Day 4 on Holland America Line’s Koningsdam and today we’re finally hitting land for the first time on this 12-day Caribbean run. First stop: one of my top five cruise ports anywhere, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
For this morning’s arrival, the bow was opened up on Deck 5 so guests could get a great view as the ship made its way into San Juan Bay, passed El Morro, and headed to the pier. The area opened at 6:30 a.m. and stayed open until about 8:00 a.m. when docking was complete and guests were cleared to head ashore.
It was a four-ship day in San Juan, with Koningsdam sharing the port with Caribbean Princess, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, and Carnival Venezia, the former Costa ship now doing its “Fun Italian Style” thing for Carnival. So yes, it was a busy day in town, especially with the Easter holiday coming up and plenty of land-based visitors already around too.
When it comes to shore excursions in San Juan, I’m going to be honest: I almost always recommend skipping them.
I had someone on this cruise ask me what excursion I would suggest here, and my answer was simple. The only one I’d really consider is the Bacardí rum tour, and that’s only if you’re actually into rum. Other than that, there is really no need to pay for a walking tour, pay someone to lead you through one of the forts, or hand over money for a guide to walk you around the blue brick streets of Old San Juan.
This is one of those ports where people think they need an excursion when they absolutely do not.
Once you step off the ship, you are right in the heart of Old San Juan. Shopping, bars, restaurants, history, culture, forts, churches, people-watching, it’s all right there and all easily done on your own. You don’t need a bus, you don’t need a sticker on your shirt, and you definitely do not need someone holding a little paddle sign to guide you around town.
And unlike a lot of Caribbean ports, San Juan is one of the easiest and most comfortable places to explore on your own. It’s tourist friendly, easy to navigate, and since it’s part of the United States, it just feels a lot less intimidating for people who may be nervous about wandering off by themselves. You can explore during the day, stick around into the evening, and not spend the whole time checking to make sure your wallet is still in your pocket.
The city is always busy, always full of people, and if you spend a few hours wandering around those steep streets, you will absolutely get your steps in. You’ll also probably be out of breath by the time you reach the top of some of them, but that’s part of the San Juan experience.
So skip the excursion, unless you really want that rum tour, and do yourself a favor by exploring Old San Juan on your own. If you’ve got 4 to 5 hours in San Juan, you can easily fill that time on your own without paying for a ship tour. Old San Juan is walkable, packed with things to see, and the cruise port drops you right in the middle of it all.
My 5 Easy Things to Do in Old San Juan Without an Excursion
1. Castillo San Felipe del Morro
This is the must-do. If you’ve never been to San Juan before, start here. El Morro sits right at the entrance to the bay and is the first thing you see when you arrive in Old San Juan. Between the views, the history, the giant open lawn, and the fort itself, you can easily spend a good chunk of time here. It’s one of the most recognizable landmarks in Puerto Rico for a reason.
However, be advised that as of today, there is a lot of reconstruction of the fort going on which has the walkway that takes you around the fort closed half-way around. Signage is posted letting you know. But if you’re one like me who takes this path along the water, up and around to the back of the fort and up to the lawn, you can’t get there as of this writing.
2. Castillo San Cristóbal
The other fort is absolutely worth your time too. A lot of cruisers only make it to El Morro, but San Cristóbal is just as interesting in a different way. It’s part of the same San Juan National Historic Site and gives you more of that military history, massive walls, tunnels, and great views. If you like forts even a little bit, do both. They’re pretty close to each other so going from one to another isn’t going to kill you time-wise.
3. Paseo de la Princesa and Puerta de San Juan
This is one of the best walks in Old San Juan and an easy one to do from the ship. Paseo de la Princesa runs along the old city walls and gives you a scenic stroll with plenty of people-watching, photo ops, and places to stop along the way. The old San Juan Gate is right there too and is one of those classic landmarks that makes for a great photo and an easy stop without going out of your way.
During the Christmas holiday, there is a nice Santa’s village set up here with plenty of decorations. During the rest of the year, there’s a children’s playground, a few small vendors selling shaved ice, churros and trinkets, and plenty of benches in the sun and shade for just taking a break. On the way here from the ship, there’s also a bunch of food trucks with authentic Puerto Rican food and cold drinks.
4. Catedral Basílica Menor de San Juan Bautista
If you want a break from hills, heat, and fort walls, step into the cathedral. It’s one of the oldest buildings in Old San Juan and one of the city’s most important historic and religious landmarks. It’s an easy stop while wandering around town and right in the middle of the two forts, so you can plan it as a stop between landmarks.
