Parking in Galveston

[want2cruiseagain]

We are going on Ecstasy out of Galveston on Thursday. With the thread Ike possibly making landfall in or near Galveston, we are concerned about where to park our car. We plan to cover it, but I was wondering which lot might be better to park.

[flc]

I've use E-Z Cruise Parking now 3 times.

 

There Great folks

 

http://www.ezcruiseparking.com/

[StephenNSamantha]

I've use E-Z Cruise Parking now 3 times.

 

There Great folks

 

http://www.ezcruiseparking.com/

 

Just be sure to park in lot #1. It is raised. Lot #2 isn't.

 

Lighthouse parking also has a raised lot.

[petro772]

We'll be parking at Lighthouse. We usually wind up in lot #2 at EZ Cruise, but we're not taking a chance on flooding this time. ;)

[BallFour4]

We are going on Ecstasy out of Galveston on Thursday. With the thread Ike possibly making landfall in or near Galveston, we are concerned about where to park our car. We plan to cover it, but I was wondering which lot might be better to park.

 

First; the ship has to be there for your vacation. While Ike is unpredictable the Gulf of Mexico will be a target. I might hedge that the Ecstasy could be delayed in returning to Galveston for your cruise based on the speed of the storm across open water.

 

Second, Galveston's highest elevations are along the gulf behind the seawall. The parking for the cruise ships are at some of the lowest points on the island.

 

Private owned parking lots have flooded with heavy and sustained rainfall in the past.

 

The city and port owned lots are not a significant amount higher, but do offer a little better option.

 

Covered parking consists of canvas over steel frames. They have sustained damage from high winds in the past and have damaged cars.

 

Here is what I would do. Visit a hotel along the seawall and arrange to leave a vehicle there. The cost would be less than either city or private parking and gives you a better chance of driving your car home :) If water comes over the seawall I will be off the boards for a while...

 

Ohh.. while aboard the Ecstasy go up to to the City Park area and look at the base of the ships mast. You will discover some coins cast embedded in glass. Legend has it that brings good luck. If those coins are upside down then head to your muster station and don't worry about the car :(

 

 

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[munchkin4]

We use Lighthouse because they are raised.

 

www.lighthouseparking.org

[marimojo]

First, I hope you have a great cruise. We just got off the Ecstasy Saturday - our cruise was cut short because of Gustav - which was a major bummer. We got to Galveston on Sunday, thinking we would be leaving Monday - when we didn't, I checked into the Galvez until Wednesday. I have to RAVE about the Galvez - it was wonderful. They have a very secure parking lot where you can leave your car and they have a nice bus to take you to the pier and to pick you up. When we got off the boat on Saturday, we waited like 2 minutes for the bus. If you can, stay at the Galvez, its worth the money and they have great deals going on. You park for free and the lot is safe. I also have to praise travel insurance. I just found out that all of our expenses for the extra days spent in Galveston will be reimbursed - yippee!!! If I would have known earlier, I would have got a suite at the Galvez, but the room they gave us was gorgeous, a direct view of the Gulf.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time. If you have any Ecstasy questions that I can answer, I will be happy too.

[want2cruiseagain]

First, I hope you have a great cruise. We just got off the Ecstasy Saturday - our cruise was cut short because of Gustav - which was a major bummer. We got to Galveston on Sunday, thinking we would be leaving Monday - when we didn't, I checked into the Galvez until Wednesday. I have to RAVE about the Galvez - it was wonderful. They have a very secure parking lot where you can leave your car and they have a nice bus to take you to the pier and to pick you up. When we got off the boat on Saturday, we waited like 2 minutes for the bus. If you can, stay at the Galvez, its worth the money and they have great deals going on. You park for free and the lot is safe. I also have to praise travel insurance. I just found out that all of our expenses for the extra days spent in Galveston will be reimbursed - yippee!!! If I would have known earlier, I would have got a suite at the Galvez, but the room they gave us was gorgeous, a direct view of the Gulf.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time. If you have any Ecstasy questions that I can answer, I will be happy too.

 

We live in Houston, so driving down the morning of the cruise. Sorry about your cruise. Glad that you are being reimbursed for your expenses, though. Was the ship full? They were offering $99 cruise to nowhere sale.

