If your cruise ship stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and you are looking for something affordable and fun at the same time, consider the Bacardi Rum Plant tour.
We recently visited the plant for the first time and were very impressed. However, you shouldn’t be confused about the tour you will take. It’s not actually a tour of the bottling facility but a tour of the distillery process and history of the company.
5 Reasons to Take the Bacardi Tour
1. Easily accessible. The Bacardi plant is not walkable from the cruise ship, and if you book it through the cruise line, you are going to pay a ridiculous amount for the transfer service. There is a ferry route that goes from Pier 2 in San Juan harbor to Catano for 50 cents per person each way. To get to Pier 2 from the cruise pier is a brisk walk or a couple-dollar cab ride.
2. Learn About Bacardi. Recently, the Bacardi tour was revamped and is no longer just a commercial for the company; it’s actually a learning experience. A guided 45-minute tour walks you through a half dozen rooms where you learn about the history of the company, the famous Bacardi bat, how the rum became so popular, and a mock distillery (no pictures allowed). Plus, the ice-cold air conditioning is a nice perk.
3. Rum Samples. Just for taking the tour, you’re given two drink tickets that can be redeemed for cocktails at the bar in the waiting area that has free wifi.
4. Great Selections. While the rum may not be a lot cheaper at the Bacardi plant, there is a wide selection of different flavors available. I sampled some great rums that I couldn’t find back home in the local liquor store.
5. Cheap Admission. The Bacardi tour is $15. When you look at the excursion at the cruise ship excursion desk, you will notice it costs up to $70 or so. Don’t let the amount fool you.
These are just some reasons to take the Bacardi tour in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Before I actually went, I read online that visitors feel that it’s nothing but a sales pitch, but I did not see that at all. If you want to buy rum, it’s a cheap place to buy it, learn about the company, and enjoy a couple of free drinks. And in case you are wondering, the drinking age in Puerto Rico is 18.
If you are looking for an affordable way to spend the day in port, you should consider the Bacardi Rum Plant.
Updated 2/10/17
