Cruising out of Galveston

Hi Everyone!

We are cruising out of Galveston in January on the repositioning cruise to San Juan. I am excited, but have some trepidation as I've only done 7 days and I'm worried this cruise will feel too short. I'm optimistic about the 3 sea days though [emoji4]

Anyway, is there anything I should know about cruising out of Galveston? We've done Long Beach and PC, so this is another first for us.

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Not sure what you want to know. DCL sets up all the terminals to be as much like PC as possible. Since you won't disembark at Galveston, no issues there. Most people will be flying into Houston and arranging ground transfers from there; it is a reasonably long drive. Be sure to use the restroom and have a snack before you board your ground transportation. We used IAH--nice, easy airport. Big, but totally easy. Galveston can have fog delays--not uncommon. Otherwise, it is an easy port. There are places to stay in Galveston at reasonable prices if you come in the night before.

San Juan, on the other hand, is my least favorite port. Arriving there, the Customs agents were slow, lazy, and present in insufficient numbers...and of course, DCL has no control over this. I've been there twice and would not choose to go back again. On the positive, the old city and the forts are worth seeing.

Thanks Moki's Mom- this is helpful. I'm just looking for others experiences so I can get an idea of what has/hasn't worked for others, which can give me a frame of reference for planning. Also, I sometimes love to borrow great ideas from fellow cruisers [emoji4]

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OK, help us know how to help you--flying or driving? Which airport (IAH or Hobby?) Coming in a day before or day of the cruise? Are you looking for things to do in Galveston the day before, places to stay, how to get from the airport to the port, where to eat, how to get from hotel to the cruise terminal, or something else?

The port itself is easy--smaller than Port Canaveral, very easy to manage.

If you are driving, reserve a spot in the parking lot. I live in Texas, I have no reason to fly in, so I can't help there. BUT I will tell you we were on the Wonder out of Galveston the week before Christmas and we were delayed FOUR hours getting into port of Galveston because of fog. If you are taking transportation to the airport, you may find yourself scrambling as others on our sailing did. Keep those phone numbers handy. Since we drove, it wasn't a problem for us.

Thanks ladies. We will fly to Houston, not sure which airport yet. I'm hoping to spend 1-2 days pre cruise in Galveston, and have some ideas about hotels already.

We always have trip insurance, so those travel delays are crappy but at least we are covered as far as expenses. We ended up with a MAJOR delay last ear due to hurricane Matthew, spent an extra day on the ship (no complaints there!!) and two additional days in Orlando due to cancelled and full flights. Ins covered everything, thankfully!

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If I were going to spend 2 days in Galveston, I'd certainly look at the cost of a one way car rental--make it easy to get around.

I am currently booked on this cruise also. If you want a longer cruise, why not book the 4 night cruise prior? That is what we are doing.

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Hi Lesal- I thought about it, but by the time I booked it, the 4-day was more expensive than the 5-day and so on principle alone, I couldn't do it [emoji6]

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Hi Everyone!

 

We are cruising out of Galveston in January on the repositioning cruise to San Juan. I am excited, but have some trepidation as I've only done 7 days and I'm worried this cruise will feel too short. I'm optimistic about the 3 sea days though [emoji4]

 

Anyway, is there anything I should know about cruising out of Galveston? We've done Long Beach and PC, so this is another first for us.

 

 

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Hello!

We have a feature on Embarkation at Galveston Cruise Port as well as how to spend a day in town and recommendations for what to do from the locals. Check them out on our Galveston Port Page.

Happy Cruising!

~Brittany Chrusciel, Associate Editor, Cruise Critic

Great info, thanks!!

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It was mentioned before, but I cannot stress enough, be prepared for the fog. We have cruised 3 times from Houston/Galveston and 2 of the 3 we had fog delays and didn't leave port until the next day in addition to boarding several hours late each time due to a late arriving ship.

Otherwise Galveston is a lovely city with a lot of culture and great restaurants. So enjoy!

I'm a Native Houstonian and still a frequent traveler there. I would recommend flying into Hobby to get to Galveston. It's much closer than Intercontinental and much easier to navigate. IAH is great but huge and far to the north side of town. And Hobby has undergone much improvement over the years!

Enjoy historic Galveston - it pains me that I grew up in Houston and hardly ever went Galveston. Our very own beach town! Now I'm land-locked in Middle Tennessee and regretting it greatly. Visit the Strand for sure and as I recall, the better beaches are just outside of town. I also remember loving the ferry rides around the bay - but since you're boarding a Disney ship, this may not have as much appeal!

Hobby is definitely easier, but you have to play the game of which airlines land where, etc. Also, if DCL transportation is a choice, be sure that they are offering transfers from Hobby--that has varied thru the years. We've found IAH to be a nice airport, but the drive is longer for a cruise departure.

really looking at this cruise as well but the flight back to Canada from San Juan isn't great, last time we cruised out of San Juan we got lucky and overnighted in Minny in a hotel - we like it in San Juan so wouldn't mind spending a few extra days there...will see how it goes