5. Wander the streets, shops, and plazas of Old San Juan
Honestly, this is half the reason to come here in the first place. Walk the blue cobblestone streets, duck into shops, grab a drink, find a café, people-watch in one of the many plazas scattered around, and just take it all in. Old San Juan is one of those ports where wandering around with no real agenda is often better than any excursion . The port is steps from the historic district, so it’s incredibly easy to make your own day here.
These 5 things? They’re actually stops on many of the excursions offered by cruise lines! So you just need comfortable shoes, sunglasses, a hat, some water, and you can make your own day in San Juan be one of the best of your cruise.
Now, one thing I always like to mention about San Juan, is the Walgreens. Yes, the Walgreens. If you find yourself suddenly out of deodorant, or you can’t stand the ship’s provided body wash, or just want a snack and a cold bottle of Coca Cola made with cane sugar, the Walgreens is the place to go. It’s directly across the street from the dock and be sure to give yourself time. This isn’t a quick in-and-out Walgreens, the line here usually wraps around the entire interior of the store, as both passengers and crew use this store as a place to stock up!
And as for my own day in San Juan, I did exactly what I recommended!
I spent the day wandering around Old San Juan, going up and down a bunch of the streets, popping into different areas, and scouting out a few places where I might want to have dinner later since Koningsdam was in port for such a long day and all aboard was not until 10:30 p.m.
That’s one of the nice things about a late stay in San Juan. You’re not rushed. You can actually spend time walking around, checking places out, and thinking about whether you want to head back into town later for dinner instead of just grabbing the first thing you see because the ship leaves in two hours.
With it being holiday week, though, a lot of the restaurants on my to-do list were pretty booked up. Marmalade, which I went to during my last late-night stop here and really enjoyed, didn’t have reservations available until later in the evening, and that just was not going to leave enough time to sit down, enjoy dinner, and make it back to the ship without having to keep one eye on the clock.
So instead, I checked out a few places, added some of them to the maybe list for later, and made my way back to the ship around 4:00 p.m.
Cruise Ducks, April Fools, and the Plastic Junk Explosion
Back on board, a quick check of Facebook revealed one of the cruise world’s favorite April Fools’ jokes this year: a fake memo making the rounds in cruise groups claiming that various cruise lines were banning the hiding of ducks effective April 1. Same text, different logo slapped on top depending on which cruise line people wanted to stir up that day. It got enough traction that Carnival’s John Heald had to tell people the duck-ban rumor was fake and that the whole thing was just an April Fools’ prank.
Now, if you’re new to cruising, or you’ve been wandering around a ship wondering why there are random plastic ducks tucked into planters, wedged into railings, and sitting on random ledges, yes, this is a thing.
The whole cruise duck craze traces back to 2018, when a young cruiser named Abby Davis and her family reportedly hid rubber ducks on a Carnival sailing just to make people smile, and from there the thing absolutely took off. What started as a harmless little scavenger hunt somehow turned into a full-blown cruise subculture with Facebook groups, custom tags, themed ducks, and other assorted duck stuff.
And in my opinion, it has gotten a little out of hand.
There are entire Facebook groups dedicated to cruise ducks and people posting their finds. Some of the real diehards bring entire suitcases full of ducks to hide around the ship. You’ll find ducks of every size imaginable, tiny little plastic ones that absolutely look like choking hazards for small kids, and apparently not just ducks anymore. People are hiding all kinds of stuff now like little Jesus figurines (Yay! You found Jesus!). On Margaritaville at Sea, people hide salt shakers because of course they do. The whole thing has gone from mildly cute to “why is there plastic junk everywhere?” pretty fast.
That’s also why the fake April Fools memo got so much attention. Some people actually believed it, because honestly, it would not be the wildest thing for a cruise line to finally say enough is enough.
Royal Caribbean already had to step in and tell guests not to hide ducks in Central Park on its Oasis-class ships, specifically because people were putting them in the landscaping and damaging or disturbing the live plants. There were even signs posted telling guests that Central Park was a duck-free zone.
Disney Cruise Line has also taken a more cautious stance. Guests can bring ducks onboard, but Disney has said guests should not hide items such as rubber ducks in public areas or staterooms, which is basically Disney’s polite way of saying, “Please stop doing this.”
Other cruise lines, though, mostly seem to let it happen unless it starts becoming a problem.
On Holland America, you’ll occasionally find a duck or two around the ship, but for the most part, you’re going to find more scooters, walkers, and mobility devices hiding in corridors and elevator lobbies than you are ducks. They’re not banned, they’re not really discouraged, and compared to some other lines, the duck situation here is pretty tame.
