Day 10 already and it’s hard to believe we’re wrapping up the final port of this 12-day Caribbean run on Holland America’s Rotterdam. We’ve hit some incredible spots over the past week and a half: Half Moon Cay, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Tobago, Barbados, Guadeloupe… and now we’ve arrived at my absolute favorite port in the Caribbean, San Juan, Puerto Rico. If you’ve sailed with me for a while, you already know San Juan always tops my list. I could wander Old San Juan from sunrise to midnight and never get bored — the colors, the history, the architecture, everything about it is just special.
Rotterdam is spending a good amount of time here today, docking from noon until 11 p.m., which is perfect because San Juan is one of those ports that’s beautiful by day and night. And the sail-in? Unreal. Approaching the city through San Juan Bay gives you amazing views the entire way in. As you sail past the imposing Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro) standing guard on the port side, it’s the kind of arrival that makes you put your drink down and actually pay attention. If daytime San Juan is beautiful, sailing out of San Juan at night is even better — the lights along the coastline and the fort lit up after dark is really something to see.
Because the arrival is something nearly everyone heads outside for, the captain graciously gave the order to open the bow of the ship for scenic cruising. This area is normally crew-only — complete with their own hot tub — and the public almost never gets access unless it’s something big like the Panama Canal. But today, from 10 a.m. to noon, guests were invited to head forward and take in those incredible views straight from the front of the ship.
Up in the Crow’s Nest, the cruise director hosted a narration during the sail-in with facts, history, and fun tidbits about San Juan — perfect for anyone who wanted to actually learn a little about the city instead of just taking photos and calling it a day. These two added bonuses by the crew of the Rotterdam made this arrival into San Juan feel extra special.
I’ve written so many San Juan reports over the years that at this point I could probably give walking tours of Old San Juan in my sleep. Since it’s a popular port on Eastern Caribbean itineraries, I’m not going to go deep into the weeds again today — mostly because you can already find a ton of San Juan content on my site. If you’re curious, just do a quick search for “San Juan” and you’ll see tons of past write-ups.
My most recent visit was back in June, when I stopped here during my Carnival Celebration cruise. I spent the whole day wandering (shocking, I know), taking photos, and you can read that full recap by clicking here.
Carnival Celebration Eastern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 4: June 25, 2025
And if you’re a Disney Cruiser, Jason — our resident Disney Cruise Line guru — actually embarked in San Juan earlier this month on the Disney Magic. He wrote about what it’s like to start a cruise here instead of just making it a port of call, plus what they did around the city before boarding. His report is definitely worth checking out — you can read it here.
Disney Magic 7-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 1: November 7, 2025
Once Rotterdam docked right at noon, I waited about 90 minutes before heading ashore. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that nothing good ever comes from joining the “First Ones Off Stampede” down the gangway. Seriously, there’s no prize given to the first people off the ship!
Celebrity Apex and Majestic Princess were also in port which meant Old San Juan suddenly had roughly 7,000 of their passengers plus our 2,600, plus crew… and because it’s a holiday week, throw in vacationers. In other words: picture Main Street USA on Christmas week, but swap the castle for El Morro.
Speaking of Christmas — San Juan is already in holiday mode. The decorations downtown weren’t just “starting to go up.” Those heading off the ship and turning left toward El Morro have to walk down Paseo de la Princesa, which was transformed into Santa’s Puerto Rican vacation home. Lights everywhere, a walk-through Christmas display, photo ops, and a huge Christmas tree that had everyone stopping for selfies.
Even the tour buses were pulling over just so people could hop out and take photos — but hey… it’s Christmas!
Check out the walkthru video below of this area:
Scott’s Top 5 Things to Do Within Walking Distance in Old San Juan
- Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro) – If you only do one thing in San Juan, make it this. The walk along the water, or up the giant lawn with this 16th-century fort standing guard never gets old. Wander the tunnels, climb the ramparts, peek through the garitas, and soak up the views of San Juan Bay. It’s hot, it’s windy, it’s historic, and it’s a must-do. As a side note, there’s a lot of construction going on right now, with the National Parks Service restoring both some of the walls of the fort and also some of the ground, but all the walkways are open, but some areas of the fort are roped off for safety reasons.
