Houston Instead of Galveston

[monakayk]

When cruising out of New Orleans, it takes about 8 hours to get down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, so it won't be any different from Houston.

 

Hey Eileen!

 

Not to hijack this thread, but cruising out of New Orleans, :confused:were you able to see any old homes, or just industrial stuff during that 8 hours down the Miss.? Don and I have always wanted to cruise out of the 'Big Easy'.

 

BTW..please tell Al 'Hi' for us!:D

[DoulaAnn]

Those of us who live in Houston can easily drive to and PARK in Galveston. If you look at the Google satellite map of the terminal, you can see that parking is relatively limited and is available only at the terminal. It will be interesting to see if there is a parking problem for those of us who drive to the terminal. Of course the bright people who built the terminal several years ago and let it sit unused for all this time surely planned for adequate parking. I wonder if I can still park for $50 per week. I hope I don't have to drive to Hobby, park, and take a Princess shuttle to the new terminal.

 

There seem to be about 600 parking spots there at the terminal. I can't imagine that with only 2 cruise lines leaving out of there at this time, that there would be that many people wanting to park there. With hotels running shuttles, and Princess offering transfers from the airport (so if you rented a car and did some sight seeing, you could return the car to the airport and then do the Princess transfer), shouldn't be a big problem. If it turns out to be, bet they buy some land real quick and add parking. Don't think they'll want to run people off.

 

That said, as a taxpayer who helped fund this facility and it paying taxes so the cruise lines will come there, I'm not sure I will want to support cruising out of there. (Those local government fees on my cruise ticket are also being returned to the cruise lines.) Will leave cruising from there to the non-locals.

 

Ann

[monakayk]

I did a search for hotels near the Houston cruise terminal (Bayport) and found out there are several on Bayport Blvd, Seabrook, TX, US. Google the bold text to find them. The Comfort Inn & Suites have great rates. There are many restaurants and Hills Liquor store and Walgreens too on that road.

 

Hope you have a great cruise. I might be cruising from there this coming fall.

[monakayk]

(so if you rented a car and did some sight seeing, you could return the car to the airport and then do the Princess transfer

Ann

 

 

There is an Enterprise Car Rental on Bayport Blvd. less than 2 miles from the cruise port...near a lot of hotels. So they could drive you to the terminal when you return the car to them:

 

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

1815 BAYPORT BLVD

SEABROOK, TX 77586-3440

 

Tel.: (281) 474-4466

http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/deeplinkmap.do?gpbr=0659&bid=004&cnty=US

 

PrincessE, Please come back to this thread and let us know how cruising out of Houston-Bayport went with a review. Thanks

[Crusin Hogs]

The City of Houston is paying Princess and the other cruise line to use their port . So this is a good dea for the cruise lines , but there is a reason the "New" building has sat empty for years , The travel time for a ship up and down The Houston ship channel , Winter months fog is really bad . There will be alot of late ships to the dock at this port .

[EKELLEY]

There is an Enterprise Car Rental on Bayport Blvd. less than 2 miles from the cruise port...near a lot of hotels. So they could drive you to the terminal when you return the car to them:

 

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

1815 BAYPORT BLVD

SEABROOK, TX 77586-3440

 

Tel.: (281) 474-4466

http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/deeplinkmap.do?gpbr=0659&bid=004&cnty=US

 

PrincessE, Please come back to this thread and let us know how cruising out of Houston-Bayport went with a review. Thanks

 

Hey Mona how have you been doing?

We cruised out of New Orleans in 2005 and I don't remember what we saw. Let me know when you & Don cruise out of Houston, maybe we will join you. We are going on the Crown out of Galveston on April 6th & on the new Royal Princess on Nov 17th.

[satxdiver]

Maybe not so wonderful until they leave Texas waters.

 

Texas law says they can only serve alcohol (including beer and wine) that was purchased from a Texas wholesaler. To minimize the extra cost of doing so, only a limited amount of alcohol is purchased this way and only those brands are sold while still in the Houston/Galveston area.

