Regal Princess Eastern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 4

Day 4 aboard Regal Princess, and today we’re in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which remains one of my favorite ports of call in the Caribbean.

We arrived around 9:00 a.m., and the gangway opened for passengers to head ashore around 9:45. All aboard was set for 6:30 p.m., so we had a pretty decent amount of time in port.

Would I have preferred one of those late-night San Juan calls where you can stay ashore well into the evening?

Absolutely.

But I’ll take what I can get.

San Juan is one of those ports where I’ve said it a gazillion times: you really don’t need a plan.

If your ship docks at one of the Old San Juan piers, you can walk off the ship and immediately start exploring. The historic district is right there, with the forts, blue cobblestone streets, shops, bars, restaurants and enough little side streets to keep you wandering around for hours.

And today was especially easy because we were the only cruise ship in port.

This is still the slow season for Caribbean cruising, and San Juan felt noticeably quieter than it does during the busy winter months. There weren’t nearly as many vendors lining the main streets, sidewalks weren’t packed with tour groups, and you could actually walk around without constantly doing that little sideways shuffle around people stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

On a hot, humid Puerto Rico afternoon, fewer bodies around you is not necessarily a bad thing.

The Water Situation in San Juan

There is one thing cruisers visiting San Juan right now need to know about, and that’s Puerto Rico’s ongoing water problems.

We covered this recently because parts of the San Juan metropolitan area have been dealing with scheduled water rationing following months of infrastructure issues, an unusually dry summer and falling reservoir levels. Old San Juan is included in areas that can be affected by those outages.

I follow quite a few restaurants and bars in Old San Juan on social media, and over the past couple of weeks several have posted notices saying they were closing for the day because their water had been shut off.

Today, thankfully, wasn’t one of those days.

Everything I encountered was operating normally. Restaurants and bars were open, public restrooms were available, and from a visitor’s perspective you really wouldn’t have known there was a problem.

I did notice a few areas around town where portable toilets had been set up, presumably as some extra insurance while the water restrictions continue.

The important thing to remember is that the water situation primarily affects what you may encounter ashore, not the cruise ship itself. Cruise ships produce and store their own potable water and aren’t dependent on San Juan’s municipal water system to keep operating.

So this isn’t a reason to stay onboard or worry about your port stop here being canceled.

It just means you may visit on a day when a favorite restaurant is closed, a restroom is unavailable or a business is operating a little differently because the water happens to be off.

If there’s somewhere in particular you absolutely want to visit, checking its Facebook or Instagram page before leaving the ship is probably a smart move right now.

Do You Need a Shore Excursion in San Juan?

No. There, I just saved you some money.

If your goal is simply to explore Old San Juan, walk the streets, visit the shops, stop for food and drinks and take in the historic district, I would not spend money on a walking tour.

Princess was selling an Old San Juan & Fortress Guided Walking Tour for $79.95 per person on our sailing.

For me, that’s one of those excursions where I look at the price and think, “But the city is literally sitting outside the ship.”

You can walk to both major forts yourself, wander through Old San Juan at your own pace, stop whenever you want for a drink and spend as much or as little time as you want in each place.

And you won’t be following somebody holding a numbered paddle.

Back in April, I put together my own Walking Tour of San Juan as part of my daily report when I visited here on MSC World America. I encourage you to read it, maybe print it out or bookmark it for the next time you’re here.

That said, if you want to use San Juan as a starting-off point to see more of Puerto Rico beyond the downtown, then a shore excursion starts making a lot more sense.

Princess offered several options on our sailing.

One was an El Yunque National Rainforest Scenic Drive, a four-hour excursion priced at $114.95. El Yunque is one of the island’s signature attractions and is far enough from the cruise pier that this is exactly the type of tour where organized transportation makes sense. El Yunque is home to several different forest environments, including cloud and dwarf forests, along with Puerto Rico’s famous coquí frog (no, you can’t bring one home as a pet).

They also offer a Beach Escape at Vivo Beach Club for $74.95, as well as a City & Countryside excursion for $124.95 if you wanted to get beyond Old San Juan without committing to a rainforest trip.

