Day 4 on this 7-day Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Destiny marks our arrival in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This has become one of my favorite ports in the Caribbean. Aruba and Curaçao are right up there with it, so I’m particularly jealous of Scott as he prepares to embark on a Southern Caribbean sailing aboard the Carnival Horizon.
The day got off to a great start, not only by watching what has to be the best entrance into a port, but also with a special offering on the breakfast menu.
The entrance to the Bay of San Juan is guarded by the historic Castillo San Felipe del Morro. While still an impressive sight to this day, you can imagine how that must have looked to would-be pirates. We approached the entrance to the bay as the sun was rising, adding to the stunning visuals.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Not all ports are created equal. The pier lines you up with a view directly into Old San Juan, with San Cristóbal Castle straight ahead. Literally steps off the ship, and you’re right in the heart of the historical district. You can spend all day just wandering the streets here, taking it all in. There are plenty of great excursions to take advantage of, too. That is what makes this such a great destination. You can come back time and again and still have more to see and do.
Beach stop ✓
Horseback riding ✓
City tours ✓
Forts ✓
Zip line ✓
Land and sea tours ✓
Rainforests ✓
Scuba diving ✓
Cave exploration ✓
The variety just goes on.
Scott did a fantastic write-up, including a self-guided walking tour route, on his last visit aboard MSC World America. It’s definitely worth checking out if you just want to explore on your own.
Here are a few more of more recent past visits for ideas of what to do in San Juan:
Another noticeable difference was the vibe between the two ships as passengers disembarked onto the pier together. Disney was rather subdued, with guests calmly making their way to town or meeting with their excursion hosts, while loudspeakers were set up at the base of the gangway of World America with music blaring. To each their own, I guess.
As we walked off, a family coming off MSC said hello and asked how our cruise was going. They mentioned that they usually sailed Disney but wanted to try something different and were somewhat regretting that choice. The father admitted that ship envy is real!
San Juan Land and Sea Excursion
Our plan for the day was to book an excursion we haven’t done before for the morning, then spend the afternoon grabbing lunch in town before getting our steps in. The excursion we selected offered a look at Old San Juan both by bus and by boat. Let’s start there.
Disney Cruise Line describes this excursion as:
Cruise around San Juan and explore its legendary landmarks as you snap photos and learn about its history.
On this adventure you will…
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- Walk approximately 10 minutes to the boat dock, where you’ll meet your captain for the 60-minute sea portion of your adventure.
- Enjoy magnificent views of historic landmarks, including Paseo de la Princesa, La Fortaleza, the San Juan Wall and Fort San Felipe del Morro. Your guides will narrate the history of Puerto Rico from colonial days to modern times as you enjoy unique photo opportunities of Old San Juan while basking in the warm Caribbean breeze.
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- Return to the dock and proceed via bus on a 75-minute narrated tour of Old and New San Juan. Pass multiple landmarks, including the Capitol Building, the President’s Monuments and San Cristobal Fort.
The cost of this tour is $94.00 for ages 10 and up and $74.00 for ages 3 to 9, and it lasts 2.5 to 3 hours. For the most part, the description matches the tour. We did the reverse order, though, as the bus through town was first, then the boat. I’d bet that they do simultaneous tours, with one group doing each leg and then swapping.
It was a decent tour overall. Nothing too in-depth, but a nice overview of the history and important landmarks. The bus ride takes longer than it maybe should. Old San Juan is approximately a mile wide and three miles long. The main obstacle for the bus tour, though, is that many of the roads are too narrow for a bus to navigate, requiring it to take longer routes. There also were many one-way streets, so it took longer to get from A to B. That’s where doing a self-guided walk comes in handy.
During the bus portion of the tour, we made one stop for about 20 minutes to walk a block to one of the historical landmarks, the Fuente Raíces, where our guide continued with a bit of history.
From there, the bus drove us over to the marina, where we transferred onto the boat for part two of the excursion. Along the way out of the Bay of San Juan, we passed the Pan American Pier, which is used as an embarkation point for Disney Cruise Line when it does special sailings from San Juan. Last fall, we checked off Aruba and Curaçao on the Disney Magic from this port.
