Travel agent says that Galveston is a hassle

[Warmer Climes]

We have been interested in cruising the Mariner OTS from Galveston. We sailed the NCL Dream out of Houston a few years ago and had a great time. Our plan was to fly from Boston to DFW, stay a few days in Fort Worth where we used to live and then drive to Galveston, flying home from Houston. Our TA said she has had so many complaints from past customers about their experiences in getting in and out of Galveston that she recommends against it. I've been reading the message boards and it seems like she may have a point but we LOVE Texas and would love to go back for a few days, plus I think one of the reasons we had such a great time on the old Dream was that there were so many Texans on board.

 

Frankly, I'm not bothered about a few hundred bucks for arranging transportation from Galveston to Houston unless it's going to be a big hassle. Any thoughts?

[7Flags]

WE live just north of Houston so we are not able to comment on the flying and car rental situation BUT as for Galveston being a hassle. WHAT A CROCK! It's small, uncrowded, simple, laid back, and easy to get around in. There are plenty of hotel rooms, places to eat, and only one ship at a time to bog things down (normally).

 

Come on down. You will love it!

[Galveston Cruiser]

I believe it is very wrong for any travel agent to bad mouth any place and would look for a more positive ta. I totally agree with 7flags.

Galveston is a very laid back, but historic city with so many things to do one has to pick and choose. We have wonderful restaurants from 5 star to fast food and fabulous hotels as well as B&B's and beautiful historic homes and churches. It is very easy to get around the island, 2 miles wide at its widest and 32 miles long.

Granted, we are partial becaue we live here, but it also gives us the advantage of sailing so often.

Please come visit. You won't be disappointed. Then you can tell your ta she is full of it:eek:

[Warmer Climes]

Thank you both for your input. In defense of my TA, her comment about Galveston being a hassle was related to the difficulty she perceives in getting in and out from Houston for people who fly in.

 

I think we are going to go for it- can't wait to get back to Texas and eat some real barbecue!

 

Thanks,

Barb

[firefly333]

Thank you both for your input. In defense of my TA, her comment about Galveston being a hassle was related to the difficulty she perceives in getting in and out from Houston for people who fly in.

Thanks,

Barb

 

I think the "difficulty" is people dont want to pay $100 for a shuttle or limo to the airport in Houston. Its more about the price than about it being difficult to arrange. People want to pay $20 for a rental car which isnt a option.

 

Nothing difficult about it, just more expensive for the shuttle, but hey you can get a cheap hotel on the ocean. I love Galveston. There is a reason cruises are in high demand out of Galveston and prices are what they are.

[Warmer Climes]

I think the "difficulty" is people dont want to pay $100 for a shuttle or limo to the airport in Houston. Its more about the price than about it being difficult to arrange. People want to pay $20 for a rental car which isnt a option.

 

Nothing difficult about it, just more expensive for the shuttle, but hey you can get a cheap hotel on the ocean. I love Galveston. There is a reason cruises are in high demand out of Galveston and prices are what they are.

 

Thanks for the info. As I said, the cost of a limo doesn't really matter to me-within reason-. I have been all over Texas except Galveston and I'm sure that we will enjoy ourselves. My daughter was born in Fort Worth and is a diehard UT fan- her UT baseball cap made her very popular with the vendors in Cozumel.

 

Barb

[MissRabbit]

*nevermind*

 

I started this post a few hours ago but didn't click send, which i did now.

seeing the posts that have posted in the interim, my post was moot. lol

[JRock59]

Come on down we enjoyed visiting and Cruising from here so much we moved here! Yes coming in from Houston can be a pain but it's well worth it. If you haven't found it yet check out the Island at Galveston dot com where you can even watch the Cruise ships come in and depart live on Sunday! :D

[truchattycathy]

I love Galveston!! We have cruised out of Galveston four times. Hotels are cheap, beach is nice and there are a variety of restaurants. It is a small friendly town.

 

The problem getting from the airport to Galveston, is just no problem. I do think it is cheaper to just rent a limo, but some cruise lines have shuttles.

 

I say shame on your TA.

[jewopaho]

Your TA is dead wrong ... in fact, it's a very easy trip. Since you'll be flying from New England into Dallas, and leaving for home from Houston, your best bet is Southwest Airlines. The one-way legs are easy to book, and Hobby International Airport (where SWA flies from) is only a 40-45 minute ride from the cruise terminal. The alternative, Bush Intercontinental, is 90 minutes to two hours away. Getting transportation to Hobby is easy ... here's the website for Galveston ... http://www.galveston.com ... you'll find all the information there. C'mon down, and have a great cruise!

 

Al

[happyapple]

Sure, arranging a limo that costs more than you'd like and/or dealing with Houston traffic can be a pain - and for me, totally worth it if I get to leave from Galveston. :) Galveston is a cool town, very laid back; it has almost a bit of a hippie vibe to it.

 

Some folks see their vacation starting once they put their feet on the ship; everything else is just logistics. Galveston does not have the infrastructure and businesses in place that you'll find in cities like New Orleans or Miami, so getting to and from can be a little harder. It's also part of Galveston's charm. If you see the whole trip, including the town you leave from, as part of the adventure, well you'll enjoy cruising from Galveston. We drove down a day early just to see the town and will do so again next time we cruise. It's an easy going place with lots of character. Make your plans and enjoy!

[Mekamax]

I can understand what she says from a TA point of view and from people not used to the huge State of Texas but you know Texas and if you haven't been to Galveston please come on down. I attached a link here to a post I have been responding on that I posted pictures of Galveston and some things to do. You will LOVE it!!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1402565

[Cuizer2]

Frankly, I'm not bothered about a few hundred bucks for arranging transportation from Galveston to Houston unless it's going to be a big hassle. Any thoughts?

 

If the cost is not a factor, then you are good to go.

 

I cruised out of Galveston in April 2009. It cost as much to go from LAX to Bush as it did to go from Bush to the port. That particular cruise included a lot of non-US citizens. As a result debarkation was very slow. Since I was taking a ship sponsored tour to get to Bush, I (and the others on the bus) were given priority. I hear debarkation was still going on in the afternoon.

 

Fog can also cause problems in Galveston.

[Warmer Climes]

Thank you all for your help! We have definitely decided to do a cruise leaving from Galveston after our NCL Sun trip.

 

Thanks again,

Barb

[English Tim]

Our recent experience of Galveston was quite positive.

 

Due to the rental car situation being difficult, with the depot closed on Sundays, we rented a car at IAH for the duration of the cruise and parked right opposite the ship, allowing us walk there, after we dropped our luggage.

 

On our return, debarkation was extremely tedious and I hope it's much better when we return with the Magic, in October. The staff must be on an hourly rate!

 

Driving in and out of Galveston was very easy.

 

We hope that the car rental situation will have changed by November, as we want to rent a car from the Sunday, but if not, we'll have to make our own way to Houston and rent from there, or stay in Galveston and rent from there on the Monday.

[Warmer Climes]

Hi English Tim,

 

Thanks for your comment. I looked through your blog and enjoyed reading about your travel adventures and looking at your photos.

 

My youngest is also Rose (Rosie). It's one of my favorite names.

 

Barb

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Our favorite BBQ place is Queen's. Off the beaten path, just a family owned place. No frills, just good food.