Ask The Expert!
by Candy Harrington, editor of Emerging Horizons
San Juan Shore Excursion
My husband and I will be taking a Caribbean cruise, with a stop in San Juan later this year. We will be in San Juan all day and I'd like to do a shore excursion. My husband uses a power wheelchair, and the cruise line doesn't have any shore excursions that he can take. He cannot transfer out of his wheelchair, nor can he walk at all. We'd like to see El Yunque and Luquillo Beach. I've heard both places are accessible. Do you have any suggestions?
You are unfortunately correct about the lack of accessible shore excursions offered by the cruise lines. Even their most accessible offerings require that passengers be able to transfer from a wheelchair, walk up the steps to a bus, and walk a little. Obviously this is not an option for your husband.
But there is another alternative — a private tour in a wheelchair-accessible van. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of operators that offer this service in San Juan, but the most reliable choice is Rafael Sanchez. Formerly, Rafael owned an accessible van rental franchise on the island, but he decided to shift his focus and offer wheelchair-accessible tours instead. Luquillo Beach and parts of El Yunque are accessible, and Rafael can certainly put together a nice full or half-day excursion for you. His phone number is (800) 868-8028.
Have a nice trip!
— June 21, 2009
