Houston Pays "boat load" to NCL to come.

[Bigtex1622]

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/in_focus&id=8984892

 

Yep, NCL is coming to Houston not Galveston.

The port of Houston, is giving NCL, all port fees and parking fees.

 

 

:rolleyes:

[medicalma'am]

I agree with the business model. The port was not built to bring $ to the port itself, but to the area businesses. The hotels generate hotel taxes, the restaurants generate sales taxes, the malls and entertainment venues generate sales taxes. New hotels, restaurants, etc. will be built that will employ many, who will then spend the $ they earn in the area on housing, food, clothing, and in area businesses, etc. Until now the port has JUST been idle, doing nothing but costing taxpayers the cost of building it. With the La Porte terminal occupied, that tax burden will be taken off the taxpayers and placed on the consumers using the port through the above mentioned tax income.

 

I see it as a win-win for NCL (and other cruise lines there) and the taxpayers who built the port terminal. I will be one of those supporting it.

[medicalma'am]

On our recent cruise I filled out a survey for the port of NOLA. I had to calculate the amount of $ we spent in NOLA. It came out to a whopping $1000 over 4 days!

[luddite]

And people say that money doesn't trickle.

[bakerintn]

and so NCL will not be charging port fees to Houston passengers???

 

Sounds more like they will still charge, but keep that money. Otherwise, it is no benefit to Norwegian.

[rvsullivan]

When you dig into these deals around the country/world most of the time you find there are "back door" deals. There is competition to get these cruise ships into a new port. Galveston talks about what a bad deal it is because they lost the ships to Houston. If you ask Charleston S.C. or Mobile, AL for example, you will find they all "paid" something to get cruise ships. It's part of doing business.

If you ask the business owners in the port area, or those that are going to open some there, they will tell you what a good idea it is. If the ships went to some of the other ports that want them, how would that benefit Houston?

[DMH15]

Can't wait to cruise out of my home state. And in the Haven too! Priceless.

[GoVikes]

It will be great to be able to sail out of Houston! Much more convenient for us, as well as for people flying into Houston.:)

[zounds]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing. It will be another option for us, as we've been driving to NOLA the last few years and have some family in the Houston area. steve

[ColinIllinois]

I'm not familiar with the area but looking at maps it would seem Hobby Airport would be much closer to fly into than the International airport. Would that be a true statement? Southwest flies in to Hobby.

 

Thanks.

[minn55441]

I always have to chuckle at new stories like this. In hindsight, was it a good idea to build the cruise terminal in Houston? Probably not.

 

The fact of the matter is that you did build it. Is it better to leave it sitting empty or attract someone in to use it? You are faced with the decision to tear it down and just throw away the 108 million investment or spend a little more money to actually capture the benefits or your initial investment.

 

It's pretty shortsighted to think that it is a better option not to attract a cruise line to use your facility. If that means paying incentives, so be it. You have to pay the going rate.

[MeHeartCruising]

I'm not familiar with the area but looking at maps it would seem Hobby Airport would be much closer to fly into than the International airport. Would that be a true statement? Southwest flies in to Hobby.

 

Thanks.

 

Yes, Hobby is much closer to the port location.

[cheshyrkat]

Wasn't that facility originally built for NCL? I seem to recall years back that NCL sailed out of there. Maybe it was before some significant hurricane or something...:confused:

[jdvmd]

This would be appealing to me. We have done one Western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston and it was not very convenient because of having to hire a transport company etc.

[davesgirl51]

And the beautiful Jewel is going there. :)

[DMH15]

I'm not familiar with the area but looking at maps it would seem Hobby Airport would be much closer to fly into than the International airport. Would that be a true statement? Southwest flies in to Hobby.

 

Thanks.

Even better for me! Whoo hoo!

[Bigtex1622]

I'm not familiar with the area but looking at maps it would seem Hobby Airport would be much closer to fly into than the International airport. Would that be a true statement? Southwest flies in to Hobby.

 

Thanks.

 

Actually, Both airports are closer.

The port of Galveston is further than the port of Houston.

So getting there is quicker, probably alot cheaper, BUT....

It takes longer to get to the Gulf.

But hey, I would rather spend an hour on the boat ,than in traffic !

 

 

:rolleyes:

[pensi9]

Our first cruise was the NCL Sea out of Houston in 1999. Looks like NCL is going back to previously used portd

[DMH15]

Actually, Both airports are closer.

The port of Galveston is further than the port of Houston.

So getting there is quicker, probably alot cheaper, BUT....

It takes longer to get to the Gulf.

But hey, I would rather spend an hour on the boat ,than in traffic !

 

 

:rolleyes:

 

That's the truth!!!

[bob brown]

Our first cruise was the NCL Sea out of Houston in 1999. Looks like NCL is going back to previously used portd

 

I believe the previous terminal used by NCL was further up the channel, and even closer to the city of Houston. I think that ships the size of the Jewel may not be able to navigate that far up.

 

While some may not like the longer voyage to reach the Gulf, I actually like the 'river' portion of the cruise for the 'scenery', even if it is only industrial plants and freighter's along the way.....

[Bigtex1622]

I believe the previous terminal used by NCL was further up the channel, and even closer to the city of Houston. I think that ships the size of the Jewel may not be able to navigate that far up.

 

While some may not like the longer voyage to reach the Gulf, I actually like the 'river' portion of the cruise for the 'scenery', even if it is only industrial plants and freighter's along the way.....

 

 

I think it was the Bayport terminal.

I agree would rather be on the boat and cruise down,

than in the traffic, getting to Galveston.

 

:rolleyes:

[kwbound]

I think it was the Bayport terminal.

I agree would rather be on the boat and cruise down,

than in the traffic, getting to Galveston.

 

:rolleyes:

 

I think the previous terminal was at Barbours Cut. I'm pretty sure that the only time ships have sailed out of Bayport was for a few weeks in the fall of 2008 after Hurricane Ike caused so much damage in Galveston. Carnival moved their sailings to Bayport while the Galveston port underwent repairs we sailed out of Bayport on the Conquest that year. It is a nice terminal.

[bob brown]

Yes, the previous terminal was the Barbour's Cut container terminal...

earlier than that was the old Turning Basin, but not sure what if any cruise ships ever used that one, at the head of navigation on Buffalo Bayou....

[chrisbd1]

Can't wait to cruise out of my home state. And in the Haven too! Priceless.

 

Me too!!!!

[medicalma'am]

The new terminal is sort of between La Porte and Seabrook. It looks to be in Seabrook city limits on G earth. That is south of Barbour's Cut. It is in Galveston Bay and not in the the ship channel.

 

I believe that NCL may have pulled out of Houston because 2 or 3 times a year the ships are kept out of the Bay because of fog. They have to stay out in the Gulf until allowed in when the fog subsides. The ships in Galveston are affected by this also.

 

I got a bridge tour on my recent cruise on the Star. The captain told of navigating and docking in zero visibility! :eek: I know that pilots have to take ships into the ship channel, but I don't know about the Bay itself. It would seem that these modern technology enhanced ships could get in and out fog or no fog. We shall see.