vegas7df Posted February 14, 2020 #26 Share Posted February 14, 2020 We used Galveston Limo last March, had a big group. We've also used Super Shuttle when there was just 2 of us. Both companies provided good service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nado44 Posted February 14, 2020 #27 Share Posted February 14, 2020 Definitely Uber or Lyft as it's both the cheapest and fastest way. There's also presently a 15% off promotion code for those using Lyft from IAH (Bush) airport. (Saw it on the app after landing at IAH last week). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HBE4 Posted February 14, 2020 #28 Share Posted February 14, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, John&LaLa said: We have the $18 drink pkg🤣🤣 That will make any cruise enjoyable. 3 hours ago, John&LaLa said: Hows the internet 🤔 No idea. I'm one of those people that go off-line. You won't ever see me doing a live trip report. 🙂 Not to mention, I have enough trouble writing a 3 sentence post without spelling/grammar mistakes, never mind an entire thread. I don't even turn on the TV unless it's to watch the CD's Morning show or to see the ships position. Edited February 14, 2020 by HBE4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadaRob Posted February 14, 2020 #29 Share Posted February 14, 2020 Have used VIP express the last 2 times in Galveston, smaller company and appreciate the service will also coordinate transfers from hotel to port and vice versa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare xpcdoojk Posted February 15, 2020 #30 Share Posted February 15, 2020 On 2/13/2020 at 4:24 PM, SG65CB said: How did you go about using Uber after the cruise? With thousands getting off the ship how did you find your vehicle / how did they find you and did you have to wait long to get one? (Will be sailing out of Galveston soon). Have you ever used Uber? The way it works is within the Uber app, you can actually see where your Uber driver is, what car they are in, the color, the driver’s name etc. So, you look at your phone and watch it approach. Funny last cruise in FLL, we had an Uber coming, and we were staying at the Hyatt place on 17th... he kept getting close, and I would tell the others here he comes, and he would turn and go the other way... I think he was struggling a bit finding a pretty easy spot, but traffic is heavy on cruise morning. If you use the app it is obvious when they are there, I assume Lyft is the same way, I haven’t used Lyft because Uber gives me a $15 a month credit thru my Amex Platinum card. So, I rarely use any of these services, and when I do I use Uber. It is not necessarily better. JC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazi Posted February 17, 2020 #31 Share Posted February 17, 2020 (edited) On 2/13/2020 at 11:29 PM, jm313506 said: Does anyone have recommendations for how to get from Houston Hobby airport to the Royal Caribbean cruise terminal in Galveston? We'll be on a 7 day cruise in May. TIA! You can consider GM Limousine Services. They are very professional and offering the limo services at a very competitive price. Edited February 17, 2020 by Ghazi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KATHYMAC68 Posted February 19, 2020 #32 Share Posted February 19, 2020 On 2/13/2020 at 7:36 PM, wolfcathorse said: we used Galveston Express Did you find them to be on time? I was looking in to booking them also for my transfer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KATHYMAC68 Posted February 19, 2020 #33 Share Posted February 19, 2020 On 2/14/2020 at 11:45 AM, CanadaRob said: Have used VIP express the last 2 times in Galveston, smaller company and appreciate the service will also coordinate transfers from hotel to port and vice versa. What was the cost if you don't mind me asking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfcathorse Posted February 19, 2020 #34 Share Posted February 19, 2020 8 minutes ago, KATHYMAC68 said: Did you find them to be on time? I was looking in to booking them also for my transfer. yes. In fact at Hobby, he was about to call us to find out where we were. My instructions were to go to the pick up spot at 10:00 am, he was going to call us at 9:45 as he was ready to go! Coming back, EVERYONE was delayed getting into and out of the port because a train was hooking and unhooking cars. Someone said that happens about every 2-3 weeks. The second time I sailed out of Galveston, we had no delays by train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KATHYMAC68 Posted February 19, 2020 #35 Share Posted February 19, 2020 1 minute ago, wolfcathorse said: yes. In fact at Hobby, he was about to call us to find out where we were. My instructions were to go to the pick up spot at 10:00 am, he was going to call us at 9:45 as he was ready to go! Coming back, EVERYONE was delayed getting into and out of the port because a train was hooking and unhooking cars. Someone