Galveston Looks Great!

So you’re coming back to Galveston on a Carnival ship and have seen media reports of the doom and gloom. Your expectations are to find your car totaled, an island that is trashed and a cruise terminal that’s inoperable. Rest your mind…

Galveston looks great. Tonight we drove from Houston, past Hobby Airport (which is open as of 4:00 pm and ramping up flights more tomorrow) to the island.

Harborside Drive is dry from the freeway all the way to 19th street, the terminal is intact, the gangways are in place and there are no emergency repairs underway. All the city and private cruise parking lots were debris free and there were no signs of cars that had been flooded. The way to tell is the windshield looks fogged over. Many of the auto dealerships along I-45 had their inventory submerged, so those tell-tale signs are visible along the drive down.

The hotels are open, restaurants are serving food and gas is plentiful. The Spot, Gaidos. Bennos, Nicks and a lot more are open. The only attraction we saw down was the Pleasure Pier. There were work crews there and all the structures looked fine from our beach walk.

Appreciate the media found some wall material that fell from a 40 year old timeshare condo that was built shoddy from the start and a McDonalds sign that fell, so we had a "disaster" in Galveston. Mix in a few water drops on the webcam lenses and some thought we were the next Atlantis. That just isn’t the case.

If your cruise hasn’t been cancelled at this point it looks like your in for a floating vacation. Come down early, spend some time enjoying Galveston.

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Great information. Thanks for posting.

Just read that the coast guard had opened the port of Galveston to ships with a 33 foot and less draft. That would include the cruise ships, wouldn't it?

Just read that the coast guard had opened the port of Galveston to ships with a 33 foot and less draft. That would include the cruise ships, wouldn't it?

Don't know. One reason that's possible is the tide is really low. Current from the storm has pulled water out. The beach water line was 75 yards further than the norm. Sandbars were visible in Offats Bayou usually not seen except in winter northers. It's unique.

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Just read that the coast guard had opened the port of Galveston to ships with a 33 foot and less draft. That would include the cruise ships, wouldn't it?

Yes, all four cruise ships based in Galveston should fall into that.

Departures this weekend except Carnival Valor departure Saturday Cancelled

Regular schedules

Carnival Valor Monday 4th

Carnival Freedom Saturday 2nd

Carnival Breeze Sunday 3rd

Royal Liberty Sunday 3rd

Some of the cruise parking companies have reported that some cars did get some water damage. They have walked their lots to assess how many so they can arrange for these cars to be towed (with the owners permission!) to a storage facility until insurance adjusters can come take a look.

The parking facilities need the spaces of the "injured" cars as the spaces have likely been pre-reserved for upcoming cruises.