I'll try to use the same format that I found helpful in other reviews, and break things down by section:

PRE-EMBARKATION: We flew into San Juan the day before our cruise left, and were glad for it. Our hotel was the El San Juan, which is a Waldorf-Astoria Property (Hilton Hotels). The lobby was grand, and the pools were nice. They also have a private beach, which seemed to be a theme with most of the hotels in San Juan. However, the room was run-down and most of the white furniture looked used and dirty. We probably wouldn't stay there again.

EMBARKATION: Spent the morning at the pool and had a leisurely breakfast. Picked up supplies (sunscreen, aspirin, etc) at Walgreens. We headed for the cruise docks at around 3pm. There is a very nice duty-free liquor store inside the building, once you've turned in your checked bags and have put your carry-on bag through the X-ray scanner. BUY YOUR LIQUOR THERE. The prices were excellent, and you can put things in your carry-on to bring on board. We bought a bottle of wine, one bottle of champagne and a 1L bottle of vodka. The vodka went in the carry-on; the others we put in the store's bag. Check in was very easy. The whole process only took 15 minutes. We were on the ship by 4pm, which included 45 minutes spent in the duty-free store. They did ask about liquor as soon as we boarded, but they only checked the plastic store bag, and were fine with us having the wine and champagne. Read more