TABLEROCKER Posted December 20, 2022 #26 Share Posted December 20, 2022 You can cruise out of Galveston to the Bahamas on a 7 day cruise. We have done a Magic cruise to Freeport and back in 7. We can drive from Missouri to Galveston in 12 hours. Our upcoming cruise on the Maraviglia will take us 12 hours from home to KC to fly to MCO. Lot cheaper to Drive to Gal. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Eli_6 Posted December 20, 2022 #27 Share Posted December 20, 2022 16 hours ago, 1kaper said: A little off topic but DH and I are looking for somewhere warm to move later on in life. He’ll retire earlier than me and I’m pretty sure I could get a job in most places in my field. after our Galveston cruise and lots of convos, Texas is now on our list. I am obviously partial to my home state, but I think it is a great place to live. With that said, if you are coming from Canada, you might be in a for a bit of a shock with the weather in the summer. It is very hot and humid in the summer. Actually, Houston is hot and humid. The entire state is hot, but Houston and the gulf coast are particularly miserable because of the humidity during the summer. I used to live in Austin and it was not as humid, but the temps would get higher so it was sort of a wash. Everywhere is air conditioned so you just pretty much live indoors for 2-3 months out of the year. In an ideal world where my husband didn't have a business he had to be at and my kids didn't have school, we would live somewhere cool like Colorado or Lake Tahoe or even Scotland for the summer months. The most popular city to live in for people who aren't tied to a particular location due to their job seems to be Austin. It has a big music scene, is liberal, eclectic, has The University of Texas, etc. The city slogan is "Keep Austin Weird." I went to law school there at UT. I loved living there; although, that was 15 years ago and I think it has grown a lot since then. I also really love the hill country. Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Marble Falls, Canyon Lake, Lake Travis, Boerne, etc. My Dad lives on some land out in the hill country near Boerne (north of San Antonio) and it is truly beautiful country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare talkorpi Posted December 21, 2022 Author #28 Share Posted December 21, 2022 11 hours ago, Eli_6 said: I am obviously partial to my home state, but I think it is a great place to live. With that said, if you are coming from Canada, you might be in a for a bit of a shock with the weather in the summer. It is very hot and humid in the summer. Actually, Houston is hot and humid. The entire state is hot, but Houston and the gulf coast are particularly miserable because of the humidity during the summer. I used to live in Austin and it was not as humid, but the temps would get higher so it was sort of a wash. Everywhere is air conditioned so you just pretty much live indoors for 2-3 months out of the year. In an ideal world where my husband didn't have a business he had to be at and my kids didn't have school, we would live somewhere cool like Colorado or Lake Tahoe or even Scotland for the summer months. The most popular city to live in for people who aren't tied to a particular location due to their job seems to be Austin. It has a big music scene, is liberal, eclectic, has The University of Texas, etc. The city slogan is "Keep Austin Weird." I went to law school there at UT. I loved living there; although, that was 15 years ago and I think it has grown a lot since then. I also really love the hill country. Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Marble Falls, Canyon Lake, Lake Travis, Boerne, etc. My Dad lives on some land out in the hill country near Boerne (north of San Antonio) and it is truly beautiful country. STOP TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT THE HILL COUNTRY!!! We are getting too big and it is quickly being ruined!!! ☹️ 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy4themouse Posted December 21, 2022 #29 Share Posted December 21, 2022 One step closer? https://www.portofgalveston.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=245 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1kaper Posted December 21, 2022 #30 Share Posted December 21, 2022 13 hours ago, talkorpi said: STOP TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT THE HILL COUNTRY!!! We are getting too big and it is quickly being ruined!!! ☹️ My Texas friend says stop telling people about Austin. It's gotten too big he said. