What to do in Puerto Rico? (& where to stay?)

It took me close to a week, but I finally have the cruise tickets
(Caribbean Princess, 1 week out of Puerto Rico, $1,223 for 2), and
yesterday I got the airfare. (Airtran, round trip from Dayton, Ohio to
San Juan, ~$855 for 2)

I played around with the airfare dates. Originally, we were just
going to fly in on Sunday Jan. 9, and fly out on Sunday the 16th.
However, I noticed that the outgoing flight left at 7:30 in the morning.
Cruise ship didn't even dock until 6! Figured that was a disaster in
the making, and we'd never make it. However, doing a later flight
instead boosted the total cost by about $200. Instead, I made our
return flight the next day, Monday the 17th.

This means we will be in San Juan from a little after 8 AM on Sunday,
until Monday morning. (flight leaves ~2pm) I guess we need a place to
stay Sunday, and I need to figure out something for us to do. This will
be after our week cruise.

I've heard of something called paradores, which I guess are family
owned, smaller hotels, and not part of big chains. I think my wife
would like something like that, rather than just another huge hotel. I
guess I would sort of like decent access to some restaurants/shops, and
perhaps the beach.

Can anyone recommend something like this?

Also, I have a question about airport shuttles. Here in Ohio, if
your hotel is within roughly 5 miles of an airport, you can expect a
free shuttle service to the airport. Is this typically the case in
Puerto Rico as well?

Thanks!

"Ohioguy" wrote in message
...
It took me close to a week, but I finally have the cruise tickets
(Caribbean Princess, 1 week out of Puerto Rico, $1,223 for 2), and
yesterday I got the airfare. (Airtran, round trip from Dayton, Ohio to San
Juan, ~$855 for 2)

I played around with the airfare dates. Originally, we were just going
to fly in on Sunday Jan. 9, and fly out on Sunday the 16th. However, I
noticed that the outgoing flight left at 7:30 in the morning. Cruise ship
didn't even dock until 6! Figured that was a disaster in the making, and
we'd never make it. However, doing a later flight instead boosted the
total cost by about $200. Instead, I made our return flight the next day,
Monday the 17th.

This means we will be in San Juan from a little after 8 AM on Sunday,
until Monday morning. (flight leaves ~2pm) I guess we need a place to
stay Sunday, and I need to figure out something for us to do. This will
be after our week cruise.

I've heard of something called paradores, which I guess are family
owned, smaller hotels, and not part of big chains. I think my wife would
like something like that, rather than just another huge hotel. I guess I
would sort of like decent access to some restaurants/shops, and perhaps
the beach.

Can anyone recommend something like this?

Also, I have a question about airport shuttles. Here in Ohio, if your
hotel is within roughly 5 miles of an airport, you can expect a free
shuttle service to the airport. Is this typically the case in Puerto Rico
as well?

Thanks!

I haven't found any hotels with shuttle service to or from either the
airport or cruise port. Of course since I am tied to the Hilton HHonors
program I haven't been looking outside of that chain.

What you could do (to kill the time between getting off ship and being able
to check into a hotel) is to take a post cruise tour (book through the
cruise line) that will drop you at the airport after the post cruise tour.
From there take a relatively cheap taxi to a hotel near the airport and then
back again the next day. I have done the Old Town & Bacardi Factory tours
and enjoyed them previously.

I am seeing a Best Western Hotel and Casino in the airport and showing a per
night at $121 for AAA or AARP members or over 55 (if you qualify) or $134.99
otherwise for Queen standard room.

Ohioguy wrote:



I've heard of something called paradores, which I guess are family
owned, smaller hotels, and not part of big chains. I think my wife
would like something like that, rather than just another huge hotel.
I guess I would sort of like decent access to some restaurants/shops,
and perhaps the beach.

Can anyone recommend something like this?

Also, I have a question about airport shuttles. Here in Ohio, if
your hotel is within roughly 5 miles of an airport, you can expect a
free shuttle service to the airport. Is this typically the case in
Puerto Rico as well?


I advise against a budget hotel in San Juan. You could end up in a bad
place.

Personally in San Juan I like the Caribe Hilton or something in that
class.

Don't know any hotels with free shuttles.
--
Charles

On 11/17/10 10:51 AM, Ohioguy wrote:
It took me close to a week, but I finally have the cruise tickets
(Caribbean Princess, 1 week out of Puerto Rico, $1,223 for 2), and
yesterday I got the airfare. (Airtran, round trip from Dayton, Ohio to
San Juan, ~$855 for 2)

I played around with the airfare dates. Originally, we were just going
to fly in on Sunday Jan. 9, and fly out on Sunday the 16th. However, I
noticed that the outgoing flight left at 7:30 in the morning. Cruise
ship didn't even dock until 6! Figured that was a disaster in the
making, and we'd never make it. However, doing a later flight instead
boosted the total cost by about $200. Instead, I made our return flight
the next day, Monday the 17th.

This means we will be in San Juan from a little after 8 AM on Sunday,
until Monday morning. (flight leaves ~2pm) I guess we need a place to
stay Sunday, and I need to figure out something for us to do. This will
be after our week cruise.

