Houston Cruises

[funny1]

Does anybody know why they don't have any cruises from the new terminal in Houston?

[True Texan]

Don't know for sure but I heard that it takes at the very least an extra hour or longer to go up the Ship Channel and that makes for a longer time getting into open water and to the ports.

[ssb]

Threads on Gulf Coast Departures about Houston

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Houston’s Bayport Cruise Terminal

 

Bayport still looking for first ship - new article

 

Port of Houston, Dead or Alive? ( 1 2)

 

Houston building a "state of the art" cruise terminal?? (Merged threads) ( 1 2 3 ... Last Page)

[*Mach*]

I don't think anyone, outside of the Port of Houston Authority, can provide all of the piece to the answer but I can offer an opinion...

I sailed from Bayport on the Conquest after Ike raved Galveston. The first thing I noticed was that there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, around the cruise terminal. No hotels, no restaurants, no activities... nada. There's nothing there that cruise lines consider important for the pre and post cruise experience for guests. Next, it's kinda small. I know it doesn't appear that way but the passenger waiting area is placarded for a maximum occupancy of 1100... few ships have that small of a passenger load. When I was there we were packed in tightly enough that the AC system couldn't handle the load.

Additionally, there's only room for one ship.

As was mentioned above, it's quite a haul to open water... better than two hours in our case. That's time that the casino can't be open and Texas laws restrict what can and can not be sold.

It's really a very nice facility and I feel bad for the citizens of Houston who were sold a bill of goods. The cruise terminal was added to a bond issue for the container terminal that's just up the road.

I have a sinking feeling that it's gonna be a long time before any line calls Bayport home...

[ssb]

Thanks for information!:eek:

 

 

 

I don't think anyone, outside of the Port of Houston Authority, can provide all of the piece to the answer but I can offer an opinion...

 

I sailed from Bayport on the Conquest after Ike raved Galveston. The first thing I noticed was that there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, around the cruise terminal. No hotels, no restaurants, no activities... nada. There's nothing there that cruise lines consider important for the pre and post cruise experience for guests. Next, it's kinda small. I know it doesn't appear that way but the passenger waiting area is placarded for a maximum occupancy of 1100... few ships have that small of a passenger load. When I was there we were packed in tightly enough that the AC system couldn't handle the load.

 

Additionally, there's only room for one ship.

 

As was mentioned above, it's quite a haul to open water... better than two hours in our case. That's time that the casino can't be open and Texas laws restrict what can and can not be sold.

 

It's really a very nice facility and I feel bad for the citizens of Houston who were sold a bill of goods. The cruise terminal was added to a bond issue for the container terminal that's just up the road.

 

I have a sinking feeling that it's gonna be a long time before any line calls Bayport home...

 

[clearlakecruisers]

It's correct that there is nothing for cruisers in the immediate area of the Houston Bayport terminal but we found the same situation in Brooklyn and Baltimore.

 

There is, however, the Kemah Boardwalk area only a few minutes to the south on Galveston Bay and I once heard that Tilman Fertitta, the developer of the Boardwalk, had mentioned providing a "shuttle boat" from the port to that area.

 

The port is also within a 20 minute drive of NASA's Johnson Space Center, Armand Bayou Park and Clear Lake. A tour from the port to those areas would be of interest to a lot of cruisers.

 

Hopefully, some cruise line will discover this port!

[jewopaho]

It's correct that there is nothing for cruisers in the immediate area of the Houston Bayport terminal but we found the same situation in Brooklyn and Baltimore.

 

There is, however, the Kemah Boardwalk area only a few minutes to the south on Galveston Bay and I once heard that Tilman Fertitta, the developer of the Boardwalk, had mentioned providing a "shuttle boat" from the port to that area.

 

The port is also within a 20 minute drive of NASA's Johnson Space Center, Armand Bayou Park and Clear Lake. A tour from the port to those areas would be of interest to a lot of cruisers.

 

Hopefully, some cruise line will discover this port!

Unfortunately, the likelihood is remote at best. The information provided above by other posters is absolutely correct ... and with Princess returning to Galveston for the 2012-2013 winter season, that should just about nail the coffin shut. It's a precarious 35-mile journey from the terminal to open waters (and the reverse, of course, when returning) requiring an onboard pilot. Add to this the fact that Houston is among the busiest cargo ports in the country (thus inhibiting navigation out of and into the terminal), and it makes absolutely no sense for any cruise line to homeport a ship there. If it had been remotely feasible, one would have at least given it a shot ... but these additional obstacles, coupled with the lack of anything to see or do (or any place to stay), and the proximity of a proven venue in Galveston, dooms the project.