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Galveston weather in January


TubT
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We're booked on the Freedom on January 13. We've sailed a lot of times out of Galveston and Houston, and, looking through the threads in this section, I didn't see a mention of the weather in Galveston in the winter.

 

Simply put, it CAN be COLD in Galveston in January. Don't arrive in your shorts and T shirt and expect it to be 80 degrees. Seventy degrees is not unlikely, but 40 degrees is not an impossibility. In fact 30 degrees isn't an impossibility, with a stiff north wind. And, even if it IS warm on your departure date, it may be rough on your return date. This is your chance to look brilliant to those who haven't checked in advance; bring a jacket, at least.

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I’ve sailed in mid January out of Galveston, and the breeze combined with the speed of the ship made it very uncomfortable to be outside. If I recall correctly, we went inside right after we passed the friends who were waiting to see us off at Seawolf Park.

 

 

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I believe the Galveston weather is pretty much the same between January and February, so the above conditions would still apply to you.

In other words, somewhere between 35 and 75 F (Typical Texas weather -- if you don't like the conditions, wait half an hour).

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The chances of fog in January are good, so be prepared. But it's not as bad as the Houston terminal. The channel out of Galveston is not as small as the one out of Houston.

 

I don't know if anyone follows it, but they did have snow in Houston last night. It doesn't happen often, but this is exactly what I was warning about.

 

Canadaman111, by the end of February, spring has generally taken hold in Galveston, However, if there is a cold north wind, it could still be pretty uncomfortable. If you do some searching, sites such as Intellicast can give you historical averages, highs, and lows for almost any date.

 

I just looked, and on that date, Galveston's average high is 66, average low is 53, .01" average precipitation (no average snow accumulation). Record low is 27, record high is 79.

Edited by TubT
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Thanks for the word on the fog. Interestingly, I have cruised out of Galveston once before and hit heavy fog going and coming. Sailed out of Baytown once and it was clear as a bell :)

I do realize that it is at the mercy of the weather gods, and will try not to blame Carnival too much :)

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The chances of fog in January are good, so be prepared. But it's not as bad as the Houston terminal. The channel out of Galveston is not as small as the one out of Houston.

Not sure of your navigation knowledge of the shipping lanes here in Galveston or the cruise terminals in use based on your post. The average number of departures and arrivals delayed due to fog in Galveston on a five year average is eleven. The past two have seen more.

 

There is no Houston (or Baytown, for the post after) cruise terminal. In the past twenty-five years cruise ships have sailed from Barbors Cut, Bayport and Galveston. Galveston is the only terminal in use. The one at Bayport has been closed for some time and has been converted to a container shipping company office. No long term contracts were in place when the Bayport terminal opened. It's actually in Pasadena, Texas.

 

The Houston Ship Channel is accessible only via the Galveston channel cut between Bolivar and the east end of Galveston. The USCG and Port of Galveston together make a decision about closing the channel. Harbor Pilots are required further out in the channel, and will board the ship long before the first jetty is a factor.

 

 

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I stand corrected - it was the Bayport terminal, not Baytown, which is about 10 miles away. :(.

Looking at a map, it appears to have been in Shoreacres, just about a mile north of Seabrook. It is closed now, but was most certainly open for cruising when I used it.

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I stand corrected - it was the Bayport terminal, not Baytown, which is about 10 miles away. :(.

Looking at a map, it appears to have been in Shoreacres, just about a mile north of Seabrook. It is closed now, but was most certainly open for cruising when I used it.

 

Didn’t mean to be a point, counterpoint post.

Bayport had such potential and poor planning. Carnival used the terminal for three sailings when Ike bashed Galveston and Princess was here for a short contract.

Pasadena spent $5 mil for a water tower and improvements at the terminal and parking was never adequate.

NCL brought two old bathtubs of ships that didn’t last to Barbor’s Cut. The “terminal” was a tent.

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I apparently misread your intent -- my sincere apologies.

IMO, the Bayport terminal (Princess) complex was far better than the Galveston (Carnival) complex. Inside, it seemed more open and inviting. Only one parking company to worry about and it was right across the street from the terminal, and pricing was about the same as Galveston. The only problem was that the Bayport Terminal was out in the middle of nowhere, whereas the Galveston terminal is pretty much in the middle of town - easy to grab a cup of coffee or lunch if your boarding is delayed.

I didn't notice a problem with the amount of parking at Bayport - it seemed plentiful enough when I was there - but then again it may have been a slow week. The cruise out from the port to the gulf seemed to take forever, and I could see as how fog would be a detriment as compared to the much shorter Galveston route.

 

I do wish that Princess, and perhaps others, would come back to Texas with different offerings. the 7 day Western Caribbean on Carnival (or RCCL) is getting old :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Bayport Terminal closed in the spring of 2016. We last sailed out of there in January of that year, not because we prefer the location, but because we prefer Princess, which was sailing from that terminal. On at least one cruise from that terminal, we were unable to sail at the scheduled time and had to wait until the next morning.

 

I'm going to have to check my old photos of the Barbour's Cut terminal. It was small, but I don't recall it being a tent. We sailed out of there twice on the Norwegian Sea, a ship we thoroughly enjoyed.

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NCL brought two old bathtubs of ships that didn’t last to Barbor’s Cut. The “terminal” was a tent.

.

 

The ships NCL brought in probably wouldn't sell enough to make the least expensive terminal profitable, but we thoroughly enjoyed the Norwegian Sea. Those who complain about gaudy decor and overcrowding would like the Norwegian Sea to come back...if they're being honest.

 

The terminal was not a tent, as you can see in these photos.

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The Bayport Terminal closed in the spring of 2016. We last sailed out of there in January of that year, not because we prefer the location, but because we prefer Princess, which was sailing from that terminal. On at least one cruise from that terminal, we were unable to sail at the scheduled time and had to wait until the next morning.

 

I'm going to have to check my old photos of the Barbour's Cut terminal. It was small, but I don't recall it being a tent. We sailed out of there twice on the Norwegian Sea, a ship we thoroughly enjoyed.

Wow, bringing back memories, i was cruise staff on the Norwegian sea, was on her through her decommision.

 

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Except for being a little closer to the airports, I don't see a good reason to have a terminal in Houston. And, apparently, Houston has come to that conclusion, too. Now, the question is, will Galveston ever expand? It's at capacity several days per week, as it is.

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The ships NCL brought in probably wouldn't sell enough to make the least expensive terminal profitable, but we thoroughly enjoyed the Norwegian Sea. Those who complain about gaudy decor and overcrowding would like the Norwegian Sea to come back...if they're being honest.

 

 

 

The terminal was not a tent, as you can see in these photos.

 

 

 

When they first sailed it WAS a tent. Those ships were old and run down.

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When they first sailed it WAS a tent. Those ships were old and run down.

 

How long was it open? Because we sailed out of there over the course of two years, and it was never a tent at that time.

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