We spent two days exploring Old San Juan before boarding our Virgin Voyages cruise—and arriving early ended up being one of the best decisions of the trip. Old San Juan is a beautiful town full of interesting things to do and see. The food is great and there are some really cool tours you can do. Two days was perfect to get to see the old city, it was completely worth it. Save our Old San Juan Two Day Itinerary and this Embarkation Guide so you are ready for your time there.
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Is Arriving Early Before A Virgin Voyages Cruise Worth It?
If you are going on a Virgin Voyages cruise and departing from Puerto Rico then spending a couple of days in Old San Juan is such a great idea. If you fly in internationally and want a low stress, easy embarkation this is the plan for you! If you already live near to Puerto Rico and have explored it extensively or have a very tight schedule them this may not suit you.
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Our Virgin Voyages San Juan Embarkation Timeline
We arrived two days before our embarkation day and spent that time exploring Old San Juan. On our embarkation day we spent the morning in Old San Juan before heading to the port. Our Uber to the port was quick and easy. The embarkation process was super easy as well!
Our embarkation day timeline was: Checkout and head to port → leave bags at the port and check in→ jump on the free shuttle to Old San Juan → sightsee → return to port → board the ship
Which Cruise Terminal Does Virgin Voyages Use In San Juan?
Virgin Voyages usually uses either Pier 4 right near Old San Juan or the Pan American Terminal across the water, we left from the Pan American Terminal. The travel time from Old San Juan to the terminal is about 5km and 10 minutes in good traffic. There are hotels nearby if you want to stay close to the port and a free shuttle bus to get you into San Juan and back on embarkation day. This terminal was really easy to access from the town and the whole process was simple and stress free!
Where To Stay Before Embarkation
There are a few areas that are best to stay before your Virgin Voyages embarkation, we stayed in Old San Juan as we wanted to be close to the atmosphere of the town.
Old San Juan
Best for: Walkability, history and restaurants
Best places to stay in Old San Juan are Decanter Hotel and Hotel El Convento both are clean, comfortable and great places to stay before a cruise.
Condado
Best for: Beach stays close to the city.
Our pick of hotels in Conaldo is Caribe Hilton, not too far from the town, right on the water and the rooms are really comfortable.
Near Terminal
Best for: Convenience to the port for embarkation day. Our pick is the T-Mobile area where the Sheraton Puerto Rico Resort, Aloft by Marriott San Juan.
What To Do In San Juan Before Your Cruise
Old San Juan is the perfect place to explore before your cruise. The town is really colourful and interesting to walk around. There is great shopping and taking a food tour here is a perfect way to get to know the city. You can take a tour at the oldest producing rum distillery in San Juan, the Ron Barrilito distillery. We also did the mixology class and this was one of our favourite things to do in San Juan! Head out to the beach for a day or go to the unique rainforest and explore, you will not be bored as there is something for everyone.
Embarkation Day: What To Expect
Embarkation with Virgin Voyages is really easy, we arrived with our luggage and left our larger bags with the pier staff. We had already tagged our bags prior to arriving so they were taken quickly and easily.
We lined up to check in, the line was moving quickly and before long we were standing at one of the check in counters. We were served by a lovely staff member who quickly found our booking, checked our passports and gave us the infamous Virgin Voyages red wristband which is used to unlock your cabin and purchase drinks.
Once we were checked in we were told it would be a few hours until we could board. We were directed to the line up for the free shuttle buses that take you into Old San Juan. These big buses easily took most of the line up and quickly we were off and wandering around Old San Juan. We spent the time walking the old town, grabbing some drinks and people watching.
We decided to go back to the port as it was getting close to our boarding time. The bus ride was smooth and easy, we arrived a little before our scheduled time and were able to walk straight on. It was fantastic! The boarding process was incredibly simple, scanning our wristbands we walked on the ship for the first time.
