Xmas/New Years Dilemma

[smokeybandit]

I'd be more concerned with fog out of Tampa than Galveston.

Your situation is much like ours.  We're fortunate enough to have a lot of been there/done that on our cruise history, but that makes it harder to find cruises that still offer something new.

[Thoenix]

1 hour ago, LuCruise said:

Thanks.  We tend to book direct, unless no option but I think I saw direct looking at this year.

No physical issues in our party, but thanks for the tip.  1hour away sounds far, but I guess that's not much different from MCO to Port Canaveral.

An hour only sounds far if you're not used to rural areas. For context, it's about the same amount of time as taking the subway and one bus from Yonge street to Scarborough. Very doable and I used to do it every morning for work. Another way to look at it is that it's about the same as driving from Toronto to Hamilton, depending on traffic. 

 

If you want to break that hour up, rent a car for it and stop at the Texas City Buccees. It's a truck stop/convenience store but it's an institution in Texas. Speaking as a Canadian, Buccees is wonderful and should be seen at least once if you're in Texas. It has slushies, barbecue brisket, souvenirs and the cleanest bathrooms you'll ever find. It'll make the hour drive worth it, I promise. Get a photo with the beaver statue. 

[LuCruise]

3 hours ago, karebare22 said:

We had a similar dilemma. My hubby and 20ish daughters are flowrider addicts, so going on a smaller ship without one needs justification 😂! Last NYE we sailed on Rhapsody vs other bigger/newer because: price and new variety of ports (it sailed from Barbados). We made it a 13 day cruise with a back to back (to make the most of the flight).  The family knew what to expect, and we had a great time. A smaller ship was a nice change. The kids made some friends and enjoyed the pool, gym and bars. It helped that the cruise was port intensive. 

Thanks so much for sharing the other side and experience on Rhapsody.  I discussed with DH and he feels strongly they will be fine.  As you say, they know what to expect.  They will be 16 and 20 so can just enjoy the basics. This cruise has 2 ports we've been too but I think if we be sure to do something at each, plus a new port of Belize (which sounds nice), they'll be fine.  And maybe they will meet others too as you mentioned.  Appreciate the feedback.  

[LuCruise]

2 hours ago, Thoenix said:

An hour only sounds far if you're not used to rural areas. For context, it's about the same amount of time as taking the subway and one bus from Yonge street to Scarborough. Very doable and I used to do it every morning for work. Another way to look at it is that it's about the same as driving from Toronto to Hamilton, depending on traffic. 

 

If you want to break that hour up, rent a car for it and stop at the Texas City Buccees. It's a truck stop/convenience store but it's an institution in Texas. Speaking as a Canadian, Buccees is wonderful and should be seen at least once if you're in Texas. It has slushies, barbecue brisket, souvenirs and the cleanest bathrooms you'll ever find. It'll make the hour drive worth it, I promise. Get a photo with the beaver statue. 

So true.  Actually my commute to work is 1hr. 🙂  I think we're just spoiled with Miami and Ft Lauderdale.

 

Will keep your tips in mind if we end up with booking Harmony.

 

[firefly333]

30 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

So true.  Actually my commute to work is 1hr. 🙂  I think we're just spoiled with Miami and Ft Lauderdale.

 

Will keep your tips in mind if we end up with booking Harmony.

 

Hobby I can drive there in 45 minutes. IAH 1.5 hours, its twice as far. Houston has 2 airports.

[karebare22]

41 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

Thanks so much for sharing the other side and experience on Rhapsody.  I discussed with DH and he feels strongly they will be fine.  As you say, they know what to expect.  They will be 16 and 20 so can just enjoy the basics. This cruise has 2 ports we've been too but I think if we be sure to do something at each, plus a new port of Belize (which sounds nice), they'll be fine.  And maybe they will meet others too as you mentioned.  Appreciate the feedback.  

Just an FYI, our daughters shared an inside cabin Rhapsody. It was smaller than the inside cabins on the larger ships (only a chair instead of a small sofa for sitting, and no fridge/cooler). Cabins are clean but really overdue for an upgrade/modernization of furnishings. 

[LuCruise]

2 minutes ago, karebare22 said:

Just an FYI, our daughters shared an inside cabin Rhapsody. It was smaller than the inside cabins on the larger ships (only a chair instead of a small sofa for sitting, and no fridge/cooler). Cabins are clean but really overdue for an upgrade/modernization of furnishings. 

