Galveston Port info

[Ima-Oma]

We were considering a short cruise from Galveston next month. Have heard it is an ugly, dirty port and we should avoid it. Any comments?

[earthdog]

We were considering a short cruise from Galveston next month. Have heard it is an ugly, dirty port and we should avoid it. Any comments?

 

Most departure ports are not that nice. Your only there for a few hours anyway.

 

I will depart from any port to get on a cruise ship.

[yst347]

I doubt I would take a cruise too Galveston but I love cruising from there. Galveston is a working port. You will see dry docks and oil derricks across the channel on Pelican Island. The Gulf of Mexico is brown all along the Texas coast as you might be awhere. But I wouldn't characterize downtown Galveston as dirty and ugly, that would be Bayonne New Jersey. :D

[Stevepse]

We were considering a short cruise from Galveston next month. Have heard it is an ugly, dirty port and we should avoid it. Any comments?

 

Check out http://www.galveston.com They have a good web site and show and have a number of web cams. One of the web cams shows where the ships dock.

 

Ports are ports though. They are in industrial areas most of the time and could be a little rough. Its just like any other place... Some good, some bad.

 

We are going down for our 11/26 Conquest trip and plan on having fun checking out the port the day before! :)

[thymcruisers]

We loved the Galveston port - have sailed out of there the last two years. So much easier to get in and out versus Miami. Galveston is an interesting area - lots of history - great cemetary's to walk around - great shops to visit - the beach area is not like Florida - but yet very nice. Last year, our ship docked at 7 a.m. and we were literally in our vehicle driving to Houston by 7:45 a.m.!!!!!!!!!

[lgerrish]

We loved the Galveston port - have sailed out of there the last two years. So much easier to get in and out versus Miami. Galveston is an interesting area - lots of history - great cemetary's to walk around - great shops to visit - the beach area is not like Florida - but yet very nice. Last year, our ship docked at 7 a.m. and we were literally in our vehicle driving to Houston by 7:45 a.m.!!!!!!!!!

 

Maybe you can shed some light for me. A group of us are cruising on the Conquest in April. We are flying into Houston Saturday night and need lodging. Would it be best to stay in a hotel near the airport and then shuttle to Galveston early Sunday morning for some sightseeing, or shuttle to Galveston around 11:00 pm Saturday night to a hotel? I've heard pros and cons for each. Thanks.

Lynn

[ImBossy]

Maybe you can shed some light for me. A group of us are cruising on the Conquest in April. We are flying into Houston Saturday night and need lodging. Would it be best to stay in a hotel near the airport and then shuttle to Galveston early Sunday morning for some sightseeing, or shuttle to Galveston around 11:00 pm Saturday night to a hotel? I've heard pros and cons for each. Thanks.

Lynn

 

I flew into Houston the day of embarkation and the shuttle was so much better than driving or riding the greyhound. DID GREYHOUND ONCE AND WILL NEVER DO AGAIN. :mad: Anyway, I suggest going into Galveston for the overnight unless there is an event in Houston you want to attend. Have fun!

[yst347]

Maybe you can shed some light for me. A group of us are cruising on the Conquest in April. We are flying into Houston Saturday night and need lodging. Would it be best to stay in a hotel near the airport and then shuttle to Galveston early Sunday morning for some sightseeing, or shuttle to Galveston around 11:00 pm Saturday night to a hotel? I've heard pros and cons for each. Thanks.

Lynn

 

Considering your flight arrival time you won't have any time to sight see. You could stay at an Airport hotel and ride a shuttle to Galveston in the morning. It is a 90 minute drive from IAH to Galveston and about 50 minutes from HOU. That would push a Galveston hotel arrival past midnight, close to 1:00 am. Since you need to go anyway it is just a question of night before or next morning. How does your group feel about the transfer? Galveston has many good hotels.

 

Check out the Gulf Coast departure board here on cruisecritic for more info and visit http://www.galveston.com for alot of good info.

[Tightlinerods]

At that time of the the Strand is alive with quaint little shops and holiday events ... Galveston has a great History and should not be over looked...

 

Who ever told you that is simply jealous they are not cruiseing!!!!

 

 

John

[thymcruisers]

We have always driven to Galveston and stayed right in Galveston the night before - lots of decent priced hotels - and I think the cab ride the morning of our cruise to the port was very reasonable. Some hotels offer shuttle service to the port. Like I said earlier - the port in Galveston is so easy to get in and out of. We are taking a cruise out of Miami this year and finding it quite hectic to arrange travel plans with airfare, transfers, hotels, etc. I WISH WE HAD CHOSEN GALVESTON!! Are you flying in Houston Hobby or the International Airport?

[cruisegirl]

How do you get information on the shuttle? I checked the Galveston web page and didn't find anything mentioned there other than taxis.

