Puerto Rico - Questions about getting to & from the port

[beheis]

Was wondering what the best way to get TO the port would be? We will be dropping off our rental car by the airport the day of the ship departs - should we just drop off everyone & luggage at the port and have one person return the rental car?

Second question is when we get back to Puerto Rico - we have until 5pm when our flight takes off - what is the best use of time? We thought of going to Old San Juan and the fort that is right there. Would it be best to take a taxi or to rent a car? Can you rent a car by the port? We will have our luggage with us (but plan to pack light - each have a carry one type suitcase) Is there any place to leave it for the day?

Any assistance or advice would be appreciated! Thanks!
Barbara

 

[bobbiwoz]

I think you're right to plan to do something. We just went to the airport prepared to wait last year, and that was a bad experience. There were next to no chairs to sit on before you go through security!! It was a long long uncomfortable day.

I'll be following this thread for ideas for November when we'll be getting off a cruise again in San Juan.

 

[MissMet]

We're debating dropping off the car & then all taking a taxi over or my DH dropping me, the kids, and the luggage off and then he returns the car alone.

I know it saves a little bit of money to have one person return the car alone without the luggage since you pay for each piece of luggage (if using a taxi). It also would be a lot easier to not load up the luggage twice!

I've also heard (in Port Canveral) that people would park, drop luggage, start check in & once the CM is done with (in our case it would be) DH, then he could go return the car & meet us back in the port. I'm wondering if this would work in PR, especially (for our cruise in April) since the earliest PAT is 11am rather than 10:30am (I think) at PC. So boarding, I would think, moves quicker so to speak, since there's far less waiting around. (We have 11am PAT)

Since we have a 2 year old & 1 year old, we're leaning towards just returning the car all together and then taking a taxi/uber. Though that means a car ride without car seats, which I was trying to avoid. That's the whole reason we're renting a car to begin with.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would return the car and get a taxi to the port.

Barrachina restaurant/pina colada place will keep your bags, but check their website (just add dot com) to find their hours. And just take a taxi into OSJ. Remember that San Juan is HOT and walking around OSJ and the forts is hot, sweaty business, so try to have an extra outfit to change into at the airport.

After experiencing OSJ from vehicles, we have absolutely NO interest in being the drivers going into OSJ. Those streets are incredibly narrow and congested. I'd rather sit in a taxi or uber (but uber doesn't deal with the ports or airport either direction) and have the option to get out and walk if needed, rather than try to deal with the madness and then (shudder) find a place to park.

 

[bumbershoot]

We're debating dropping off the car & then all taking a taxi over or my DH dropping me, the kids, and the luggage off and then he returns the car alone.

I know it saves a little bit of money to have one person return the car alone without the luggage since you pay for each piece of luggage (if using a taxi). It also would be a lot easier to not load up the luggage twice!

I've also heard (in Port Canveral) that people would park, drop luggage, start check in & once the CM is done with (in our case it would be) DH, then he could go return the car & meet us back in the port. I'm wondering if this would work in PR, especially (for our cruise in April) since the earliest PAT is 11am rather than 10:30am (I think) at PC. So boarding, I would think, moves quicker so to speak, since there's far less waiting around. (We have 11am PAT)

Since we have a 2 year old & 1 year old, we're leaning towards just returning the car all together and then taking a taxi/uber. Though that means a car ride without car seats, which I was trying to avoid. That's the whole reason we're renting a car to begin with.

At Canaveral it works b/c there are shuttles from the rental car facilities to the port. I don't think that happens in SJ. If your rental place is AT the airport you won't be taking Uber, FYI. Uber is not welcome at the airports.

Like I said above I would just have everyone return the car.

What are you doing about carseats in the rental? I wouldn't trust carseats from a rental agency personally and would bring my own, no matter how much space they'll take up in the stateroom. That way you have them.

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

I was not aware Uber was unwelcome at airport or port. I was planning that in January. Thank you for telling me.

 

[MissMet]

At Canaveral it works b/c there are shuttles from the rental car facilities to the port. I don't think that happens in SJ. If your rental place is AT the airport you won't be taking Uber, FYI. Uber is not welcome at the airports.

Like I said above I would just have everyone return the car.

What are you doing about carseats in the rental? I wouldn't trust carseats from a rental agency personally and would bring my own, no matter how much space they'll take up in the stateroom. That way you have them.

Thanks. That's what we were leaning towards doing. If they called our boarding number while DH was still gone I don't know that I'd be able to fight the temptation to board without him.

We're renting most of our baby needs through a baby supply rental company who delivers. I have a brother who worked for Enterprise & a friend who is a baggage handler for Delta. Knowing the ins & outs of both worlds first hand I would never trust checking our carseats with the baggage, even at gate check. Using the carseat on the plane is not an option for us. Not to mention, an inside stateroom with two adults, two toddlers, luggage, stroller, playpen...there's literally no where left for TWO carseats.

 

[MissMet]

I was not aware Uber was unwelcome at airport or port. I was planning that in January. Thank you for telling me.

Uber is really not "welcome" anywhere in PR. Most Uber drivers won't pick up at hotels, but around the block from them instead. They avoid areas where Taxi drivers are more likely to spot them. There is a lot of "discomfort" between taxi drivers & Uber drivers in PR. Uber is still very new in PR & Taxi drivers seem to not be taking well to it. I read a recent PR trip report where their Uber driver was confronted by a taxi driver and it got pretty ugly. If you're not going until January things could be much better there, but I doubt the rule of the airport being off limits will change any time soon.

*And as crazy as that sounds...I live in the suburbs of NYC & Uber is illegal here. Uber/Lyft are only allowed in NYC & illegal in the rest of NY state. They're finally in the works to make it legal here, but as of today, still illegal. People still offer rides on the app here, but it's just a cab company. So a ride the equivalent of going from the Springs to MCO that cost us $25 via Uber here costs $71 via "Uber" aka a local taxi company.

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

Where we live Uber is common and encouraged. I knew it was new to PR.