Princess also offered several variations on city sightseeing, including Old San Juan Fortresses & Shopping for $79.95 and a Best of San Juan: Old and New San Juan City Tour & Shopping for $94.95.  Both of which you can absolutely do on your own, so again, save yourself some money by skipping them and do it yourself on foot.  Take the money you saved and pump it back into the local economy instead.

We Wants the Rum!

You can’t really talk about Puerto Rico without talking about rum.

One of, if not THE, most popular shore excursion is a visit to Casa Bacardí, home to Bacardi’s Puerto Rico distillery and visitor center. Tours there cover the history of the brand and the rum-making process, and depending on the experience you choose, there are tastings and cocktail-related activities as well.

The distillery isn’t in Old San Juan, so this is another example where booking a cruise line excursion is a best bet, rather than trying to do this one on your own.

A Quick Word About the Heat

Today was also one of those days where a little common sense goes a long way.

San Juan was hot. Really hot and really humid.

If you’re used to Florida or other tropical climates, you know what that combination can do to you. But I’ve seen plenty of cruisers come in from cooler parts of the country or from overseas, step off the ship into that heat and think they’ll be just fine.

These are the same people who board the ship paper white and by Day 2 are walking around looking like the Pink Panther because they spent embarkation afternoon stretched out by the Lido pool drinking margaritas without sunscreen.

Don’t be that person.

Dehydration can sneak up on you fast, especially when you’re walking around Old San Juan, climbing hills, ducking in and out of shops and generally doing more walking than you realize.

Bring bottled water with you. Wear something appropriate for the weather. Put on sunscreen. Wear a hat. And know your limits.

If you forgot something, there’s a Walgreens directly across from the pier, literally just a few minutes from the ship, where you can grab water, sunscreen, a hat or whatever else you suddenly realize you should have brought with you.

And while you’re wandering around town, there are plenty of shops and street vendors selling bottled water, so carrying a little cash isn’t a bad idea either.

The big thing is not to let the heat fool you.

You may feel fine for the first 20 minutes.

Then all of a sudden, you don’t.

And getting dehydrated when you’re several blocks or a couple miles from the ship is not how you want to spend your day in San Juan.

A Few More Things to Know Before Wandering Old San Juan

One more quick note before I get into my day.

Old San Juan is beautiful, but it’s not exactly the easiest place to get around if you have mobility issues. There are steep hills, plenty of steps, narrow sidewalks and those blue cobblestone streets that look fantastic in photos but aren’t the most forgiving surface to walk on.

If steep hills are difficult for you or you’re not steady on uneven pavement, don’t force yourself into doing a walking tour. A taxi or van tour is a much better option and still lets you see the major sights without turning your port day into an endurance test.

A fall on one of those uneven streets isn’t going to make for a good vacation story.

I’ve covered San Juan so many times in previous cruise reports that I’m not going to give you another block-by-block tour here. If you want to spend the day exploring on your own, again, please check out my Old San Juan walking tour, which covers most of the places I think are worth seeing.

There is, however, one area I personally recommend cruisers skip: La Perla.

La Perla sits just outside the old city walls along the coast below Calle Norzagaray that became hot spot for curious tourists after appearing in the “Despacito” music video.  This is definitely not the nicest neighborhood in San Juan and there have been several serious incidents involving tourists there in recent years. Three tourists from the states were stabbed in 2023 after police said a confrontation began when one of them was filming, and other violent incidents involving visitors have occurred since then.

So while I’m not saying nobody can ever walk into La Perla, my advice to cruise visitors with only a few hours in town is simple: there’s plenty to see elsewhere in Old San Juan. Skip it.

Another thing returning visitors will notice is that work continues around El Morro, the massive fortress you see guarding the entrance to San Juan Bay as the ship sails in.  The National Park Service started a major turf restoration project around the El Morro esplanade in April 2026, with about 11 acres of the grounds temporarily closed during the work. Additionally, the walking path along San Juan Bay remains closed as restoration work on the massive walls of the fort is underway,  But, the fort is open, but you’ll find a lot of work going on and some areas blocked off.

Caymus Winemaker Dinner

After my usual wandering around San Juan, I made one very important stop at the Walgreens across from the pier, only to discover something personally devastating.

They no longer had the Coke made with real sugar.

