Our last cruise was out of Puerto Rico. Having never cruised from there in the past, I wasn't sure what to expect. Fortunately, it was a great experience. I would say it is easier than Galveston or New Orleans though my last cruise out of Galveston was a breeze.
The San Juan Cruise Port is the largest and busiest ports in the Caribbean. There are 4 cruise ship piers and 2 modern terminals along the southern shores of historic Old San Juan with a total capacity to accommodate 7 ships at once. The best part is that it location is an easy walk from Old San Juan and it's attractions.
We flew in the night before our cruise so we had most of the next day to explore. We explored Old San Juan until around 11 and then we headed to the ship. You can drop your bags off outside near the street and then head to the ship.
We had lunch on the ship and then headed back out to explore more of the city. I highly recommend doing it this way if you have time. It will make your experience much more relaxing.
THE ROOMS
My first impression of the room and bathroom was how small it was compared to the other Carnival ships I had been on. I immediately took photos and sent them to my friends. We had just returned from a cruise on the Carnival Breeze and it was twice the size.
AROUND THE SHIP
The ship is decorated classic Hollywood style. You will see Passage to India Lounge which I loved.
The classic Hollywood theme is throughout the entire ship including the elevators.
I think my favorite place on the entire ship was the Library.
There’s a six-story atrium flanked by glass-sided elevators, and a playful Hollywood and Broadway theme with lots of jarring chrome and flashiness worked into the ship’s art and architecture.
THE FOOD
There are very few serving stations.The Pizza station and Deli station in the rear of the ship and seemed to always have long lines. It was normal to wait 15-20 minutes for your order.
The Lido buffet was good but they seemed to run out of certain foods almost every time we were there. There is also set for two buffet but all but twice, there was only one line open so there was a wait on food. There is a separate sections for salad, meats, and cheese in the middle of the room. This area was rarely busy so I ate a lot of salads.
The self-serve breakfast buffet was good. It was usually busy but not only do they have food in the buffet line but also where the salad is normally located making breakfast much quicker than other meals. This is also where you will find the ice cream.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you research this ship, you will see a lot of mixed reviews. If you avid cruiser, you may find this ship lacking but the Caribbean islands you visit make up for anything the ship lacks. This particular cruise went to the islands of St Maaarten, St Lucia, St Kitts, Barbados, Antigua, and US Virgin Islands.
I have been on several cruises and this was my least favorite ship. Compared to the other Carnival ships I have been on, this one was much smaller, looked much older, and didn't have near the food selection. There is not a plethora of activities and shows going on throughout the day and no movie night under the stars.
The food service staff, though not as friendly as I have had on other ships, were pleasant. Our Cabin Steward was awesome. She was very attentive and took very good care of us.
Overall, though the ship was not as expected, this was my favorite Caribbean cruise.
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