Stevesan

Galveston to HOU

http://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Houston&from=galveston&to=Hobby+Airport%2C+Airport+Boulevard%2C+Houston%2C+TX%2C+United+States&toCoord=29.654107,-95.276614

The cruise begins and ends in NY. Thank you for your replies.

Both Brooklyn and Manhattan bureaus are part of NYC. The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island too. (Where's Frank Sinatra when you need him?)

My cruise sailed from Red Hook. Had a slight problem. My cabbie didn't know the way. had to stop and ask for directions.:rolleyes:

here's some good info:

http://www.cruisenewsdaily.com/f-bct.html

Ask once you're aboard the ship (any variety of reasons could trigger them to change it for your particular cruise), but when you ask, choose your words carefully, as:

 

"Where do I go for lunch?" will always be answered with "Horizon Court, Deck 14 Aft", but

 

"Which dining room is open today for lunch?" will be answered with "DaVinci (or whatever), but you're better off going to Horizon Court, Deck 14 Aft".

 

It's amazing how consistent the answers were to everyone we asked on our recent cruise aboard the Grand. I don't know why they steer people away from the DR, as it's so much more relaxing to be waited on than deal with hundreds if not thousands of nervous nellies scrambling through the buffet.

Turn around day is the only time that the DR staff gets a break in service.

keeping demand at a minimum provides that opportunity.

I usually drive to Galveston with my grandkids, but this time I am meeting friends on the ship. I have flown into Hobby in years past and used Galveston Limo Shuttle.....they earliest they leave Hobby is now 11:30. Well I am one of those type A's who want to be at the port by 10:30 (fortunate enough to have priority boarding!).

 

Does anyone know of a shuttle service that leaves earlier or should I schedule a private service?

 

Thanks

Contact SuperShuttle:

http://www.supershuttle.com/Locations/HOUAirportShuttleHouston.aspx

London:

A play at Globe Theater is a must:

http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/

http://www.viator.com/London/d737-ttd?mmod=HO-CB1c-5

Strongly recommend London Walks:

http://www.walks.com/

Paris:

Definitely include A river cruise.

http://paristours.france.com/

The Princess turn around day tours will most likely be available once on board. I see that you arrive 7:15am and depart 7pm. If you are able to walk, and are game to do it on your own, some suggestions would be taking a taxi from the pier to lower Manhattan to 9/11 ground zero. You can look around ground zero, there is a memorial now open. From there you can probably catch a hop on hop off tour bus that will take you around Manhattan. If you want to look around on your own take the subway from the World Trade Center to 42nd street and walk over to Times Square. A short way north of there between 47th and 50th is Rockefeller Center. You can then make your way back to Greenwich Village area at W. 4th street between Ave of the Americas and Broadway. At some point you will have to get back to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal which is over the Brooklyn Bridge. Don't wait for rush hour at 5pm. You can get there by subway, which stops about 4 long blocks away. But I'm not sure about the safety of walking in that area. You will have to check. Also, check with your Roll Call, there may be some that already have a tour planned. There are so many sites to see in Manhattan it's impossible to even scratch the surface. Just decide on a few. While the Statue of Liberty is nice there will be lots of people and it will probably be the only thing you would be able to do that day. You will have to have US$, and don't forget the tipping practice in the U.S. for taxis, and served meals. The normal tip for meals is 15 to 20% of the bill. Taxis maybe $5

Why do I get the feeling you're a New Yorker?:p

My last two times I did the early walk off with luggage.

I was at FLL between 8:30 and 8:45.

Love this idea with our late flight. What tour/shuttle companies should I look for? Thanks so much!

Princess offers a transfer that includes Space Center Houston (aka NASA).

There's also a Houston Landmarks tour but there are no stops, it's just a drive by.

Both will still get you to the airport early. But every little bit helps.:o

Carnival probably offers these also.

]Our flight isn't until 5:20[/b] so we are ok there. Thanks for the info.

Taxi fare to Hobby is about $90. Plus tip, of course.

Bring something to read. You're going to have a loooong day at the airport.:p

You might consider spending some time in Galveston before going to Hobby.

