San Juan Hotel

[mhconley]

We have four nights booked at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel before our southern Caribbean next April. Got a great rate on a one bedroom suite. Before I booked it I had a room booked at the Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. Both are very highly rated on TripAdvisor. The Condado Vanderbilt is also on Condé Naste Traveler's World's Best list.

Martin

 

[czmom]

I love all these tips for places to eat! And for uber. We will be there for 2 nights post cruise next month we rented a condo through VRBO in Isla Verde. It was much less than the hotels.

 

[Mochridh]

Need recommendation for pre cruise hotel.

We`ve booked at the Courtyard by Marriott San Juan Miramar...never been there before.

 

[karebear06]

We currently have the InterContinental reserved in Isla Verde. Has anyone on this thread stayed here before?

 

[andrews_dad]

La Concha or Marriott Stellaris

We stayed at the Conadado Hilton and the whole family was pleased with the activities and the location was close to everything.

 

[mom4fun]

Do any hotels offer excursions around San Juan?

 

[bumbershoot]

We are at the Caribe now and they gave us a sheet by GSI tours with excursions.

http://gsipuertorico.com/downloads/15041014_Brochure_For_Low_Resolucion_Final.pdf

And that's the page.


The cab situation was very easy. 4 bags to this location was $27. Not cheap but no surprises and the driverndisnt scare us with his driving.

We will probably use uber elsewhere but with the bags we just wanted to cab it.

 

[DisneyLove2015]

So for cruises originating from San Juan, they do not depart from the same piers as day stops? We've been to San Juan twice on CCL but we're doing our first time out of San Juan in January 2018. I am struggling with transportation because we will have a 2 year old with us. Do any of the hotels near the airport or port have shuttles?

 

[mhconley]

So for cruises originating from San Juan, they do not depart from the same piers as day stops? We've been to San Juan twice on CCL but we're doing our first time out of San Juan in January 2018. I am struggling with transportation because we will have a 2 year old with us. Do any of the hotels near the airport or port have shuttles?

The terminal for cruises originating from San Juan is different from the one used by port of call cruises.

It is the Pan American terminal on Isla Grande in the center of the map above. The port of call terminals are in Old San Juan in the top left of the map.

Martin

 

[mom4fun]

The terminal for cruises originating from San Juan is different from the one used by port of call cruises.

It is the Pan American terminal on Isla Grande in the center of the map above. The port of call terminals are in Old San Juan in the top left of the map.

Martin

So is the pan American pier and the airport close by each other?

 

[mom4fun]

We are at the Caribe now and they gave us a sheet by GSI tours with excursions.

http://gsipuertorico.com/downloads/15041014_Brochure_For_Low_Resolucion_Final.pdf

And that's the page.


The cab situation was very easy. 4 bags to this location was $27. Not cheap but no surprises and the driverndisnt scare us with his driving.

We will probably use uber elsewhere but with the bags we just wanted to cab it.

Wow, this is great! Do you think all of the Hilton properties offer the excursions? We were also looking at Embassy and Double Tree.

 

[mhconley]

So is the pan American pier and the airport close by each other?

The Pan American Pier is approximately 7.5 miles from the Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín. The airport shown on the map is a small local airport. SJU is east of the map on the coast.


Martin

 

[bumbershoot]

So for cruises originating from San Juan, they do not depart from the same piers as day stops? We've been to San Juan twice on CCL but we're doing our first time out of San Juan in January 2018. I am struggling with transportation because we will have a 2 year old with us. Do any of the hotels near the airport or port have shuttles?

I don't know. But if they did they might still have seatbelts. With a 2 year old I would stay in the area I meant to tour in and just bring a car seat for the ride from the airport and then to the port.

Or rent a car. I've read (and a friend from Ponce has told me) that driving is crazy, and it was a bit last night, but everyone does it. I read an interesting take on it; people expect the other person to be kind. They don't signal, and they just move with the understanding that the person will notice and let them in. Which is an interesting way to look at it.

The Pan American Pier is approximately 7.5 miles from the Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín. The airport shown on the map is a small local airport. SJU is east of the map on the coast.
View attachment 210038

Martin

It was almost a year after I booked this cruise until I realized that that wasn't the airport I'd be flying into.

Sneaky little airport making us think it's THE airport.

 

[jrabbit]

Do any hotels offer excursions around San Juan?

Ours did - the Sheraton OSJ. Through the concierge desk. We actually booked a couple of excursions before we left home, either online or by e-mail (I don't remember which way).

 

[trainfun]

Do any of the hotels offer either airport transfers or transfers to the ship or is a taxi/uber necessary?

Any hotels within walking distance to the ship?

 

[mom4fun]

For those of you that have booked hotels in January, what can we expect to pay if we book early?

 

[mareed]

For those of you that have booked hotels in January, what can we expect to pay if we book early?

Quite pricey, I think! Around $250 - $400 per night total once adding resort fees for the nice places near one of the beaches which was my criteria. I ended up at Courtyard in Isla Verde for $248 including $25 food/beverage credit.

 

[mom4fun]

Quite pricey, I think! Around $250 - $400 per night total once adding resort fees for the nice places near one of the beaches which was my criteria. I ended up at Courtyard in Isla Verde for $248 including $25 food/beverage credit.

That's what I'm seeing if we were going this year. Sounds like there is no discount by booking early.

 

[mom4fun]

That's what I'm seeing if we were going this year. Sounds like there is no discount by booking early.

I mean January 2017.

 

[bumbershoot]

For those of you that have booked hotels in January, what can we expect to pay if we book early?

Rates were so much higher for my dates a year ago! (12/12-12/17)

The sweet spot was actually early November. Alas I booked mid.

El convento didn't even have any bookings a year out. They started maybe around march and it was in the 400s, and bottomed in the high 100s (just under 200) in early Nov. embassy was as low as 134 at one point. Sheraton OSJ had a suite solidaky under 200. Was pretty cool.

I'd lock something down but make sure it can be changed, then keep checking back.

Not sure how dates in the runup to Xmas compare to January, but maybe my experience isn't unique.