 

Having lived in Texas for over many decades, I know about the messed up liquor laws. Luckily I live in south Texas and don't have to put up with the dry counties or "private clubs" which are a joke. They will be selling the more popular brands of beer which is fine with me. There is also the bottle of wine I get to bring with me for a nice farewell on our balcony.

[Times Prince]

I am not sure why this is a downside. I mean it is not like you're driving.....

Take it from someone who sat in our disembarkation lounge onboard ship for most of a day due to fog conditions in Galveston - it can be a problem.

[smoosh21]

It may be listed as Houston but the ship actually docks and sails from Galveston. Houston is about 50 miles from the ocean but that is where the major airports are. This is simply a name change

 

Houston is actually building a new Cruise Port up on Galveston bay, much closer to the city

[caribill]

Houston is actually building a new Cruise Port up on Galveston bay, much closer to the city

 

That is the Bayport Cruise Terminal which already exists and which Princess will use starting this fall.

 

After spending over $100,000,000 to build a facility that no cruise compnay wanted to use, they have bribed Princess and NCL to use it.

 

No other cruise port is currently being built in Houston or is there likely to be another one built in the forseeable future.

[woohooTOO]

There seem to be about 600 parking spots there at the terminal. I can't imagine that with only 2 cruise lines leaving out of there at this time, that there would be that many people wanting to park there. With hotels running shuttles, and Princess offering transfers from the airport (so if you rented a car and did some sight seeing, you could return the car to the airport and then do the Princess transfer), shouldn't be a big problem. If it turns out to be, bet they buy some land real quick and add parking. Don't think they'll want to run people off.

 

That said, as a taxpayer who helped fund this facility and it paying taxes so the cruise lines will come there, I'm not sure I will want to support cruising out of there. (Those local government fees on my cruise ticket are also being returned to the cruise lines.) Will leave cruising from there to the non-locals.

 

Ann

 

I didn't count the number of parking spaces but I still wonder if there will be enough parking. Do you really think that "they" will buy land and add reasonably priced parking? For me, the only plus is that Bayport is about 20 miles closer to me than Galveston.

[EKELLEY]

Take it from someone who sat in our disembarkation lounge onboard ship for most of a day due to fog conditions in Galveston - it can be a problem.

 

Galveston & Houston aren't the only cruise ports that have issues with fog. Today Tampa cruises are delayed because of fog. I don't understand why people are always saying negative things about cruising from Galveston & Houston. Other ports have problem with fog, it takes a while to get to the gulf from New Orleans & there is not a close airport to Port Canaveral.

I just wish Princess would offer different iteneries or longer cruises from Texas. I know Carnival has done cruises to the Bahamas from Galveston & Celebrity has done 10 day Panama Canal cruises from Galveston.

[Mekamax]

We sailed out of the new Bayport cruise terminal in 2008 after Hurricane Ike damaged Galveston and Carnival brought their ships into Bayport for a few months. It is very nice and great to have parking right by the terminal and not have to be shuttled back and forth. There was enough parking for one ship with lots of locals on it and there will only be Princess there until next fall. Plenty of time for them to put more parking in for NCL. NCL used to sail from the old Houston port near this one and we so enjoyed sailing them. The ship channel is great as you pass other ships real close and get to see tons of dolphins. Also get to see ships load and unload cargo - very interesting. We are so excited to see the cruise lines come here and think that they will stay. We plan on sailling Princess out of there later this year. :D

[mnh]

Galveston & Houston aren't the only cruise ports that have issues with fog. Today Tampa cruises are delayed because of fog. I don't understand why people are always saying negative things about cruising from Galveston & Houston. Other ports have problem with fog, it takes a while to get to the gulf from New Orleans & there is not a close airport to Port Canaveral.

I just wish Princess would offer different iteneries or longer cruises from Texas. I know Carnival has done cruises to the Bahamas from Galveston & Celebrity has done 10 day Panama Canal cruises from Galveston.