The captain also made sure to get us the money shots as he passed the Destiny and pulled all the way alongside her for some photo ops. From there, we skirted back along the bay the way we had come in, but this time much closer to the shoreline. This was another great view of Castillo San Felipe del Morro. I was really hoping we’d continue along and follow the northern shoreline to get a look at San Cristóbal Castle from the sea, but that was not to be.
All told, it was a decent trip. Worth it? Sure. Do it again? No. It’s one of those one-and-done type tours. Nice to see, but nothing world-changing that we’d need to do again.
After returning to the marina, we reboarded the bus to head back into Old San Juan. The conclusion of the tour offered two drop-off locations: back at the ship where we started, or a few blocks away, nearer the center of Old San Juan. Since our plan was to find a local eatery for lunch and then walk around exploring, we opted for the in-town stop. During the tour, our guide pointed out a few popular spots, so we decided to check one of those out: Raíces.
When in Puerto Rico, you eat mofongo, a local dish of mashed plantains. It’s just what you do. Now, of course, every restaurant serves it in their own way, and each one is THE BEST around. It’s like in the Midwest, where everyone has Friday night fish fries. Texas has BBQ. Southern states have fried chicken. Choosing who truly has the best mofongo is subjective. I’ve had it every time we’ve visited here, and it’s been a little different each time.
For my money, Raíces is the best so far. Served with chicken and sautéed veggies in a creamy garlic sauce on top, it was extraordinary. The girls both went with a stuffed avocado, which seemed equally as good. It was a great recommendation by our guide.
Fully fueled, it was time to get some steps in. The other must-do when exploring Old San Juan is checking out all the history while searching for cats. Yes, cats. This area is famous for the stray cat population. Local folk tales claim that some are descendants of colonial pets, while others cite a former mayor bringing them in to control the rat population, and of course, some were simply abandoned by their owners. Don’t be that person!
Whatever method led them here, they are a staple of local lore. A local nonprofit, Save a Gato, feeds, spays, and neuters the cats, while local residents often put dishes of food or water out on their stoops as well. Most are very friendly and will allow you to pet them as long as it doesn’t interfere with a nap.
I mentioned the history. It simply oozes out everywhere you look. The blue cobblestone streets. The Wall of Old San Juan. The castillos. The fountains and statues. Everywhere you look, something will catch your eye.
In the center of it all, you’ll find the Cathedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista. It is rumored, although disputed, to be the final resting place of Ponce de León. It is also, debatably, the oldest church in the New World, depending on how you count its beginning. The site was reportedly established in 1521, making it older than the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, whose congregation formed in 1565. The semantics involve the time between when the sites were used for worship compared to having an actual structure built. Since we’re in San Juan, we’ll give them the title for today.
If you’re looking simply to support the local economy, the place to be is Calle de la Fortaleza. Along this street, you’ll find every possible trinket shop, jewelry store, or spot to grab some local grub. It’s mere blocks from the port and a great spot whether you’re window shopping or in need of some local wares.
Oh, and what is one of the most popular stops for the crew? Walgreens can be found literally across the street from the pier. It may seem mundane, but for those who live on the ship for months at a time, it’s the purrfect resupply stop.
One of the things we noticed while walking around was that there were not only plenty of taxis waiting to take you back to the ship if the heat was getting to you, and it was north of 90 degrees, but also a new fleet of golf carts zipping around. We didn’t recall seeing these in past visits, and many seemed to be offering private tours around the area. We’ll definitely be looking into this on our next scheduled stop this winter.
Magician Eric Jones on Disney Destiny
Back on the ship, we opted to skip the movie that would be playing in the Walt Disney Theater. Some new release about talking toys? I think Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are in it?
In place of that, we went to see Eric Jones. We saw him a few years ago, and he’s been near the top of our list of favorites since. This being his adults-only show in Saga gave it that extra little pizzazz.
Once again, he put on a spellbinding display of card tricks and misdirection, topped off by solving a Rubik’s Cube in under 30 seconds, in his mouth! Always a solid way to spend the evening.
Dinner at Pride Lands: Feast of the Lion King on Disney Destiny
Pride Lands: Feast of the Lion King Dinner Menu B
Step into the Pride Lands for a first-of-its-kind musical dining experience where themed cuisine, live singers, musicians, and iconic songs from The Lion King bring Simba’s journey to life. Updated for 2026!