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galveston Cruiser Posted December 21, 2022 #31 Share Posted December 21, 2022 (edited) On 12/17/2022 at 8:24 AM, journeymore said: Do you know What if anything is going on at the old Barbers Cut terminal? NCL was there for a while. Closed for a number of years. Now a container port. A total failure for cruise ships. We (DH, DD & SIL) sailed MSC Orchestra from Genoa, Italy to Ft. Lauderdale, FL on MSC's inaugural sail to the U.S. in December 2008. We loved every minute of the international experience with multiple countries represented, long hours in ports, at least one main course representing the country of port at dinner and the excellent service. Unfortunately, the Americans on board did not represent the good of the U.S.; complained about everything, hated announcements in multiple languages, rude to staff, complained of no hot dogs or fast food on board for their kids and, were basically. an embarrassment. Upon disembarkation, we thanked one of the staff for their service upon which he began to cry saying we were the only Americans who thanked him! This is an Italian cruise line and I hope they will maintain the international flavor. Will definitely sail again once in Galveston. Edited December 21, 2022 by Galveston Cruiser 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyCruiser Posted December 21, 2022 #32 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Today's Houston Chronicle article: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/galveston/article/port-galveston-new-cruise-terminal-msc-17669091.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HC_AfternoonReport&utm_term=headlines&sid=5b0232842ddf9c12eaed23b5#photo-23297401 LOCAL//GALVESTON Cruise company negotiating with Port of Galveston to build new cruise terminal Matt deGrood, Staff writer Dec. 21, 2022Updated: Dec. 21, 2022 11:54 a.m. 2of2 Cruise ships are docked at the Port of Galveston, where officials are negotiating for a fourth cruise terminal. Courtesy of Port of Galveston The Port of Galveston's governing board is negotiating with a cruise company that could bring a fourth terminal and parking garage costing as much as $120 million to the island sometime in 2025, according to Rodger Rees, port director and CEO of the port. The wharves board of trustees, which governs the island's port, signed a memorandum of understanding with MSC Cruises outlining some of the conditions for building a fourth terminal at Piers 16-18, according to the port. “We’re excited about the huge potential of this mutually-beneficial public-private partnership,” said Rodger Rees, director and CEO of the Port of Galveston. “Adding MSC to our family of cruise lines would offer our cruise guests an elegant, European-style cruise experience.” The news follows swiftly on the heels of a new, $125 million Royal Caribbean cruise terminal opening in November. Port leaders will likely spend the first quarter of 2023 hammering out the details of an agreement with the Switzerland-based cruise company. MSC Cruises is the world's third-biggest cruise company, and the fastest-growing one, Rees said. “The prospect of developing a new home port in Galveston is exciting because it represents a big step in our ongoing North American expansion," said Rubén A. Rodríguez, president of the group's U.S. branch. Under preliminary terms, the port would renovate the facility at Piers 16-18 currently host to Del Monte to operate as the new cruise terminal, Rees said. The cost of that project could be between $70 million to $80 million. The port would also build a parking structure nearby that Under preliminary terms, the port would construct a new terminal at Piers 16-18 that could cost between $70 million to $80 million, along with a nearby parking structure that could host up to 1,500 vehicles at a cost of about $40 million, Rees said. The port would then receive reimbursement for the upfront cost via a percentage of each cruise ticket sold, Rees said. The reimbursement agreement would likely last about 20 years, Rees said. VIRTUAL TOUR: Royal Caribbean's $125M cruise terminal in Galveston is open. Here's a look inside. Del Monte's lease at the port doesn't run out until 2024, so the earliest a new terminal could be in place would be sometime in mid-2025, Rees said. But beginning negotiations now means port officials have time to hammer out the details and reach out to firms about materials, he said. MSC Cruise Lines is one of Europe's most popular cruise lines. The company currently operates out of Miami and Port Canaveral in Florida, in addition to year-round service from New York City, according to officials. Development on cruise terminals in Galveston could slow with the completion of the fourth terminal, according to Rees. There are no plans to build a fifth terminal in the port's master plan, and port leaders are considering the possibility of adding a second line to the fourth terminal one day, he said. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Eli_6 Posted December 21, 2022 #33 Share Posted December 21, 2022 5 hours ago, crazy4themouse said: One step closer? https://www.portofgalveston.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=245 Oh! That makes me happy! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Eli_6 Posted December 21, 2022 #34 Share Posted December 21, 2022 I hope this is a go and they put one of their ships with the yacht club. Or do all of their ships have the Yacht Club? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1talks Posted December 21, 2022 #35 Share Posted December 21, 2022 1 hour ago, NavyCruiser said: “Adding MSC to our family of cruise lines would offer our cruise guests an elegant, European-style cruise experience.” By the time the proposed terminal would be ready, there may not be much European elegance left in MSC's U.S. operations. