Galveston Terminal # 3

[Katy_Tbird]

23 minutes ago, PCWalton1 said:

OK you Galveston trumpeters. How bad is this idea. We fly into IAH late the night before so we will grab a rental car, drive down to Texas City, drop off the car and stay at a hotel for the night in Texas City. Next morning we will grab an Uber/Lyft to the cruise terminal. 

Upon our return we grab an Uber/Lyft to Texas City to pick up a rental car, drive over and spend most of the day visiting the Space Center then head to IAH for our evening flight home. 

 

The lateness of the flights are because they are on the airline we frequent (Alaska) and are they only non-stops to/from Seattle. 

 

Thanks 

 

Good plan but don't limit yourself to just Texas City. You can also stay overnight in the Seabrook / Kemah / Clear Lake City area which is also near the Space Center. The drive time to and from the port is only about a 10 minutes difference.

[Tulsacoker]

we typically stay in Webster off I-45, plenty of good restaurants and shopping right there 

[PCWalton1]

4 minutes ago, Katy_Tbird said:

Good plan but don't limit yourself to just Texas City. You can also stay overnight in the Seabrook / Kemah / Clear Lake City area which is also near the Space Center. The drive time to and from the port is only about a 10 minutes difference.

Thanks. Our incoming flight does not arrive IAH until 6:30pm so we are just looking for a place to sleep. We found a low cost hotel near fast food to get us through the evening.

[Clarea]

45 minutes ago, PCWalton1 said:

OK you Galveston trumpeters. How bad is this idea. We fly into IAH late the night before so we will grab a rental car, drive down to Texas City, drop off the car and stay at a hotel for the night in Texas City. Next morning we will grab an Uber/Lyft to the cruise terminal. 

Upon our return we grab an Uber/Lyft to Texas City to pick up a rental car, drive over and spend most of the day visiting the Space Center then head to IAH for our evening flight home. 

 

The lateness of the flights are because they are on the airline we frequent (Alaska) and are they only non-stops to/from Seattle. 

 

Thanks 

 

 

That should work Bill.  I know a cab from Texas City was around $50, so Uber should be less expensive.  What I don't know is the availability of Uber when you get off the ship.  You might also try asking that on the Gulf Coast forum:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/316-gulf-coast-departures/

[PCWalton1]

6 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

That should work Bill.  I know a cab from Texas City was around $50, so Uber should be less expensive.  What I don't know is the availability of Uber when you get off the ship.  You might also try asking that on the Gulf Coast forum:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/316-gulf-coast-departures/

Hi Bob

Actually I did a while back and got a positive response. 

 

[Clarea]

8 minutes ago, PCWalton1 said:

Hi Bob

Actually I did a while back and got a positive response. 

 

 

Excellent.  I knew that it would not be a problem from Texas City to the port.  I was more concerned with getting one once you are on the island.  I know that getting a taxi on the island can be a long wait, so hopefully Uber is not bad.

[Katy_Tbird]

Looks like Allure is doing the same itinerary over and over, at least in April 2022. I guess alternate destinations are either not reachable in 7 days or don't have facilities to handle her.

 

1. GALVESTON, TEXAS
2. ROATAN, HONDURAS
3. PUERTO COSTA MAYA, MEXICO
4. COZUMEL, MEXICO

[ssb]

2 hours ago, Katy_Tbird said:

Looks like Allure is doing the same itinerary over and over, at least in April 2022. I guess alternate destinations are either not reachable in 7 days or don't have facilities to handle her.

 

1. GALVESTON, TEXAS
2. ROATAN, HONDURAS
3. PUERTO COSTA MAYA, MEXICO
4. COZUMEL, MEXICO

Demand by fresh cruisers is high . Those are dream destinations to most New ones  .Remember less than 5% of potential cruising  market has been tapped . 
For the tried true addicted pioneers of the past , you  may have  to 

try something different and new Going somewhere different . Like Tans-pacifics, trans- atlantics, repositioning cruises or exotic destinations you have not tried before . 
 