Available on: Disney Destiny
It was back to the African savannah for dinner, or at least as close as you’ll get in the Caribbean. This was the show everyone comes to see on the Destiny. While our first night here offered the “Sounds of the Serengeti” drum demonstrations, that was actually something added exclusively for the two 7-night sailings and is not part of the normal rotation.
Tonight offered a campfire-style retelling of “The Cub That Would Be King,” a condensed version of The Lion King including a few of the signature songs. What better way to enjoy dinner?
The menu lineup was solid, with just enough variety to fill the tank. I got it started with Peri-Peri Shrimp, while Becca tried Pumbaa’s Fruit Cocktail. I’m going to say she liked it, as it was devoured in short time. The shrimp was very good as well, but I could say that about any shrimp.
For the main course, we all had an easy choice of Prime Rib, while I couldn’t live with myself if I passed on the Corvina as well. A perfect combo. The Prime Rib is hard to beat, and the Corvina offered a light, flaky whitefish with yam purée and fried onion crisps. Don’t hesitate with either of these dishes.
*Due to the show the lighting kept changing and getting decent pictures was a challenge.
For dessert, we had high hopes for the Coffee Crème Dome, which we hoped would be similar to the zebra domes at Boma in Animal Kingdom Lodge. Alas, it was the same dessert that we had on the Disney Magic last month and was underwhelming for me, while it was the preferred option for Angie. Next up was the Milk Tart, a twist on a cinnamon roll with pastry crust in place of dough. It got a combined so-so from the girls.
The one I was most excited to try was the Chocolate Malva Pudding. As mofongo is to Puerto Rico, malva pudding is to South Africa. Again, it’s a dessert that is served in every restaurant and is a bit different in each. I had it no less than six times last year while doing the South Africa Adventures by Disney tour. I would describe it as similar to a rum cake and bread pudding combination in flavor and texture, although, as stated, it varied greatly in specific locales.
Whichever chef came up with this dessert needs to do a little more research. It was nothing more than a chocolate muffin with the top cut off. If you didn’t know any better, it wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t malva cake either.
As we are at the midway point of the cruise, the dinner service has leveled out. Better than night one, but mostly just going through the motions of taking orders, serving, and clearing plates. In most instances, this would be satisfactory. By Disney Cruise Line standards, it is subpar.
The one time our server actually tried to engage in conversation during this meal was right at the pinnacle of “Circle of Life,” as the show reached its culmination. Talk about lack of situational awareness.
After dinner, most of the ship seemed to be watching Toy Story 5, and there wasn’t much else going on. It seemed they, rightly, assumed it wouldn’t be worth scheduling anything in Saga in the way of theme shows or entertainment. I opted to spend some time in the Haunted Mansion Lounge, as it was surprisingly dead in there. With only about a dozen other guests enjoying the 45-minute looped “show,” I also got to converse a bit with one of the bartenders and add to our collection of Spirited Cola bottles.
Deciding it was time to head to bed, I grabbed my Hitchhiking Ghost and set off. Of course, on the way out, I was encouraged by Constance Hatchaway to “hurry baaaack.”
That’ll cap a fantastic day in San Juan. Tomorrow’s post will cover our next destination: St. Maarten. Thanks for checking in!
