Stupid San Juan Sitch
Dashing this one off in the afternoon before we set sail in a couple of hours. Mainly to pitch a bit of a fit. Gripe. Complain. Or, as I prefer to term it, since I’m most definitely not a complainer: observations with attitude.
Before departing yesterday from St. John, I looked at where cruise ships dock, and just how close we might be to Old Town. I was curious, since I hoped to maybe catch a free walking tour, and I was curious as to why a shuttle service offered by Norwegian cost $20/person.
Looking at the map, it appeared Old Town was a mere five minute walk away. Seems pretty straightforward. No shuttle needed — unless one is somewhat challenged for walking. No problem, right?
Alrighty then. Let’s complicate things a bit, shall we? First off, we didn’t berth at the cruise ship dock. Nope. We pulled in on the other side of the bay. Now, instead of a five minute walk to Old Town, El Goog and Apple were telling me it was an hour or more. Yep, I’d have to wander all the way ‘round the harbor to get there. Swell.
Second complication: US Customs and Immigration. That’s right. Cruise ships terminating in the USA that stop here go through Immigration here. It is, after all, a part of the USA. That means everyone aboard has to get off, go through Immigration, and either head into the city or sit in an airplane hangar until the ship is emptied. Only then can anyone get back on board. The estimated time of 10:00 to disembark provided to me from Norwegian was a little ambitious. I wasn’t released to get off the ship until 11:15.
Mix the relaxed idea of time and deadlines that is a hallmark of Latin culture with the general slow movement of border officials, and that there were only six working…yeah. You get it. USA! USA! USA! A clusterfuge that made the 8+ mile round trip to the battlements a challenge walking — especially given the 3:30 deadline to get back aboard.
It compares so miserably to my exit from Princess in Australia. No waiting. No queues. I walked up, they checked my shoes for soil, checked my passport, and I was on my way. Five minutes max. I don’t (directly) hold Norwegian culpable, but since they’re proximal, they got it from a few folks.
I finally escaped immigration (I chose the slowest queue naturally), and instead of walking into town, decided to run. I only had a few hours now, and I wanted to see what I could see. And, of course, me being me, I wanted to get all the way around to the castillo on the point. Dumb move, probably. It’s hot. I’m old. I’ve been going hard every day for the last week. Did I mention it’s hot and I’m not heat acclimated? Sounds ominous, dunnit?
It wasn’t. But I had you going for a second there, didn’t I? I made it to Old Town, and out to the point. But at that point, I was walking, not running. (I actually only ran the first 4K, by which time I though death a pleasant alternative.) Walked all the way back too. I’m a living example of “run when you can, walk when you can’t. Or when you just don’t care.”
Generally speaking, I liked San Juan, though. With the caveat of the fact I only got to spend a couple of hours here. But I liked the vibe. Even so, I will never, never take another cruise that terminates in the USA that forces a similar situation. Norwegian should account for it better and give a later time for being back on board. It’s not like we have a tight deadline. Tomorrow is a sea day, and we could easily make up a couple of hours before putting into the Bahamas on Monday.
Sorry for the disjointed post. I’m pressed for time, and well, sometimes my writing sucks anyway. Enjoy the photos.
Be kind and take care of yourselves. If you can, care for someone else, too.
Slang, out.