Galveston Embarkation Experiences???

[marne001]

Hello past cruisers,

 

What has been your recent experience boarding in Galveston:

 

 

1. specifically when did you arrive at the pier?
   
2. how long did it take to go through security?
   
3. if you are VIP, did you use the VIP check in and if so, do you regret it? (many regret if as the VIP check-in is SLOWER!)
   
4. is there anything you would do different if you were to sail out of Galveston again?
   

 

We want to drop our stuff on the ship and grab one last Starbucks coffee then reboard. But CC threads make this sound like a "NOGO".

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Does anybody know why the BRAND new 100% air conditioned HUGE BEAUTIFUL STATE OF THE ART Bayport terminal in HOUSTON is NOT BEING USED??? Following the hurricane Ike, all cruise ship activity was immediately relocated for several weeks to the Bayport terminal and people RAVED HOW WONDERFUL THE NEW TERMINAL WAS; no long lines, BRAND SPANKING NEW FACILITY, etc. What a shame we cannot use it. I do not live in Houston and have no tax incentive for this facility to be used as I live in the outside county. I simply seek the convenience of the new facility which was DESIGNED for the CRUISE SHIP INDUSTRY--Galveston was not.

 

Thanks a bunch!

[Bayou Lady]

Hello past cruisers,

 

Does anybody know why the BRAND new 100% air conditioned HUGE BEAUTIFUL STATE OF THE ART Bayport terminal in HOUSTON is NOT BEING USED??? Following the hurricane Ike, all cruise ship activity was immediately relocated for several weeks to the Bayport terminal and people RAVED HOW WONDERFUL THE NEW TERMINAL WAS; no long lines, BRAND SPANKING NEW FACILITY, etc. What a shame we cannot use it. I do not live in Houston and have no tax incentive for this facility to be used as I live in the outside county. I simply seek the convenience of the new facility which was DESIGNED for the CRUISE SHIP INDUSTRY--Galveston was not.

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

From what I read in the paper there are no nearby facilities for tourists plus it is farther away from the gulf and it takes longer and more fuel to reach open water and no cruise line wants to make that kind of investment. It is a case you build it and they didn't come.

[marne001]

For cruisers who have recently sailed from Galveston, what were your experiences?

 

 

1. What time did you arrive at the terminal/port?
   
2. How long did you spend in the security line?
   
3. How long did it take you to check in and get your Sign and Sail card(s)?
   
4. Was there any unpleasant experiences during security?
   
5. Was your SINGLE bottle of wine scrutinized? (I do not support smuggling)
   
6. When was your cabin available?
   
7. Did you have lunch at the buffet, room service or other?
   

 

Thanks and happy sailing.

[*Mach*]

OK... I'm not gonna go point by point but I'll tell you my experiences...

VIP check in is no better than for non Platinum guests... perhaps worse.

The folks who work for Carnival at Galveston are perhaps the best around. I can't say that about the third party employees, many of them suck. See my review for my experience with the 'security' folks...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1286576

 

Didn't take any wine but some of our group brought bottles that were 1.5 liters and they were confiscated.

Our cabin was available before 1:30 but Platinum guest's cabins are ready first so don't trust that.

My first stop is always Sur Mer but the buffet, the Mongolian Grill and the grill were in full swing when we went back there...

 

:)

 

[leennp]

We just returned from the 10/10/10. Arrived at port at 10:30, no issues with porters. Waited in line outside of terminal until they started letting people in to begin check in, probably at 10:50 or so. Checking in by 11 or 11:05 or so, move on the wait in chairs for zone to be called. 2 large wedding parties boarded first, we were on ship by 11:45. Cabins ready by 1:30, on main deck, not platinum. No one asked us to fit carry on is sizer before coming in terminal. No one scrutinized our wine, we had one bottle per adult. Getting off ship delayed, did not get off until 11am. According to terminal employee, this delay was due to death of passenger onboard sometime after leaving cozumel and arriving in galveston. This time was for relaxed debark. My husband was off ship at 9:30 with self assist, early flight category.