Thanks for the note.  We actually booked 2 interiors (due to huge cruise price increase overall) and noticed they are tiny.  We looked at a single spacious ocean view, which is a decent size, and for around the same price.  However, a shared sofa bed doesn't work for our kids as they will be older.  Plus figured even if small, we get 2 bathrooms with 2 rooms. 

[PhillyFan33579]

5 hours ago, LuCruise said:

PS - On the flip side, we booked Oasis for March 2026.  In this case, absolute  worst 3 ports ever, but we booked for the ship (and price was right).  Also not sure. Sadly, prices have gone insane.

Prices will continue to go ‘insane”as long a people keep paying the current prices. I read lots of complaints about pricing on this site and others, but most people are like you and still booking cruises. Prices won’t drop until demand drops. I don’t see that happening becoming people who think the prices are high are still booking cruises and obviously there is a large population out there that is continuing to book cruises on RCI who don’t have an issue with the current prices. 

[mousemom11]

10 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

In the past we have stayed overnight in Texas City.  This way we get most of the way there but avoid the high prices of Galveston hotels.  This time we're actually staying in Galveston the night before the cruise.  I managed to score a Hilton property for $125 a night on Galveston Island. Typically I have been able to find hotels in and around Texas City just over $100 and the Uber the following morning was just around 25 minutes.  

 

I just checked the Home2 suites in Texas city and the price for an overnight on the Saturday the 23rd of Dec is $123.  Even at this late date you still can get a decent price.

 

 

Thank you for this tip! We're booked on the Harmony out of Galveston in December 2025. I had been looking at hotels in Galveston to get an idea of the rates. I hadn't even thought of checking Texas City hotel rates. You're right, they're much cheaper. Really appreciate the heads up.

[firefly333]

6 minutes ago, mousemom11 said:

 

Thank you for this tip! We're booked on the Harmony out of Galveston in December 2025. I had been looking at hotels in Galveston to get an idea of the rates. I hadn't even thought of checking Texas City hotel rates. You're right, they're much cheaper. Really appreciate the heads up.

Depends flying or driving in. I stay in Galveston so I can do the free parking at a hotel. Or almost free. The one I'm booked at first 9 days free, then a $50 cash charge. Plus $10 pp shuttle. A lot stay in Galveston to park. The parking lots are not cheap. 

 

When i flew in i stayed near the airport to save a shuttle ride, as the hotel had free airport pick up. 

[joeyancho]

The Rhapsody holds a special place in my heart as it was the first ship I ever took a seven day cruise on.  Before that it was just weekenders. Besides the obvious differences between the ships the Rhapsody is more outwardly focused.  Meaning that there is a lot of glass so you always have a  view of the sea.  The big ships have an inward focus.  Meaning they are more centered on what is going on inside the ship.  Not that this is bad, just different.  I prefer the outward focus.  The Rhapsody is more of a classic style cruise ship.  The Harmony is more like a shopping mall or an amusement park.  One additional plus is that on the Rhapsody nothing is a far walk due to its smaller size. Being 69yo,  I like that.  Whichever you choose I am sure you will have a great time.  Being together as a family can't be beat.   

[joeyancho]

My 2 cents part 2:

If price is a concern,  have you considered a different cruise line?  We are diamond plus on Royal.  So we give up quite a few perks if we cruise another line.  But after our last cruise we took a step back to assess the situation.   We were not pleased with the menu changes and the dining room service and the once per day room attendant and the skyrocketing prices of specialty dining,  etc.   We decided to cancel our next rccl cruise.  The wow factor just wasn't there anymore.   After a bit of research we decided to book a cruise on MSC.  The price was considerably less than rccl.  We have cruised with them once before and enjoyed it very much.   Most American cruisers are not familiar with their product or company.  They are a privately owned company (so they don't answer to stock holders).  They specialize in commercial shipping.  They are one of the largest in the world with over 700 ships.  Recently they have ventured into passenger cruising. They are the 4th largest cruise line and the fastest growing line in the world.   They mainly focus on the European market.  So you will find a more diverse mix of nationalities on board.  It is Italian style cruising.   The pizza is fantastic,  lol.  So if you are dissatisfied with the same old same old,  consider a change of scenery.  You might find that it is fun to "sleep around."  Bon Voyage.  

[Coralc]

We are just not booking with Royal Caribbean right now. Their prices are just annoying to me. We have other things like a move, going on and I may revisit them when we are settled. 