Still, I kind of get why some people are over it. What started as a fun little surprise for kids and fellow cruisers has become, in some corners of the cruise world, a full-blown plastic infestation. A duck here and there? Fine. A scavenger hunt with enough rubber birds to start your own pond? Maybe we’ve gone a bit too far.
Artemis II on the Big Screen
Tonight also happened to line up with the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, which lifted off from Kennedy Space Center as the first crewed mission of the Artemis program and the first human trip toward the Moon since Apollo.
With all the excitement and publicity surrounding mankind’s latest push back toward the Moon, Holland America put the launch up on the big screen at the Lido pool for everyone to watch, and that was a pretty cool touch. After I got ready for my night in San Juan, I made a quick dash up to Deck 9 around 6:20 p.m., just in time to catch the countdown and liftoff.
The pool area was crowded on both levels with people waiting in anticipation, and once the final ten-second countdown started, everybody joined in and counted it down together. Then the rocket lifted off, the crowd cheered, and just like that Artemis II was on its way toward the Moon.
So credit where it’s due, thanks to Holland America for putting that on for guests. It was a fun, unexpected way to bring a little extra energy to the evening before heading back out into San Juan.
Before I talk about my dinner, here’s a look at what was served in the Main Dining Room and Lido Market tonight:
Holland America Main Dining Room Dinner Menu C
Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026
Available on: all ships
Holland America Lido Market Dinner Menu C
Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026
Available on: all ships
Dinner in San Juan at Kueros inside Hotel Rumbao
For dinner this evening, I picked a spot not far from the ship. And by not far, I mean directly across the street from the cruise port at Hotel Rumbao, where a restaurant called Kueros had gotten some very good reviews, so I figured it was worth checking out.
When I got there around 7:00 p.m., it wasn’t busy, so I grabbed a seat at the bar, looked over the menu, and settled in with a few cocktails and some local Puerto Rican beer – Medalla Light. After chatting with the bartender about the menu, some decisions were made.
To start, I went with the Chicken Plantain Nachos with mariquitas, pepper jack cheese, chicken tinga, pico de gallo, avocado, and micro cilantro. This is not something I would normally order, mostly because it sounds like far too many calories and carbs, but plantain nachos? That was enough to get my attention. It was a huge portion, which the bartender did warn me about.. The plantains were crispy, the chicken had really good flavor, and there was plenty of it. This was one of those appetizers that could very easily become dinner if you let it.
For the main course, I went with the Crispy Kan Kan Pork Chop with mamposteao rice, pickled onions, limes, sofrito honey glaze, and pique criollo.
Now, if you’ve never heard of a kan kan pork chop, or chuleta kan kan, it’s a Puerto Rican specialty and a pretty dramatic one at that. It’s a large bone-in pork chop that includes not just the loin, but also rib, belly, fat, and skin, with the skin crisped up so it flares out and gives the dish its signature look.
And this thing was huge.
You had the crispy pork belly, tender and flavorful pork meat on the chop itself, and that contrast between crisp exterior bits and juicy meat that makes a dish like this work. The rice was cooked perfectly and was delicious on its own.
Total cholesterol overload, but very good none the less.
After dinner, I wandered around downtown a bit more and made my way down Paseo de la Princesa, which was quite a busy place. Food trucks were out, families were grabbing bites to eat, kids were playing in the park, and for some reason there were even fireworks going off. Why? I have absolutely no idea. But yes… fireworks.
That’s one of the things that makes San Juan such a great late-night port stop. There’s always something going on. Even if you have no real plan, you can just walk around, take in the atmosphere, and enjoy.
On the way back to the ship, I managed to get some great photos of Koningsdam, and I have to say, she was looking pretty darn good in the evening light. With that fresh paint job from dry dock, she was shining brightly and definitely showing off tied up there in Old San Juan.
Back on board just in time for that 10:30 p.m. all aboard call, I headed up to the Lido Bar on Deck 9, had one more cocktail, and watched as Koningsdam left San Juan behind and began the short trip to our next port of call, “right down the street,” Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, where we’re scheduled to arrive at 8:00 a.m.
If you’ve never had an evening departure from San Juan, it’s really something and the views are fantastic. Here’s a time lapse video I took which is definitely worth checking out!
In the meantime, as always, thanks for following along.
