Table Of Content
HOU is the smaller of Houston’s airports, but it’s more convenient as it’s located only 7 miles from downtown Houston. More and more cruisers are looking at Galveston for their next cruise embarkation port, but understanding the ins and outs of this port can be a bit tricky. In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about planning a cruise from Galveston, from booking flights and hotels to arriving at the port. While once an industrial port, Galveston, Texas has since become one of the busiest cruise ports in the United States, offering year-round sailings to the Caribbean.
Houston-Galveston fly cruisers information
From planning tips to Royal Caribbean Parking Galveston advice, we've got all the insider information you need for smooth sailing. Galveston Island has a wide variety of places to spend the night, from historic hotels to modern chains and resorts. Most hotels in Galveston are along the Seawall, about seven minutes from the port, offering affordable stays with beautiful views of the ocean.
What’s the cheapest way to get to the Port of Galveston from the airport?
Galveston also has several private parking garages near the terminal. In addition, several Galveston hotels offer Park and Cruise/Fly packages that allow you to leave your car for the duration of your cruise. For Terminal 25 and Terminal 28, Lot A (160 33rd Street) and Lot B (224 33rd Street) offer free shuttle bus service for cruisers both to and from the terminal. An Express Lot (2702 Harborside Dr.) is within walking distance of Terminal 25 and Terminal 28.
NCL Makes History With First Seasonal Sailing From Galveston, Texas
Currently RCL, Carnival and Disney cruise lines sail from the Port of Galveston. From Fall 2022, Norwegian (NCL) will also home port in Galveston and offer regular Caribbean cruise itineraries. Cruise itineraries change from season to season, but currently, these are the cruise itineraries offered out of Galveston cruise port.
Where to stay the night before your cruise
Watch: Storm floods cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico - Fox Weather
Watch: Storm floods cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico.
Posted: Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
It will encourage the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel for all cruise ships and other vessels calling on the port which is less harmful to the environment. The latest ship to be based at Galveston cruise port is RCI Adventure of the Seas. It began its inaugural cruise season on Nov 8, 2021, embarking on a 5-day Western Caribbean cruise itinerary. It made history as the first Voyager-class ship to home port in Texas.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Not only can Terminal 3 handle Oasis Class ships, it will also be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class ships. It will is a LEED-certified terminal (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which means it is environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. The building is 161,300 square feet and is a state-of-the-art building, including mobile check-in and facial recognition to expedite guest arrival.
Parking at the Port of Galveston
Latest Galveston cruise ship is enormous and carbon-friendly to boot - Chron
Latest Galveston cruise ship is enormous and carbon-friendly to boot.
Posted: Fri, 03 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The initial plans included in 2021 here to be homeported Allure OTS (starting November 10th), but the ship's homeporting was rescheduled for Nov 2022. On November 30, 2016, the port completed a USD 13 million project that expanded the passenger area at "Cruise Terminal 2". Terminal's both buildings are now connected by an enclosed, air-conditioned walkway.
Cruise Shuttles
Not long after getting in the Lyft, both my dad and I got a notification on our phones that we could start the mandatory safety briefing. This was the perfect way to kill some time on the way to the port. I highly recommend you watch the safety briefing video as soon as it is available to you so you don’t have to do it once onboard. Royal Caribbean does offer a shuttle from the HOU airport to Galveston, but this didn't make sense for us since we were not going to the port directly after arriving at the airport. We also didn’t want to wait around for others; we wanted to leave on our own schedule.
Despite being on an island, the port is within an hour’s drive of Houston (50 miles north), which has two international airports for cruisers to fly into. Regular shuttle transport, limos or private taxis complete the smooth transfer to Galveston Island in about one hour. Galveston cruise port has many benefits for those living in Texas, Louisiana and the central and northern states. It is convenient, easy to reach, and offers a wide range of cruise itineraries with four major cruise lines. If you arrive in Houston late at night, your best bet is to stay near the airport and catch a shuttle or rideshare service to Galveston the following morning. Be sure to still allow yourself plenty of time to travel between Houston and Galveston in case of traffic or other delays.
Since the opening of the new terminal, the Allure of the Seas has moved on to Port Canaveral, Florida. The current slate of ships includes Voyager of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, and ports of call on these sailings including Roatan Honduras and Cozumel/Costa Maya Mexico. However, you’ll want to look at the Royal Caribbean website for specific details of ships since they do move home ports frequently. In addition to the brand-new Royal Caribbean terminal, there are two additional existing cruise terminals (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) on Harborside Drive. I arrived the night before my flight and flew into Houston’s Hobby Airport at almost midnight.
After crossing the bridge into Galveston, traffic started to pick up. There was stop-and-go traffic for about a half mile before we arrived at Terminal 10, Royal Caribbean’s new terminal. I was confident that a rideshare would not be more than $120 one way, so this shuttle option was a no-go for us. If you have the choice between these two airports, try to fly into William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) because it will be quicker and cheaper to get to the Galveston port. This is unless you are able to find a flight from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) that is significantly cheaper. Because Galveston is south of Houston, it made more sense to fly into HOU, and that is what my dad and I ended up doing.
Amtrak has a bus available, but tickets can only be booked in conjunction with a train ticket. Once you have identified and collected your luggage, you will need to produce your passport at immigration to re-enter the USA. If you are importing alcohol and tobacco, dues will be collected by the TABC (Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission) as you pass through the terminal. Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis. He has become one of the foremost expert on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
No comments:
Post a Comment