- Castillo San Cristóbal – I call it, “he other fort” but it’s just as impressive. This one is closer to the pier and gives you a whole different perspective of the city. You’ll find dungeons, lookout towers, old cannons, and ocean views.
- Paseo de la Princesa – This waterfront promenade is the heart of Old San Juan. It’s lined with vendors, cafés, fountains, and massive shade trees. And like I mentioned, right now it’s Christmas central, but even on a regular day it’s one of the prettiest places to walk.
- San Juan Cathedral & the Surrounding Streets – Just steps from the pier, this is the oldest cathedral in the U.S. and the final resting place of Juan Ponce de León. The surrounding streets are paved with cobblestones, with pastel colored buildings, shops, restaurants, and photo ops everywhere.
- Paseo del Morro – One of the most underrated walks in Old San Juan. This quiet path wraps along the old walls of El Morro with waves crashing inches away. It’s flat, but hot, and gives you some unbelievable views of El Morro from below. If you want to escape the crowds, this is where you go.
San Juan Shore Excursions
If you don’t feel like wandering around town on your own but still want to get a good feel for San Juan, the cruise lines offer plenty of excursions. One of the top picks is the classic Old San Juan walking tour, where you basically pay for a guide to do what you can do on your own. They take you through the blue cobblestone streets, the plazas, the cathedral, and usually one of the forts so you get the stories, and the history without exploring solo.
If you’re feeling adventurous (or don’t mind sweating through your shirt), the El Yunque Rainforest excursion is popular. It’s the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest system, with waterfalls, great views, and a jungle. Because who doesn’t love to spend an ever hotter and humid day in San Juan?
For something a little more… spirited, the Bacardi Distillery tour is always packed. You hop across the bay, sip cocktails, learn how rum is made, and suddenly you lost track of time.
If a beach is a must-do, the most popular excursion is the Isla Verde beach break: chairs, shade, food, drinks, bathrooms — very typical. And then there are the catamaran sail-and-snorkel trips, which combine reef snorkeling, swimming, and an open bar for the ride back. These usually end up turning into floating parties, even if you’re not on a Carnival cruise, so you’ve been warned.
Wandering Around Old San Juan
I did my usual wandering around town — my “San Juan routine,” if you will — which included the very hot and sweaty walk up to El Morro, roaming the streets with absolutely no plan, and yes… making the obligatory stop at the Walgreens across from the cruise port because apparently I can sail for 12 days but can’t remember to pack enough toothpaste. Priorities.
Along Paseo de la Princesa, as I mentioned the Christmas decorations were already in full swing. I also snagged a few shots later that night when everything lit up, so keep reading for those!
Dinner at Marmalade in San Juan
Since we didn’t have an all-aboard time until 10:30pm, I figured… I was really going to take advantage of the time here. If there’s ever a port where a late-night stay actually matters, it’s San Juan. An early-morning arrival with a 3:30pm all-aboard is fine if you just want to rush around town, guzzle a mojito or two, grab a quick bite, and pretend you “explored.” But a noon arrival with the ship staying until 11 at night? That’s the winning itinerary. You get the full daytime experience along with the nighttime version, which is a whole different world. Once you see the nighttime photos further down in this post, you’ll understand why I always try to pick the itineraries with the late departure.
I decided tonight was finally the night to treat myself to something a little special and try a restaurant I’ve been reading about for years. They’re top-rated on Trip Advisor, Open Table, and Yelp and have a five-course tasting menu. Kind of like a chef’s table type deal if you’ve ever done one of those on land or on a cruise. I’m talking about Marmalade, Old San Juan.
Marmalade is ridiculously easy to get to — just two blocks from the cruise port and maybe a five-minute walk. It also happens to be right down the street from one of my mandatory Old San Juan stops: Cigar House. And yes, of course I went in and stocked up earlier in the day!
