I booked 3 days in Puerto Rico in July, leaving on RC's Rhapsody of the Seas and traveling to 4 Southern Caribbean Islands, St. Croix, Oranjestad, Aruba, Kralendijk, Bonaire and Willemstad, Curacao. The following was where I stayed, ate, and played. ENJOY !
Sections
6
Puerto Rico
Cruising
St. Croix
Oranjestad, Aruba
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Willemstad, Curacao
Puerto Rico
We Flew into PR 3 days before the cruise to enjoy the island with my family. This is where I stayed, played and ate.
Condado Vanderbilt opened on October 16th, 1919. It has been remodeled, refurbished and is one of the best hotels on the island. Centrally located on the beaches of el condado and absolutely beautiful
The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
Use this card to rack up points for free nights and rewards. We booked the condado Vanderbilt through Amex travel and received tons of perks, including free breakfast for 2 every day of our stay at Ola restaurant.
Amex Platinum
Restaurant that specializes in culinary experience that celebrates the two passions, chocolate and art
Condado | Chocobar Cortes | Caribbean Chocolate Cortés Everything Restaurant
El Yunque National Rainforest over 29,000 acres. You can hike, camp, or just spend a day driving through
El Yunque National Forest - Home
Fun Rum Tasting tour, for 18+
Buy tickets for Casa Bacardi Puerto Rico
This is a fun activity to do with a tour guide. See the city lights of PR on this night kayak excursion on the Condado Lagoon. You’ll be in a clear bottom kayak equipped with LED lights, which you’ll turn on when the sun goes down. You can also pain...
LED Kayak Night Glow Tour in Condado Lagoon
A visit to Flamenco Beach in Culebra Island is a fabulous day trip. Culebra is just 17 miles off the coast of PR and boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. A drive from Condado to Ceiba is about 2 hours, where you will then take a ...
Buy Tickets - Puerto Rico Ferry docked by Hornblower
This is a great alternative to the 2 hour drive to Ceiba. Drive 45 min from Condado to Fajardo and do a snorkeling tour via catamaran from Fajardo to Ceulebra. Enjoy your day snorkeling and then the rest of the day on Flamenco Beach
Culebra Snorkeling Tour by Catamaran from Fajardo
old san juan golf cart tour
2025 Old San Juan Golf Cart Exploration - w/ Reviews
lala puerto rico, located in the mall of san juan. Contemporary global cuisine, a restaurant by none other than bad bunny
lala Puerto Rico | Global Cuisine in San Juan, PR
DRGN Restaurant is a vibrant culinary destination in San Juan, known for its "exceptional service" and "creative dishes." Chef Treviño impresses with iconic dumplings and modern twists on Latin-Asian favorites. The stunning ambiance, "great atmospher...
DRGN Restaurant - San Juan, PR on OpenTable
Calle Tapia Villa Palmeras San Juan, PR, for authentic and delicious puerto rican cuisine
LA CASITA BLANCA
come here for breakfast to try the pan de Mallorca sandwich
CAFETERÍA MALLORCA, San Juan -
home of the first ever pina colada
Barrachina - San Juan, PR
bad bunny's new bar featuring cafe con ron drink in puerto rico
Cafe Con Ron - San Juan, PR
great drinks with some of the most incredible views in puerto rico
Mar Y Rosa bar
use this site to find your way around. You can even download the app for easier use
Rome2Rio: discover how to get anywhere
a must see - start early if you can - entrance is only 10 dollars
Plan Your Visit - San Juan National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
Great spot in el condado area to grab a drink and listen to music . Dj arrives at 9pm
La Concha Resort: A Luxury Resort in Condado, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Cruising
Lets get Cruising!…(Check out my Cuise essentials list for things that I purchased for my cruise. )
I booked an 8 day Southern Caribbean Cruise out of PR via RC. Make sure to sign up for their Latitudes Loyalty program to earn points per night of your cruise. You earn points with every night of your cruise that are then transferrable to valuable re...
7 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises
St. Croix
Day 2 of the cruise brings you to St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands. The minute you walk off the ship there are taxi drivers that will take you to rainbow beach for 5$ a person. There is plenty of transport back to the port when you are done w ...
This was a great article on how to spend your day in St. Croix
The Best 41 Things to Do in St. Croix (USVI) on Cruise Day In Port
Rainbow Beach, St Croix is a popular beach on cruise days. They have water sports, beach chair rentals and a restaurant called Rhythm Rainbow Beach which is very good. Rainbow Beach is accesible via taxi for 5$ pp and is about 5 minutes away from the...
Rainbow Beach, St. Croix, USVI
Great beach front restaurant w yummy food and drinks . Try the lobster bites !
Top Beach Bar & Restaurant | Rhythms at Rainbow Beach | St. Croix
Oranjestad, Aruba
Day 4 of Cruising take you to Oranjestad Aruba - we took a taxi to eagle beach . It was 15$ flat fee one way . At eagle beach you can rent chairs and umbrellas and there are plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from . Shopping on the island is al...
If shopping is your thing- here is a great link to the best shopping in Aruba
Shopping in Aruba - Best Stores & Top-Rated Shops
For an unforgettable beach experience, visit Eagle Beach, which was honored as the #1 Best of the Best Beach in the Caribbean in TripAdvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards
Eagle Beach, Aruba - Best White Sand Beach in the Caribbean
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Day 5 takes you to Kralendijk, Bonaire. We took a taxi right outside the cruise terminal to oasis beach club.
Ocean Oasis (also known as Ocean Oasis Beach Club) is located at 260 EEG Boulevard, right on the southern edge of Kralendijk, and a 20$ taxi ride away. We purchase an ocean front bed which was great for 3-4 people for 75$ which included the use of th...
Ocean Oasis Beach Club (
Willemstad, Curacao
Day 6 takes you to Willemstad, Curacao. Walk right out of the cruise port and you will find independent taxi drivers that will drive you to mambo beach for 25$. Your taxi will drop you off in front of Madero day club . Pay the 3.25 pp fee and enjoy !...
Mambo beach is lined w beach clubs to choose from . With an enclosed beach alcove you can enjoy the beach in peace . We paid 3.25 pp to access madero beach and 45$ for a day bed for four people. Great relaxing day for an affordable price