[LuCruise]

8 hours ago, joeyancho said:

The Rhapsody holds a special place in my heart as it was the first ship I ever took a seven day cruise on.  Before that it was just weekenders. Besides the obvious differences between the ships the Rhapsody is more outwardly focused.  Meaning that there is a lot of glass so you always have a  view of the sea.  The big ships have an inward focus.  Meaning they are more centered on what is going on inside the ship.  Not that this is bad, just different.  I prefer the outward focus.  The Rhapsody is more of a classic style cruise ship.  The Harmony is more like a shopping mall or an amusement park.  One additional plus is that on the Rhapsody nothing is a far walk due to its smaller size. Being 69yo,  I like that.  Whichever you choose I am sure you will have a great time.  Being together as a family can't be beat.   

Exactly!  (Your last statement)

 

It sounds lovely always having a view of the ocean and outside.

 

Funny enough, one of my favorite things to do on a sea day is to just walk laps (with the ocean going by in the background/next to you).  Guess it will be pretty short laps on Rhapsody...lol

[LuCruise]

6 hours ago, joeyancho said:

My 2 cents part 2:

If price is a concern,  have you considered a different cruise line?  We are diamond plus on Royal.  So we give up quite a few perks if we cruise another line.  But after our last cruise we took a step back to assess the situation.   We were not pleased with the menu changes and the dining room service and the once per day room attendant and the skyrocketing prices of specialty dining,  etc.   We decided to cancel our next rccl cruise.  The wow factor just wasn't there anymore.   After a bit of research we decided to book a cruise on MSC.  The price was considerably less than rccl.  We have cruised with them once before and enjoyed it very much.   Most American cruisers are not familiar with their product or company.  They are a privately owned company (so they don't answer to stock holders).  They specialize in commercial shipping.  They are one of the largest in the world with over 700 ships.  Recently they have ventured into passenger cruising. They are the 4th largest cruise line and the fastest growing line in the world.   They mainly focus on the European market.  So you will find a more diverse mix of nationalities on board.  It is Italian style cruising.   The pizza is fantastic,  lol.  So if you are dissatisfied with the same old same old,  consider a change of scenery.  You might find that it is fun to "sleep around."  Bon Voyage.  

Lol...thanks. I did do a quick price check on NCL, butt only their most recent ship is released and so it was pricey too.  Can consider MCL too.  However, we just hit Diamond ourselves so feels like we should enjoy the perks. 🙂

Edited November 21, 2023 by LuCruise

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

However, we just hit Diamond ourselves so feels like we should enjoy the perks.

People will have varying opinions (and to each his/her own) but I would feel the same way. We'll be D+ after our next cruise and I'm looking forward to our new/increased perks.

[A&L_Ont]

@LuCruise having sailed from Galveston in January I can inform you of one thing.  The first sea day and the last day headed home the temperatures were cooler than a sailing from Florida. We didn't lay out by the pool, but maybe with global warming in the last decade has made this less of a concern.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by A&L_Ont

[LuCruise]

26 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

People will have varying opinions (and to each his/her own) but I would feel the same way. We'll be D+ after our next cruise and I'm looking forward to our new/increased perks.

Congrats on just about making D+

[LuCruise]

6 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

@LuCruise having sailed from Galveston in January I can inform you of one thing.  The first sea day and the last day headed home the temperatures were cooler than a sailing from Florida. We didn't lay out by the pool, but maybe with global warming in the last decade has made this less of a concern.

 

 

Thanks for the note.  I actually didn't realize that from Galveston as assumed it was similar to Florida.  We've cruised on Anthem out of New Jersey before so not a huge deal for us (mind you, Anthem was made for cold weather).

[OCSC Mike]

42 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

Thanks for the note.  I actually didn't realize that from Galveston as assumed it was similar to Florida.  We've cruised on Anthem out of New Jersey before so not a huge deal for us (mind you, Anthem was made for cold weather).

 

Diamond drinks keep you warm (both the CL coffee machine and the alcohol). 😁

Edited November 21, 2023 by OCSC Mike

[LuCruise]

OP here coming back to my post with our dilemma of Rhapsody vs Harmony.  A couple days ago Harmony dropped to slightly less than it was originally so i bit the bullet and also booked a refundable room on Harmony.  (It's back up today so good I grabbed it).  Still not sure and the Rhapsody date may be better with our son's school/co-op schedule, plus the price difference so will hold onto both for now and can decide later.

