which return flight should we do?

[bhpeters]

Hi all, need advice. Our cruise is out of Galveston in Feb. We return on a saturday morning... I'm not familiar with how long it takes to disembark the ship, time it takes to get to the airport, etc...

we have two choice for return flights... 2:30 p.m. departure or 6:30 p.m.
I estimate 2 hrs of driving from Galveston to Houston International airport (the one on the north side of Houston)... if the ship docks around 7:30 a.m. would we have enough time to get to a 2:30 flight or is the 6:30 one better?

I'm hoping for 2:30 so I can get home to my little boy sooner..., we still have a 2 hr drive from the airport to home.

Thanks for your advice!

[98Charlie]

From prior experience, would assume you have ample time to make that Houston connection but need more info. Are you purchasing a ship transfer from ship dock to Houston, planning on a taxi or renting a car in Houston and driving to the dock?

Also, when you fill out your pre-registration info for the cruise (info for registration will be included in your cruise documents that generally arrive a month to three weeks, well, whenever they send them) there is normally a line to fill out about your return home arrangements including flight time, etc. Every cruises line we have been on so far has been customer sensitive to that information to ensure passengers make their connections.

[HeartofTexas]

You should have plenty of time to catch the 2:30.

[bhpeters]

We haven't purchased any ship to airport transfers yet, I wasn't sure I was able to. Do I talk to my TA about that? We have family in Houston, but we don't want to make them pick us up at the ship, it's a 2 hr drive for them. The princess transfer seems the least hassle to me, what does that usually run?

If not the princess transfer we were thinking of either a rental car or a limo type service.

[SPRINGTX]

You should be able to make the 2:30 flight. We live about 15 min from IAH and we were home around 1:00 or 1:30, after getting off the ship and making several stops for gas, drive through for lunch, and dropping someone else of at their car. We even left the port after alot of people b/c we had 14 people with us and were busy finding bags, saying goodbye's, ya know how it goes.

I even think that if you give them your flight info, when checking in they may let you disembark first, that's what they did on Carnival for some people that were with us, but I have never been on princess so I don't know what their procedure is.

[98Charlie]

Call your TA and ask about ship to airport transfer prices. Then get on the internet and compare prices via other avenues. Sometimes the ship transfer when available is cheaper, sometimes not. You have plenty of time to investigate this since your cruise is not until Feb. On our cruise out of Houston didn't book a ship to airport transfer until we were on the ship.

Most important part is you have plenty of time to get from the ship to the airport. Now you only have to figure out what means and cost you want to pay to get there and the planning of that trip to the airport is just another part of the adventure of cruising. It's fun. Gives us something to do while we're waiting for the cruise and seems to help make that waiting time a bit shorter as we think about the cruise out there waiting for us.

[SaylorGirl]

Our flight out of Houston in two weeks is now at 1:10. It was originally later but the airlines called and changed it. Our parents who live in Houston will drop us off directly at the airport. I hope we make it! The next one is at 4:30 and we also have a three hour drive home. I would think with yours being an hour later you should have no problems. Have a great trip.

[potchak]

According to Princess (I called yesterday with this same question), to allow your self enough time to debark, they suggest nothing earlier than 1pm.

[hcs81m]

I am a student in Houston. Before your trip familiarize yourself with a highway map of Houston. I had a flight last saturday, where I was running late and I-45 was clogged. Fortunately Houston has 3 major Highways that lead right to IAH (I-45, Highway 59, and the Hardy Toll road). I was able to jump over to the toll road and made my flight without a problem.

[prophotogirl]

You should be able to make the 2:30 flight.