I made a 6:30pm reservation through OpenTable — a little early for me, but since I didn’t know how long the full tasting experience would take, I figured it was better to start early than be that guy sprinting back to the pier at 10:29pm. When you make the reservation, heads up: they do require a deposit, and you lose it if you no-show or cancel late. I get it. This is not a cheap night out. Dinner here runs $145 per person plus tax and tip.
When I arrived, they gave me the option of sitting at the bar or a table. I went with the bar. My server, Layla, came right over, introduced herself, and gave me the full rundown on how the menu works. She also mentioned that Marmalade has been in business for 20 years, which is basically a lifetime for a restaurant anywhere, and she’s been part of the team for four of those years.
The menu is laid out in sections, and you select one dish per section — five in total, including dessert. They also had a couple of add-ons which she walked me through.
As I started flipping through the menu, I figured I’d ease into things with a cocktail, and one immediately jumped off the page — “Who Wears the Pence?” The description alone was enough to sell me:
“aka the white negroni… Condesa gin and elderflower tonic marry with aromatic bitters and lemon peel. If Mikey would loosen up and drink, this is what [we] would make him… LGBT Lemon, Gin, Bitters and Tonic.”
I mean… how do you NOT order that?
(Although between you and me, I’m not entirely sure Mike Pence is still relevant enough to be the punchline — but hey, the drink was refreshing and delicious, so I’ll give them the creative license.)
After staring at the menu for far too long, I finally made a decision and kicked things off with one of the nightly additions — the heirloom tomatoes with goat cheese.
It came out as a beautifully stacked tower of thick-cut heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes layered with creamy, tangy goat cheese and drizzled with a sweet, light dressing that tied everything together. On top? A garnish made from dehydrated tomatoes that looked like art.
Anyway, absolutely delicious.
Next up, was a little amuse bouche which was so pretty I almost didn’t want to eat it!
For the second course, there’s no picking, no debating — you get the white bean soup, period. Layla explained that it used to be a choice on the menu, but it was so wildly popular that literally everyone ordered it anyway. So the restaurant made it the default second course.
One spoonful in and… yeah, I get it.
This thing is rich and loaded with flavor, topped with scallions, thinly sliced mushrooms, a drizzle of black truffle oil, and pancetta “dust.” It was absolutely worthy of its “you don’t get a choice” status.
Next up, a liquid course… after two of the “Who Wears the Pence” I decided to switch things up and asked for the Bartender’s Choice… his favorite cocktail, which turned out to be the “Talented Mr. Ripley.” It’s creatively described as, “Organic red pepper infused Aviation gin impersonates and Italian Classic with Cocchi Americano and San Remo style aromatics of Campari & Aperol…….. Oh Tommy Boy.” Now, to interpret that would just be too much, so I’ll just say it was delicious!
For the third course, I took Layla’s advice and went with one of the evening’s additions — the beet root rigatoni with duck confit. I’d never had beet root pasta before, so I wasn’t sure if I was about to get something earthy and bizarre or something amazing. Layla said, “You need to try it. It’s incredible.”
The dish shows up and the rigatoni is bright beet red. I took a bite expecting it to taste like, well… beets. But nope. It tasted just like perfectly cooked al dente pasta. The duck? Huge, tender, fall-apart pieces mixed throughout that was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Next up, a little homemade sorbet palate cleanser before the main course, and as you can see, Mr. Ripley is slowly fading away in the background.
For the fourth course, I rolled the dice on something I wasn’t totally sure I’d like — the Natural Hormone-Free Lamb Tagine. Now, before I committed to it, Layla reminded me (again) that if anything showed up that didn’t thrill me, she’d happily swap it out. That guarantee is exactly what convinced me to take the leap.
And I’m so glad I did.
Braised fork-tender lamb seasoned with ras el hanout, organic chickpeas, roasted almonds, pomegranate, and harissa-spiced green olives. There was also sliced sausage tucked in there too, adding another layer of flavor.