I've heard of something called paradores, which I guess are family
owned, smaller hotels, and not part of big chains. I think my wife would
like something like that, rather than just another huge hotel. I guess I
would sort of like decent access to some restaurants/shops, and perhaps
the beach.

Can anyone recommend something like this?

Also, I have a question about airport shuttles. Here in Ohio, if your
hotel is within roughly 5 miles of an airport, you can expect a free
shuttle service to the airport. Is this typically the case in Puerto
Rico as well?

Thanks!

You have to consider Puerto Rico as an international destination. It's
nothing like the US.

Paradors are somewhere between a low end Motel 6 and a room at the YMCA.
Basically a low end dive. Many have no A/C, just wood louvers over
the windows. None will be on the ocean. They're on old streets.
Travel at work booked me one time at the Parador Oasis in San German.
It looked like something out of a Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western.
Guys hanging over the porch balcony with beers in their hand. On a 1-10
scale... I'd rate it about a negative 5. Not even up to zero.

You take your chances.. it's your vacation. But if I was going to stay
in San Juan, PR, here's my list of places:

Caribe Hilton
Condado Plaza
Embassy Suites
Ritz Carleton
El San Juan.

That's my list, short and sweet. I've stayed at all of them on business.

Forget the Radisson Normandie. It's a dive.

On Nov 17, 7:51*am, Ohioguy wrote:
* *It took me close to a week, but I finally have the cruise tickets
(Caribbean Princess, 1 week out of Puerto Rico, $1,223 for 2), and
yesterday I got the airfare. (Airtran, round trip from Dayton, Ohio to
San Juan, ~$855 for 2)

* *I played around with the airfare dates. *Originally, we were just
going to fly in on Sunday Jan. 9, and fly out on Sunday the 16th.
However, I noticed that the outgoing flight left at 7:30 in the morning.
* Cruise ship didn't even dock until 6! *Figured that was a disaster in
the making, and we'd never make it. *However, doing a later flight
instead boosted the total cost by about $200. *Instead, I made our
return flight the next day, Monday the 17th.

* *This means we will be in San Juan from a little after 8 AM on Sunday,
until Monday morning. (flight leaves ~2pm) *I guess we need a place to
stay Sunday, and I need to figure out something for us to do. *

I highly recommend the Segway Tours… it often sells out… reserve in
advance.

http://www.segwaytourspr.com/guidedtours.html

jay

On 11/17/2010 10:51 AM, Ohioguy wrote:
It took me close to a week, but I finally have the cruise tickets
(Caribbean Princess, 1 week out of Puerto Rico, $1,223 for 2), and
yesterday I got the airfare. (Airtran, round trip from Dayton, Ohio to
San Juan, ~$855 for 2)

I played around with the airfare dates. Originally, we were just going
to fly in on Sunday Jan. 9, and fly out on Sunday the 16th. However, I
noticed that the outgoing flight left at 7:30 in the morning. Cruise
ship didn't even dock until 6! Figured that was a disaster in the
making, and we'd never make it. However, doing a later flight instead
boosted the total cost by about $200. Instead, I made our return flight
the next day, Monday the 17th.

This means we will be in San Juan from a little after 8 AM on Sunday,
until Monday morning. (flight leaves ~2pm) I guess we need a place to
stay Sunday, and I need to figure out something for us to do. This will
be after our week cruise.

I've heard of something called paradores, which I guess are family
owned, smaller hotels, and not part of big chains. I think my wife would
like something like that, rather than just another huge hotel. I guess I
would sort of like decent access to some restaurants/shops, and perhaps
the beach.

Can anyone recommend something like this?

Also, I have a question about airport shuttles. Here in Ohio, if your
hotel is within roughly 5 miles of an airport, you can expect a free
shuttle service to the airport. Is this typically the case in Puerto
Rico as well?

Thanks!
You might want to take a look at the El Canario Inn ---- it's next to
the Marriott on Ashford Avenue --- generally costs a little over $100 a
night and the lodging comes w/ a continental breakfast -- centrally
located, affordable and just down the street from the beach. Obviously,
there's other places, but for the first time in San Juan, it could be fun.

Bill

"William W. Wright" wrote in message
...
You might want to take a look at the El Canario Inn ---- it's next to the
Marriott on Ashford Avenue --- generally costs a little over $100 a night
and the lodging comes w/ a continental breakfast -- centrally located,
affordable and just down the street from the beach. Obviously, there's
other places, but for the first time in San Juan, it could be fun.

Bill

That's a good suggestion, Bill....Once when we booked a cruise out of San
Juan, all the big hotels were filled and we stayed at the El Canario Inn Bed
& Breakfast ...Ohioguy, there are two El Canario inns so you might want to
check out both. It was a neat experience and the place was clean and sort of
quaint...you could hear the coqui singing out in the banana plants and
tropical plants next to the window! It is in sort of a more residential
area, but not that far from the port..They have an 800 number where you can
speak to the front desk.

There is lots to see and do in Old San Juan...if you have time for a tour of
the El Yunque Rainforest...take it!
http://www.canariohotels.com/inn.htm

--Jean