Explora Journeys Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 5: December 16, 2025

Day 5 on Explora Journeys Explora I brought us to our second port of call, and hands down one of my favorite ports in the Caribbean when the weather decides to cooperate. Keep that last part in mind, friends, because it’s going to matter here in just a bit.

Explora I docked right around 8:00am, and guests were cleared to head ashore shortly thereafter. We weren’t alone in port today. Joining us was MSC World America, which I sailed on for her inaugural voyage back in April, and contributor Jason cruised on in July. If you haven’t read either of those, I highly recommend checking them out as we both sailed in different accommodations, me in what we can refer to as “general population” and Jason in the exclusive Yacht Club. Also in port today was Oceania Insignia, and arriving a little later, around 10:30am, was Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam, which happens to be the sister ship to Rotterdam, the ship I had just spent a few weeks on before boarding Explora I.

The morning started off great. Semi blue skies, warm, and rain showers clearly visible on the opposite side of the island, away from Old San Juan. And for most of the morning and early afternoon, that’s exactly where those showers stayed. Right up until the moment I decided I wanted to head out for a bit. But we’ll get to that.

Since San Juan is an extremely popular port and I’ve written about it many times over the years, I’m not going to go overly deep here. If you search “San Juan” on my site, you’ll find plenty of detailed posts. But for anyone newer around here, or sailing here for the first time, let’s cover the basics and then some.

San Juan Basics

San Juan is one of those ports where you can do a little or a lot, depending on your energy level, the heat, and yes, the weather.

You dock in Old San Juan and everything is right here. This 465-year-old neighborhood is packed with history.  From the blue cobblestone streets, colonial buildings, shops, bars, restaurants, and plazas, you can wander here for hours and still feel like you missed something.

Fort San Cristóbal and El Morro (Castillo San Felipe del Morro) are the two big historic sites. San Cristóbal was built to protect the city from land invasions and is massive, while El Morro guarded San Juan Bay from sea attacks and is the impressive fortress you see as you enter San Juan Bay making for a spectacular arrival and even more spectacular departure if you leave after dark. Between the two, you’re walking through centuries of Caribbean history and military engineering.

For something completely different, there’s Casa Bacardí, home to the Bacardí family’s rum distillery. They offer tours, exhibits, and a bit of rum history, plus a few tastings along the way.

Nature lovers head for El Yunque National Rainforest, the only rainforest in the U.S. National Forest system. It’s green, humid, and home to waterfalls, hiking trails, and the famous coquí frogs (don’t try to bring one back to the ship).

If beach time is your goal, Condado Beach is one of the more popular options. It’s anear shops, hotels, and restaurants, making it an easy beach day without going too far.

There are also quieter, less touristy options like the Cultural and Botanical Gardens of Caguas, perfect for strolling, and plenty of outdoor adventures like ziplining, kayaking, horseback riding, and rainforest hikes for those looking for something more active.

Five Fun Facts About Puerto Rico

1. San Juan was founded in 1521, making it one of the oldest cities in the Americas.
2. Puerto Rico gets an overwhelming amount of rain, about 100 billion gallons per year, which is why places like El Yunque are so lush.
3. Speaking of iconic things, the piña colada was invented right here in Old San Juan in 1954.
4. Puerto Rico is also the world’s leading rum producer, thanks to sugarcane brought here by Columbus, yes that Columbus.
5. Fun fact for trivia night: Puerto Rico has competed in the Winter Olympics, and the coconut tree is not native to the island. It was introduced in the 1500s.

Where Your Ship Docks in San Juan

One of the best things about San Juan is how easy it is to get around.

Most ships, including Explora I today, dock at the main cruise terminal, which is directly across the street from Old San Juan. You can literally walk off the ship and be exploring the city in minutes. Occasionally, ships dock at the Pan American Pier, which is about a 10–15 minute taxi ride from Old San Juan and not walkable.  There was an NCL ship docked there today, and honestly, I left bad for them, as it’s not a convenient port.

Taxis are right outside the terminal. If you’re unlucky enough to be docked at the Pan American Pier, expect to pay around $12 each way, plus tip. Speaking of tipping, 15–20 percent is standard if a service charge hasn’t already been added.

There are no beaches near the cruise pier, which surprises some people. The best beaches are in Condado and Isla Verde, both a short taxi ride away. Shopping-wise, San Juan is full of shops right across from the cruise terminal including a Walgreens in case you need to stock up on stuff, and there’s even a Marshall’s within walking distance for a quick run for a new outfit or pair of shoes!