Disney Destiny Day 4 Daily Program
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 am | Toddler Time for Families | Mickey & Minnie Captain's Deck |
| 5:15 am | Last Chance Port Goodie Bags | Cast & Cannon |
| 8:30 am | Disney Crusade Trivia | The Sanctum |
| 9:00 am | Bar Hop: Shopping & Fort Highlights | Cast & Cannon |
| 9:00 am | Friends of Raul M. | Triton Lounge |
| 9:15 am | Jonathan Burns: Physical Comedian | Walt Disney Theatre |
| 9:15 am | Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder | Deck 4 Mid (Starboard Side) |
| 9:15 am | Walt Disney Imagineering Lab | Fairytale Hall |
| 9:30 am | Walt Disney Imagineering Lab | Fairytale Hall |
| 9:30 am | Encanto Photos and Magic Meet | Grand Hall Collection |
| 9:30 am | Pre-Cheered Retro Lounge Briefing | Royal Regatta |
| 9:30 am | Guess the Coral Weight Diamonds | Royal Regatta |
| 10:15 am | Walt Disney Imagineering Lab | Fairytale Hall |
| 10:30 am | Never Land Presto 2 - (PG-13) | Never Land Cinema |
| 11:15 am | Hoppers - (PG) | Wonderland Cinema |
| 11:15 am | Ocean Trivia (18+) | Triton Lounge |
| 11:30 am | 1920 Society: Game Challenge | Vibe |
| 11:45 am | Hoppers - (PG) | Wonderland Cinema |
| 12:00 pm | Friends of Raul M. | Triton Lounge |
| 12:30 pm | Majesty Minds | The Sanctum |
| 12:30 pm | Ocean Trivia (18+) | Triton Lounge |
| 12:30 pm | Walt Disney Imagineering Lab | Fairytale Hall |
| 12:45 pm | Sports Trivia | Triton Lounge |
| 1:00 pm | 2026 FIFA World Cup: Round of 32 | Cast & Cannon |
| 1:00 pm | Hoppers - (PG) | Never Land Cinema |
| 1:00 pm | Walt Disney Imagineering Lab | Fairytale Hall |
| 1:00 pm | Vibe | Vibe |
| 1:15 pm | Sports Trivia (18+) | Triton Lounge |
| 1:30 pm | Sing Pre-Sales | Saga |
| 1:30 pm | Crafts: Seashell Creations | The Sanctum |
| 1:30 pm | Vibe | Vibe |
| 1:30 pm | Mickey & Minnie Captain's Deck | Mickey & Minnie Captain's Deck |
| 2:00 pm | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (PG-13) | Wonderland Cinema |
| 2:00 pm | Crafts: Create a Bag | Triton Lounge |
| 2:00 pm | Star Wars: Cargo Bay | Star Wars Cargo Bay |
| 2:00 pm | Marvel Super Hero Academy | Marvel Super Hero Academy |
| 2:00 pm | Star Wars Trivia (Advanced) (18+) | Triton Lounge |
| 2:15 pm | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (PG-13) | Never Land Cinema |
| 2:30 pm | Disney Crusade Trivia | The Sanctum |
| 2:45 pm | Merrell Spa Face Off | Saga |
| 2:45 pm | Crafts: Create a Bag | Triton Lounge |
| 3:15 pm | Disney Crusade Trivia | The Sanctum |
| 3:15 pm | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (PG-13) | Never Land Cinema |
| 3:15 pm | TV Theme Songs Trivia (18+) | Triton Lounge |
| 3:15 pm | Disney Cruise Line Magic Merch | Grand Hall |
| 3:30 pm | Majesty Minds | The Sanctum |
| 3:30 pm | Jonathan Burns: Physical Comedian | Walt Disney Theatre |
| 3:30 pm | Sports Trivia | Triton Lounge |
| 3:30 pm | Belle | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 3:30 pm | Goofy | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 3:30 pm | Mickey Mouse | Mickey & Minnie Captain's Deck |
| 3:30 pm | Minnie Mouse | Mickey & Minnie Captain's Deck |
| 3:45 pm | Mickey of Might Adventure | The Sanctum |
| 3:45 pm | Star Wars and Rey | Star Wars Cargo Bay |
| 3:45 pm | Minnie Mouse | Mickey & Minnie Captain's Deck |
| 3:50 pm | Life & Weird (18+) - (PG) | Wonderland Cinema |
| 3:50 pm | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (PG-13) | Never Land Cinema |
| 4:00 pm | Goofy | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 4:00 pm | Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder | Deck 4 Mid (Starboard Side) |
| 4:00 pm | Snow White | Disney Studio |
| 4:15 pm | 2026 FIFA World Cup: Round of 32 | Cast & Cannon |
| 4:15 pm | Sports Trivia | Triton Lounge |
| 4:15 pm | Star Wars and Rey | Star Wars Cargo Bay |