 

Edited December 18, 2019 by ssb

[John&LaLa]

5 minutes ago, ssb said:

Demand by fresh cruisers is high . Those are dream destinations to most New ones  .Remember less than 5% of potential cruising  market has been tapped . 
For the tried true addicted pioneers of the past , You may to 

try something different and new . Like Tans-pacifics, trans- atlantics, repositioning cruises or exotic destinations you have not tried before . 
 

 

 

In other words, cruises that leave out of Florida. 

 

Adventure going to Copenhagen is nice

 

Now the big positive is that Allure is the destination for many, including the well seasoned cruisers. CK/SL should be packed with Texas Pins

Edited December 18, 2019 by John&LaLa

[ssb]

52 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

In other words, cruises that leave out of Florida. 

 

Adventure going to Copenhagen is nice

 

Now the big positive is that Allure is the destination for many, including the well seasoned cruisers. CK/SL should be packed with Texas Pins

Sure  if Texans have  not done Florida then they should cruise Florida . 
Im happy for happy cruisers . 

 

All Tans-pacifics, trans- atlantics, repositioning cruises or exotic destinations one has not tried before , do not originate from Florida . 

 

Galveston Copenhagen itinerary will be nice especially for those , who have not visited those ports . 
 

Yes Allure will be packed ,   Royal has done their  due diligence. 

Edited December 18, 2019 by ssb

[HBE4]

It's the  classic  "Cruise for the Ship" vs "Cruise for the Ports" dilemma.  Allure will be packed with the former no matter what the destinations are, much like Oasis will be packed when sailing out of NY/NJ despite the less than stellar itinerary.  

 

Do we know which ship will join Allure during her Galveston stay?  Radiance would be a great addition and a much needed upgrade over whatever Vision-class ship is around.  But I don't think it's been announced yet. 

 

Too bad Liberty has been banished to the cellar of Florida 4-day cruises purgatory.  She could have continued to the sail to the non-Oasis ports (Grand Cayman, Belize, etc).

[twangster]

I feel bad for the robot bartenders.  They’ll need to be reprogrammed to serve from only Texas stamped bottles every week. #SadRobot 

[time4u2go]

5 hours ago, Katy_Tbird said:

Looks like Allure is doing the same itinerary over and over, at least in April 2022. I guess alternate destinations are either not reachable in 7 days or don't have facilities to handle her.

 

1. GALVESTON, TEXAS
2. ROATAN, HONDURAS
3. PUERTO COSTA MAYA, MEXICO
4. COZUMEL, MEXICO

Yawn.

[jewopaho]

Living just 45 minutes from the port, we cruise out of Galveston at least three or four times per year. We've "graduated" from Vision- to Radiance- to Voyager- to Freedom-class ships, and the Allure seems the next logical step. I've gone over this entire thread, and understand people's frustration. But I see things from a slightly different perspective.

 

As to the flights, my only suggestion is to find one to Hobby. As much as complaints over IAH are noted, HIA is the only alternative. Transportation to and from the cruise terminal is readily available. Addressing the infrastructure, we found it best to continue on I-45 South, past the Cruise Terminal exit to the end of the freeway. This becomes Broadway. Continue to 34th St., turn left to the end, and pull into Falstaff Cruise Parking (you can book in advance online at a discount). It's a huge indoor facility, and the nice, newer shuttle will take you to the port in five minutes. There will likely be improvements along the way, but this option is a no-brainer for us. Now the itinerary ... very few choices to begin with, now even fewer due to the size of Allure. Newer cruisers will love the ports (the entire cruise is a dream-come-true for just about all of them). We veterans are long past the excitement of the Caribbean, have visited the places at least a dozen times (we could likely apply for citizenship in Mexico), and rarely leave the comfort of the ship ... and now with the Allure, we can explore this new generation of vacationing (it's undergoing a $165 million makeover before coming to Galveston), especially on port days, when most of the passengers are ashore. We're really looking forward to it, and will book a cruise when aboard the Ovation out of Australia in February. We're certain to make new friends in the Diamond Club, and enjoy all those D+ perks Royal offers. We're thrilled at all the new possibilities.    