 

Totally agree!

[SeaLaRae]

Not to get off the subject but Carribean Princess has a great 10 day repositioning cruise from New York to Houston in October.

 

I just booked it and plan to see NY for the first time!

 

Sharon

[caribill]

There was enough parking for one ship with lots of locals on it and there will only be Princess there until next fall. Plenty of time for them to put more parking in for NCL.

 

So far Princess has not committed to use Bayport past the spring of 2014.

 

When NCL starts using Bayport in the fall of 2014, Princess may or may not also be using it.

 

I doubt any more parking will be added to this facility. Over $100,000,000 was spent building Bayport and this will be the first time regularly scheduled cruises will be based there.

 

Locals are already upset that the port had to pay (bribe) millions of $ to get Princess and NCL to use Bayport and would not welcome more $$$ spent on parking facilities. I could see private lots set up a couple of miles from the port with shuttle service to the port.

[DebJ14]

We did the trip down the Houston Ship Channel 4 times from the old cruise terminal (2 NCL, 1 Royal Olympic and 1 Premier cruise). It is not that long a distance to get out to the ocean - nothing like sailing from New Orleans. Maybe an hour or so to get to the Gulf.

 

Parking will be more expensive than Galveston since there don't seem to be any off site lots. We're booked on Princess for Jan 2014 since RCI will not have a ship in Galveston in January (Navigator will be in drydock for the month)

 

Here is some info:

Bayport Cruise Terminal

4700 Cruise Road

Pasadena, TX 77586

 

Distance to/from Airport

Regarding William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU):

Approximate Miles: 22

Estimated Driving Time: 34 minutes (depending on traffic)

 

Regarding George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH):

Approximate Miles: 44

Estimated Driving Time: 55 minutes (depending on traffic)

 

Parking Fees

Payable by cash only.

$10 per day (vehicles requiring two spaces will be charged $20 per day)

[monakayk]

Hey Mona how have you been doing?

We cruised out of New Orleans in 2005 and I don't remember what we saw. Let me know when you & Don cruise out of Houston, maybe we will join you. We are going on the Crown out of Galveston on April 6th & on the new Royal Princess on Nov 17th.

Great Eileen!

 

Yeah for sure...I will let you know when we decide on a cruise and certainly if it is out of Houston. Hope you and Al have a great time on the Royal!!! WooooW that new ship is sooooooooo beeeeeeeeautiful!!!:D

[TFM70]

I wonder if I can still park for $50 per week. .

I'll bet you have seen the last $50 parking fee.

Myself, I liked leaving from Galveston.

[DebJ14]

I'll bet you have seen the last $50 parking fee.

Myself, I liked leaving from Galveston.

 

$10.00 per day at port of Houston so $70.00 for a 7 night.

[EV2008]

$10.00 per day at port of Houston so $70.00 for a 7 night.

 

That is still less then in Fort Lauderdale or Miami

[Mekamax]

Good to know how much the parking will be. Pretty close to Galveston and right by the ship - I'll take it. :) I'm sure private lots will open up for parking if there is money in it. The news said that they signed three year leases with the cruise lines - maybe that was only NCL but they seemed to say Princess too and Disney announced they were not stay past Jan 2014 in Galveston after it was announced... I'm thinking too much competition...

[George C]

Houston is a ugly port, but close to Dallas, always liked spending night in Gavelston before cruise

[woohooTOO]

$10.00 per day at port of Houston so $70.00 for a 7 night.

 

Just curious. Where did you get your information?

[Hondu]

Houston is a ugly port, but close to Dallas, always liked spending night in Gavelston before cruise

 

We drive in from DFW the afternoon before and always stay in Webster. Much better hotel rates than Galveston and an easy drive the morning of the cruise. Looking forward to Houston as the port of embarkation.

 

As for parking rates, the last time we parked in New Orleans it was much more that $10 per night.