MujerIsla

On 4/19/2023 at 7:36 PM, kelkel2 said:

So I think we may be leaning towards staying at The Tremont. We will have our twins with us, they’ll be 5 going on 6. I saw there was a railroad museum nearby, they’d love that.  Is there a good locally owned coffee shop close enough to walk to from there? What about casual dinner? Any other must see’s in the area? 

Mod Coffeehouse is about 3 blocks away. I prefer the taste of Red Light Coffee, which may be 4 or 5 blocks away. But the atmosphere is probably better at Mod. Take the kids to La King's for ice cream and homemade taffy. They can even watch the taffy being made, and the candy guys (there's probably a word for them) throw taffy to the kids while they're making it. Yaga's would be good for a casual dinner, but there are also several other great restaurants within a few block radius of the Tremont.

I also like to take my kids over to the shrimp boats at Pier 19 to watch the pelicans. Just cross over Harborside and you can walk along the whole waterfront over there. Sometimes you get lucky and see dolphins. 

On 4/18/2023 at 8:31 AM, Liljo22 said:

Landry's owns everything in Galveston.  

 

San Luis Resort

Harbor House

Hilton Galveston

Holiday Inn Galveston

Pleasure Pier

Willie G's

Rainforest Cafe

Fish Tales

Bubba Gump

Fisherman's Wharf

Saltgrass

Joe's Crab Shack

The Steakhouse

Landry's Prime

Grotto

Brick House

 

 

Except for the 200 or so local mom and pop places you didn't mention. It's really really easy to avoid a Fertitta establishment and still eat well on the island.

On 4/13/2023 at 10:40 AM, kelkel2 said:

What is within walking distance of the Grand Galvez? It’s kind of hard to tell on the map. Any casual dining we don’t have to get dressed up for, but can sit down and eat (not takeout)? What about the pleasure pier, can you walk from there? I really want to stay there, it’s such a gorgeous property. Any recent reviews? 

What's your definition of walking distance? I like to walk and am still able to, so I'd happily walk a mile or more to a location, whereas others would balk if I'd suggest something 2 blocks away. 

5 hours ago, nelblu said:

I have the same dilemma.  My sail is on Harmony in December and flying into Bush Int'.  I'm not too concerned with the arrival as I'm leaving Newark Int'l at 6 in the morning.  But my concern is the return trip to Bush.  I'm booked on 12PM United flight.  I called the C&A desk as Royal shuttle is reasonable @79.99 pp/r/t, however, they could not pinpoint time for earliest shuttle.  

 

It's estimated that it's 81+ miles one way to and from Bush.  So have to allow at a minimum 2 hours.

 

Galveston Express has an 8AM departure, but it makes multiple stops on the way and they estimate a window of 2 hours.  So, on a good day (no traffic or interruptions) I'll get to the airport at around 10AM. It'll take a bit of time to get the luggage and not knowing how big the terminals are, I'm a bit concerned.  When I fly, I usually leave some 2-hour window from entrance to gat, and this is why I'm concerned.  

 

Options:  Book a later flight @ 2:30PM which gives me more flexibility.  Also, investigation Island Breeze shuttle transportation.  I need to get more information as they advertise $199 round trip for 2, however they mention shuttle, but it seems like it's a car service.  In addition, ascertain the earliest timeframe for the first departure.  I'm traveling solo and also a senior citizen which allows a $10 reduction in the R/T fare. I know the fare is a bit high but can't take a chance.

 

Asked at the Gulf Coast section of CC and only got a few replies.  One of them was Galveston Express or Uber/Lyft.  Also, Harmony docks at 7AM and was told that if I do self-disembarking, I could get off at 7:30AM.

 

Good luck on your quest.

 

 

 

 

 

Yikes, I wouldn't do the 12pm flight. Unless you're good with potentially missing and rescheduling. You could also look into Galveston Limousine airport shuttles (they're not just limousines). Disclaimer though: I haven't used them in years, so can't vouch for them now. But they used to be reliable and reasonably priced. https://galvestonlimo.com/airport-shuttle/

Sorry that happened to you. I cringe when people advise people coming to Galveston to just do taxis or rideshares. Everyone's on island time, and that means you can't depend on timely service. Not to mention, there aren't enough employees here to cover all areas of the tourism industry, so it exacerbates the already frustrating problem. I can't imagine having to get here and back from Houston, let alone getting around town, without my own car or renting a car. They make it so difficult. 

On 3/14/2023 at 1:26 PM, Lorey2007 said:

I had to change our cruise date to 4-7-24. How bad will it be if we come in on Friday 4-5 due to that Ironman event? Will we be able to get around without a car or be able to see any sights or take any tours on Saturday?