[txgolfergrl]

Hello past cruisers,

 

What has been your recent experience boarding in Galveston:

 

 

1. specifically when did you arrive at the pier?
   
2. how long did it take to go through security?
   
3. if you are VIP, did you use the VIP check in and if so, do you regret it? (many regret if as the VIP check-in is SLOWER!)
   
4. is there anything you would do different if you were to sail out of Galveston again?
   

We want to drop our stuff on the ship and grab one last Starbucks coffee then reboard. But CC threads make this sound like a "NOGO".

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Does anybody know why the BRAND new 100% air conditioned HUGE BEAUTIFUL STATE OF THE ART Bayport terminal in HOUSTON is NOT BEING USED??? Following the hurricane Ike, all cruise ship activity was immediately relocated for several weeks to the Bayport terminal and people RAVED HOW WONDERFUL THE NEW TERMINAL WAS; no long lines, BRAND SPANKING NEW FACILITY, etc. What a shame we cannot use it. I do not live in Houston and have no tax incentive for this facility to be used as I live in the outside county. I simply seek the convenience of the new facility which was DESIGNED for the CRUISE SHIP INDUSTRY--Galveston was not.

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

Politics and bureacracy built the Bayport terminal..NOT supply and demand. Nobody (pax or cruise lines) wanted it and nobody asked for it. As another poster commented, it's further away from the Gulf and takes longer and more fuel to arrive and depart. Now..you see the result.

It was just announced a few weeks ago that Galveston is going to invest serveral million in the existing cruise terminal. It'll probably take a while but it'll be much nicer.

[*Mach*]

Politics and bureacracy built the Bayport terminal..NOT supply and demand. Nobody (pax or cruise lines) wanted it and nobody asked for it. As another poster commented, it's further away from the Gulf and takes longer and more fuel to arrive and depart. Now..you see the result.

It was just announced a few weeks ago that Galveston is going to invest serveral million in the existing cruise terminal. It'll probably take a while but it'll be much nicer.

 

 

Yeah, the Bayport thingy was touted to the citizens to sell the bond for the container terminal... not nearly as enticing as a cruise ship terminal. I sailed from there once and it's a shame it's still empty. The transit to the Gulf takes nearly two hours... bummer.

Between Carnival and Galveston they're investing about $15 million bucks in the cruise terminal. It should be one of the best in the industry and it needs it.

:)

[zenful6219]

For cruisers who have recently sailed from Galveston, what were your experiences?

 

 

1. What time did you arrive at the terminal/port?
   
2. How long did you spend in the security line?
   
3. How long did it take you to check in and get your Sign and Sail card(s)?
   
4. Was there any unpleasant experiences during security?
   
5. Was your SINGLE bottle of wine scrutinized? (I do not support smuggling)
   
6. When was your cabin available?
   
7. Did you have lunch at the buffet, room service or other?
   

 

Thanks and happy sailing.

 

My last cruise out of Galveston was last year on Ecstasy, but my experience was not much different than the times before that. We arrived at 10:30 am. It took approximately 45 minutes to check in, obtain S&S cards and board the ship. We were VIP, and the longest part of the process was sitting in the tiny little room with all the other VIPs. Security was smooth and trouble-free. The cabin was ready around 1:30 pm. We had lunch at the grill...burger I think.

[okgirl]

Hello past cruisers,

 

What has been your recent experience boarding in Galveston:

 

 

1. specifically when did you arrive at the pier? I always arrive around 10:30 (I'm platinum)
   
2. how long did it take to go through security? VIP doesn't split off until at the top of the escalator took me about 10 minutes a non vip right behind me probably took them 20 minutes
   
3. if you are VIP, did you use the VIP check in and if so, do you regret it? (many regret if as the VIP check-in is SLOWER!) I alway use the VIP lounge, there were an unusually large number of VIPs on this sailing as well as 2 wedding parties. There were 8 people in the VIP lounge when I got there and it took 15 minutes for us to get our cards.
   
4. is there anything you would do different if you were to sail out of Galveston again? Nope, it's as good as it can be until they rebuild the terminal for the arrival of the Magic next year.
   

