10 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

Do they allow the little goggles with the band around your head... or is that out too?

Flowrider rules.

"Guests participating in the FlowRider, for example, must be at least 52"/132 cm tall to use the bodyboard and 58"/147 cm tall to use the flowboard. Absolutely no footwear allowed, no goggles and no go-pro cams are allowed."

Since goggles are not allowed is an easy bet that glasses are not allowed as well.

On 3/9/2019 at 12:46 PM, HB Cruiser said:

We are flying into Hoby.

Coming into Hobby there are plenty of hotels close to the airport to chose from some within close proximity to restaurants and such.

And you'd be about a 20 min drive to the Houston Space Center and about 45 - 60 mins from the cruise port.

As for transportation I went ahead and picked a random hotel as a pick up point to get an estimate from Uber

And then from the same hotel to the cruise port. Not sure if you're sailing Carnival or Royal so I use Royal's terminal as an example. However these are examples and the prices may go up some due to surge pricing.  

Although I've never had to use them I have heard a lot of positive comments in regards to VIP Express (Linky) from others here and on the main LIberty of the Seas FB page.

Anyway hope this helps in you planning and any more questions please post away  and enjoy your cruise.

Here's a link to the Space Center Visitor page to give you an idea of what they have to offer, hours, prices etc. Have not been there yet but would plan on a few hours to be able to see everything.

Space Center Houston

There a a lot of hotels around the area of the Space Center to chose from. The only one I have experience with is the Hilton Garden Inn on Bay Area Blvd. Nice place but does not look to have any availability on the website during your stay.

If your wanting to stay near the airport it would help us to know which airport Bush (furthest from Space Center and Port) or Hoby (Closest and prefered) you plan on flying into.

As for transportation there are many choice's there as well from Uber to Lyft to shuttles etc. Scroll down on the main topic board here and you'll see a few that are currently active for Hotels and Transportation options.

11 hours ago, adelaidefc said:

what sort of cruise would suit and offer great views from the ship, an element of luxury or plenty to do on the ship

Have you considered a river cruise. I think that would hit just about all the things you may be looking for.

I do. Mostly the bartenders who I typical interact with the most during the cruise at the pool bars. I'll usually tip a dollar when I hand over my sea pass card. From my experience it then goes into a bucket on the back of the bar and is shared with the other bartenders working that shift. 

I'll also tip those walking around the pool deck taking drink orders. In both cases after a couple of dollars if they see me heading to the bar or giving them a sign I'm ready for another drink they're right there with my drink of choice waiting for me.

Having worked for tips back in the day I guess I have a better appreciation for them then others do.

If you've booked your cruise you can go into your cruise planner and look at the different menus for each of the specialty restaurants and plan accordingly.

Here's an example for Chops Grill

First time I stopped and paid the taxes. I knew about this prior to disembarkation and as I'm heading out the exit a lady was there asking folks if they brought alcohol or cigarettes and waved you over to the table where you pay.

This last year I spotted the lady and waited till she was busy with others and just walked through the opposite side of the exit where she was.  

The closest to your hotel location is going to be the Walmart which is about 2.1 miles up the street.

A little further up seawall there's also a Kroger's and Randalls.

45 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

 

There is certainly a priority lane for Diamond+ (and possibly Diamond, not sure about pre-screening?) and now, The Key passengers.

Yes once you get through security screening and go into the registration lines they're different que's for gold on up.

The two times I've been through security at terminal 2 (2017 & 2018) there were three security lines. The main line with all the zig zag lanes in the center, a line for Suites & Pinnacles on the left and one for handicapped passengers on the right of the main line. The two dedicated lines have their own x-ray where the main lane would lead you out to an area with I want to say 6 to 8 machines and you would que in one of these lines to go through screening.

No confirmation as of yet but given the amount of money RCCL is getting ready to spend on the new terminal and the infrastructure improvements the port is getting ready to start I think it's a safe bet to expect an Oasis class ship to be sailing out of Galveston once completed.

On 3/6/2019 at 6:50 AM, Sultan84 said:

Can the bridge crew look directly onto your balcony

Yes. Sailed in cabin 1230 last year on the Liberty and the fly bridge is directly in front of the balcony and you will see the bridge crew occasionally especially when coming into or out of port. I like having my coffee on the balcony and I would give them the ol good morning salute. Unfortunately I didn't take any pics but found a video from Freedom of the seas cabin 1232 which is right next door and was able to get this screen shot where you can see the fly bridge. Here is a LINK to the video if you want to check out the rest of the cabin. It's reverse as to the way the layout is in cabin 1230.

