checking in in Galveston

[MsJ]

Hello..we are on the Grand in February. We are flying in from Boston and booked the flight and transfer through Princess. I have benn reading about all the problems with checkin at some hotel. Can anyone tell me if you book your flight/transfers with Princess do you still have to go to that hotel or do you go right to the terminal? Thanks, Marianne

[StacyandTim]

Do you plan on staying overnight at the hotel before your cruise?

[DALSAL]

If you have overnight transfers at the Galvez,you can do your check in there...

[Stevesan]

Hello..we are on the Grand in February. We are flying in from Boston and booked the flight and transfer through Princess. I have benn reading about all the problems with checkin at some hotel. Can anyone tell me if you book your flight/transfers with Princess do you still have to go to that hotel or do you go right to the terminal? Thanks, Marianne

 

So far, it's depended on the number of ships in port. More than two, Princess has been checking pax in at the Galvez Hotel instead of at the pier. If that's the case for your cruise and you have a Princess transfer, they will take you to the hotel.

Be sure to have your TA ask Princess for the specific procedure for your cruise. I believe some went first to the pier to drop off luggage, then to the hotel.

[MsJ]

thanks for info..we are flying in the day of the cruise....have to work the day before....I was looking at the port calendar someone posted someone posted here and it said on the 18th that it was the Grand and the Splendour that day..hope thats correct....

[Stevesan]

thanks for info..we are flying in the day of the cruise....have to work the day before....I was looking at the port calendar someone posted someone posted here and it said on the 18th that it was the Grand and the Splendour that day..hope thats correct....

 

If your cruise date is Feb 18 the two ships in port are GP and Elation so you'll go directly to the terminal. I think you looked at March 18th. Either month, it is only two ships. Here's a link to the official Galveston Port Calendar. It's difficult to read on line, but prints out full page landscape and is easy to read:

 

http://www.portofgalveston.com/cruiseinformation/2006cruisecalendar.pdf

 

It's probably a good thing you have Princess transfers. There'll be three ships in Galveston on March 25th and that's always a nightmare. The port and the streets aren't adequate for the traffic three ships generate. Hopefully, the Princess reps will guide and take care of you.

[San10s]

MsJ (Marianne)....We are on the same cruise as well as being neighbors! (We're in NH!) There is another family cruising with us from Danvers and another cruise critic member crusing with us that is from Georgetown, MA. We have two couples who are also flying in on Saturday morning so I am hoping the weather is not an issue.

 

Come on over to the Roll Call and chat with about 70 of your cruise critic friends!:D

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=226537

[DrivesLikeMario]

We were just on the Grand and for our sailing only, every single passenger had to check in at the Hotel Galvez. This is the hotel Princess uses. The reason we had to do this was because there were 3 ships in port and the Port Authority decided we could not have 3 ships checking in at the same time. (whatever, it looked like there was room to us).

 

The best piece of advice I can give you is to ignore the Princess transfers - don't use them!! Hire a taxi and get to the port by 11:30 or so. The transfers are the nightmare, not the check-in.

[KansasScrapper]

Has any of you stayed at the Days Inn and left your car? They said free parking, but is it safe to leave it there? Or does the port have security?

[kmh47]

We sail on the Grand 1/28th. I am having a hard time interrupting the cruise calls on the Port of Galveston listing. How many ships are in port on the 28th?

Thanks

[DALSAL]

kmh47,you have 2 ships,The Grand,and the Elation. Although on the cuisecal it says they both leave at 4 pm.Not sure if thats correct.But,The Grand does get in an hr earlier.The two other ships are on Hurricance relief...

[KansasScrapper]

We are on the Elation in May, we were told by a Carnival rep that it is in dry dock for refurbishment. It will be sailing out of Maimi on the EC. Not sure what ships Carnival has in Galveston right now.

[kmh47]

Thanks for clearing up my question.