Just the regular crappy stuff.

Disappointed, I headed back to Regal Princess because I needed to get ready for another special food-and-beverage event tonight: the Caymus Winemaker Dinner.

But first, for those sticking with the main dining room tonight, here’s a look at what Princess was serving:

Main Dining Room Dinner Menu - Night 4

Served in the Allegro, Symphony, Concerto, and Reserve Collection Restaurant. Think of this as the classic cruise dining experience – a multicourse meal on the fancier side that still makes you feel right at home. Menus change daily and offer a variety of choices including regional flavors, guest favorites and chef specialties.

Available on: Regal Princess

Starters, Soup, Salad

Minestrone Soup

vegetables, ditalini pasta, basil pesto

Heirloom Caprese

Tomato, Mozzarella, Fresh Basil Salad

Mushroom Arancini

Zesty tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese

Insalata Mista

mixed greens, charred pear, radish, arugula, orange segments and shaved fennel, dressed in extra-virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar

French Onion Soup

gruyere cheese crouton

Princess Shrimp Cocktail

Prawns served with tangy cocktail sauce

Classic Caesar Salad

romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, parmesan cheese, herb croutons

Mains

Lasagna

Pasta layered with rich meat sauce and creamy parmesan white sauce

Classic Chicken Parmigiana

spaghetti, tomato sauce, fresh basil

Fettuccine Alfredo

rich parmesan cream sauce

Grillery

Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast

pan gravy, mashed potatoes, market vegetables

Seared Salmon

lemon butter sauce, market vegetables

Striploin Steak 6 oz

french fries, market vegetables

Make the Evening Extra Special

Filet Mignon 7oz

$24.00

red-skin mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms

Lobster Tail 6-7 oz

$24.00

red-skin mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus

The Perfect Match

$34.00

filet mignon & lobster tail, with choice of sides

Desserts

Chocolate Souffle

Creme anglaise

Tiramisu

ladyfinger biscuit, mascarpone cream, tia maria syrup, coffee cream

Sugar-Free Mochaccino Semifreddo

Cappuccino By Cecile

coffee financier, creamy chocolate coffee, vanilla ganache, chocolate shortcrust

Sorbet du Jour - Lemon

Pistachio Love Boat By Cecile

pistachio mousse with pistachio crunch on vanilla shortbread

French Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

sugar cane crust, lemon madeleines

International Cheese Plate

crackers, chutney

Seasonal Fresh Fruit

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The Caymus Winemaker Dinner started rolling out across the Princess fleet in 2023 as a partnership between the cruise line and Caymus Vineyards. Chuck Wagner, owner and winemaker at Caymus, worked with the Princess culinary team to develop a five-course menu around wines not only from Caymus, but from other Wagner family labels as well.

And here’s something I find interesting: more than three years later, the menu and wine pairings really haven’t changed.

Normally I’d probably complain about that.

In this case?

Don’t touch it.

I did this dinner aboard Enchanted Princess in December 2024 and thought it was fantastic, so I had to book it again on Regal Princess – for scientific purposes, of course!  The price remains $145 per person, which is certainly not cheap, but this is much more than simply ordering dinner and a bottle of wine.

Tonight’s experience began at 7:00 p.m. at Vines, the ship’s wine bar, where we were checked in and once the entire group was accounted for, we were escorted to a private table in one of the ship’s dining rooms, where Sandra, our sommelier, and our host for the evening were waiting for us.

From that point forward, the food started coming and the wine started flowing.

And I mean flowing.

Just like last night at Chef’s Table Lumière, apparently letting a wine glass become empty is considered bad luck, so all the team members working the dinner kept our glasses very full!

Caymus Winemakers Dinner Menu

The Caymus Winemakers Dinner is a $145pp private dining experience where six courses are paired with different Caymus wines.