Now, when it was finally time for me to head out and get some steps in, I had my usual San Juan game plan. Every time I’m here it’s pretty much the same routine. Wander around downtown, make my way over to one of the forts, usually El Morro, stop into the Cigar House, and then just spend time getting lost on all the side streets and alleys that make Old San Juan what it is.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.

I headed out around 1:00pm, and at first everything looked promising. Those earlier-mentioned rain showers were still hanging out on the other side of the island, nowhere near Old San Juan. I was feeling good about my timing. That lasted right up until I was a good distance into town, far enough that turning around wasn’t exactly convenient anymore.

That’s when the skies opened up.

And not with a light drizzle or a passing shower. This was a full-on, tropical downpour. My phone immediately started buzzing with flash flood warnings, which was a pretty good indicator that my afternoon plans were officially scrapped. I was stuck out in an area with no real cover, and trying to find shelter was basically pointless. Between the wind and the heavy rain, even ducking under an awning didn’t help much.

I looked for places to avoid the rain, but it was one of those situations where you’re just going to get wet no matter what you do. The only small consolation was that I wasn’t alone. Hundreds, maybe thousands of other people were caught in the same storm, and we were all equally soaked. Unlike a trip to Disney World, where the first drop of rain magically causes ponchos to appear for $49 plus tax, that wasn’t happening here.

After about an hour of being completely drenched, the rain finally let up. At that point, though, it wasn’t even worth trying to continue on with the day. I headed back to the ship to dry off, and almost on cue, the rain started up again once I was onboard, pretty much washing out the rest of the afternoon entirely.

All aboard today was 5:30pm, and thanks to the weather, most guests were back onboard well before then. Almost everyone… except for one person. With the crew having everything ready to go and the gangway just about pulled in, one lone straggler came walking back toward the ship at 5:29pm. Once he was onboard, the gangway was hauled in and we prepared for departure.

For sailaway, I headed down to the Astern Swimming Pool. My suite is on the port side, and the better sailaway views in San Juan are always starboard, so this gave me a great vantage point. I’ve said it over and over again, and I’ll say it again: sailing away from San Juan is always beautiful. Between the city lights, the ships in the distance, and the views as you head out, it never disappoints.

However, restoration work is currently underway at El Morro, and a lot of the exterior lighting was turned off while crews work on the fort’s walls and walkways. So while it wasn’t lit up as usual, it was still a great evening sail as we made our way out of San Juan Bay.

Dinner at Med Yacht Club on Explora Journeys

Dinner tonight was at Med Yacht Club, a place I’ve already eaten at a few times on this sailing and, up until now, had consistently solid experiences. Before heading over, I stopped by the Lobby Bar for a couple of cocktails and figured I’d give it one more shot to see if I could walk into either Sakura, the Asian restaurant, or Marble & Company Grill, the steakhouse.

Once again, I was met with a flat “no, we’re busy tonight.”

Sakura did say there were seats available at the sushi bar, but I wanted dinner, not sushi, so that was a non-starter. I’ve written about this already, and at this point it’s become my biggest pain point with Explora Journeys so far. The reservation system makes absolutely no sense. Once you make one reservation for either Sakura or Marble in the app, you cannot make another until that reservation is completed and only if there’s additional availability.

Here’s where it gets especially frustrating. Wanting something special for Christmas dinner, I booked Marble for Christmas Day. That single reservation means I can’t make another reservation for it until December 26, after Christmas dinner is done. That’s completely unacceptable in my opinion. And when every walk-up attempt is met with an immediate “no,” it just adds fuel to the fire.

Anyone who follows me knows I eat in a ship’s steakhouse a lot. I was fully expecting to do the same here. The fact that I can’t, especially on a ship that’s sailing at just around 65 percent capacity, is baffling. What makes it worse is there’s no effort to “solve to yes.” No “I don’t have anything right now, but give me 20 minutes.” No “grab a drink and I’ll come find you.” Just no. On a luxury cruise line, the word “no” should not be part of the vocabulary. Accommodation should be the priority.

So after yet another no, I said screw it and canceled my Christmas dinner reservation and made one for tomorrow night instead. Of course, that now means I can’t rebook Christmas dinner until after tomorrow’s meal is completed. So I had no idea whether I’d even be able to get Christmas dinner back at Marble at all.

With that brewing in my head, I headed over to Med Yacht Club and explained the situation to the hostess. She told me she’d work on it while I had dinner and would let me know. Fair enough.