said that happens about every 2-3 weeks. The second time I sailed out of Galveston, we had no delays by train. $30pp each way? Was it easy to find the pick up spot at the airport? We are flying in the day before, so the hotel shuttle will bring us back to the airport for them to pick us up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfcathorse Posted February 19, 2020 #36 Share Posted February 19, 2020 11 minutes ago, KATHYMAC68 said: $30pp each way? Was it easy to find the pick up spot at the airport? We are flying in the day before, so the hotel shuttle will bring us back to the airport for them to pick us up. Kind of. All shuttles come to an island area across the street where people are being picked up in private cars. The vans are black so since you're under the parking structure it's a little dark for these old eyes to see. The pick up areas are numbered, I think we were to meet at #14 or 15 but they're not well marked. It was the driver who saw us looking lost who hollered out to us first. I'm not sure about the $30 pp. I thought we paid $25 pp but that was last year, it could have gone up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted February 19, 2020 #37 Share Posted February 19, 2020 (edited) On 2/13/2020 at 8:21 PM, pat1975 said: This may seem crazy but we rented a car and paid for parking. There are 6 of us including two kids in car seats. We are flying in two days early. It turned out to be a little more but we will have our car seats and don't have to worry about lyft to run around. We did a great deal on a minivan. On 2/13/2020 at 8:40 PM, ATC cruiser said: This is what we’re doing in March and there’s only 3 of us. It gives you a lot more freedom to get around. We did this a couple of years back. We had 7 of us in our party, and the cost to transfer all of us back and forth from IAH to Galveston was so dang much that it was just a little more to get a minivan and park it at the terminal. Plus, we were on the island for 3 nights before the cruise and having the freedom of that minivan was great, not having to Uber everywhere on island (I'm not sure Uber was even there yet). On 2/13/2020 at 10:04 PM, John&LaLa said: That dors sound crazy. You definitely don't need to do that in Florida. Two one way rentals is more economical. I think you can check your car seats onto the ship It's my biggest gripe about cruising from Galveston; the car rental/transfer situation for those that fly in. It adds a lot to the cost, for a party our size, compared to what we're used to cruising out of FLL, MIA, or MCO. However, I really enjoyed staying in Galveston the nights before our cruise. It's really a cool downtown area with a lot of eclectic shops and history. Plus, we had an awesome condo those 3 nights. For instance, in Florida I typically rent a minivan from the airport the day we fly in and drop it off by the cruise terminal the next day for $70. We typically do the same in reverse heading back to the airport. So $140 all in for transportation. In Galveston, our minivan rental (10 days), was $500, and parking at the cruise port was another $90. Dan Edited February 19, 2020 by The Fun Researcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadaRob Posted February 19, 2020 #38 Share Posted February 19, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, KATHYMAC68 said: What was the cost if you don't mind me asking? Sure it's 50 round trip pp plus hotel to Port transfer 10pp and will have a quick stop at Bucees on the way in too! That was for a larger group when it was just 2 of us it was 70round trip pp plus the 10 hotel to Port option Edited February 19, 2020 by CanadaRob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KATHYMAC68 Posted February 19, 2020 #39 Share Posted February 19, 2020 9 minutes ago, CanadaRob said: Sure it's 50 round trip pp plus hotel to Port transfer 10pp and will have a quick stop at Bucees on the way in too! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KATHYMAC68 Posted February 19, 2020 #40 Share Posted February 19, 2020 3 hours ago, wolfcathorse said: Kind of. All shuttles come to an island area across the street where people are being picked up in private cars. The vans are black so since you're under the parking structure it's a little dark for these old eyes to see. The pick up areas are numbered, I think we were to meet at #14 or 15 but they're not well marked. It was the driver who saw us looking lost who hollered out to us first. I'm not sure about the $30 pp. I thought we paid $25 pp but that was last year, it could have gone up. