Good morning, San Juan!
Pulling into this port just feels different—especially as you pass by the Castillo guarding the bay. No worries about Captain Jack stealing your rum here!
With ours being the only ship docked and a long day ashore, there’s definitely adventure on the horizon. They announced clearance to go ashore promptly at the scheduled time of 9:00 a.m. Considering all aboard isn’t until 10:30 p.m., we shouldn’t have to worry about any last-minute pier runners here, right? RIGHT?
With the extended time in port, we planned a morning excursion to visit the nearby rainforest, knowing there’d be plenty of time in the afternoon to walk through Old San Juan.
We met up once again in the Top Sail Lounge and were escorted off the ship by the concierge team. No rickshaw today, though, as this pier is relatively short. After meeting our guide, we boarded an enclosed (and more importantly, air-conditioned) van that accommodated approximately 16 guests.
The drive took us along the highway for about 20 minutes before we turned onto more rural roads heading up into El Yunque Rainforest.
Along the way, our guide shared interesting facts and stories about life on the island. One tidbit: the cost of living is comparable to New York City, and there’s an 11% sales tax! I think I’ll stick with Florida, thank you very much.
El Yunque Rainforest in Puerto Rico
As we entered the rainforest, the tree canopy quickly closed in overhead, creating a serene and lush setting as we made our way up the dormant volcano that provides rich, fertile soil for the dense vegetation.
We made a few stops along the way, including an observation tower, a rolling river, and an old man-made swimming pool. Each stop gave us a few minutes to enjoy the scenery or take a short stroll along the paths.
We climbed the 96 steps to the top of the observation tower for some incredible panoramic views. Even with a slight haze in the air, it was still a worthwhile sight.
The swimming pool is no longer in use, but was created by building a dam to control the flow of water from one of the streams. It was apparently a popular spot for both locals and tourists to take a dip, but has since been closed and now sits as just a murky pool.
As we made our way back down the mountain, our guide continued pointing out various types of foliage and plants like ginger, African tulip trees, Queen of the Flowers, and two of my personal favorites—flamboyant trees and banana lobster claw plants.
I’m sure we’ve all heard the term “chicken of the sea” used for tuna. How about “chicken of the tree”? That’s what our guide called iguana! He claimed that once you skin them and cook them over a fire, they taste just like rotisserie chicken.
On one hand, I’m intrigued—I’m usually willing to experiment with new foods. On the other… I think I’ll just take his word for it.
The tour concluded in Old San Juan, where we had the choice to either return to the ship or continue with some self-exploration. Since it was lunchtime, and we remembered passing quite a few enticing eateries earlier, we decided to stay ashore and try something new.
Almost every restaurant we passed featured a dish called mofongo—a traditional Puerto Rican meal made with plantains. They’re peeled and either fried or boiled, then mashed into a consistency similar to mashed potatoes and served with your protein of choice on top. I went with stewed chicken. It was pretty good, but the plantains were on the dry and bland side.
Luckily, Angie’s meal came with a bowl of refried beans, and I drizzled the juice from that over the top—game changer. It just needed that little extra flavor to pull it off.
After lunch, I was hoping to explore on foot a bit more, but alas—I got outvoted. As luck would have it, there just happened to be a Pandora store on the way back to the ship, and of course, that’s not something to bypass.
Both Angie and Becca like to collect island- or region-specific charms as souvenirs when we travel, and each found one they liked to represent Puerto Rico.
Did I mention the sales tax here? Ouch.
And yes—I had to stop for the all-important ship selfie on the way back, of course!
Yacht Club Sun Rain Deck Time
There were a couple of hours to relax before our dinner at Butcher’s Cut, so of course that meant—to the sun deck, Batman!
Well, Mother Nature had other plans, as a few showers rolled in. Nothing major, but just enough to make you not want to be out on deck. At least it held off as long as it did—you could see the weather flirting offshore for most of the day.
Instead, we took a stroll down to the promenade deck to grab an iced coffee from the Coffee Emporium and did a little patrolling of the ship’s interior before heading back to get ready for dinner.
Dinner at Butcher’s Cut Steakhouse on MSC World America
Another of the specialty restaurants onboard MSC World America, Butcher’s Cut is the premier steakhouse. Anyone who’s followed my reviews knows I’m all about this night. This was one of the more difficult reservations to secure—between the popularity of the venue and the surprisingly small dining room. Scott covered this as well if you’d like to see his thoughts, click here. I’d venture to guess the dining room seated around 80 guests at a time.