Daily Schedule
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 AM | The Bow is Open for Scenic Cruising: Weather Permitting | Deck 5 Fwd |
| 7:00 AM | Walk a Mile | Grand Dutch Café, 3 |
| 7:00 AM | Sunrise Stretch | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 7:00 AM | Mass is Celebrated | Hudson Room, 1 |
| 8:00 AM | Koningsdam Arrives at San Juan | — |
| 8:00 AM | San Juan Photo Opportunity until 11:00am | Pier Ashore |
| 8:00 AM | Ask Your Travel Guide | Pier Ashore |
| 8:00 AM | Pickleball Open Play | Sport Court, 11 |
| 8:00 AM | Tai Chi for Everyone | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 8:00 AM | Pathway to Yoga $20 | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 9:00 AM | Golf Putting Until 5:00pm | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 9:00 AM | Sjoelen Tournament | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 9:30 AM | Coloring for Adults | Art Studio, 12 |
| 10:00 AM | 3 Hole Putt Putt Challenge | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 10:00 AM | Party Bridge Play until 4:00pm | Hudson Room, 1 |
| 11:00 AM | Let’s Play Ladder Ball | Cornhole Court, 11 |
| 11:00 AM | Footprint and Posture Analysis | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 11:30 AM | Origami Folding: Water Lily | Art Studio, 12 |
| 1:00 PM | Today’s Trivia: Animals | Piano Bar, 2 |
| 1:00 PM | Mahjong Players Meet until 4:00pm | Half Moon Room, 1 |
| 1:30 PM | Golf Tournament | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 2:00 PM | Movies by the Pool: Freakier Friday | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 2:00 PM | Complimentary Skin Care Workshop | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 2:00 PM | Complimentary Footprint Analysis | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 2:00 PM | MOVIE: Freakier Friday | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 2:30 PM | Coloring for Adults | Art Studio, 12 |
| 2:30 PM | Shuffleboard Challenge | Shuffleboard Court, 11 |
| 3:00 PM | Pickleball Open Play | Sport Court, 11 |
| 3:30 PM | Creating Doodle Designs: Rainbow | Art Studio, 12 |
| 3:30 PM | Friends of Bill W. Meet | Half Moon Room, 1 |
| 4:00 PM | Walk-In Acupuncture Clinic | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 4:00 PM | Complimentary Walk-In Medi-Spa Clinic | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 4:00 PM | Team Trivia Challenge | Piano Bar, 2 |
| 4:00 PM | Basketball Knockout | Sport Court, 11 |
| 4:30 PM | Ask Your Travel Guide | Travel Guide Desk, 12 |
| 4:30 PM | Origami Folding: Water Lily | Art Studio, 12 |
| 4:30 PM | Live Music: Vivace String Ensemble | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 5:00 PM | Introduction to iPhone Photography | Photo Gallery, 3 |
| 5:00 PM | Footprint and Posture Analysis | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 5:00 PM | Have Your Casual Portrait Taken | Photo Gallery, 3 |
| 5:30 PM | Live Music: Vivace String Ensemble | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 6:00 PM | Complimentary Massage Sampler | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 6:00 PM | Solo Guitarist Plays | Rolling Stone Lounge, 2 |
| 6:00 PM | Artemis II Launch Coverage | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 6:00 PM | MOVIE: Artemis II Launch Coverage | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 6:30 PM | Live Music: Vivace String Ensemble | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 7:15 PM | Billboard Onboard: The 1950s | Billboard Onboard |
| 7:30 PM | Tonight’s Show: Sing! | World Stage, 2 & 3 |
| 7:30 PM | Music Trivia: British Hits | B.B. King’s Blues Club, 2 |
| 8:00 PM | Night at the Museum | Art Gallery, 1 |
| 8:00 PM | Movies by the Pool: Jurassic World Rebirth | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 8:00 PM | Rolling Stone Lounge: 70s Sounds | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 8:00 PM | MOVIE: Jurassic World Rebirth | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 8:15 PM | Game Show: Secret Identities | B.B. King’s Blues Club, 2 |
| 8:45 PM | Billboard Onboard: British Invasion | Billboard Onboard |
| 9:00 PM | It’s Karaoke Time! | B.B. King’s Blues Club, 2 |
| 9:30 PM | Rolling Stone Lounge: Rock the 80s | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 10:00 PM | Dance to the Hits | B.B. King’s Blues Club, 2 |
| 10:15 PM | Billboard Onboard: All Requests | Billboard Onboard |
| 10:30 PM | All Aboard as Koningsdam Departs San Juan | — |
| 11:00 PM | Rolling Stone Lounge: Rock Anthems | Rolling Stone Lounge |