We want to drop our stuff on the ship and grab one last Starbucks coffee then reboard. But CC threads make this sound like a "NOGO". That is certainly doable.....it's right across the parking lot / street after you drop off your bags with a porter.......In fact if you get there early, get your S&S cards you can leave the terminal then just come back in to wait on your zone card to be called. However, boarding usually starts sometime around 11:30ish.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Does anybody know why the BRAND new 100% air conditioned HUGE BEAUTIFUL STATE OF THE ART Bayport terminal in HOUSTON is NOT BEING USED??? Following the hurricane Ike, all cruise ship activity was immediately relocated for several weeks to the Bayport terminal and people RAVED HOW WONDERFUL THE NEW TERMINAL WAS; no long lines, BRAND SPANKING NEW FACILITY, etc. What a shame we cannot use it. I do not live in Houston and have no tax incentive for this facility to be used as I live in the outside county. I simply seek the convenience of the new facility which was DESIGNED for the CRUISE SHIP INDUSTRY--Galveston was not.

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

There is nothing around Bayport, no hotels, transportation, shopping, nothing. Plus as others have said it's too far from open water to make cruising from there as affordable as from Galveston........plus Carnival has made a huge committment to the city of Galveston by putting our newest ship there...They are investing 9 million in the new terminal......

[zenful6219]

There is nothing around Bayport, no hotels, transportation, shopping, nothing. Plus as others have said it's too far from open water to make cruising from there as affordable as from Galveston........plus Carnival has made a huge committment to the city of Galveston by putting our newest ship there...They are investing 9 million in the new terminal......

 

I see Galveston as a much better fit for Cruise Ships. However, it's good that Carnival and the City of Galveston are investing in improving the terminal.

[lady_cruiser]

We don't do VIP check-in on Carnival but we had no problems checking in. The day we arrived was cold and raining so the guard was allowing everyone in the terminal where it was nice and dry (unlike RCL that makes us stand outside first.)

 

Once they started processing us, from the time we scanned our carry-ons, received our sail and sign cards and sat down waiting to board the ship must have been 40 minutes. But the staff in the terminal kept us highly entertained so the time seem to go by quicker than it actually did. I even won a stuffed frog from the kids club because my seat was one that had a sheet of paper under it. It even has the vest, shorts and cap with the CCL logo on it.

 

Even though our cabin wasn't ready my attendant allowed me to look at it and then bring my luggage in so I could place it in our closet.

 

Would I sail from Galveston again? In a heart beat, way before I would sail from New Orleans and and I live 45 minutes closer to New Orleans. I'm not saying I will never sail from NOLA but Galveston will be my first choice.

 

Would I sail from Houston, probably not, unless they start building hotels and restaurants right next to it.

[T. Advisor King]

Here's a slightly edited excerpt of the "Boarding" section of my Conquest review from last year:

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

We entered the terminal at about 12:20 pm and proceeded up into the terminal and into a first line where we had to put our bags through X-ray machines and walk through a metal detector. This was the only point where they would have screened for alcohol or soft drinks.

 

The next line was a check of tickets and ID. Despite the somewhat confusing instructions related to completing and printing the "fun pass", the only thing required was the tickets that Carnival had subsequently mailed to us. We did not need anything else and the pre-completion of the "fun pass" didn't appear to get us into any quicker entry lane or allow us to by-pass any stage of the check-in.

 

The next line was the line-up for a check-in agent to issue us our ship ID/room keys. There they took my credit card information (for on-board charges) and gave us our cardkeys and then sent us to the next holding area. In this part of the terminal, there are signs posted prohibiting the use of cameras. While I can see security reasons for prohibiting cameras in the security clearance area, there didn't seem to be any valid reason to prevent passengers from taking pictures or shooting video in this part of the terminal. I concluded that Carnival just doesn't want people to see pictures of how their "guests" are lined up and herded into holding pens during the check-in and boarding process.