As part of the specialty dining package, this was a three-course meal that included a choice of appetizer or salad, entrée, and dessert. Without the dining package, this meal will run you $55 per person.
Upon entering the restaurant, you walk past an open kitchen concept, giving you a glimpse of the food being prepared. On our way to be seated, I spotted one of the appetizers that had intrigued me—bone marrow. It’s something I’ve never tried but have always heard is delicious.
Now came the dilemma: order the bone marrow or go with old faithful—shrimp cocktail?
Fortune was on my side, as Angie wasn’t feeling any of the appetizers, so I had her order the marrow while I got the shrimp. Score! Also included was a bread service featuring an assortment of options.
So how was the marrow? It was… interesting? It really did have a wonderful flavor, especially paired with the garlic chimichurri. The texture was a bit slimy, but used as a spread, it worked. It was served with brioche toast, but I opted to use one of the rolls from the bread bowl instead. Excellent combination.
Since I mentioned it—the rolls were reminiscent of the cheese biscuits from Red Lobster. And I mean that in the best possible way! Still warm, they were light and airy, and with just a little butter, they melted in your mouth.
The shrimp cocktail included generously sized shrimp with a classic cocktail sauce.
I was delighted to see one of the entrée options was a surf and turf combination—easy choice. Angie went with the chicken, and Becca ordered a NY strip. A 16 oz. NY strip.
Have I mentioned she’s 12 years old, 44” tall, and weighs about 60 lbs. soaking wet?
The steak won. Although, to her credit, she polished off the sides of veggies and most of the loaded baked potato. Though the term “loaded” was a bit of a stretch—it had sour cream, chives, and a sprinkle of bacon bits. No shredded cheese?? Hmm…
I’ve never met a steak and lobster I didn’t like, but since this was the second opportunity after Gala Night, the comparison wasn’t exactly fair. Whereas I mentioned I received a small cut of filet mignon in the Yacht Club, this one was even smaller. And instead of a full lobster tail, it was a half tail. Bummer.
The filet was cooked perfectly—butter-knife tender—and if anything, just needed a touch more salt and pepper. The lobster tail, though, wasn’t nearly as well-prepared as the one on Gala Night. Still good, but not great.
If you’re waiting for the inevitable Disney Cruise Line comparison, don’t worry—it’s coming. But I think I’ll save that for my overall recap on the last day.
Now… let’s talk desserts!
I have to say, MSC desserts so far have been mundane. The majority of them are repeated on every menu, and none have really delivered that “oooh” factor. But Butcher’s Cut finally caught my attention with the molten lava cake and the pistachio crème brûlée.
I was having a hard time choosing, so Angie and I agreed to each order one and share.
The molten cake was pretty standard—rich and chocolatey. Chef Carl would’ve been proud.
But when the crème brûlée arrived, it was immediately clear that something was missing. Generally, this dish is served (checks Google) “topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar.” Not so much here.
While there was a sugary glaze, it was no longer hardened. This clearly tells me it had been sitting prepped in a refrigerator for quite a while, and the sugar had absorbed moisture from the custard and become runny.
It still tasted good, but that was definitely a letdown.
“Run Forest, Run”
As our dining reservation was a bit later, it was close to 9:00 p.m. by the time we finished up and made our way back to the room to have the debate: bed or nightlife?
Becca tried to find someone from the group to hang out with—not realizing her messages weren’t sending because she had gotten disconnected from the Wi-Fi. Since we were still in port, the casino wasn’t operating yet, and nothing on the activities list was really calling to me, so we stayed in.
With the 10:30 p.m. all-aboard time approaching, the inevitable announcement came over the public address system: “The following guests, please contact Guest Services…” at exactly 10:25.
C’mon people. We had over 13 hours in port today.
With our balcony overlooking the pier, I went out and watched the offenders making a run for it, waving their arms and laughing as they yelled, “We’re coming! Don’t leave without us!”
One of them was so inebriated, she was lucky she didn’t weave her way right off the side of the pier.
Don’t be that person.
We’re now halfway through the sailing, with the next two days at sea before we make berth at MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve. Tomorrow, I’ll take a look at some of the other areas of the ship and key features that MSC World America has to offer.
It’s been great, San Juan—until next time!
Time Lapse Video Leaving San Juan at Night
Daily Planner for Day 4