[ssb]

10 minutes ago, jewopaho said:

Living just 45 minutes from the port, we cruise out of Galveston at least three or four times per year. We've "graduated" from Vision- to Radiance- to Voyager- to Freedom-class ships, and the Allure seems the next logical step. I've gone over this entire thread, and understand people's frustration. But I see things from a slightly different perspective.

 

As to the flights, my only suggestion is to find one to Hobby. As much as complaints over IAH are noted, HIA is the only alternative. Transportation to and from the cruise terminal is readily available. Addressing the infrastructure, we found it best to continue on I-45 South, past the Cruise Terminal exit to the end of the freeway. This becomes Broadway. Continue to 34th St., turn left to the end, and pull into Falstaff Cruise Parking (you can book in advance online at a discount). It's a huge indoor facility, and the nice, newer shuttle will take you to the port in five minutes. There will likely be improvements along the way, but this option is a no-brainer for us. Now the itinerary ... very few choices to begin with, now even fewer due to the size of Allure. Newer cruisers will love the ports (the entire cruise is a dream-come-true for just about all of them). We veterans are long past the excitement of the Caribbean, have visited the places at least a dozen times (we could likely apply for citizenship in Mexico), and rarely leave the comfort of the ship ... and now with the Allure, we can explore this new generation of vacationing (it's undergoing a $165 million makeover before coming to Galveston), especially on port days, when most of the passengers are ashore. We're really looking forward to it, and will book a cruise when aboard the Ovation out of Australia in February. We're certain to make new friends in the Diamond Club, and enjoy all those D+ perks Royal offers. We're thrilled at all the new possibilities.    

Falstaff is definitely an easy option . 
They are convenient, covered , elevated, security, reasonable cost with prompt  good service. 
Yes i45 onto Broadway to 33rd or 34th . 

Edited December 29, 2019 by ssb

[Seville2Cabo]

On 12/18/2019 at 2:50 PM, John&LaLa said:

 

Adventure going to Copenhagen is nice

We just booked this for April 2021.  Been to most of the ports, but never Copenhagen.  Our first TA and certainly the most sea days we will have had on a cruise.

[cruiselvr04]

We've already booked the first 2 cruises on her out of Galveston. A 4 night and then 7.  Yes the ports are old to us.  We're from Texas and haven't cruised out of Galveston for 2 years because of the same old ports.  However we will now be able to have a ship as a destination.  And we will now be able to take our kids and grands on a big ship in 2022. I'm really looking forward to Allure coming.

[John&LaLa]

10 hours ago, Seville2Cabo said:

We just booked this for April 2021.  Been to most of the ports, but never Copenhagen.  Our first TA and certainly the most sea days we will have had on a cruise.

 

Stay in Copenhagen a couple of days before going home.  Nyhavn area is a good place to stay

[Seville2Cabo]

9 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Stay in Copenhagen a couple of days before going home.  Nyhavn area is a good place to stay

Thank you.  We plan on staying a few days

[jewopaho]

1 hour ago, Seville2Cabo said:

Thank you.  We plan on staying a few days

We loved Copenhagen ... fabulous people, everyone speaks English, lots to see and do (by all means, do the Hop-On, Hop-Off). But be prepared for sticker shock; it's one of the world's most expensive cities ... we refer to it as The Home Of The $40 Hamburger (and that's pretty accurate). You can spend a fortune at Tivoli alone ... but what the hell, you're on vacation. Enjoy!