Amuse Bouche

Slow-Braised Beef Short Ribs

broccoli tartare and grated horseradish

Openings

Beef Carpaccio

celeriac, arugula, shaved parmesan, orange zest, balsamic glaze

Mer Soleil Chardonnay

Monterey County, CA

Marinated Fresh Oyster Mushrooms and Wood Ear Mushrooms

green pea granita, roasted hearts of romaine lettuce, smoked citrus dressing

First Course

Fresh Summer Black Truffle Risotto

Parmigiano Reggiano aged 36 months

Caymus Suisun The Walking Fool Red Blend

Suisun Valley, CA

Main Course

Tournedos Rossini

prime beef tenderloin, blossom artichokes

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley, CA

Sea Sun Pinot Noir

California

Seared King Salmon and Giant Prawn

Peruvian potatoes, baby green courgettes, lemon beurre blanc

Cheeses

Charcuterie and Cheese Selection

Paired with your wine of choice from this evening's dinner

Dessert

Chocolate Raspberry Dream

intense dark chocolate mousse, chocolate raspberry cream, raspberry compote, cornflake crisp

Emmolo Sparkling Wine

California

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Dinner starts with an amuse bouche of slow-braised beef short ribs, served with broccoli tartare and grated horseradish. It’s definitely NOT a small bite, as the name implies, but IS a very good indication of where the evening is headed!

From there, you have a choice to make – you can go with the beef carpaccio, served with celeriac, arugula, shaved Parmesan, orange zest and balsamic glaze, or the vegetarian option of marinated fresh oyster mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms with green pea granita, roasted hearts of romaine and smoked citrus dressing.  I went with the carpaccio.

That course is paired with Mer Soleil Chardonnay from Monterey County, California.

Next comes the Fresh Summer Black Truffle Risotto, made with Parmigiano Reggiano that’s aged for 36 months. This was one of my favorites the last time I did the Caymus dinner, and nothing has changed there. It’s rich, creamy and loaded with truffle flavor, and it’s paired with Caymus-Suisun The Walking Fool Red Blend from Suisun Valley.

For the main course, you again have to make a choice.

Tournedos Rossini – prime beef tenderloin served with blossom artichokes and paired with Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, or Seared King Salmon and Giant Prawn, served with Peruvian potatoes, baby green courgettes and lemon beurre blanc, paired with Sea Sun Pinot Noir from California.

I went with the Tournedos Rossini, just as I did when I had this dinner aboard Enchanted Princess, and once again it was the right decision. Perfectly cooked beef paired with Caymus Cabernet is pretty difficult to argue with.

After the main course comes a charcuterie and cheese selection, and this is where they let you revisit whichever wine from the evening you liked best.

Yes, they pour you more.

Finally, dessert is the Chocolate Raspberry Dream, with intense dark chocolate mousse, chocolate raspberry cream, raspberry compote and cornflake crisp, paired with Emmolo Sparkling Wine from California.  The only problem with this one, is that by the time dessert rolls around, it’s hard to fit this in your stomach!

At the end of the evening you’ve eaten VERY well, sampled a pretty impressive lineup of Wagner family wines, and, thanks to the very attentive pouring throughout the evening, you’re definitely not wondering whether you got your money’s worth out of the wine.

The food tonight was exactly what I remembered – excellent.

The portions are generous, which isn’t always the case with these multi-course wine dinners, and the wines aren’t treated like tiny tasting pours where you get two ounces and someone takes the bottle away.

Sandra and the team were extremely generous with the pours throughout the evening.

But what really makes the Caymus dinner work is the commentary that goes along with it.

You’re not simply told, “Here’s a Cabernet, drink it with the steak.”

There’s discussion about Caymus, the Wagner family, where the wines come from, why certain wines were paired with certain dishes, and what to look for when you taste them. That was also one of the strongest parts of my first Caymus dinner aboard Enchanted Princess, and it was again tonight.

You don’t need to be one of those people who can swirl a glass, sniff it and suddenly announce that you detect leather, tobacco, blackberry and a hint of a barn in Napa Valley circa 1976.

You can just like wine.

Would I book the Caymus Winemaker Dinner for a third time?

Absolutely.

Princess may not have changed the menu since 2023, but sometimes you don’t need to fix something that isn’t broken.

Especially when they keep refilling the wine glass.

We’re currently sailing towards our final port-of-call, St. Thomas, USVI where we’re set to arrive at 7am.  As always, thanks for following along, and more tomorrow!

Regal Princess Daily Planner – Day 4

Regal Princess Cruise Review By Day