Be sure to reserve your parking early. It often sold out with only one ship in port:

http://www.bayportcruiseparking.com/

Here's the address. Map quest it for directions:

4700 Cruise Road, Pasadena, Texas 77586

This should help in mapping where to exit I-45 to the terminal.

http://www.portofhouston.com/cruise-information/driving-directions/

From I-45, Exit 25 Nasa Road One

Follow Nasa Road One past the Johnson Space Center to Hwy 146

Go left onto Hwy 146 to Port Road exit

Follow Port Road to the end and the cruise terminal will be on your left

We had a 9:45 departure from FLL back in January - the fear was put into me by posters on the board here so I booked a second flight as a back-up.

 

We were in the first group to disembark, walked off just after 7 a.m., went through security/customs very quickly and were at the airport by 8 a.m. I have been told we were lucky...but others have had a similar experience to mine. I guess it's a gamble and I probably wouldn't book as early a flight next time.

I was able to cancel the next-day flight which I had booked using points, but we now had 2 one-way tickets we must use before the end of this year....so we are taking an Alaskan cruise and flying back from Anchorage on those tickets!

My last two times I was at the airport at 8:30-8:45.

However, a previous cruise the ship was late arriving.

It's a bit of a gamble, but the odds favor early.

It's less worrysome to know your airline has later flights you can change to.

Where ever you go, be sure to bring some bread to feed the fish while swimming. They will be all over you.

 

We do that for all the diving/snorkeling we do. The larger and smaller ones show up. Some times I have felt like i was in the middle of a fish tank....:D

Most sporting goods stores have fish food.

Save the bread for your sandwich snack.

True story

I was snorkeling alongside our guide when suddenly dozens of fish were swimming along my back.

The guide was chumming with tortilla strips. Not a good example, but we were at Cozumel. :rolleyes:

There's a very nice Hilton Hotel in Heathrow Airport.

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/hilton-london-heathrow-airport-LHRAPTW/index.html?WT.srch=1

How Cruise Ships Make Fresh Water

This method is similar to the natural water cycle, where sea water is heated by the sun, rises as steam to form clouds, and then falls back to earth as rain. The second method, osmosis, filters sea water through a fine membrane to separate pure water from salt and other minerals. Cruise ships do not desalinate water near ports or close to land, because coastal waters are the most contaminated.

After desalination, the water is passed through a mineralization plant, which adds minerals. This is necessary because the healthy minerals naturally found in drinking water have been removed by desalination. At this stage, the water is also checked for impurities, sanitized, and the pH is corrected. The water is then sent to massive storage tanks on board the cruise ship. On the Grand Princess, for example, these storage tanks hold up to 500,000 gallons of fresh water.

Next, the water is routed to hot and cold systems. Miles of distribution pipe move the water around the cruise ship.

After the water is delivered through a sink or shower, and used by cruise ship passengers or crew, it must be treated again before it can be discharged. All cruise ships must follow strict environmental laws in the treatment of waste water. Even after treatment, the water is not immediately released, but is held in special storage tanks when the ship is close to land, in port, or other sensitive environments.

It’s a complex process, but necessary in order to ensure the health of cruise ship passengers and the natural environment.

http://plantaspurificadoras65.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/how-cruise-ships-make-fresh-water/

Everything you ever wanted to now about Galveston::)

http://www.galveston.com/default.asp

Thanks jonbgd,

I wasn't sure if a rental car was a good idea or not. Good suggestions. Our 35 year old son will be joining us so I need to make a list of suggestions and talk it over with them.

 

ssb,

The cruise is out of Bayport so I just figured Houston. I really have no idea where I want to stay. I'm the one that plans our trips - my husband is of no help. And all my son wants to go for is to go diving in the ports. So it is all on me. We do need to find a place to purchase some caffeine free and wine to take on board.

 

splusd,

thanks for the info on the airports. Figured it wouldn't be as bad. We had such a cold spring that we had fog almost everyday in June at the marina where we keep our boat but five miles inland it was clear.

 

 

 

Appreciate your help.

The terminal labeled "Bayport Terminal" is not in Bayport, it's in Pasadena Texas. To further confuse visitors, the cruise lines refer to it as being in Houston. :rolleyes:

http://www.portofhouston.com/cruise-information/parking/

http://www.portofhouston.com/cruise-information/driving-directions/

https://www.google.com/maps?t=h&ll=29.6103196,-94.9925922&spn=0.002689,0.0041238&output=classic

We were suppose to drive down today

Glad Im stuck in SF:rolleyes:

Houston has been working on the freeway forever:eek:[/QUOTE]

 

Houston is trying to accommodate a population of 6.2 million people (@2.4 million within city limits), growing daily.

