Cruising out of Houston

[septrack]

We are elite with Princess but have never cruised out of Houston. A couple of questions for my cruise critic friends:

 

1) I have heard about many problems with fog. Our cruise leaves in Nov and I am wondering if it is safe to have a departing flight on the same day. If so what is a safe time to have a flight leave from IAH.

 

2) Does anyone know which airport that Princess is using if you purchase he transfers. It says $24 but doesn't say whether it is for IAH or HOU.

 

TIA

 

Mark

[Colo Cruiser]

We are elite with Princess but have never cruised out of Houston. A couple of questions for my cruise critic friends:

 

1) I have heard about many problems with fog. Our cruise leaves in Nov and I am wondering if it is safe to have a departing flight on the same day. If so what is a safe time to have a flight leave from IAH.

 

2) Does anyone know which airport that Princess is using if you purchase he transfers. It says $24 but doesn't say whether it is for IAH or HOU.

 

TIA

 

Mark

 

 

Its for both airports. IAH is about 15 minutes further.

Best $24 you ever spend and they are very efficient.

The fog is a crap shoot.

 

Make the flight late afternoon.

Edited August 9, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[Bubba54]

Its for both airports. IAH is about 15 minutes further.

Best $24 you ever spend and they are very efficient.

The fog is a crap shoot.

 

Make the flight late afternoon.

 

I agree completely. We did BtB in February on the Emerald Princess. The first seven days the Captain said we would have fog and was trying to get to Houston early in the last day of the cruise. Clear as can be. The second leg no mention of fog. We did not dock until 11:30. Fog was thick.

[caribill]

Its for both airports. IAH is about 15 minutes further.

Best $24 you ever spend and they are very efficient.

The fog is a crap shoot.

 

Make the flight late afternoon.

By distance, IAH is 44 miles from the port, HOU 21 miles.

[satxdiver]

You are unlikely to have a fog problem in November. The fog issue comes up in the spring which around here is February on but can come earlier. This will be the last season for Princess out of either Texas ports unfortunately. They are leaving in April and giving the pax to Carnival and RCCL.

[septrack]

Thanks for everyones input. I am just trying to get a handle on how prevalent the problem is in November. Seems like the news articles that came up on a google search showed closures during late December, Feb. and Mar. Of course this doesn't say anything about substanual late arrivals, which could impact outbound flights.

[caribill]

Thanks for everyones input. I am just trying to get a handle on how prevalent the problem is in November. Seems like the news articles that came up on a google search showed closures during late December, Feb. and Mar. Of course this doesn't say anything about substanual late arrivals, which could impact outbound flights.

 

We had a cruise out of Houston early last November. No fog problem when we did it.

 

We also had a cruise out of Houston this past April. We were delayed returning for about two hours due to fog.

 

Note that if there is a fog problem on return, the disembarkation becomes more disorganized.

 

Normally you you need to be out of your cabin by 8 AM and report to an assigned meeting place about the time you will disembark.

 

If arrival is delayed, you still need to be out of your cabin by 8 AM, but the assigned departure areas quickly fill up past capacity. And once disembarkation starts, it may not be orderly.

 

Here is a picture of people waiting in the deck 7 hallway near Explorers Lounge on a fogged delayed arrival in Houston. Many of these passengers appear to have signed up to carry off all their luggage.

 

Edited August 9, 2015 by caribill