If you've never been they do offer a sight seeing and shopping tour around Old San Juan. It takes you by some highlights and the Fort, then drops you near the pier for shopping.
Snowglobe....do the Barcardi factory tour. Everyone I talked to that went had a great time. We just stayed around old San Juan and would have had a much better time if we had taken the barcardi tour. if you've seen one shop, you've seen them all!
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We had people on our ship who did a bioluminescent bay tour--it was kayaking in glowing algae, and said it was hauntingly beautiful. Can't comment first hand. Also people who did an evening horseback ride--it was 45 minutes from port by van to the horses, but they said it was a blast and so worth it.
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Don't pay for a tour company to take you to Bacardi factory. Go on the public ferry, docks to the right of cruise dock. Costs 50 cents each way. On far side of harbour there is lots of vans waiting that charge $3 each way to drive you to Bacardi factory. Admission is free and they give you 2 free drinks. This way you save money and can stay however long you want to at factory. We just did this in Feb 2007. Old San Juan is a neat party town on Fri nights. You can party and dance til dawn if you're up for it. Great atmosphere.
Swimref,
thank you for the tip. we will be there in Sept. and plan on doing this little excursion. We were there last year and waited until 8pm to step out of the ship int San Juan. We really did not have any time to look around. So, I will definitely try the ferry.
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Originally posted by snowglobe:
We will be in San Juan from 5pm to midnight. Is there anything to do during those hours? This will be our first cruise.
Is this when you are arriving a day before your cruise or are you referring to after you board and find your cabin?
Originally posted by Nica:
Swimref,
thank you for the tip. we will be there in Sept. and plan on doing this little excursion. We were there last year and waited until 8pm to step out of the ship int San Juan. We really did not have any time to look around. So, I will definitely try the ferry.
Nica, be sure to find out when the last ferry leaves the Cataņo pier. That would be the place from where you head back to Old San Juan.
We were on the Victory in October and in San Juan from 5-Midnight on Halloween.
First, VERY FEW SHOPS are open at night. Most closed around 7 or 8. A few people were able to find restaurants, but even some of those were closed.
People in my group (I had 20.) took a couple of different tours with Carnival. Some went on the Bacardi tour and loved it. Others did the bioluminescent kayak tour and couldn't stop raving about it. Others took the city tour. I didn't hear too much from them.
I wouldn't plan on doing much shopping if you decide to just walk around. Three of us had dinner on the ship and then walked around and found about four stores (and a Starbucks) open within walking distance of the ship.
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