It was fantastic.
When that fourth course wrapped up, Layla asked if I wanted to take a little breather before dessert — and thank goodness she did, because at that point I was close to tapping out. Timing throughout the night had been spot-on: each dish arrived with just a few minutes in between, delivered by a food runner who described every single ingredient before putting the plate down.
I told Layla I needed a moment to finish my Mr. Ripley, but I made the only responsible decision one can make when faced with a dessert menu that included one key ingredient: I went with the B3 — Blueberries, Bourbon & Bacon.
Because… if a dessert has bacon in it, who am I to say no?
This thing had a thick, rich bourbon-soaked custard base; a layer of melted chocolate; a scoop of house-churned blueberry ice cream; a blueberry foam on top; and the smoked honey-bacon piece running through it. If I had to estimate the calorie count, I’d say “nevermind.”
It was over-the-top delicious, and the perfect finale to what honestly ended up being one fantastic meal.
If you’ve got a night in San Juan and you’re willing to splurge, Marmalade is absolutely worth it — but let’s be real, it’s not a cheap night out. That $145-per-person tasting menu, plus cocktails, plus tax and tip… it adds up fast. For me, it came out to right around $300 for one, and that’s without going wild on the drinks because, well I did have to walk back to the Rotterdam! So yeah, this isn’t your “let’s grab a quick dinner before heading back to the ship” kind of place.
But if you’re celebrating something special, or you just want one of those memorable “vacation meals” that stays with you long after you sail away, it’s a fantastic choice. The food, the service, the pacing… everything just hits. I’m glad I finally got to check this one off my San Juan list after years of saying, “I have to check this place out.” I’ll be back.
Nightime in San Juan
All in all, dinner at Marmalade ran about an hour and a half — the perfect amount of time to enjoy each course without feeling rushed, but leaving me with plenty of time to wander around Old San Juan after dark. Before heading back to the ship, I made one more stop at the Christmas display along Paseo de la Princesa to grab some nighttime shots.
It was also great to see both the Rotterdam and the Majestic Princess lit up at night, with of course, Rotterdam being the prettiest girl in town!
Sailing Away from San Juan
With everyone finally back onboard, Rotterdam started letting go of her lines a little after 10:40pm, and right on schedule we began easing out of the harbor around 11pm. And like I’ve said before — and will keep saying — nighttime departures from San Juan are pure magic. Tonight was no exception.
As we backed away from the pier, the lights from Old San Juan, the reflections on the water… it all hits different at night. Even El Morro, which didn’t have all its usual lighting on (looks like some construction or maintenance going on limited that), still looked absolutely incredible silhouetted against the sky as we sailed past. Easily one of the best sendoffs in the Caribbean. If you’ve never watched it from the open decks, you’re missing out.
If you want to see exactly what I’m talking about, I actually filmed a full sail away from San Juan back in April during the inagurial sailing of MSC World America — you can check out that video below.
As a side note, it took me a while to realize one popular spot in San Juan is, well… missing! It’s actually been gone a while now, but I was going to sit on a bench and do some people watching across the street from every port town’s most famous spot for drunks behaving like drunks, Senior Frogs. But, alas, the Frog is no more.
Not sure why it took me this long to realize it!
After we left San Juan, it was off to bed. We’re spending the next two days at sea as Rotterdam makes her way back to Fort Lauderdale, with arrival scheduled for Friday. While this 12-day leg is coming to an end, I’ll remain on for another 9-day run with more reports to follow. As always, thanks for following along!
