My wife and I have been on quite a few cruises - 11 for her and 9 for me. But we have always driven to the ports - Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale or Miami. But last year, we booked a cruise on the Adventure of the Seas departing from Puerto Rico. No driving to that one!
We flew in the night before and stayed at the Best Western Inn Pierre in the Condado area. It was easy getting a taxi to the hotel and under $20. This is a great place to stay pre-cruise - we even got a room upgrade! There is quite a bit to do within walking distance. The next morning we ate breakfast, checked out around noon and hailed a taxi to the cruise terminal.
We arrived at around 12:15 and were able to get right on the ship. This was perhaps the smoothest embarkation of any cruise. They have a luggage drop for Platinum and up members and special lines. We were on the ship before our room was ready so up to the Windjammer for lunch.