Traffic shouldn't be too bad. The Ironman events themselves will likely be on the west end of the island, so they shouldn't interfere with your stay. If I didn't have a car, I'd want to stay downtown in The Tremont or Harbor House. If you stay on Seawall, yes there's a trolley. But it's slow and annoying. Some people like it though.

There are tons of tours to be had. Most will originate downtown or on Seawall, so a trolley could get you there. Once it gets closer, check out galveston.com or a similar website for available tours and times. The Duck Tour seems to be a fan favorite. You get on a bus that also doubles as a boat. So you tour around on wheels for a while and see things, and then you drive into the bay and do a little water tour. 

1 hour ago, Lorey2007 said:

Thanks, Easter is March 31 next year. We have decided on April 21st. Now I have to decide if we should fly in one or two days early.  Next I will be looking at hotels on the beach do you have any suggestions? What would a couple of older seniors do without a car. 

If you won't have a car, it'll be tough. I'd stay on the east end somewhere, just because there are more things to do and places to eat within a reasonable walking distance. The Galvez is nice, but a bit pricey sometimes, depending on the season and day. The San Luis Resort has most things you'd need right on the property, but it's probably the most expensive place to stay in Galveston. I can give you better suggestions if you let me know what you're looking for. Staying downtown is a good option too. No beach, but close to everything, including the port. The Tremont House or Harbor House would be your options there.

On 3/9/2023 at 8:05 AM, Lorey2007 said:

Looking at Harmony 2024. Are there any weeks in April 2024 to avoid that might be bike week, festival, parades or other that would affect hotels etc?

The first weekend in April usually has a big ironman triathlon. Nowhere near the crowds of spring break and biker rally, but there will be more people here and hotels are likely to be more expensive. Late April is a great time to cruise out of Galveston. The spring breakers have died down and the weather calms down, so seas are usually better. Also look at when Easter is next year. In the last several years, Galveston has become quite the long Easter weekend destination. 

Sorry for your experience, but thank you for your humor! 😄

Just saw in the Galveston paper that the Carnival Miracle is moving from San Francisco to Galveston in Oct 2024 through Spring 2025, with trips of 9-12 days. Destinations will include Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama Canal. Exciting! (Sorry if this is old news to some...I don't follow Carnival news regularly or I'd spend all my money booking cruises 😄). 

1 hour ago, kelkel2 said:

I looked into Moody Gardens and I just don’t know if the hours work great for us. They close at 4pm from what the website says. And I just don’t think we’d get our money’s worth out of it. We would be going in June so I assume that’s peak season and would be to our benefit. 

Yes, everything should be fully open in June. Fingers crossed!

1 hour ago, kelkel2 said:

Thanks for the info! Our twins will be 5 when we go and I realize it’s expensive, but I feel like we are for sure paying for the experience. 
I know the majority of the big rides they won’t be able to ride. But I assume it’s a typical boardwalk with food and stuff too, right? 

Sorta. Depends on when you go. If it's the offseason (October through early March), there's not always a ton open. So, for instance, yes there's a whole midway for games, but there were no people staffing them in late October when we went. There's a little bit of food, but not much. Ice cream, pizza, stuff like that. Honestly, I live here and didn't even bother with it until my kids were 8 years old. I think 5 year olds would definitely enjoy Moody Gardens more. But that's just my preference. 

On 2/14/2023 at 5:47 PM, sapete said:

We're arriving Thursday afternoon for a Saturday cruise (driving to Galveston).  What are the Pleasure Pier plusses?  Minuses?  Is it worth it?  Same thing for Moody Gardens.  TIA!

Depends. Do you have kids? I think the cost is more than the value...they're aren't a ton of rides. But kids seem to enjoy it. So if you're cool spending money to give kids an experience, then it's worth it. (For small kids, there definitely aren't enough rides to justify the cost). If that doesn't describe your situation, there are way better things to do in Galveston. 

There's a paid parking lot, metered street parking, and a few, elusive side street parking spots dedicated to beach access that are free. But the free spots likely won't be available during peak times.

Moody Gardens is expensive, but there's much more to do there for all age groups and interests. I'd say it's worth it. Free parking there. 

48 minutes ago, kelkel2 said:

Do you think walking from the Galvez is too far for a 5 year old to walk? 

I wouldn't think so. And you'd just be walking along the Seawall, so you could stop and sit if you needed to. It's probably less than half a mile. There's also a souvenir shop halfway in between, so if things get dicey, go bribe him/her with a trinket or ice cream (kidding, of course). 

The area around Bastrop State Park is beautiful. I don't have a recommendation for lodging, because we're always camping when we're near there, but it would make a pretty place to walk around. But that time of year should be near peak bluebonnet season, and Brenham has a ton of places around for bluebonnet viewing. They have webpages devoted to peak watch and places to see them. Then tour the Blue Bell factory and get some ice cream! 

