am travelling with my mother again(husband and dad don't like to cruise).. she has a bad hip so hopefully it won't be too far to go to a local grocery to get cokes,etc.. before boarding.

Looking forward to being back on a celebrity ship again.. !

[memixer]

Not sure why my signature and countdown clock isn't showing? Any ideas?

[mcmarya]

Someone mentioned no charge for carry-ons in taxis--they do charge for wheeled suitcases that can be carried on planes. It's $1 each. And, if you let the driver put any other carry on items in the back, he will charge $1 per piece for them as well--the dispatcher told us to keep our "personal items" (daypacks) with us if we didn't want to be charged for them. A bit of annoyance at paying $14 with tip for a 5 minute taxi ride encouraged us to try another strategy for getting from the hotel to the pier.

 

For the adventurous and fit (and thrifty) cruiser without a lot of luggage, it is actually possible to take the bus (75 cents each) from Isla Verde or Condado to within a short distance of the pier. No laughs or flames please, we did it just to see if it could be done. We stayed in Isla Verde and hopped on the C53 (I think) bus which gave us a scenic tour of Isla Verde and Condado before heading toward the convention center on Isla Grande. We got off at the stop right next to the street leading to the Pan Am Pier and walked from there.