| 4:15 pm | 1920 Society: Brink | Saga |
| 4:30 pm | Donald Duck | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 4:30 pm | Under the Spell: A Maleficent Encounter | Saga |
| 4:45 pm | Daisy Duck | Disney Studio |
| 4:45 pm | Donald Duck | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 5:00 pm | Craft: Friendship Bracelets | The Sanctum |
| 5:00 pm | Daisy Duck | Disney Studio |
| 5:00 pm | 2026 FIFA World Cup: Round of 32 | Triton Lounge |
| 5:15 pm | Hoppers - (PG) | Never Land Cinema |
| 5:15 pm | Goofy | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 5:15 pm | Snow Moves with Spider-Man | Grand Hall Stage |
| 5:30 pm | Hoppers - (PG) | Wonderland Cinema |
| 5:30 pm | Minnie Mouse | Mickey & Minnie Captain's Deck |
| 5:30 pm | Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder | Deck 4 Mid (Starboard Side) |
| 5:30 pm | Snow White | Disney Studio |
| 5:30 pm | Majesty Minds | The Sanctum |
| 5:30 pm | Crafts: Seashell Creations | The Sanctum |
| 6:00 pm | Craft: Create a Bag | Triton Lounge |
| 6:00 pm | Belle | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 6:00 pm | Encanto Photos and Magic Meet | Grand Hall Collection |
| 6:00 pm | Disney Cruise Line's Cream of Light Co-Branded Jewelry Grand Unveil | Grand Hall Collection |
| 6:15 pm | Merrell | The Sanctum |
| 6:15 pm | Family Superstar Karaoke | Triton Lounge |
| 6:30 pm | Disney Crusade Trivia | The Sanctum |
| 6:30 pm | Donald Duck | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 6:30 pm | Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder | Deck 4 Mid (Starboard Side) |
| 6:30 pm | TV Candlebridge Trivia (18+) | Triton Lounge |
| 6:30 pm | Pre-Cheered Retro Lounge Briefing | Royal Regatta |
| 6:45 pm | Disney Crusade Trivia | The Sanctum |
| 6:45 pm | Belle | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 7:00 pm | Daisy Duck | Disney Studio |
| 7:00 pm | Goofy | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 7:00 pm | Mickey Mouse | Disney Studio |
| 7:15 pm | Family Superstar Karaoke | Triton Lounge |
| 7:15 pm | Encanto Photos and Magic Meet | Grand Hall Collection |
| 7:30 pm | Mickey Mouse | Disney Studio |
| 7:30 pm | Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder | Deck 4 Mid (Starboard Side) |
| 7:30 pm | Sing! Silent Party (18+) | Saga |
| 7:30 pm | The Magic of Eric James: Magician (18+) | Saga |
| 7:30 pm | My Rock with Soul Sailors | The Sanctum |
| 7:30 pm | Warhorse Crucifix Cinderella's Fashion Show | Grand Hall Stage |
| 7:45 pm | Belle | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 7:45 pm | Teddy-Making with Cruella (18+) | De Vi's |
| 7:45 pm | Wail: Would Approach with Liese | Saga |
| 7:53 pm | Belle | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 8:10 pm | Enchanted (PG) (18+) | Saga |
| 8:15 pm | Snow White | Disney Studio |
| 8:30 pm | MaryPicardi | Grand Hall Stage (Starboard Side) |
| 8:30 pm | Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder | Deck 4 Mid (Starboard Side) |
| 8:45 pm | Enchanted Rendezvous | Fairytale Hall |
| 9:00 pm | Bar Hop: Shopping & Fort Highlights | Cast & Cannon |
| 9:45 pm | Donald Duck | Deck 4 Mid (Starboard Side) |
| 9:45 pm | Silent Disco Party | Hero Zone |
| 9:45 pm | Polo Disco! | Triton Lounge |
| 10:00 pm | Goofy | Deck 5 Balcony |
| 10:15 pm | Photos at the Grand Staircase | Grand Hall |
| 10:15 pm | Family Superstar Karaoke | Triton Lounge |
| 10:30 pm | The Magic of Eric James: Magician (18+) | Saga |
| 10:30 pm | Family Superstar Karaoke | Triton Lounge |
| 10:45 pm | Star Wars Lightsaber Photos | Grand Hall (Vestibule) |
| 11:00 pm | Teddy-Making with Cruella (18+) | De Vi's |
| 11:00 pm | Sing! Silent Party (18+) | Saga |
| 11:15 pm | Patio or Love with Soul Sailors | Saga |
| 11:45 pm | Electric Vibes (18+) | Saga |