[Katy_Tbird]

On 12/18/2019 at 3:46 PM, ssb said:

Demand by fresh cruisers is high . Those are dream destinations to most New ones  .Remember less than 5% of potential cruising  market has been tapped . 
For the tried true addicted pioneers of the past , you  may have  to 

try something different and new Going somewhere different . Like Tans-pacifics, trans- atlantics, repositioning cruises or exotic destinations you have not tried before . 
 

 

 

We aren't concerned about the ports. We have been to all of them multiple times. We cruise for an unplugged vacation and the ship. Ports are just a bonus. But for those that are unhappy with the lack of variety, this is a good suggestion.

[jewopaho]

Oh ... one more thing about cruising from Galveston: I have no idea why anyone would want to arrive early (i.e. before noon). You'll run into folks departing, the security and check-in lines are interminable, your stateroom won't be ready (meaning you'll be schlepping your carry-ons all over the ship), and believe me, they won't run out of food.  We have preferred boarding privileges, and still arrive around 2:00.  There are no crowds, and it may take all of fifteen minutes for the boarding process. Our accommodations are all set, so we drop off our stuff and head for the Windjammer.  There's never a problem finding a table, and we can relax until muster drill. Maybe it's just me, but ....

[NavyCruiser]

1 hour ago, jewopaho said:

Oh ... one more thing about cruising from Galveston: I have no idea why anyone would want to arrive early (i.e. before noon). You'll run into folks departing, the security and check-in lines are interminable, your stateroom won't be ready (meaning you'll be schlepping your carry-ons all over the ship), and believe me, they won't run out of food.  We have preferred boarding privileges, and still arrive around 2:00.  There are no crowds, and it may take all of fifteen minutes for the boarding process. Our accommodations are all set, so we drop off our stuff and head for the Windjammer.  There's never a problem finding a table, and we can relax until muster drill. Maybe it's just me, but ....

 

You're right.

We've always leave home in West Houston around 10 - 11 am, arrive an hour later around 11 am - 12 noon.  The security lines for smaller ships like Enchantment is no problem, but for bigger ships like Liberty, the security lines sometimes snake out to the entrance doors, well over 30 minutes wait.  

Lots of people suggests a later arrival time like around 2 pm like you above.  Would love to do that for easy Embarkation, but part of me always worry about missing ship departure from car breaking down or flat tire from the horrible Houston roads...

[John&LaLa]

6 hours ago, jewopaho said:

Oh ... one more thing about cruising from Galveston: I have no idea why anyone would want to arrive early (i.e. before noon). You'll run into folks departing, the security and check-in lines are interminable, your stateroom won't be ready (meaning you'll be schlepping your carry-ons all over the ship), and believe me, they won't run out of food.  We have preferred boarding privileges, and still arrive around 2:00.  There are no crowds, and it may take all of fifteen minutes for the boarding process. Our accommodations are all set, so we drop off our stuff and head for the Windjammer.  There's never a problem finding a table, and we can relax until muster drill. Maybe it's just me, but ....

 

5 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

 

You're right.

We've always leave home in West Houston around 10 - 11 am, arrive an hour later around 11 am - 12 noon.  The security lines for smaller ships like Enchantment is no problem, but for bigger ships like Liberty, the security lines sometimes snake out to the entrance doors, well over 30 minutes wait.  

Lots of people suggests a later arrival time like around 2 pm like you above.  Would love to do that for easy Embarkation, but part of me always worry about missing ship departure from car breaking down or flat tire from the horrible Houston roads...

 

Well, if you have access to SL/CK on Allure, you'll want to arrive early for lunch and a cold beverage 😉

[jewopaho]

Couldn't resist booking the Allure ... Jan. 30, 2022!  Our TA can't believe the number of advance reservations.  

 

It looks as if Brilliance will be doing several longer cruises ... but more days on an older, smaller ship doesn't make much sense to us.  Prices are no bargain either, so we'll book a b2b on Allure if we want a few more days away.