Land at Last
By Day 3 on the Celebrity Equinox, I was ready to put my feet on land but unfortunately we weren’t due to arrive in San Juan until late afternoon. We started our day with a late breakfast at the buffet, then spent the early afternoon lounging in the Solarium. Our port stop for San Juan was scheduled for 3:30-11pm, which was a first. Typically you are in port during regular business hours (for example, 7am-3pm, 8am-4pm, or 9am-5pm depending on the itinerary). This was also our first time visiting San Juan. We attempted to do an Eastern Caribbean cruise in 2017 on the Norwegian Escape but the route was changed to Western Caribbean due to Hurricane Maria. Needless to say, we were thrilled to finally visit some new countries after three Western Caribbean cruises!
Living my best life on the Celebrity Equinox!
San Juan, Peurto Rico
Finally, we see land!
We arrived in San Juan at 3:30pm and got off the ship around 4pm, once the initial crowds dispersed. We didn’t have a plan except to find some wifi (we never buy internet while cruising) and a place to eat. There is a Starbucks located a few steps away from the cruise port terminal, so we went there for a cold drink and wifi. We like to visit local spots when cruising but Starbucks is a sure bet for wifi in the Caribbean.
Sailing into San Juan, Peurto Rico
It was really strange to see the baristas in Starbucks dressed in santa hats considering it was scorching hot. In Canada, I associate Christmas with snow and cold. Christmas décor aside, it was a nice reprieve from the heat and we were able to get in touch with family & friends back home. I was also able to pick up the Starbucks “Been There” Peurto Rico mug! I’ve been collecting them for a few years and try to grab one whenever we visit someplace new.
I love all the colorful buildings and beautiful architecture
The famous umbrella street in San Juan
After Starbucks, we set our sights on a local bar that I had found on Google before we left Florida. We were hoping to visit a brewery but couldn’t find one directly in San Juan. However, this bar promised over 50 beer on tap and over 100 bottled varieties. After a lot of walking and map-studying, we finally stumbled upon La Taberna Lupulo. Thanks to the expansive beer list, I was able to find my first sour beer in the Caribbean and I enjoyed it with some delicious tacos and chips. The service was great and it was nice to visit a local spot away from the hubbub of the cruise port. I will definitely go back there on another trip to San Juan!
Delicious food at La Taberna Lupulo
Hot Tubs and Pool Deck
The Solarium water display at night
Once we left the bar it was getting dark, so we decided to head back to the ship. Thankfully the walk back was all downhill and slightly cooler! We got back on board around 6:30pm and decided to go for a dip in the Solarium hot tub. I think we had the whole Solarium to ourselves at that point, since most people were still ashore!
Pool deck at night
It was a beautiful evening so we decided to lounge poolside after we left the hot tub. They had live music playing – a duo that sang folksy cover songs. We had a few drinks by the pool then went to the Sunset Bar on the aft of the ship for sailaway. It was beautiful sailing out of San Juan after dark and we were already looking forward to visiting again the following week.
Beautiful view of San Juan at night
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