Daily Schedule
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Sunrise Stretch | Fitness Center |
| 7:30 AM | Walk a Mile | Atrium |
| 8:00 AM | The Greenhouse® Spa Look & Book Tours | Greenhouse Spa |
| 8:00 AM | Tai Chi for Everyone | Lido Poolside |
| 8:00 AM | The Library is Open | Library |
| 8:00 AM | Crossword & Number Puzzles Available | Library |
| 8:00 AM | Morning Catholic prayer | Hudson & Half Moon Rooms Combined |
| 8:30 AM | Body Sculpt Boot Camp $20 | Fitness Center |
| 9:00 AM | Opening Hours | The Shops |
| 9:00 AM | EFFY Jewelry Auction Preview | EFFY Jewelry |
| 9:00 AM | Pickleball Tournament for Beginners | Sport Court |
| 9:00 AM | Coffee Chat | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 9:30 AM | Walking in Comfort | Fitness Center |
| 9:30 AM | Caribbean Brunch | Dining Room |
| 10:00 AM | Caribbean Blue Sapphire Sale | EFFY Jewelry |
| 10:00 AM | Diabetes | Weight Loss and Chinese Herbs |
| 10:00 AM | Meet for a Game of Mahjong until 3:00pm | Half Moon Room |
| 10:00 AM | Party Bridge Play until 4:00pm | Hudson Room |
| 10:00 AM | Learn to Line Dance | Lido Pool |
| 10:00 AM | Pickleball Tournament for Intermediate | Sport Court |
| 10:30 AM | The Power of Picasso Seminar | Billboard Onboard |
| 10:30 AM | Picasso Unveiling | Billboard Onboard |
| 10:30 AM | Secrets To A Flatter Stomach | Fitness Center |
| 11:00 AM | Tighten your Skin with Thermage | Greenhouse Spa |
| 11:00 AM | San Juan Scenic Narration | Crow's Nest |
| 11:00 AM | Pickleball Tournament for Advanced | Sport Court |
| 12:00 PM | San Juan Photo Opportunity Until 3:00pm | Pier Ashore |
| 12:00 PM | Port & Shopping Concierge Available | Port Shopping Desk |
| 12:00 PM | Picasso Art Exhibition | Art Gallery |
| 1:00 PM | Today's Trivia: Pop Culture | Billboard Onboard |
| 1:30 PM | Complimentary Skin Care Workshop | Greenhouse Spa |
| 2:00 PM | Complimentary Massage Sampler | Greenhouse Spa |
| 3:30 PM | Friends of Bill W. Meet | Half Moon Room |
| 4:00 PM | 50% Off Happy Hour | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 4:00 PM | 50% Off Happy Hour | Billboard Onboard |
| 4:00 PM | Vivace Strings Play until: 4:45pm | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 4:00 PM | Team Trivia Challenge | Billboard Onboard |
| 4:00 PM | Sjoelen Tournament | Lido Pool |
| 4:00 PM | Regional Soloist Dereck Plays until 4:45pm | Sea View Pool |
| 4:30 PM | Have Your Casual Portrait Taken | Atrium |
| 4:30 PM | Origami: Jumping Frog | Game Room |
| 5:00 PM | Vivace Strings Play until: 5:45pm | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 5:00 PM | Evening Stretch | Fitness Center |
| 5:00 PM | A Pickup Game of Pickleball | Sport Court |
| 6:00 PM | Vivace Strings Play until: 6:45pm | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 6:00 PM | Regional Soloist Dereck Plays until 6:45pm | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 7:00 PM | Music Trivia | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 7:00 PM | Regional Soloist Dereck Plays until 7:45pm | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 7:30 PM | SHOWTIME: Vocalist Tricia Kelly | World Stage |
| 8:00 PM | Live Music Trivia | Billboard Onboard |
| 8:15 PM | The Best of B.B. King's All-Stars | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 9:00 PM | Piano Greats | Billboard Onboard |
| 9:00 PM | Movies by the Pool: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning | Lido Poolside |
| 9:00 PM | SHOWTIME: Vocalist Tricia Kelly | World Stage |
| 9:15 PM | The Best of B.B. King's All-Stars | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 10:00 PM | All Requests | Billboard Onboard |
| 10:15 PM | The Best of B.B. King's All-Stars | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 11:00 PM | Dance to the Hits: Disco | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 11:59 PM | Stay and Play Slots All Night | Casino |