This was my first cruise on Royal Caribbean and my second cruise altogether. I had high hopes for a great vacation and I was not disappointed!
The Flight: We flew in on a red eye Friday night from LAX. The flight was easy with a connection in Miami and we arrived at SJU around 9:30 Saturday morning. Our luggage came in on the carousel fairly quickly (which was a relief since our last flight into SJU found us luggage-less for 24 hours) and we were in a taxi by about 10:15 AM.
Our Hotel: We stayed at the Caribe Hilton, which is about 20 minutes from the airport, 5 minutes from the Pan Am Pier and about 10 minutes to Old San Juan. This was our 2nd time staying at the Caribe and we really enjoy this hotel. The grounds are beautiful and the property was built around a historical landmark, Fort San Geronimo. There is a private beach and a little lagoon area with swans, ducks, geese, peacocks and coy fish. There are also a cockatoo and macaw near the lobby—they are interesting to watch, especially when they are out of the cage. In addition to the nice grounds, there are several options for dining. Finally, the Caribe has a delicious pina colada in the Caribe Terrace Bar. Ask for it with Don Q rum—YUM!