As to the size of the balcony it's mostly the same size as the other balconies but there is a little more space where the curved part of goes out but the floor is not the same as the rest of the balcony. Not sure about being able to attache a hammock to the curved portion or not.

All in all for me the fact that the fly bridge is right there did not deter me from enjoying the unique view. Would I stay in it again? Well I've already have the same cabin booked for this year.😉👍

Let me know if I can answer any more questions.

I've been hearing good things about VIP Express from some on the main Liberty FB page. May want to take a look.

Saint Gregg thanks for the pic's. Yes they are a new parking once more reviews like yours comes in I'm sure buisness will pick up for them. I've used Lighthouse Parking the past two cruises but might give them a try coming up in September.

Just to note that the pic above is for the drop off pick up point for the Carnival Terminal. They'll have another location in front of terminal 2 for Royal Caribbean.

I'd be torn between

Samba Grill

Brazilian music fills the air as sumptuous steak sizzles at Samba Grill. Enjoy a spicy steakhouse experience with South American flair, or pile your plate high at the soup and salad buffet.

And

Izumi

Traditional Asian cuisine is artfully prepared and presented at Izumi. You’ll be wowed by the fresh ingredients, delicate flavors, and gorgeous plating of Izumi’s sushi, sashimi, ishi-yaki plates, and more.

38 minutes ago, StrikeEagle said:

I  noticed lately about Galveston port,  even when the weather is foggy,  the ships arrive at the port on time.  Anyone knows if they did some improvement or changes in the process when ship comming into port?

I've seen a few post from the main Liberty FB page that Capt'n Anders anticipating the fog would increase speed to get the ship in early before the fog moved in. 

10 minutes ago, wolfcathorse said:

when we were on LB 2-3-19, Enzo announced that that was the last sailing in which Saturday Night Fever would be on. The cast left mid cruise after the show for their next assignment.

I'm thinking that maybe that was the last time that particular cast was to perform and a new cast would board for the next sailing and beyond until their contract is up.

I'm sure if that were the last time the show was to be performed then we would have been hearing about it from someone on one of the last 4 cruises wanting to know what happened to the show.

If the movie is First Man They should show up in their PJ's cause they'll be asleep within the first 30 min. 😴

For my upcoming cruise in September the best deal I was able to acquire was during the Cyber Monday sale last year.

I'll do a mock booking almost every week to check for better rates but so far nothing better than the price from what I already have. Currently showing $534 more than what I booked then. Should have been an additional $119.00 more but I noticed that the travel protection option was not available when I tried a mock booking just a little while ago.

10 hours ago, matj2000 said:

What is a mini bar?

Used to be the mini fridge in the stateroom would be stocked with different items. You would be charged for whatever you took from it.

22 hours ago, peggy1 said:

when we got back my husband home he noticed a great many of his pain medication was missing!  His medication was buried within his clothing in the closet.

 

 My Granddaughter had mentioned that her clothes in her drawers were not in the same place that he left it.

Not trying to pile on the OP just looking for some clarification on a couple of items in the original post.

Since the missing medication was not discovered until you returned home I take it that he does not have to take the medication on a regular basis? I'm assuming it is taken only as needed? If so when was the last time that he actually opened the bottle to verify the amount of medication in the bottle?

I'm also a little confused by the next sentence. "My Granddaughter had mentioned that her clothes in her drawers were not in the same place that he left it." Some clarification on this statement would also be helpful in trying to understand.

44 minutes ago, LuckyStar said:

Its our annual Sister cruise in April and we have decided to bring on some wine for the first time.  Texas is strict about alcohol taxes, etc, so are they strict about boarding with wine.  We are bringing only what we are allowed to bring, nothing subversive, so I'm not looking to rook the system.  Thanks!

You'll have no problem bringing wine on board for embarkation out of Galveston.

Here's some pic's from August last year. Not sure which cruise line you'll be on but as for RCCL LIberty of the Seas you board the tender for the 15-20 minute ride to the island. They will give you a ticket for lunch. The lunch was alright but nothing to write home about.

You'll re-board the same tender that brought you to the island for the return trip back to your ship.

For me it was alright but not sure if I would go again if I ever make it back to Belize.

15 hours ago, LuckyStar said:

Just give yourself plenty of time in case of accidents.

And construction. Just keep an eye out on the TranStar website for any possible road closures along your route during your travel.