[Third Coast Sailor]

We always go the night before, even when we lived in The Woodlands, which is just north of Houston . We now live in Corpus Christi .

:D Next Sat we will be at the La Quinta , 87th & the Seawall, they provide free parking and a shuttle to & from the Terminal (charge $10 per Vehicle parked ) .

A week from now we will be in Blue Water, enjoying Adult Beverages and all that goes with it .

[mikefast]

We live in Houston, only about an hour and a half from Galveston. We sometimes go to Galveston the night before, spend the night there and go to the ship about 11:30 in the morning. There is quite a bit to do there, good seafood restaurants, good shopping on the "Strand", they have the "Lonestar Flight Museum" with a number of WW2 aircraft, they have Moody gardens, which has an aquarium, a rain forest pyramid, they have an Imax there. Of course they have all of the tourist traps along the seawall. The beaches aren't very nice, but it is certainly not a bad and dirty port. I think you would enjoy Galveston

[danfiveoh]

At least the port in Galveston is much nicer than the port that is in Houston.......

[gratefulguy]

The Holiday Lights at Moody Gardens, on the west end of Galveston, start on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006. There are several other things to do there that would appeal to both children and adults. BTW, the Grand Princess arrives in Galveston that morning from her Transatlantic repo cruise. The Ecstasy is there too.

[wrp96]

How do you get information on the shuttle? I checked the Galveston web page and didn't find anything mentioned there other than taxis.

 

www.galvestonlimo.com is one shuttle service.

[Host Kat]

Maybe you can shed some light for me. A group of us are cruising on the Conquest in April. We are flying into Houston Saturday night and need lodging. Would it be best to stay in a hotel near the airport and then shuttle to Galveston early Sunday morning for some sightseeing, or shuttle to Galveston around 11:00 pm Saturday night to a hotel? I've heard pros and cons for each. Thanks.

Lynn

 

Lynn,

 

I see by your countdown clock you will be on Galveston Island for "Beach Weekend" next year.

 

Click here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=412039 for a previous thread containing information about that particular weekend. Check out post #22 by dforeigner and posts #23 & #24 by brn2cruz.

 

The information in the thread may help your group with their decision regarding pre-cruise lodging.

 

Kat

[Stevepse]

Kat ^5

Great reminder! Nothing worse than trying to find a place to stay during spring break

[Host Kat]

Glad to be of service,

Kat

[txskier]

Maybe you can shed some light for me. A group of us are cruising on the Conquest in April. We are flying into Houston Saturday night and need lodging. Would it be best to stay in a hotel near the airport and then shuttle to Galveston early Sunday morning for some sightseeing, or shuttle to Galveston around 11:00 pm Saturday night to a hotel? I've heard pros and cons for each. Thanks.

Lynn

 

Lynn, you might try the following link for hotels about 27 miles north of Galveston. You want to avoid staying in Galveston the weekend you depart due to Beach Party Weekend www.kappabeachfest.com

 

Try the link www.clearlakehotels.com You will be able to entertain yourselves with resturants and NASA in the Seabrook/Kemah/Clear Lake area. If you stay in this area....you could schedule a taxi/shuttle to Galveston. If the hotel can't help you, try link www.galveston.com for taxis/shuttles

Dan

[copper6606]

I'm really quite surprized by all the negative comments about Galveston! We flew from Nova Scotia, Can. a few months ago and found that it was a bit farther from Houston than we had anticipated. We got there at around 8:00 pm and by the time we got to our hotel it was 11:00. I think it depends on how much time you have travelled as to whether you stay in Houston that night . WE were pooped!! What we did enjoy was the freindliness of EVERYONE we met in Galveston, the lack of people in this port, the fastest embarkation Ever and the greatest seafood . I hate to bash anyones business but we probably wouldn't take Galveston Limo service again . They had totally over booked people and we had to be left behind to wait for the bus to come back . They overstuffed the bus and I felt that because we booked 7 months in advance there should not have been a problem with us getting on the time that we had booked ,not great customer service either.

[deec]

Is there a place within walking distance of the terminal to buy liquor, wine, mixers to take on board with us...or should we get the limo driver to stop on our way to the port?

[centralcalicruzer]

There is a liquor store right up the street, Bob's Market or something like that, can't remember the exact name. You can only buy liquor in a liquor store in Texas, but you can buy wine at grocery stores, Wal-Mart, etc.

[wrp96]

Is there a place within walking distance of the terminal to buy liquor, wine, mixers to take on board with us...or should we get the limo driver to stop on our way to the port?

 

What day are you sailing? Somebody will correct me if I'm wrong but if you are sailing on Sunday you will need to buy your liquor the day before as I think liquor stores aren't allowed to open on Sundays.

[deec]

we leave on saturday so should be OK

will the liquor store have wine too?