Port of Galveston #4 with embarkations...

[Host Kat]

Report: Cruise-Related Spending Grows

 

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/29/ap4062957.html

 

Kat

[robtx100]

It was also on our evening news here in Dallas. I was very excited to hear the news. Hopefully it will bring in additional ships.

[karenh1127]

This was on our local news tonight too. Funny thing was when they showed the port of Galveston, they showed the Carnival Elation. That ship doesnt even sail from here anymore! And if Galveston is 4th busiest port, why do only 3 ships sail from there and soon to be 2? Somethings wrong somewhere......

[Texas_firefighter]

Great to know that others around the country are learning what we locals already know,what a great place Galveston is to cruise from.I agree with Rob though, It seems with those numbers we would have additional ships calling Galveston home. Certainly soon.

[Host Kat]

... Hopefully it will bring in additional ships.

... I agree with Rob though, It seems with those numbers we would have additional ships calling Galveston home. Certainly soon.

True, but since the ports and itineraries for most of the lines have already been set for the next couple of years... it sadly may be a while. In the meantime, the Port of Houston Authority/Bayport Cruise Terminal is probably out there beating the bushes pretty heavily too. Oh well, either one will be in Texas, so that's fine with me. I too wish it could be sooner than later!

 

Just sittin' here ponderin'...

Kat

[GCurry]

I just got their latest Board report, cruise parking down 16%.

Recent articles have stated the Cruise Lines feel the Western Caribbean itinerary is becoming a soft market so they are cutting back in ships.

Certainly I don't profess to know the economics of cruise lines, but I know a lot of people that cruise when I see em.

 

Currently we have two Carnival and one Royal Carib going out of Galveston, doing only the usual ho hum ports.

I totally hated it when Celebrity stopped their Panama cruises out of Galveston before I got on board.

 

More itineraries would generate more volume out of here is my opinion, as we are the closest port to millions of people that can easily drive to Galveston.

 

I work on the island, and have cruised twice from here, but my last and my next cruise have to be out of other ports to see something different.

[Host Kat]

I just got their latest Board report, cruise parking down 16%...

Last May, I helped with that statistic. I parked for free at a friend's house.

... Recent articles have stated the Cruise Lines feel the Western Caribbean itinerary is becoming a soft market so they are cutting back in ships...

And without a , none of us really know what will happen in the future.

... have cruised twice from here, but my last and my next cruise have to be out of other ports to see something different.

It has been four times out of nine for me. In 2005, it was the week of Wilma. I call it my "boll weevil cruise" since like that old song, we wandered all over the Caribbean "lookin' for a home". We stayed in 15 - 20 foot seas the first part of the week. We did not make it to any of the three ports on our itinerary since they were closed due to hurricane damage. The Captain did find two others toward the end of the week for us though. But then, I'm one of those cruisers that feel the ship is my destination and really do not care which ports are on the itinerary. In fact, never left the ship the last couple of cruises! Love sea days and the solitude of port days!!

Kat

[karenh1127]

I liked it when the Ecstasy went to playa del carmen. Why did they change from there to progresso? What a huge letdown.

[GCurry]

Like every other industry, it's all about the money. We did a 10 day Southern out of Lauderdale, down to Bonaire and then Isla Margarita Venezuela sort of a dump of an island. I wondered why stop here, but then I saw our ship the Zaandam filling up with Venezuelan oil and the truth hit me, cheapest filling station around.

 

RCCL originally had a 5 year contract with the Port of Galveston but that has since expired, so they can pretty much do what they want where they want.