 

Lots of time to figure this out but wondering...Is flying to IAH doable?  i.e. George Bush International airport?  Looking at this xmas flights, I don't see any direct flights for us to HOU (William P Hobby airport) ... plus flying to IAH is cheaper

 

 

[firefly333]

24 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

OP here coming back to my post with our dilemma of Rhapsody vs Harmony.  A couple days ago Harmony dropped to slightly less than it was originally so i bit the bullet and also booked a refundable room on Harmony.  (It's back up today so good I grabbed it).  Still not sure and the Rhapsody date may be better with our son's school/co-op schedule, plus the price difference so will hold onto both for now and can decide later.

 

Lots of time to figure this out but wondering...Is flying to IAH doable?  i.e. George Bush International airport?  Looking at this xmas flights, I don't see any direct flights for us to HOU (William P Hobby airport) ... plus flying to IAH is cheaper

 

 

Coming from Canada IAH may be your only choice. I am moving to florida and only could find SW flying from Orlando to hobby. I booked one leg and need a flight home nov 3, and sw only has flights until nov 2, so waiting to book 2nd leg of flight. I really didnt want IAH, so bit the bullet myself. Flights to iah appear cheaper but dont include luggage so cost as much as sw. .. or so I've convinced myself. 

 

I'm staying at a airport hotel. The same la quinta that was $57 last time now costs $110 to $120 (priced at multiple sites). It was a nice new hotel close to hobby but still I'm surprised. All booked except 2nd leg of flight. Prices for airport hotels seem to have gone up, not just Galveston. 

[LuCruise]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Coming from Canada IAH may be your only choice. I am moving to florida and only could find SW flying from Orlando to hobby. I booked one leg and need a flight home nov 3, and sw only has flights until nov 2, so waiting to book 2nd leg of flight. I really didnt want IAH, so bit the bullet myself. Flights to iah appear cheaper but dont include luggage so cost as much as sw. .. or so I've convinced myself. 

 

I'm staying at a airport hotel. The same la quinta that was $57 last time now costs $110 to $120 (priced at multiple sites). It was a nice new hotel close to hobby but still I'm surprised. All booked except 2nd leg of flight. Prices for airport hotels seem to have gone up, not just Galveston. 

Thanks.  When looking at this xmas to get an idea, there are direct flights IAH and the price is cheaper. 

For Houston Hobby (HOU), there seems to be flights but not direct, and it's a bit more.

Yeah, gotta look at the final cost as luggage costs make the price go up.

 

I don't think we have SW from Toronto (my home location) but i see United, WestJet, Air Canada.

 

And yes, need to consider both airport hotel and getting from hotel to the port.  (We always fly in the day before).

 

Good luck with your move.

Edited February 29 by LuCruise

[Ourusualbeach]

3 hours ago, LuCruise said:

Thanks.  When looking at this xmas to get an idea, there are direct flights IAH and the price is cheaper. 

For Houston Hobby (HOU), there seems to be flights but not direct, and it's a bit more.

Yeah, gotta look at the final cost as luggage costs make the price go up.

 

I don't think we have SW from Toronto (my home location) but i see United, WestJet, Air Canada.

 

And yes, need to consider both airport hotel and getting from hotel to the port.  (We always fly in the day before).

 

Good luck with your move.

Hey Lu

 

Which sailing are you on, Christmas or New Years.  If it's Christmas we will see you on board.  While we drive to Florida we will most likely fly for this one.  We may actually drive about 6 hours and fly from Pittsburg as it looks like Southwest has direct flights from there to Houston (Hobby).  The last thing I want in the winter are connecting flights and Southwest is so much cheaper than AC out of Toronto.  We are actually doing the same thing in a couple weeks.  Driving to Pittsburg and catching a direct flight to FLL

[LuCruise]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Hey Lu

 

Which sailing are you on, Christmas or New Years.  If it's Christmas we will see you on board.  While we drive to Florida we will most likely fly for this one.  We may actually drive about 6 hours and fly from Pittsburg as it looks like Southwest has direct flights from there to Houston (Hobby).  The last thing I want in the winter are connecting flights and Southwest is so much cheaper than AC out of Toronto.  We are actually doing the same thing in a couple weeks.  Driving to Pittsburg and catching a direct flight to FLL

We booked the Christmas one.  Nice...if we end up keeping it (over Rhapsody) then will be nice to see you on board again.  Good option to drive to another airport and then fly to HOU from there.  And if you're used to driving to Florida, then Pittsburg will be easy for you. 🙂 Will keep that in mind when searching for flights and looking at cost.

Have a great cruise on Odyssey again. 🙂

Edited March 1 by LuCruise