 

We missed an opportunity at this stage to jump ahead of the line. As you leave the check-in desk with your room keys, you'll be directed to a seating area with various sections. Passengers are held here and taken in groups, by section, to the next stage of the boarding process. If you can find a couple empty seats in the section that was seated first, you'll be ushered to the next stage of boarding ahead of the next group. They don't monitor these seating sections particularly closely.

 

The next stop was the boarding photo. Initially, I was annoyed because it appeared that the entire delay in boarding was so that they could take posed photos of every passenger or group before they boarded. These photos aren't free and they aren't cheap either. On exiting the photo area, we joined the line of passengers slowly ascending the gangway to the ship. This stage was probably 20 minutes long and it became clear that the photo station wasn't the bottleneck.

 

We arrived on board and got to our deck at 1:22 pm - almost exactly an hour after we had entered the terminal. On the whole, the boarding process seemed slow and inefficient and I've seen others do the process better.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I'm not sure I'd do anything different next time. I think you get what you get and as long as you know what it will be before you get there it is less frustrating to deal with.

[JRock59]

hello past cruisers,

 

what has been your recent experience boarding in galveston:

 

 

1. specifically when did you arrive at the pier? around noon oct 2nd
   
2. how long did it take to go through security? platinum under 10 minutes
   
3. if you are vip, did you use the vip check in and if so, do you regret it? (many regret if as the vip check-in is slower!) yup used vip no wait. (haven't waited 15+ min before due to folks demanding non-vip friends check in with them so the host had to go find thier cards at the normal check in)
   
4. is there anything you would do different if you were to sail out of galveston again? not planning anything different in december execpt will be sail with husband not girlfriends so we'll go over a bit earlier to get a good seat on lido!
   

we want to drop our stuff on the ship and grab one last starbucks coffee then reboard. But cc threads make this sound like a "nogo". you can drop off your bags and walk to starbucks than return and check in. (we've done it) don't think you can check in and than leave.

 

what are your thoughts?

 

Does anybody know why the brand new 100% air conditioned huge beautiful state of the art bayport terminal in houston is not being used??? Following the hurricane ike, all cruise ship activity was immediately relocated for several weeks to the bayport terminal and people raved how wonderful the new terminal was; no long lines, brand spanking new facility, etc. What a shame we cannot use it. I do not live in houston and have no tax incentive for this facility to be used as i live in the outside county. I simply seek the convenience of the new facility which was designed for the cruise ship industry--galveston was not. because ccl, rcl, princess and ncl have all declined a contract. At least that was the last news report i heard.

 

thanks a bunch!

 

 

happy sailing!:)

[JRock59]

hello past cruisers,

 

what has been your recent experience boarding in galveston:

 

 

1. specifically when did you arrive at the pier? around noon oct 2nd
   
2. how long did it take to go through security? platinum under 10 minutes
   
3. if you are vip, did you use the vip check in and if so, do you regret it? (many regret if as the vip check-in is slower!) yup used vip no wait. (haven't waited 15+ min before due to folks demanding non-vip friends check in with them so the host had to go find thier cards at the normal check in)
   
4. is there anything you would do different if you were to sail out of galveston again? not planning anything different in december execpt will be sail with husband not girlfriends so we'll go over a bit earlier to get a good seat on lido!
   

we want to drop our stuff on the ship and grab one last starbucks coffee then reboard. But cc threads make this sound like a "nogo". you can drop off your bags and walk to starbucks than return and check in. (we've done it) don't think you can check in and than leave.

 

what are your thoughts?

 

Does anybody know why the brand new 100% air conditioned huge beautiful state of the art bayport terminal in houston is not being used??? Following the hurricane ike, all cruise ship activity was immediately relocated for several weeks to the bayport terminal and people raved how wonderful the new terminal was; no long lines, brand spanking new facility, etc. What a shame we cannot use it. I do not live in houston and have no tax incentive for this facility to be used as i live in the outside county. I simply seek the convenience of the new facility which was designed for the cruise ship industry--galveston was not. because ccl, rcl, princess and ncl have all declined a contract. At least that was the last news report i heard.

 

thanks a bunch!

