The Inside Cabin

Day 111 – San Juan, Puerto Rico

by | Apr 25, 2018 | 2018 Grand World Voyage, North America, Puerto Rico, San Juan, USA | 0 comments

  1. The Journey Begins – The 2018 Grand World Voyage
  2. Leaving San Diego for Fort Lauderdale
  3. Arriving in Fort Lauderdale and our first day
  4. Fort Lauderdale – Day 2
  5. Day 1 – The Adventure Begins
  6. Day 2 – Our First Sea Day – Abba Fabulous!
  7. Day 3, Georgetown, Grand Cayman
  8. Day 4, At Sea En Route Puerto Limon (San Jose), Costa Rica
  9. Day 5, Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
  10. Day 6, Transit the Panama Canal
  11. Day 7, Fuerte Amador, Panama
  12. Day 8, At Sea
  13. Day 9, At Sea
  14. Day 10, At Sea
  15. Day 11, At Sea
  16. Day 12, At Sea
  17. Day 13, At Sea – Enroute to Nuku Hiva
  18. Day 14, At Sea, Enroute to Nuku Hiva
  19. Day 15, At Sea – Enroute to Nuku Hiva
  20. Day 16, Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia
  21. Day 17, At Sea
  22. Day 18, Avatoru, Rangiroa, French Polynesia
  23. Day 19, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
  24. Day 20, Mooera, French Polynesia
  25. Day 21, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
  26. Day 22 – At Sea
  27. Day 23, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
  28. Day 24, At Sea
  29. Day 25 – Alofi, Niue
  30. Day 26 – At Sea – Crossed Dateline – Jan 29th GONE!
  31. Day 27 – At Sea
  32. Day 28 – At Sea
  33. Day 29 – Auckland, NZ
  34. Day 30 – Tauranga – 3 Feb 2018
  35. Day 31 – Napier
  36. Day 32, At Sea – Super Bowl Monday
  37. Day 33, Port Chalmers, Dunedin
  38. Day 34, Fjordlands National Park – Milford Sound
  39. Day 35 – At Sea – Enroute Sydney
  40. Day 36 – At Sea
  41. Day 37 – Sydney, Australia
  42. Day 38 – Sydney, Australia
  43. Day 39 – At Sea
  44. 2020 World Cruise Possibilities
  45. Day 40, Hobart, Tasmania
  46. Day 41, At Sea
  47. Day 42, At Sea
  48. Day 43 – Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island
  49. Day 44 – Adelaide, South Australia
  50. Day 45 – At Sea
  51. Day 46 – At Sea
  52. Day 47 – Albany, Western Australia
  53. Day 48 – 21 Feb Perth
  54. Day 49 – Perth Yarn Crawl
  55. Day 50 – At Sea
  56. Day 51 – At Sea
  57. Day 52 – At Sea
  58. Day 53 – Benoa, Bali
  59. Day 54 – Benoa – Bali
  60. Day 55 – At Sea
  61. Day 56 – At Sea
  62. Day 57 – At Sea
  63. Day 58, Puerto Princesa
  64. Day 59, – At Sea
  65. Day 60, Manila, Philippines
  66. Day 61, Manila, Philippines
  67. Day 62 – At Sea
  68. Day 63 – Hong Kong
  69. Day 64, Hong Kong
  70. Day 65 – At Sea
  71. Day 66 – At Sea
  72. Day 67 – Phu My, Vietnam
  73. Day 68 – Siem Reap (ms Amsterdam at Sea)
  74. Day 69 – Siem Reap
  75. 2020 World Cruise – w/detailed dates
  76. Day 70 – Singapore
  77. Day 71 – At Sea
  78. Day 72 – Phuket
  79. Day 73 – At Sea
  80. Day 74 – At Sea – Enroute to Sri Lanka
  81. Day 75 – Columbo, Sri Lanka
  82. Day 76 – At Sea – Enroute to the Seychelles
  83. Day 77 – At Sea
  84. Day 78 – At Sea
  85. Day 79 – Victoria, Seychelles
  86. Day 80 – At Sea
  87. Day 81 – At Sea
  88. Day 82 – St Denis – Reunion Island
  89. Day 83 – At Sea
  90. Day 84 – At Sea
  91. Day 85 – At Sea
  92. Day 86 – Maputo – Safari Day 1
  93. Day 87 – Kambaku River Sands – Safari Day 2
  94. Day 88 – Kambaku River Sands – Safari Day 3
  95. Day 89 – Kambaku River Sands – Safari Day 4
  96. Day 90 – Cape Town, South Africa
  97. Day 91, Cape Town, South Africa
  98. Day 92 – At Sea
  99. Day 93, Walvis Bay, Namibia
  100. Day 94 – At Sea
  101. Day 95 – At Sea
  102. Day 96 -Luanda, Angola
  103. Day 97 – At Sea
  104. Day 98 – At Sea
  105. Day 99 – Crossing the Equator
  106. Day 100 – At Sea
  107. Day 101 – At Sea
  108. Day 102 – Banjul, Gambia
  109. Day 103 – Dakar, Senegal
  110. Day 104 – At Sea
  111. Day 105, Praia – Cape Verde
  112. Day 106 – At Sea
  113. Day 107 – At Sea
  114. Day 108 – At Sea
  115. Day 109 – At Sea – April 23, 2018
  116. Day 110 – At Sea
  117. Day 111 – San Juan, Puerto Rico
  118. Day 112 – At Sea
  119. Day 113 – At Sea
  120. Day 114 – Fort Lauderdale
  121. 2018 World Cruise Entertainers

