Another beautiful day on the Scarlet Lady, and this time we’re in Puerto Rico! After an evening of somewhat bumpier seas, we docked the following morning in San Juan. This was my very first time visiting Puerto Rico, so stick around while I go over exactly how my adventure-filled day went. In this blog post I’ll be talking about ordering ShipEats (room service), touring Richard’s Rooftop, attending a session of Morning Mindbenders, watching the ship dock in Old San Juan, taking an Old San Juan food tour (including making mofongo!), and dinner at Pink Agave. Whew, that’s a lot to get through – let’s get started!

A Room Service Kinda Morning

As I was reviewing my schedule for the day the evening prior, I decided I wanted to have an easy morning and order room service instead of rolling out of bed and heading out to my morning reservation. Virgin Voyages offers room service by the name of “Ship Eats” and the food is completely free. The only thing is that there is a $10 delivery charge if you don’t order a priced item, like a specialty coffee or cocktail. 

I placed a breakfast order for Ship Eats the evening before selecting my preferred delivery time. There wasn’t a plethora of breakfast options, but the staples were there: eggs, bacon, sausage, breads, yogurts, French toast, etc. You could also order, for an additional charge, juices, specialty coffees, premium non-alcoholic (aka energy drinks), and premium teas. 

I set my delivery window for 7:00 AM – 7:30 AM (ship time) and they rang my doorbell at 7:05 AM. That’s pretty darn good! I ordered the egg white mushroom frittata, Nutella French toast, cheddar jalapeño croissant, and a few other goodies. The food was served hot and fresh with a cutlery roll up. It was super convenient and I loved being able to eat breakfast on my balcony. 

Touring Richard’s Rooftop

Lest we forget that I actually work in travel, I made arrangements to have a tour of the exclusive Richard’s Rooftop area on the Scarlet Lady. Richard’s Rooftop is an area accessible only to Rockstar and Mega Rockstar Suites guests. They have a desirable location on Deck 16 at the front of the ship with a dedicated bar, plenty of lounge seating, and jacuzzis.

Richard’s Rooftop is an incredible perk. On a ship boasting a max. capacity of 2,770 passengers, it’s nice to have a separate section to escape the crowds. A space where only your fellow Rockstar and Mega Rockstar passengers can mingle and partake in exclusive cocktail hours. You cannot purchase access to this area, the only way to access it is to be staying in a suite. 

There are other perks to being a Rockstar or Mega Rockstar too. Aside from accessing Richard’s Rooftop whenever you want, you’ll have a complimentary curated in-room bar, early booking and priority access to all reservations, shows, and activities, and access to a dedicated team of Rockstar Agents. Mega Rockstar guests receive a free daily bar tab, free access to the Thermal Spa, free transfers to/from port, bottomless in-room bar, your own personal Mega Rockstar agent, and the fastest wifi speed for free. All amazing perks that come with a larger well-appointed suite. 

Time for Some Morning Mindbenders

I’m a huge fan of word searches and crossword puzzles, so when I saw this activity pop up I had to attend. This took place at The Social Club and was attended by groups and solo guests alike. Each team was given 3 mind-bending challenges: a word search, rebus puzzles, and a map of the US to name all the states. We had 10 minutes for each challenge for the winning teams to earn points. Winning team receives a coffee from the Grounds Club. 

Since my team consisted of me, myself, and I, there was a disadvantage here so I just took my time enjoying each challenge and not worrying about winning. The word search was fun although I didn’t finish in time. The rebus puzzles I’d never seen before and my brain could not comprehend how to figure those out. Naming all 50 states was not the last puzzle I was expecting but I was glad for the opportunity to refresh my geography skills. 

I appreciated that this was a no obligation, low commitment type of activity. You can just show up, enjoy the challenges to get your mind going and then go on your merry way. That’s totally my speed and I’ll make sure to go again on this voyage.

Docking in San Juan

When we docked in Puerto Plata the other day, I was still sleeping. I was glad for the opportunity to actually see the ship dock in San Juan. I wasn’t the only one with the same thought as people hung out by the railings trying to see as well. 

The docking went seamlessly and we were sandwiched between Carnival Vista on one side and MSC Seascape on the other. It was a busy port day, for sure! I didn’t want to be part of the crowd that rushed off the boat immediately, and I didn’t have to be in Old San Juan for another few hours so I headed back to my cabin to get some work done in the meantime.

Touring Old San Juan – The Foodie Way

Later in the afternoon I hopped down to Deck 4 and followed the signs for “gangway.” I had to tap my bracelet before leaving the ship, and from there it was a 2-minute walk to leave the docking area. The Old San Juan Port was pretty empty and had adequate signage pointing in the direction of Old San Juan. I also saw a Starbucks sign advertising free wi-fi for anyone looking to add to their mug collection! 

I booked this food tour using Viator since the one through Virgin Voyages was overpriced and sold out. The timing of this tour was also nowhere near arriving or departing San Juan, so I didn’t have to worry about delays or anything. If you want to book the same tour for your future visit, you can do so here:

I walked around Old San Juan for a bit and perused the vendor stalls outside the port before meeting with my foodie tour guide for the next few hours. Her name was Leslie and she was a sassy, fiery soul who knew her history and exactly all the right places to go. She liked to mix Spanish with English a lot and it was entertaining to hear. 