 

 

happy sailing!:)

[capndinghy]

Galveston has certainly improved in the past several years. Our last 4 cruises have gone well. One cruise before that was a horror story, but the ship had arrived late due to some bozo jumping overboard the night before. (No they didn't find him) I am looking forward to our next departure from there as we will be Platinum VIP.

[BallFour4]

Galveston remains a favorite port, and since it's about 35 minutes from driveway to terminal that explains our approaching trip aboard the Conquest.

 

I've taken family on the Celebration, Ecstasy, Elation, Conquest, Rhapsody and Splendor out of Galveston with very little in the way of problems for embarkation.

 

The slowest experiences are tied directly to time of arrival and numbers of cruisers. We leave home at 9:30 am for all our cruises, period. With a couple of tricks to navigate the traffic down 45 I am at the terminal unloading family in 40-45 minutes with the stop for a quick pastry for breakfast.

 

Platinum embarkation is not much faster, it does offer advantages for boarding early, but if you want a group photo of everyone you might wait for them.

 

For us, we go in the Platinum line and then the balance of cruisers that are aluminum or some other metal join us in the cue. They board early with us and complete the photo opp tradition.

 

I don't use the private parking facilities in Galveston. I know the city owned lots are more expensive, but I like dropping my family at curbside, using the services of a porter, watching my family head in the terminal and I join them after a quick bus ride back. I have seen one or two of the private parking operators buses that were old school buses with no AC. Not my deal.

 

The staff in Galveston are very friendly, and we have seen them at their best and worst after dealing with unruly people.

 

The worst case scenario involved a cruise several years ago on the Celebration with a delayed return to Galveston (whodda thunk it?) and longer than average wait time. We had my parents with us and they were tired of all the walking and standing around.

 

Some thoughts are to board much later in the afternoon, after the rush and in a more leisurely pace. That's a personal choice, but remember a 7 night cruise is really a 6 full day trip plus what you make of it on departure day. Hence, we go early.

 

Other ports experiences are Ft. Lauderdale, slow, hot and unorganized and Miami, hit or miss. Royal Caribbean did a nice job there on three cruises.

 

Bayport has been beat to death, and the fact remains no cruise line has signed on for departures from there. It's in a no mans land. While a great deal of infrastructure sit within 20 minutes from there, no major development is happening around the site. I live within 20 minutes of that site. Oh, and the port is in the City of Pasadena, Texas.

 

 

Long winded answer, but you asked for a list, and I gave my opinions and experiences.

 

 

.

[caddyrag]

sailed out of Galveston many times, some good some slow. I live about 20 minute from port so can't beat it. As far as Houston, some say one reason ships don't come is the long ride to open water, It's half the trip as New Orleans to open water. Sailed out of the old Houston terminal on NCL Sea and I didn't worry about the slow ride out to sea.

Nancy

[ncovert]

1. specifically when did you arrive at the pier? 12:00
   
2. how long did it take to go through security? About 90 minutes
   
3. if you are VIP, did you use the VIP check in and if so, do you regret it? (many regret if as the VIP check-in is SLOWER!) Not VIP
   
4. is there anything you would do different if you were to sail out of Galveston again? I would not use Carnival transfer service. I would also either arrive a bit later or around 10am.
   

[WISH84]

The transit to the Gulf takes nearly two hours... bummer.:)

 

Sure beats the....what? 8 hours or so it takes the Triumph to sail down the Mississippi River?? We love cruising out of Galveston. We go in a day or two early just to spend time in Galveston!! Wouldn't want to see Carnival move out of there to Houston, I don't care how wonderful the new terminal is.

[wesheltonj]

I can only comment on my experience this summer. It sucked. Some my fault and some not. My fault, I had to drive into Houston from Galveston the morning of the cruise. My mistake was taking the exit for the cruise ship terminal. The traffic was backed up beyond belief, a HUGE mistake. Instead, take the main road all the way to the seawall and turn left and then left again towards the ferry terminal, the road will Y and take the left Y and you will right turn into the drop off.

