About Captain Jose Cruz
USCG Master Captain and local guide at Oceania Boat Tours & Charters
I’m Captain Jose Cruz. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and I’ve spent more than 13 years on the water around San Juan, Piñones and Loíza as a USCG licensed Master Captain.
Before the boats, my work was with people
I served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member teaching local youth, and after Hurricane Maria I spent two years with Save the Children helping communities across the island get back on their feet. That work taught me that a place is its people, and it shapes every tour I lead.
Why I guide the way I do
My faith as a Christian is simple on this point: a guest is someone to be served well. So I don’t just show you the coast. I tell you its story: the Taíno, African and Spanish roots of Loíza, the families who have lived off these mangroves for generations, and the wildlife that still calls them home.
What you can expect on board
- A licensed captain: USCG Master Captain since 2012.
- Small groups only: never more than 6 guests.
- Local history and culture told by someone who grew up here.
- A calm, dry and comfortable ride, 10 minutes from Isla Verde and the SJU airport.
You can read my guides to San Juan and the island on the blog, or come see it from the water on the Signature 90-minute boat tour.