Freeway construction and maintenance is a never ending chore.

There are huge numbers of people trying to go to the same locations at the same time.

It would help immensely if drivers would put their cell phones away while driving. Like that will ever happen!:rolleyes:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Houston

C752. Large balcony facing aft. Wake view. We absolutely LOVE that cabin. Not sure if it's the best for Alaska. I prefer the open deck for viewing in Glacier Bay.

I also go to the top deck for 360deg glacier viewing. There is usually a naturalist there to provide historical commentary about the glacier. Often park rangers board. They will position there to answer questions and stamp passports.

At the International Café and some lounges:

Brewed coffee is $1.25/cup, most specialty coffees are $2.50-$2.75 for a regular size, espresso $1.75.

$33.35, including gratuity, buys a coffee card with fifteen punchouts for specialty coffees, and unlimited brewed coffee at the cafes and lounges that have brewed coffee.

You can also use it in the dining rooms for specialty coffees. The server is directed to take two punch outs for double shot orders, some do, some don't.

Since the coffee card is for a discrete quantity it's not time limited. If there are punch outs remaining at the end of the cruise the card will carry over to the next cruise.

The "unlimited" brewed coffee does not carry over.

__________________

If you are accustomed to good quality coffee, you definitely will want a coffee card. The vile concoction in the Horizon Court (buffet) is syrup based. Room service is also syrup based.

Not that syrup-based coffee is always a bad thing. My hometown source, http://www.javacoffee.com/, informs me there are different grades for syrup coffee, just as with ground coffee.

Regardless of grade, the taste of syrup based is always going to be somewhat inferior to an equivalent grade of ground. Based on flavor, Princess must use the lowest grade (cheapest) available.

Not all ships have the Int'l Cafe. They do, however, have a Coffee Bar for regular and specialty coffees.

CNBC Reviews The Business Side Of Cruising

CNBC’s “Money” aired a one-hour program “Cruise Inc” July 3, 2009.

Featured ship: Norwegian Pearl.

The narrator sailed a seven-day, four port, W. Caribbean cruise.

He interviewed the ship’s officers and crew from Captain on down, as well as a corporate executive VP officer at home office.

I took away a few interesting numbers, some that we frequently speculate about:

Pearl sailed with 2200 pax, 92% capacity. Goal is 104%. Pax & crew totaled 4000.

On board spending accounts for 25% of revenues.

The cruise line takes 20% of Art Auctions and 50-60% of Shorex. On average about two- thirds of pax purchase one shore tour, one-third of whom prebook on line.

There were no numbers reported for other outside contract venues such as the casino or spa.

Beverage department breaks even at $7.25 p/pax p/day.

Diamonds International at Roatan realized $200k revenue in 6 hours. The cruise line shares in that, but no mention of percentage.

Stewards make ~$2500 p/month (quote from steward). Ten-month contract.

I suspect each cruise line has it’s own targets, but they’re probably not very different from NCLs.

There’s a specific goal for every department. This cruise missed its shorex takings due to weather, but the spa benefited and came in 68% over.

Each department head is daily aware of revenue taken vs the goal. For example, the beverage department knew it had to make up $22,000 going into the last day.

They did. This cruise was a financial break even, primarily due to low pax load.

NCL ate a $100M loss in Hawaii venture. Started w/23 ships, only 1 remains.

Market share shakes out at: Carnival 50%, Royal Caribbean 30%, Norwegian 10%.

17% of Americans have cruised, @ 51,000,000.

Ship must report norovirus outbreak when 3% of are afflicted.

Does anyone know what happened to the Concordia's captain? He's the guy who slipped and "fell" into a life boat.

Dos Equis for me as well.....:):):)

 

Bob

Finally, we've found the "Most Interesting Man In The World!" :p

Oh that's a shame. Thank you for replying.

 

I rather liked the idea of the laundry benefit. Is there any other benefit of Elite to look forward to?

https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/jsp/memberShipBenefitsForProspect.jsp#Elite

No junk foods for the fish!!

Most sporting goods store have fish food. You can use that to attract them.

One time when I was snorkeling at Cozumel, I had dozens of fish swimming over my back. I was next to the guide who was feeding them Tortilla strips.

At least it was "local" food.:rolleyes:

Princess Cruise Answer Place:

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/bring.jsp