We took the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Norweigan Encore. The cruise had three Ports of Call- Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Tortuga on the British Virgin Islands. Here is what we did to make the most of your time offboard.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico, this Caribbean hotspot was the first stop on this Eastern Caribbean route we arrive right after sunset (5:30 pm) to enjoy the Puerto Rico nightlife. There are two ports in Puerto Rico the Pan American Pier & Cruise Terminal, which is close to the airport and the second is the Old San Juan Pier & Terminal. Norwegian Encore ports at the Old San Juan Pier so you are about a 5-minute walk to the center of Old San Juan. The weather in Puerto Rico hovers around a humid 80 degrees even at night. Hurricane season is June 1 to November 30 so try to plan a trip outside of hurricane season. With only a few hours in Puerto Rico, we ventured off to find some tasty food and delicious drinks.
We found La Casita de Rones which is about a 5-7 minute walk from the pier. La Casita is a cute restaurant, with a large outside patio overlooking the waterfront. We ordered a couple of recommended dishes the Empanada Vola- Skirt steak empanada with a rum chimichurri, Glazed Chicken Wings, and Chicken Chicharron- Deep Fried Chicken. We also ordered their famous 1550 Hand- shaken Pina Colada and the Sexy Colada. All the dishes and drinks were delicious! We especially liked 1550 Hand-Shaken Pina Colada. Few tips- Food prices are around $5-15 for an appetizer and $15-20 for entrees, Food might take a while to make, don’t expect fast food, English is spoken, US dollar and credit cards are accepted, and come after 8 pm for some live music.
After our delicious meals and drinks, we made our way to La Factoria Old San Juan about a 5-minute taxi ride or a 15-minute walk from the port. La Factoria claim to fame is it is listed as one of the best 50 bars in the world in 2019. Also, this bar might look familiar because the despacito music video was filmed there. We understand why this is listed as one of the best bars the cocktails are AMAZING! We loved the Spiced Old Fashion (rum cocktail) and Mercado Roman (mezcal cocktail). Quick tip don’t think the first room is the only room at this bar, there are 7 bars that are connected at this place. Go through the doors to discover different bars with different cocktail menus.
St Thomas
The most visited of the US Virgin Islands is St. Thomas. Known for its sandy beautiful beaches, stunning hills, and duty-free shopping. St. Thomas has two docks the West India Company Dock (also known as Havensight) and Crown Bay. Norwegian ports at the West India Company Dock. Since St. Thomas is known for its beaches we decided to spend a couple of hours at Magen Bay.
Magen Bay is named the top 10 beaches in the world by National Geographic, it is also the most popular beach in St. Thomas. We can’t agree more, this beach is beautiful, the white sand is powder soft and the water is clear and calm, perfect for our one-year-old first time in the ocean. How to get there? Cruise ships offer excursions to the beach but we decided to just take a cab ride from the cruise port since we had a baby we could go and leave at our time. After walking out of the port there are taxi companies in blue that will guide you to which taxi to take, a taxi ride will run you $8 person for 2 or more people or $10 for one person each way (Children under 2 are free). The taxis are cash only and you will pay for the fare once you get to Magen Bay. Once you get to Magen Bay there is a $5 entry fee for adults (children under 12 are free). There is a restaurant on site that services breakfast items, sandwiches, pizza, and a full bar that can make your favorite tropical drink. Bathrooms, changing stalls, picnic tables are also available at this beach. Equipment rentals such as lounge chairs, umbrellas, and snorkel gear are also available. One tip- Head to the beach as soon as the cruise ship ports, it starts to get crowded around noon, once all the cruise ship excursion people are bussed in.
Is the beach not for you? Spend your time off the boat shopping at the capital of the Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie which is a $4 taxi ride (each way) from the port or a 20-30 minute walk from the port. The Virgin Islands are known as the shopping capital of the Caribbean because of all the duty-free shops. In between shopping or window shopping, you can admire the historical landmarks of Charlotte Amalie and enjoy Danish architecture. English is spoken, US dollars and credit cards are accepted through the islands.
Tortuga
Tortola is the largest island of the British Virgin Islands. It’s known for its beautiful sandy beaches and green mountain tops. The most popular attraction at this port of call is the Virgin Baths on the island of Virgin Gorda. Unfortunately for us, it was raining so we opted for the local island tour. When you walk out to the ship, head to the end of the shopping area and there is an opened aired safari tour. The tour company offers two one for 2 hours around the island stopping a couple of photo ops and the second is a 3-hour tour that the same tour but there is an hour spot at the beach. The 2 hours tour is $20 per person and the beach tour is $30 per person. The tour is a great introduction to the island and the photo ops spots are beautiful just wished it wasn’t raining. By the way, the tour only takes cash, you’ll pay your tour guide at the end of your tour. Quick tips: English is widely spoken and the US dollar is the currency of the island.
Which Port of Call Would You Pick?
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