Will HAL ever sail from Galveston?

[flatlander7]

Airfare is so much cheaper flying into Houston than Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale. With taxes the difference is over $1000. I could have booked a suite with the difference in airfare price. Just wondering if HAL will ever sail from Galveston.

[PathfinderEss]

Airfare is so much cheaper flying into Houston than Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale. With taxes the difference is over $1000. I could have booked a suite with the difference in airfare price. Just wondering if HAL will ever sail from Galveston.

I kind of doubt it, but I like the idea for a change of pace.

[Copper10-8]

Personally, I'd like to see a return to Western Carib cruises from New Orleans, La

[MR NW GUY]

HAL would get more business from me if Galveston or anywhere closer to the West Coast was an option.

[KirkNC]

I would like to see it if they also could/would change the western carib. itinerary because of it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Don't count on it.

[Randyk47]

Unfortunately I don't see HAL trying Galveston. Carnival is the only line that consistently cruises out of Galveston though RCI, Disney, and Princess have a few cruises this season. That is actually an increase after a pull back from Galveston in the late 2000's when Carnival, Princess, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean regularly cruised out of the Houston/Galveston area. Even Celebrity ran cruises out of Galveston 2004 to 2006. Since we're within easy driving distance to Galveston we'd love to see HAL in Galveston and things change so we can always hope.

[Taxguy77]

"Ever" is a long time, NCL used to be the only line there and now it's gone. Anything can happen.

[sail7seas]

I'd love a reason to return to Texas. We lived there when in the Military and loved Texas. :)

 

[alienward]

Airfare is so much cheaper flying into Houston than Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale. With taxes the difference is over $1000. I could have booked a suite with the difference in airfare price. Just wondering if HAL will ever sail from Galveston.

No. Urban Cowboys aren't in their demographic. :rolleyes:

[Himself]

Personally, I'd like to see a return to Western Carib cruises from New Orleans, La

 

John, I agree with you. My first hal cruise was on the old Nieuw Amsterdam out of New Orleans back in Nov. 1996

[Snoozeman]

I wish they would, they would get business from me.

[themerle]

I would love HAL to be in Galveston. Sure would love not having to pay for airfare.

[legalslave]

Since there isn't an ocean in Nebraska, we have to fly to a cruiseport or drive for 2 days. Would be nice to have another port for a HAL ship.

 

Diane

[jaguarstyper]

Personally, I'd like to see a return to Western Carib cruises from New Orleans, La

Oh, absolutely! I love New Orleans and would definitely book a cruise on HAL originating and ending there.

[DeepWaterMariner]

I wish...we are only a half hour from Galveston and sometimes cruise on lines that aren't our first choice because of the convenience. If wishes came true, it would be HAL out of Galveston on cruise of 10+ days (in the past we've done both Celebrity and RCI out of Galveston for 10 and 11 days). The first time we cruised out of Galveston was in 1991 on the long gone Stella Solaris and we've seen the market there surge and recede due to both the popularity of cruising and by world events. I wouldn't rule it out, but it could take problems in other parts of the world to reshuffle the home port deck.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I seriously doubt you will see HAL in Galveston or New Orleans any time soon if ever. In all honesty all of the cruise lines including Disney are having to drop their pants :eek: oops I mean their prices big time. And even with doing that they still are not filling the ships. Disney pulled out of the West Coast because they could not make any on board income which was the big complaint of.... well all of the cruise lines so they move their ships around and stick the Magic going out of Galveston. They are just now starting up so unknown yet how the on board revenue is going but I do know sales were and are still extremely soft so if that is any sign I suspect Disney will not be there long. The one thing to remember Disney is not accustom to not having their ships totally sold out 60 days prior to sailing but with now trying to fill 4 ships the challenge is much harder. I would not be surprised to see Disney return to the West Coast because at least they could always fill the ship.

 

RCI is begging for agencies to promote both the Mariner out of Galveston and Navigator out of New Orleans. You think prices on HAL have been cheap with Flash, RCI is giving away some of the sailings. With sales like this I do not see HAL wanting to join their misery.

[sail7seas]

I remember when HAL sailed Noordam and/or Nieuw Amsterdam into New Orleans but don't recall them sailing Galveston.

[Copper10-8]

Why is it all the cruise lines are giving away cabins and DH and I pay $$$$? Well, I know the answer to it but am not liking it. :eek: :D

 

I remember when HAL sailed Noordam and/or Nieuw Amsterdam into New Orleans but don't recall them sailing Galveston.

 

HAL has never been in Galveston, just Nawlins. The prior Nieuw Amsterdam, now Thomson Spirit, was based out of there waaay back in 1996. It was the same year the bulk carrier Bright Field lost propulsion and rammed into the pier just ahead of the cruise terminal

[Hlitner]

Have no clue as to whether HA will every use Galveston but we have cruised out of that port on Princess and not been particularly happy with the experience. Flying into Houston is fine.....but getting from either of the Houston airports to Galveston is not! You are talking about an approximate 60 mile drive from Bush to the port which makes it one of the longest transfers of any US port.

 

Hank

[lovetocruise2020]

HAL would get more business from me if Galveston or anywhere closer to the West Coast was an option.

 

Same here!

[Copper10-8]

Have no clue as to whether HA will every use Galveston but we have cruised out of that port on Princess and not been particularly happy with the experience. Flying into Houston is fine.....but getting from either of the Houston airports to Galveston is not! You are talking about an approximate 60 mile drive from Bush to the port which makes it one of the longest transfers of any US port.

 

Hank

 

 

Orlando International Airport to Port Canaveral, also once a HAL home port, comes close

[G&G]

Personally, I'd like to see a return to Western Carib cruises from New Orleans, La

 

Hey, Copper. You are soooo knowledgable, I need your help!! How do you find out who the Capt.,Hotel Mgr./Exec.Chef will be? We leave Ft. L. on HAL Statendam 10/12/12 14-day. Not that it matters, but just curious.

Thanks in advance.

Connie (G&G)

[Randyk47]

Orlando International Airport to Port Canaveral, also once a HAL home port, comes close

 

Did that for my very first cruise back in '93. We were living in Northern Virginia at the time so the flight wasn't bad but the bus trip to Port Canaveral was the pits. Galveston was great but we'd moved to San Antonio so it was only a short drive.

[Copper10-8]

Hey, Copper. You are soooo knowledgable, I need your help!! How do you find out who the Capt.,Hotel Mgr./Exec.Chef will be? We leave Ft. L. on HAL Statendam 10/12/12 14-day. Not that it matters, but just curious.

Thanks in advance.

Connie (G&G)

 

Capt. Albert Schoonderbeek http://www.hollandamericablog.com/albert/

HM Bart Groeneveld

Ex Chef Bitta Kuruvilla

Have a great transit!