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadaRob Posted February 19, 2020 #41 Share Posted February 19, 2020 15 minutes ago, KATHYMAC68 said: Thank you! Best communication with any transfer company I've used. Was on time and professional Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazi Posted February 19, 2020 #42 Share Posted February 19, 2020 2 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said: We did this a couple of years back. We had 7 of us in our party, and the cost to transfer all of us back and forth from IAH to Galveston was so dang much that it was just a little more to get a minivan and park it at the terminal. Plus, we were on the island for 3 nights before the cruise and having the freedom of that minivan was great, not having to Uber everywhere on island (I'm not sure Uber was even there yet). It's my biggest gripe about cruising from Galveston; the car rental/transfer situation for those that fly in. It adds a lot to the cost, for a party our size, compared to what we're used to cruising out of FLL, MIA, or MCO. However, I really enjoyed staying in Galveston the nights before our cruise. It's really a cool downtown area with a lot of eclectic shops and history. Plus, we had an awesome condo those 3 nights. For instance, in Florida I typically rent a minivan from the airport the day we fly in and drop it off by the cruise terminal the next day for $70. We typically do the same in reverse heading back to the airport. So $140 all in for transportation. In Galveston, our minivan rental (10 days), was $500, and parking at the cruise port was another $90. Dan Hi next time try GM Limousine Services you'll save money hassle free personalize pick up in luxury sedan's and SUV's. www.gmlimousine.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted February 19, 2020 #43 Share Posted February 19, 2020 28 minutes ago, Ghazi said: Hi next time try GM Limousine Services you'll save money hassle free personalize pick up in luxury sedan's and SUV's. www.gmlimousine.com If it were only a couple of us and we were simply flying in the night before, and leaving the day we disembark, you're probably right. It's not always that simple though. In our case, the seven of us were spending 3 days on the island before the cruise, so we needed a vehicle to get around during that time. I didn't want to call a cab anytime we wanted to go somewhere. At the time late December 2017, I ran all the numbers, including many of the shuttle services like the one you mention. Taking in all factors we made the right choice. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm313506 Posted February 21, 2020 Author #44 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Thank you all for your responses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssb Posted February 21, 2020 #45 Share Posted February 21, 2020 (edited) On 2/19/2020 at 2:46 PM, The Fun Researcher said: If it were only a couple of us and we were simply flying in the night before, and leaving the day we disembark, you're probably right. It's not always that simple though. In our case, the seven of us were spending 3 days on the island before the cruise, so we needed a vehicle to get around during that time. I didn't want to call a cab anytime we wanted to go somewhere. At the time late December 2017, I ran all the numbers, including many of the shuttle services like the one you mention. Taking in all factors we made the right choice. Dan Vehicle is not need once you are on Island . And full service hotels have local transfer services . Galveston also has Island Trolley that run visitors on convenient routes from/to most all tourists needs . And Toll is cheap . GALVESTON'S HISTORIC TROLLEY SYSTEM Until Memorial Day Monday through Thursday 11am to 7pm Friday through Sunday 10am to 10pm Summer, After Memorial Day 10am to 10pm The trolley is $1 for adults, while minors who are accompanied by adults can ride for free. Riders will need to bring exact change to place in the fare box; drivers do not have the ability to make change for riders. The trolleys pass each stop on the trolley route approximately every 30 minutes. A transfer between the Downtown and the Seawall Loop is included in the price. SEAWALL LOOP The trolley travels between Stewart Beach and Moody Gardens along the Seawall. East and West bound stops are available along the way. A transfer to the Downtown Loop is available at 21st Street & Seawall Blvd. DOWNTOWN LOOP The trolley travels between The Strand and the Seawall. North & South Bound stops are available on 25th Street, Postoffice Street, 20th Street, and The Strand. A transfer to the Seawall Loop is available at 21st Street and Seawall Blvd. HISTORIC RAIL TROLLEYS Damaged during Hurricane Ike, the Island’s Vintage Rail Trolleys are being repaired and will soon be traveling the Downtown Loop between The Strand and the Seawall with a connection to the Seawall Loop. KEEPING IT AFFORDABLE To help offset operating costs and keep riding affordable, you may see advertisements on the trolleys and stops. Please consider supporting our advertisers. For advertising opportunities, visit Media.Galveston.com. HOME FIND THE TROLLEYwe Edited February 21, 2020 by ssb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted February 21, 2020 #46 Share