Old San Juan Food Tour – A Surprising Start

There were 5 of us on this food tour and as we were getting the briefing, someone came up to us asking if anyone had an epipen. Luckily, one of the travelers in our group did and left us to assist the gentleman (on another food tour, might I add) with an allergic reaction he was having. Turns out, he didn’t know he was allergic to octopus and had it on his food tour. He was administered an epipen and taken to a hospital. Glad it worked out for him, but still that stinks!

Old San Juan Food Tour – Coffee and a Sandwich

We started our tour out by walking to a nearby coffee shop. Leslie told us the history of coffee coming from Ethiopia and lots of history and details later eventually being brought to Puerto Rico. She told us about the particular method they use to grow the coffee trees in the mountainous regions of Puerto Rico and the coffee shop we were in roasts them. 

Since I’m not drinking caffeine these days, I opted for a freshly squeezed orange juice. I could smell how fresh and fragrant the coffee was though and wished I could have it! They didn’t do decaf though. 

The sandwich provided was ham and cheese with a special ingredient. We were asked to taste and guess what the special ingredient was. It was guava butter! Who knew it would go well with ham and cheese? It was delicious. 

Old San Juan Food Tour – Passionfruit Popsicle

After leaving the coffee shop, we walked up a hill to a beautiful park overlooking the river and the other side of San Juan. Here is where we were given passionfruit popsicles while Leslie told us about the history of the fort and Puerto Rico’s colonial history. I don’t usually eat popsicles because my teeth are sensitive, but it was delicious, tart, and flavorful. 

Old San Juan Food Tour – Alcapurrias and Ceviche

Our next stop took us to a charming cafe with a craft shop in the front. The walls were lined with handmade masks depicting demons and other San Juan souvenirs for sale. Here we tried a deep fried snack called alcapurrias. This was a deep fried plantain fritter stuffed with beef and served with hot sauce or a ketchup/mayo sauce. This was addictingly delicious with its crunchy exterior and chewy interior elevated by a salty crumbled beef stuffing.

We were also given a spoon of grouper ceviche with avocado. The grouper was citrusy, tangy, and balanced out by that creamy avocado. Grouper is a pretty mild tasting fish and I thought it was perfect as a ceviche.

Old San Juan Food Tour – Making Mofongo

Our next stop took us back to the area we first started at a restaurant that holds flamenco shows on the weekends. Here we were given a small mortar and pestle filled with cooked plantains. Leslie told us we were going to make our own mofongo by mashing the plantains the way the indigenous Tainos did. Our mofongo was served with rice, beans, and a stewed chicken. It was also served with a darn good pina colada, shaken instead of blended. 

Leslie told us this meal represented the blending of the cultures that have contributed to Puerto Rico’s history: Taino, African, and Spanish. She also told us a bit about the history of the pina colada, which was fun. I had never had it shaken before,!

Old San Juan Food Tour – Flan for Dessert

It was time for our last stop. It had been 3 hours of walking around Old San Juan at this point, and both my belly and my brains were about to burst. We sat at another cafe near Plaza Colón and had our final snack of the day: flan. 

I’d grown up eating flan thanks to the Filipino side of my family, so I have high standards when it comes to flan. This flan was soaked in a rich coffee sauce that went well with the caramelized sugar flavor. The texture was custardy, light, and soaked up the coffee perfectly. I thought it was a great end to a lovely food tour. 

She’s Eating MORE?

After the food tour, I went back to the ship and rested for a bit in my cabin. I happened to be perusing through the app and saw that a slot for Pink Agave opened up for later this evening. Perfect! I had been wanting to try this restaurant as the popular consensus is that it’s one of the best. 

Several hours later, I went down to Deck 5 ready for another meal. Pink Agave is Virgin Voyages’ Mexican restaurant on board. Their menu consists of small bites like guacamole, esquites, and aguachile, medium bites like enchiladas, shrimp with mole, and larger plates like the coveted ribeye steak with Oaxaca cheese. 

For my dinner, I went with the guacamole, esquites, and chicken quesadillas. All of these dishes were reasonably portioned and very tasty. The guacamole had tart and crunchy pomegranate seeds while the equites had a salty and sweet combo going on with the Oaxaca cheese and sweet corn. The chicken enchiladas were saved by the fresh salsa verde on top, otherwise it would’ve been bland.

I couldn’t leave without getting dessert and somehow I had room for two! I tried the tacos de chocolate and the capriotada. The capriotada was a rum raisin bread pudding with a rich cream sauce. 10 out of 10 really delicious, and I don’t even like raisins. The chocolate tacos were the star, however. The shells of the taco were made of a dark chocolate cookie, and the inside contained a chocolate mousse topped with dulce de leche. I will dream about this dessert, I guarantee it!

I had planned to attend a comedy show after dinner, but my next day was going to be another early day filled with adventure. We would be docking in St. Croix where I’d have my first Virgin Voyages excursion: a bike tour! I’ll also be trying the ship’s Italian restaurant, Extra Virgin, and try out Opa Hour at The Dock during sunset. Stay tuned for my next blog post!