Day 111 – San Juan, Puerto Rico – April 25

Today is the first port day after five sea days and our final port day of the 2018 World Cruise. We will be entering the United States for the first time and are required to clear Immigration. Everybody on the ship must get cleared and no one will be allowed back on board until all guest and crew have been cleared.

Back in the USA

We received a notice in our stateroom assigning us letters or numbers to control the flow off the ship to Immigration. We were in no hurry to leave the ship so we waited until the final call and headed down to the pier about 9:30 AM. The line was short and only took about five minutes. Then we waited in a holding area in the terminal until the rest of the passengers cleared the ship before we could return. It was interesting that the US citizens on the crew (some of the entertainers, hosts, retail staff etc.) went first and then became guides for the rest of the passengers.

We waited about 20 minutes until the crew was cleared before we are allowed back on the ship. Getting back on the ship required us to go down to the first floor in the shopping area and then return through Security as if we were off the ship completely. There were two other ships in port roday, the Carnival Magic and the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas which meant the terminal was very crowded. The signs to get back on the ship were different for each ship and were a little confusing. As it turned out, we ended up on the pier without having passed through metal detectors. We assumed that they would be on the ship as they sometimes are since we didn’t see them in the terminal. But once on the ship we realize that we had somehow bypassed Security altogether.

Carnival Magic moored alongside the Amsterdam

There was a short line to get on the ship and we ended up right behind Suzanne Godrey, the flute player, who performed a few nights ago. We learned that she’ll be performing one final time on the eve of our arrival in Fort Lauderdale. We were back in our stateroom buy 10:30 AM and spent the next hour and a half getting ready to go ashore leaving the ship around noon.

San Juan

The Cruise Terminal is very close to Old Town San Juan. Our plan was to take an Uber to the furthest point in Old Town, which was also the highest point, and then walk back to the ship which would also mean we would be walking downhill. It was a pretty nice day, sunny and not too hot.

Our first stop was the CVS store which was almost directly across the street from the Cruise Terminal. There is also a Walgreens nearby, either one has anything you may need if you’re visiting here on a cruise ship. We looked for some souvenirs and picked up a few T shirts before we headed off down the street to the Tourist Information center. The Tourist Information center is small with one person sitting at a desk. She had a few maps to hand out and was able to give us some recommendations about places to go and things to see.

Getting an Uber was quick, and we are soon on our way to the Museo de Las Americas, about a mile away.

Museo de Las Americas

The museum is in a large building, but only a small portion of it on one floor is used by the Museum. Admission is six dollars, tickets are sold inside the small gift shop and bookstore on the first floor. The museum itself is on the second floor. There are several areas which were not available for touring because they were damaged by hurricane Maria and were still being repaired.

Seeing all the exhibits took about half an hour as we were moving quickly and didn’t read all the signs. If this is something you know you will find interesting, I would plan on spending one hour here. We spent about another 30 minutes in the central courtyard relaxing and planning our route back to the ship.

Plaza del Quinto Centenario

As we slowly made our way back to the ship down the narrow streets of Old Town, we came across the Plaza del Quinto Centenario which was constructed in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in what is now Puerto Rico and is located at the highest point in San Juan.

The main feature of the plaza is the Telurico Totem, a 40 foot high monument created by local architect and ceramicist Jaime Suarez. The totem is carved from granite and embedded with ceramic replicas of archaeological artifacts in honor of the Taino native culture of Puerto Rico.

Plaza de Armas

About half way back to the ship we came across the Plaza de Armas which is one of the main squares in San Juan. It was the original main square for the city back when it was founded years ago. City Hall is located on the north part of the square while the Puerto Rico Department of State is off to the west side. The main feature of the square is a round fountain with four marble statues representing “The Four Seasons”, that were originally placed in the four corners of the square.

We took about an hour to get back to the Walgreens near the ship and spent a little time browsing and picked up a few birthday cards.

Back on the Ship

By 4 PM we were back on the ship and in our cabin.

The ship didn’t leave until 10:30 PM. Instead of live entertainment tonight in the Queen’s Lounge, they showed the movie “The Post”.

Only two more sea days until we will be back in Fort Lauderdale.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.