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You can opt into a shore excursion in the El Yunque National Rainforest or spend the day exploring Old San Juan, with its colorful architecture and rich history, on your own. When you travel to San Juan, it’s good to go with a sense of adventure! There is plenty of exploring to do and the island will surprise you with all it has to offer. Check out some of these adventures during your cruise to Puerto Rico.
San Juan for the day: What to do while your cruise is in port
Island Marketing Ltd offers tours and excursions for almost every budget and individual need. Puerto Rico offers an abundance of excursions and activities to delight cruisers of all ages. However, a devastating hurricane such as Maria can leave the island amenities and the cruise port badly damaged and without power. Without massive assistance from the rest of the world, the damage may not be repaired speedily and may affect the following cruise season.
Old San Juan Piers & Terminals
The old town's forts, museums, restaurants and shops are all within walking distance of the dock. If limited mobility is an issue, there's a free on-and-off trolley that takes you to the major attractions. After coffee, we began our walking tour through the cobblestone streets and colorful historic architecture of Old San Juan. I had no idea that this quaint city had such a European feel to it, enhanced by it’s own vibrant Caribbean charm.
Save a Spot - Most Popular Walking Tour
For a thrilling experience, there's the Sea Trek Helmet Dive at Coral World Ocean Park with a guided walk along an underwater trail. After a day at sea, the ship arrives in Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, for a day at the beach, snorkeling, kayaking, horseback riding, or hiking before returning to Fort Lauderdale the following morning. San Juan's cruise terminal, located in the heart of Old San Juan, allows you to immerse yourself in the city's rich history, colorful architecture, and vibrant culture.
Keep left at the fork and merge onto Expreso Román Baldorioty de Castro/PR-26. Manuel Fernández Juncos/PR-1 S. Take the ramp to Cll Guamani/PR-16 (120 m). Who knew the smallest house in the world is located in San Juan on Calle Tetuán!
While there were several fun excursions offered, my friend, Suzie, and I were most interested in trying out a few restaurants that had been recommended to us by friends on Facebook and Twitter. We used Carnival’s wifi to download a map and a self-guided walking tour of San Juan and we also asked our friends on Twitter and Facebook for recommendations about what to see and do. All those great suggestions on social media helped us put together a fun day full of delicious foods, scenic sites, and a bit of shopping. This cruise begins in San Juan where guests board Rhapsody of the Seas for a jam-packed week of Caribbean destinations. The first port is St. Croix, where you can tour rum distilleries; dine on fresh seafood with French, Thai, and Dutch flavors; and lounge on sugar-sand beaches.
Christopher Columbus landed on this beautiful island in 1493 and named it San Juan Bautista. In 1511, Ponce de León named the town Puerto Rico and then founded San Juan in 1521. San Juan is the oldest city within U.S. territory and the capital of Puerto Rico, aka the Rum Capital of the World! The heart and soul of the island is Old San Juan, dating over 500 years old and took 250 years to build. The old city is less than one mile long, connected to the new city by a bridge. Feel free to Contact UsThis guide is researched, written and published independently of advertisements.
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Wheelchair and Accessibility at the San Juan Cruise Port
Most passengers booked on cruises from San Juan arrive by air into the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU). It is one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean and consequently flights from the USA are regular and cheap. Airport transfers may also be available when arriving by air on the day of cruise departure.
The Pan American Pier has two modern two-tiered passenger terminals (I & II), located in Isla Grande, next to the Isla Grande Airport and near the Puerto Rico Convention Center. Depending on your cruise line and cruise ship traffic, your ship may arrive and dock here for the day and will most likely embark from here if San Juan is the home departure port. Home Port cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Princess) often use San Juan as their departure port, thus cruises embark from San Juan.
Indeed, Puerto Rico has emerged in recent years as a "foodie" destination whose cuisine incorporates African, Caribbean, Latin and European influences and traditions. Another intimate beach, El Escambron, borders Old San Juan and the modern Condado District. Most ships call at the port for up to eight hours, giving cruisers time to explore several Puerto Rico highlights. Ships arrive in San Juan as early as noon and sail late in the evening. Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America, MSC Cruises and other lines all have scheduled multiple San Juan calls for 2021. Several Royal Caribbean ships will target San Juan as both a home port — a city from which voyages depart round-trip — and as a port of call in 2021.
As soon as you get off the ship, you can easily walk the 7 blocks magical city of Old San Juan and enjoy the top attractions and things to do on foot. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Puerto Rico Cruise Excursions recommends excursions for Carnival Magic passengers for your visit to Puerto Rico based on the arrival times, departure time of your the Magic as well as the length of your visit out our Port. Like many other Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico is affected by earthquakes. Although most of these are minor tremors, it has had a spate of earthquakes in recent times.
The San Juan suburb of Santurce is home to a lively art scene punctuated with hip restaurants featuring international cuisine spiced by locally sourced ingredients and traditional Puerto Rican recipes. While here, take a scenic boat ride along the coast and go snorkeling, take an off road ATV adventure or take part in an unusual and exciting stingray encounter. The island of St. Kitts is said to have some of the best beaches in the world. It’s also a prime destination for nature lovers with lush rainforests and alluring waterfalls. It was a lovely day visiting San Juan and this is definitely a destination I’d be excited to come back to. From San Juan, the cruise heads to Puerto Plata on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, known as the Amber Coast for its rich deposits of resin.