Posted February 21, 2020 43 minutes ago, ssb said: Vehicle is not need once you are on Island . And full service hotels have local transfer services . Galveston also has Island Trolley that run visitors on convenient routes from/to most all tourists needs . And Toll is cheap . Again, it depends. If you want to stay right near the port, and if you want to be confined to the area that the Trolley can take you, then you are correct. I agree. It depends on how long you are on the island, where you stay, the size of your party, etc... We stayed at the wonderful Pointe West Resort and Beach Club for 3 days before the cruise. It's at the southwest part of the island. The trolley doesn't travel the 20 miles (one way) to get us there. That, and the hassle of scheduling transport everywhere (to from Houston, to the cruise terminal, around town) made the minivan a no brainer for us considering the similar cost (under $100 difference) Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssb Posted February 21, 2020 #47 Share Posted February 21, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, The Fun Researcher said: Again, it depends. If you want to stay right near the port, and if you want to be confined to the area that the Trolley can take you, then you are correct. I agree. It depends on how long you are on the island, where you stay, the size of your party, etc... We stayed at the wonderful Pointe West Resort and Beach Club for 3 days before the cruise. It's at the southwest part of the island. The trolley doesn't travel the 20 miles (one way) to get us there. That, and the hassle of scheduling transport everywhere (to from Houston, to the cruise terminal, around town) made the minivan a no brainer for us considering the similar cost (under $100 difference) Dan Sure you are right. The island is 32 miles long; and you were at end of island opposite of touristy downtown , where there are little, if any conveniences. But that was a choice to be 20 plus miles from town. I did say the trolley covered most . Obviously not 20 miles out. It is definitely nice 20 + miles out there, and by choice less expensive on lodging . The compromise ! Relax and enjoy the solitude with inconvenience to drive in everywhere , or enjoy what Galveston the island in town has to offer as a tourist destination . It sounds with rent vehicle and lodging for large group, the west end 20 + miles out is an viable option ! Another option are Vacation Rentals in town ! Galveston has around 2500 short term rentals . As example see options for larger homes all over town. Short Term Rental Owners Association of Galveston. stroag.org Edited February 21, 2020 by ssb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SG65CB Posted February 25, 2020 #48 Share Posted February 25, 2020 (edited) My cruise is over, here are some numbers between Houston Hobby and Galveston: Lyft XL (we had 4 passengers and 8 suitcases) from Hobby airport to a hotel on Seawall Blvd at 61st: $95 plus tip. Galveston Limousine from ship to Hobby: $25 per person. They used a 50+ passenger coach. Stopped at Hobby first, then IAH. Most passengers were going to IAH, cost to go there is higher. 45 minutes to Hobby. We had reservations for the 11:05 bus but they were able to fit us into the 10:05 bus on a standby basis (it actually left around 10:15). Short walk from terminal 2 (Royal Caribbean) to their bus out in the parking lot. There was a person where you check in and then she called groups by name to board the bus. Regular size Lyft from Seawall / 61st to Strand was $9 each way. (Note that Southwest will not take your suitcases until 4 hours before your flight, other airlines are probably similar, there were lots of people camped out near the ticket counter waiting until they could check their bags.) Edited February 25, 2020 by SG65CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chellebell91987 Posted February 25, 2020 #49 Share Posted February 25, 2020 we rented a minivan since we had 6 of us. It was cheaper to keep the car for the week and pay parking at the offsite lots than to do 2 one way rental cars. Worked out so we could keep the stuff we did not need in the car like the kids carseats. We flew in 2 days prior. When we went 2 years ago I thought uber or lyft couldn't operate on a part of the trip either on the island to airport or airport to island, but maybe it has changed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise2getaway Posted February 25, 2020 #50 Share Posted February 25, 2020 I used Galveston Express. I flew in the day before stayed in Houston at a hotel with airport shuttle, took the shuttle back to the airport (hobby), picked up the Galveston Express, our guy was so cool. He stopped at a grocery in Galveston and let us get pop and snacks to take on the ship! I would definitely recommend them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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