Med Yacht Club Dinner Menu

I was taken to my table, and my server came over, introduced himself, and went over the evening’s appetizer, pasta, and entrée features. Not long after, the hostess returned and told me she had managed to secure a reservation for me at Marble on Christmas night. Problem solved… sort of. Because once again, I’m now locked out of making any additional reservations until that one is completed. So if I want to eat at the steakhouse again before Christmas, I’d have to cancel Christmas dinner yet again. It’s an absurd loop, and it makes my head hurt thinking about it.

Anyway, with a glass of wine in front of me and my order placed, dinner got underway.

A basket of bread arrived, which was excellent, especially with the roasted garlic clove. And then suddenly… the squid ink ravioli, which was supposed to be served with my entrée, showed up at the table. My server immediately came running over asking why it was coming out now, before the appetizers. I told him to let it go. No big deal.

The ravioli were good, but they weren’t hot. They were just lukewarm.

Next up was the Goat Cheese Soufflé Monte-Carlo, served with a duo of tomato and Parmigiano Reggiano sauces. It was interesting, very light, and nicely flavored. I also ordered the Spanish tuna salad, Bonito del Cantábrico “Don Bocarte,” with Galician preserved tuna, lettuce, tomato, spring onions, bell pepper, carrots, asparagus, soft-boiled eggs, and lemon vinaigrette. The tuna itself was flavorful and light, and the greens were crisp and fresh.

At that point, I went looking for a little salt. I grabbed the salt grinder on my table. It didn’t work. The pepper grinder did, the salt didn’t. I reached over to the empty table next to me and grabbed theirs. Same thing. Didn’t work. Then I tried the table on my left. Once again, surprise, the salt grinder didn’t work.

Three salt grinders. Not one worked.

Restaurants really need to rethink these things. They’re unsanitary, everyone touches them, and most of the time they simply don’t function, which leads to frustration like this. So no salt for me.

Then came the entrée: Pan-fried breaded Ibérico de Bellota pork chop Parmigiana, served with tomato, mozzarella di bufala, basil, and arugula salad. What arrived was nothing like what was described. The breading was greasy, the thin piece of meat underneath was tough and tasteless, and the only flavor present was the oil it was fried in.

I had also ordered the vegetable casserole, and I genuinely don’t know what that was supposed to be. If you look up the definition of a vegetable casserole, you’ll see “A vegetable casserole is a hearty, baked one-dish meal featuring assorted chopped vegetables (like carrots, broccoli, peppers) combined with a sauce or binder (like cheese, cream, or a flour-based sauce) and often a starch (potatoes, pasta) or topping (breadcrumbs, cheese), slow-cooked in a deep dish (also called a casserole) until tender and unified, creating a comforting, savory bake.” What arrived were simply steamed vegetables. I asked my server if they were microwaved. He said they were boiled in broth.

With the entrée tough, flavorless, and greasy, I put my fork and knife down and told my server I was done. He asked if I wanted dessert or something else, and I said no, this was not a good experience tonight. He apologized and went off to speak with what I assume was one of the dining room managers. They both looked over, and that was it.

I finished my wine and left.

The manager said good night to me as I walked out, but that was the extent of it. Whether you’re in a restaurant at home or on a ship, if a guest leaves an entire meal behind and expresses disappointment, someone should come over and acknowledge it. On Holland America, I guarantee you I’d have had the restaurant manager, the host, and probably the chef at the table immediately. Here, it was brushed off and ignored.

At that point, dinner options were done for the night, so I headed up to the Malt Whisky Bar for a drink before calling it. Emmanuel, who has hosted all three tastings I’ve done so far this cruise, could immediately tell something was off. I explained the bad meal and vented about the ongoing reservation situation.

He called his manager, who came over, and we headed into a quiet corner of the bar. We talked for about an hour about expectations versus reality. I’m not someone who complains lightly, and my readers know that.

But a bad meal is a bad meal, and bad service is something else entirely.

I showed him photos of the food, especially the so-called vegetable casserole. His response was, “We don’t even serve something like that in the crew mess.” I showed him photos of the broken salt grinders. He had no words. He listened to my frustrations about the reservation system and agreed with me that “no” should not be part of the Explora vocabulary.

He listened. He showed empathy. He showed understanding. And for the first time that night, I felt like my concerns were genuinely heard. He promised me there would be a resolution, and I hope that proves true.

I’ve still got 10 more days onboard, and my expectations remain high because the bar Explora set is high. I’m really hoping this is the last time I need to write about this situation.

We’re now sailing toward our next port of call, Basseterre, St. Kitts, where Explora I arrives early in the morning. And that means one thing for me: Cuban cigar time.

More on that tomorrow. As always, thanks for following along.

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