I've never stayed at that hotel, so I can't speak to its pros and cons. But The Galvez is a really nice hotel within walking distance to Pleasure Pier (as long as you don't have mobility issues -- it's a few blocks). It's expensive, but depending on what time of year and what day(s) of the week you plan on staying, you might be able to score a deal. It may be cost prohibitive on a weekend in the summer for many families. 

But, if you're considering spending more to stay at a nicer hotel, just find a cheaper one farther down Seawall and pay to park for the day. Or better yet, snag one of the few free beach access parking spots on the streets that run perpendicular to Seawall. Totally doable in the offseason.

On 2/24/2023 at 6:15 PM, jbrinkm said:

What about in the evening (same day - 4/1)? Around 9 or 10pm, is there a lot of traffic on Saturday night between IAH and Galveston? Surge pricing on rideshares?

Shouldn't be bad traffic in April. A Saturday night in the summer is a whole different story. There are often traffic jams leaving the island, and it can take people a couple of hours to get back to Houston. I can't speak to rideshares, because there's not a ton of that between Galveston and Houston. 

19 hours ago, ssb said:

 

Just an observation .

You may be right .. 

Usually ?

Good luck to Pika8347.

We live in Galveston and travel 45 often ,

even during construction .

 

Me too. 😉

34 minutes ago, ssb said:

 

IH-45 Northbound and southbound from FM-518 to FM-517 in League City

Lanes Affected------ 1 Alternate Lane(s)

 

Which 1 Alternate Lane Northbound or southbound will be closed ?????

If Northbound is closed during your southbound period of travel time , it will have no effect on you .

.  

 

Right, but usually when they say northbound and southbound they mean both directions will have a lance closure at the same time, and the "one alternate lane" thing means they change which lane in each direction is closed at any given point throughout that closure period. 

On 2/20/2023 at 2:52 PM, CC Rider 69 said:

Here's info from Houston Trans Star regarding I45 South Traffic in Galveston County. Be mindful it's a government job so March 31st might not actually mean March 31st.

Houston TranStar Road Closure

Location	IH-45 Northbound and southbound from FM-518 to FM-517 in League City
Description	Construction
Lanes Affected	1 Alternate Lane(s)
Duration	Closed Daily from Saturday, February 1, 2020 9:00 AM to Friday, March 31, 2023 3:00 PM
Live Status	Active

From experience, these lane closures can cause an hours-long delay in the summer, but should only add 30-60 minutes extra to your trip at most in April. There's a new festival on that day called the Galveston Steampunk Festival, but it shouldn't be a huge draw that would back traffic up. It SHOULDN'T take you more than 2.5 hrs to get to the island on that day. But probably won't take you just 90 minutes either. Plan on 2 hours from the time you drive off the lot just to be safe.

50 minutes ago, StephPS79 said:

 

It was only open from 12p-2p, IIRC...

Thank you! I might have to consider an earlier arrival time. 

5 minutes ago, mamiamjo said:

Yes, we were on the Breeze in November and had Cucina del Capitano Pasta Bar Lunch for free on Embarkation Day! No reservation needed. Just go upstairs, they will seat you and give you an order slip showing what's available. You check what you want and turn it back in, they'll make your order and bring it out to you. Easy and not crowded on Embarkation Day! 🙂

Thanks for the info! Do you happen to remember the approximate hours? I think we're going to try to board a little later to hopefully avoid long lines. 

Hi y'all. I tried searching for an answer to this, but I was finding conflicting info. I thought I remembered reading about being able to Cucina for lunch (free) on the Breeze, but Carnival's website only has it as an option for dinner at an extra cost. It seems like on other ships it's called Captain's Pasta or something for lunch. Has anyone been on Breeze recently who can confirm that you can do Cucina for lunch for no additional cost? And if so, can you give specific details about how it works (e.g., reservations needed, menu, counter or table service, etc)? It seems like it's a great option for a first-day lunch. Thank you!

23 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Do you really think they would have been able to grow like they have if they were selling tainted gas??

Exactly. And I've even noticed enhanced gas mileage using their gas (and not even the non-ethanol variety).

14 hours ago, hillbillycruisers said:

Was he oriental? We had one on either Ecstasy or the Triumph that was hilarious!!!

Um, yes, he was Asian (we don't really use oriental anymore. sorry, not to be the boards police). I believe he was Phillipino. Was he always calling people in the audience Chaka Khan and Whitney Houston? And this was in the days when Beyonce's "Single Ladies" was super popular, and he did the dance across the stage. He was so so funny!