What We Packed In Our Carry-On
We heard that you should pack loads in your carry on as you can’t get into your cabin for some time. This is true, it was a couple of hours before our cabin was ready and our bags were delivered but this was fine! In our carry on we packed exactly what we needed for the day. We didn’t need a lot as we boarded the ship, had a leisurely lunch and wandered around to check out the different areas. By the time we sat down to relax our room was ready!
- Passports
- Swimwear (if you intend to swim until your room is ready)
- Medication
- Phone charger
- Water
- Documents
- Hat
- Sunscreen
Check out our full cruise packing list for everything you actually need!
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Is Embarkation In San Juan Easy?
Embarkation in San Juan is really easy! The transfer to the port was simple and quick, there was no stress at all involved in checking in and we were able to catch a free shuttle to spend time in Old San Juan while we waited for our embarkation time. The whole process was simple to follow, very well organised. It gave a great first impression for the Virgin Voyages experience.
Costs Of Staying In San Juan Before A Cruise
We spent two days in San Juan as a midrange travel style couple, this was our approximate break down of the cost:
- Accommodation ( 2 nights): ~$250 USD per night
- Food Tours: ~$110 USD per person
- Other tours: starting from ~ $20 USD to $200+
- Transport: ~$75 USD (this included getting from the airport and back, to the port and all around the city!)
- Rum experiences: ~$90 USD each tour per person
- Food & Drinks: ~$250-$350 USD
Would we do it again? Yes! This was the perfect way to relax and feel un-rushed for our embarkation day.
Our Recommended 2 Day Pre-Cruise Plan
This is a quick run down of our 2 day pre cruise plan, check out the guide with everything to do in our complete Old San Juan guide.
Day 1: Old San Juan food walking tour + exploring Old San Juan
Day 2: Forts + rum tour
Cruise day: Embark
What We’d Do Differently Next Time
We had such a great lead up to our embarkation and the actual day ran so smoothly that there isn’t too much to improve, these are the few things I would do differently next time.
- If possible I would stay for about 4 days in San Juan so I could do some more tours, there are loads that I am planning to do next time.
- I would make sure I had sunscreen and a hat with me for embarkation day as there was a little but of waiting time in the sun and not much shade at the port.
- Bring water with me to the port and to walk around Old San Juan.
FAQ For Our Virgin Voyages San Juan Embarkation
Which terminal does Virgin Voyages use?
Virgin Voyages usually uses either Pier 4 or the Pan American Terminal. We boarded at the Pan American Terminal.
How early should you arrive?
Generally a little before your embarkation time if you don’t want to leave your bags and walk the town. We arrived around 11am, dropped our bags and checked in, took the free shuttle to town and then when we returned we walked straight on board.
Is Old San Juan worth staying in?
Yes! It is one of the best places to stay, there is so much atmosphere and vibe here, we loved it.
Do you need transport?
Yes, you will need transport to the Pan American Terminal. We caught an Uber here from the town and it was about $10 USD.
Can you walk?
You can walk from the Pier 4 Port to Old San Juan but the walk to the Pan American Terminal would be too long.
What time does embarkation begin?
Everyone has different embarkation times, but it usually starts around 2pm. The Rockstar cabins get the earliest boarding times.
How many nights should you stay?
We stayed for 2 nights in San Juan but we could have happily stayed 4 and included other tours we are keen to try next trip!
Final Verdict
Would we arrive early again? Absolutely. Puerto Rico ended up feeling like part of the holiday rather than just a departure point. We loved our time in San Juan and would return to do a couple more days before we embark on another Caribbean cruise with Virgin Voyages. Staying in Old San Juan really added to our time away and helped us relax and be calm and ready to enjoy our cruise!
Plan your trip:
👉 Read next: Our Virgin Voyages Cruise Experience
👉 Plan your trip: Caribbean Travel Guide & Caribbean Cruise Guide
👉 Don’t miss: Dominican Republic Travel Itinerary
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