 

The porter service was great and parking was ok. The lines in the building where slooow and it was hottt. Dripping sweat the whole time. Not a pleasing experience and then muster drill right away, still hot and sweaty.

[Soonerbaby]

For cruisers who have recently sailed from Galveston, what were your experiences?

 

 

1. What time did you arrive at the terminal/port? 11:00 am or so and already busy
   
2. How long did you spend in the security line? 15...maybe 20 minutes, not bad at all
   
3. How long did it take you to check in and get your Sign and Sail card(s)? There were 8 of us and the four older kids all had thier own accounts; that said, all in all it took about 15 minutes to check in and set up the accounts which were all cash.
   
4. Was there any unpleasant experiences during security? None whatsoever.
   
5. Was your SINGLE bottle of wine scrutinized? (I do not support smuggling) We had 3 people 21 and over. All 3 bottles of wine were in one bag and not questioned or even looked at twice. We also had 4 twenty packs and one twelve pack of soda all on one cart...not one eye batted. :) All very smooth.
   
6. When was your cabin available? I went to our cabin right at 1:30 to set up the goodie baskets for the kids and both cabins were ready.
   
7. Did you have lunch at the buffet, room service or other? We had lunch at the buffet. It was VERY crowded and VERY long lines. I didn't remember the tip about SUR MER until we were about 15 minutes into lunch, but I would recommend going up there if it is too hectic at the buffet.
   

Thanks and happy sailing.

 

All and all embarkation was pretty easy. Debarkation was a little more crazy as we did the self assist, but remembered about getting a porter once you get in the terminal, that will get you out of line and into a quicker line thru Customs.

[marne001]

Thanks for the responses.

 

For your reading pleasure, below is our brief survey of Galveston embarkation:

 

What has been your recent experience boarding in Galveston:

 

 

1. specifically at what time did you arrive at the pier?
   
2. how long did it take to go through security?
   
3. if you are VIP, did you use the VIP check in and if so, do you regret it? (many regret if as the VIP check-in is SLOWER!)
   
4. is there anything you would do different if you were to sail out of Galveston again?
   

 

We want to drop our stuff on the ship and grab one last Starbucks coffee then 'reboard'. Does anything think we can do this? DH needs his "last land lubber SB fix before sailing". From reading CC threads, I don't think we have time to get "ON", drop our heavy carry on (due to two bottles of wine and one 12 of sodas and get coffee at the Starbucks across the street and get back on the ship. What are your thoughts?

 

Thanks a bunch!

[stewpapa]

Hello past cruisers,

 

What has been your recent experience boarding in Galveston:

 

 

1. specifically when did you arrive at the pier?
   
2. how long did it take to go through security?
   
3. if you are VIP, did you use the VIP check in and if so, do you regret it? (many regret if as the VIP check-in is SLOWER!)
   
4. is there anything you would do different if you were to sail out of Galveston again?
   

We want to drop our stuff on the ship and grab one last Starbucks coffee then reboard. But CC threads make this sound like a "NOGO".

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Does anybody know why the BRAND new 100% air conditioned HUGE BEAUTIFUL STATE OF THE ART Bayport terminal in HOUSTON is NOT BEING USED??? Following the hurricane Ike, all cruise ship activity was immediately relocated for several weeks to the Bayport terminal and people RAVED HOW WONDERFUL THE NEW TERMINAL WAS; no long lines, BRAND SPANKING NEW FACILITY, etc. What a shame we cannot use it. I do not live in Houston and have no tax incentive for this facility to be used as I live in the outside county. I simply seek the convenience of the new facility which was DESIGNED for the CRUISE SHIP INDUSTRY--Galveston was not.

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

 

Most of your questions have been answered well enough. Galveston is usually pretty good. I will comment on the Bayport Terminal as we have been out of Galveston several times as well as the Bayport terminal. I prefer Galveston. We went out of Bayport once after Ike and the only thing good about it was the parking was close and, I think, free and the port was a little closer drive for us. Embarkation was a nightmare, but it was all new due to Ike. Going from Galveston is more fun.