Our group of 16 consisted of mostly couples, one family of four and two singles. My husband and I were cruising for our 15 yr anniversary and another couple were on their honeymoon. About half of the group had a few cruises under our belt - and the rest were first-time cruisers. By the end of the cruise, the first-time cruisers were talking about booking another!
We began our trip flying into San Juan from snowy Michigan. We have traditionally cruised in the winter for a break from the snow and cold weather. The weather on the entire trip was fabulous. There were a few rain showers, but they were short lived. Temperatures reached the mid-eighties - just what we were looking for!!
We stayed at the Hampton Inn on Isla Verde. The hotel staff was friendly and the hotel was nice. We loved the swim up bar and grill. We had a burger at the grill and it was fabulous! The price of the hotel was moderate - and we would stay there again! There was a Walgreens across the street to pick up any pre-cruise necessities.
Close to laundry, pool, elevators, lido deck buffet. No mini fridge. Lots of storage space. Balconies can be opened, but are limited to removing the separator for two rooms.