[petro772]

There will be no problem with the ship being in port on Thursday's departure. The return should be well clear, also. The Lighthouse lot and EZCruise lot #1 are better choices than parking at a hotel along the seawall, which would bear the brunt of the storm, if it hits there. ;)

[SuzyQ33]

I have parked in EZ cruise and have returned to find my car, the lot and surrounding streets flooded after a hard rain, not a hurricane. I, too, am on the Ecstasy on Thursday and am looking at my options. We do not want to leave a car at the port, but the person who could take us to the port doesn't want to get caught in evacuation traffic coming back. The majority of the models are showing Galveston taking a direct hit.

[BallFour4]

There will be no problem with the ship being in port on Thursday's departure. The return should be well clear, also. The Lighthouse lot and EZCruise lot #1 are better choices than parking at a hotel along the seawall, which would bear the brunt of the storm, if it hits there. ;)

 

 

Nothing is absolute in the routing of Carnival ships. Look at those on the Miracle. When the Ecstasy turns the point at Pelican Island and you can see it on the webcams then I will agree to "no problem."

 

The seawall is 17 feet high. Your car is in a parking lot (or garage) in those hotels at the highest point on the island.

 

Read about EZ Cruise Flooding: http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=21219

 

I am in Galveston almost daily and have lived within 20 minutes of Galveston for nearly 50 years. When I see cars damaged from high water along the hotels at the seawall it will be the first...

 

The wind and "brunt" will be the same on both sides of the island. Galveston is no more than 3 miles across at its widest point.

 

For a category 3 storm I'd take my chances at a seawall location over a lowland area along the channel. Here is an excellent collection of weather data with maps and forecasts

http://www.ih2000.net/ira/bmt-wth.htm

 

It's your call, but you have the point from someone that has lived here all their life.

 

 

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[marimojo]

We live in Houston, so driving down the morning of the cruise. Sorry about your cruise. Glad that you are being reimbursed for your expenses, though. Was the ship full? They were offering $99 cruise to nowhere sale.

 

I think the majority of the people on the ship got the $99 special. I heard that 70% of the original people had to cancel. I also heard through the grapevine that they overbooked by 15 cabins. The $99 special was a great deal. The negatives were "nowhere" we wanted Mexico - and the long embarkation line - we stood in line about 3 hours out in the hot sun, that was bad - other than that it was a great cruise. I also agree, after surveying the island for a few days, parking your car at a seawall hotel is safer than the parking lots by the pier, if for nothing else, it "felt" like there was much more distance between the water and the car. Lets pray that Galveston does not take a direct hit and that you have a wonderful cruise!!

[Texas_firefighter]

We used Lighthouse last cruise.It is raised,like others have said.In good weather I'd park at EZ,You can drop off luggage with porters ,park and walk from there and forget the shuttle if you'd like. Latest forecast has it heading for Laguna Madre,and it's almost down to a Tropical storm again.Who really knows what this thing will do :confused:.Can't wait for retirement so I can cruise during hurricane season.Great deals and the chance to have your cruise extended.I've already been on the other end of that situation :rolleyes:.

[BallFour4]

The Lighthouse lot and EZCruise lot #1 are better choices than parking at a hotel along the seawall, which would bear the brunt of the storm, if it hits there. ;)

 

It did hit here, the cars at all the private and city owned lots are a total loss and the vehicles parked along the seawall all are driveable.

 

The four streets from Seawall Blvd back sustained no flooding. The balance of the island is a total loss to vehicles.

 

Might have been better if you had took the advice of a local...

 

 

 

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[petro772]

It did hit here, the cars at all the private and city owned lots are a total loss and the vehicles parked along the seawall all are driveable.

 

The four streets from Seawall Blvd back sustained no flooding. The balance of the island is a total loss to vehicles.

 

Might have been better if you had took the advice of a local...

 

 

 

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Want to know how much I got for my vehicle? ;)

[buckanear]

The four streets from Seawall Blvd back sustained no flooding.

 

I live about a block and half from the seawall, just of 61st st and we had salt water flooding. About 2 feet of sea water. A few blocks further back recieved about the same.