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1talks Posted December 21, 2022 #36 Share Posted December 21, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Eli_6 said: Or do all of their ships have the Yacht Club? All their ships, going back ten years or more, have Yacht Club. In fact, each design change adds more Yacht Club capacity. Their earliest two ship classes are smaller and do not have Yacht Club. Edited December 21, 2022 by no1talks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galveston Cruiser Posted December 22, 2022 #37 Share Posted December 22, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, no1talks said: All their ships, going back ten years or more, have Yacht Club. In fact, each design change adds more Yacht Club capacity. Their earliest two ship classes are smaller and do not have Yacht Club. MSC Ships by Age (from newest to oldest) Ship Name Built Refurbished MSC Euribia Due 2023 - MSC Seascape Due Dec 2022 - MSC World Europa 2022 - MSC Seashore 2021 - MSC Virtuosa 2021 - MSC Grandiosa 2019 - MSC Bellissima 2019 - MSC Seaview 2018 - MSC Seaside 2017 2021 MSC Meraviglia 2017 2022 MSC Preziosa 2013 2018 MSC Divina 2012 2021 MSC Magnifica 2010 2019 MSC Splendida 2009 2017 MSC Fantasia 2008 2021 MSC Poesia 2008 2021 MSC Orchestra 2007 2021 MSC Musica 2006 2016 MSC Opera 2004 2015 MSC Lirica 2003 2018 MSC Sinfonia 2002 2018 MSC Armonia 2001 2014 Edited December 22, 2022 by Galveston Cruiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin308 Posted December 22, 2022 #38 Share Posted December 22, 2022 On 12/17/2022 at 8:24 AM, journeymore said: Do you know What if anything is going on at the old Barbers Cut terminal? NCL was there for a while. It is container terminal now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin308 Posted December 22, 2022 #39 Share Posted December 22, 2022 I don't think people realize how many major cities in driving distance. Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth in the top 11 and Arlington in the top 20. Oklahoma City and New Orleans are also in driving distance. So you have a lot of people that can drive to the port. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
journeymore Posted December 22, 2022 #40 Share Posted December 22, 2022 On 12/19/2022 at 4:23 PM, Eli_6 said: Also, let me add that there are more people of Hispanic background in Texas than there are "Anglo" people: https://www.statista.com/statistics/306044/texas-population-ethnicity-race/. Texas was, in fact, a state in "New Spain" and, later, Mexico for longer than it has been a state in the U.S. I don't think Texans are going to shy away from cruising MSC because they view it as not "American" enough. Frankly, I have never even heard the trope that Texans like Starbucks and Hooters and only eat at chain eateries. That's a completely new one to me! Heck, the most "popular" restaurants where I live are Mexican food restaurants, Seafood Restaurants, and Steakhouses...and I would bet MSC serves at least the later two. The only "trope" that I think probably is true is that a lot of us who cruise out of Galveston do so because we prefer to drive to the port rather than fly. IAH and DFW are both really busy international airports. The last several times I have flown into or out of IAH, it has been not much fun (especially with construction around the airport) and not worth messing with unless you are flying a distance that is too far to reasonably drive. And that's not because we "love our big trucks" but because it simply isn't fun to deal with flight delays/cancellations or lost luggage when you are supposed to be on vacation. I was on the MSC Seashore for 14 days in September. I live in Houston. I will say there are some differences. The unisex restrooms for one thing. I was in there yacht club but I was all over the ship. My butler was useless but I must admit I’m not sure what his job was. I’m not the person that needs to be escorted anywhere. The YC lounge was nice but the bartender wasn’t that good. Entertainment on the ship was great. The clientele is very international but so is Houston. Everything considered if they come to Galveston I would cruise with them again. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudyard Posted December 22, 2022 #41 Share Posted December 22, 2022 On 12/20/2022 at 9:59 AM, Eli_6 said: I also really love the hill country. Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Marble Falls, Canyon Lake, Lake Travis, Boerne, etc. My Dad lives on some land out in the hill country near Boerne (north of San Antonio) and it is truly beautiful country. My dad lives in Llano. It's gorgeous out there. Luckily the census there has remained about he same since he moved there in '97. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txjim09 Posted December 23, 2022 #42 Share Posted December 23, 2022 Perhaps with a 4th cruise terminal, more transportation options will open such as car rental facilities actually open on weekends. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudyard Posted December 24, 2022 #43 Share Posted December 24, 2022 20 hours ago, txjim09 said: Perhaps with a 4th cruise terminal, more transportation options will open such as car rental facilities actually open on weekends. I'm surprised Enterprise still doesn't open on weekends. It seems like they'd be losing out on a bunch of money the way cruising's taken off in Galveston over the past decade. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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