All Things Galveston (Updated - 5/21/14)

[wallawallakids]

Also, does anyone know what Disney uses for the transfers? Are they big busses like Magical Express? Thanks.

 

[jlynch924]

Ok, I'll admit I didn't read this whole thread! Can anyone give a recommendation of a good restaurant in Galveston for the night before our cruise? We enjoy fine dining, but will have our DD4 with us (she's usually well behaved, but she IS 4)! We will be driving in, so any where in town is fine! Thanks!

We ate at Cajun Greek last night. Relaxed atmosphere. Yummy food. There's a kid's menu, too. It's on 61st.

 

[wallawallakids]

I just called Disney about the transfers. Is it true that there is a third charge from the port to the Hotel Galvez even if you book though them? They just quoted me 90pp? I thought the Hotel Galvez had a free shuttle? If you book though Disney are you taking a different transfer? It is only 1 mile away, right? So 30 more x 6 seems high for a port to hotel transfer. Just wondering if anyone else got quoted that or if it was just the person I spoke to on the phone today. The quote total would be 90 pp for all transfers.

 

[ekatiel]

Hello! I was hoping someone familiar with the TX area could help us out. We have never been to TX so we are really unsure about what to do. We are flying into IAH the night before our cruise (actually 12am on the day of our cruise! ). I have that night booked at the springhill suites as they have a free shuttle from the airport and a room that sleeps 6. After that is where the confusion comes in. I don't know if we should just do the Disney transfers to the port or hire a town car. There is no real affordable option for a party of 6. A rental car (minivan) is over 600 for the week and a one way rental seems impossible. Furthermore, I don't know what to do for the day we get off the ship. We do not fly out until 3 pm the next day. I called Disney and they can put us in two rooms at the hotel Galvez but they can't "guarantee connecting rooms" They can only request it. I have read mixed reviews about this hotel on travelocity and I am worried it isn't really kid friendly. Also, we won't have a car so can we walk anywhere? Is there enough for 4 kids to do in that area? Or should I take a town car back to Houston for the day? I saw there is an Embassy suites in Downtown Houston. Is that a nice area? All 6 of us will fit into one room there and I saw that there is a children's museum and zoo. Of course, this requires a third town car to take us back to the airport the following day. I am so confused and starting to regret picking Galveston as our first port to cruise from just because the transfers/ where to stay before and after seem so hard. Any help would be VERY appreciated. Thank you!

Try super shuttle for transfers. I am getting a quote of $352 round trip (to and from the cruise terminal from IAH) for a van holding up to 10 people. If you won't have a car, I'd recommend staying at Moody Gardens Hotel http://www.moodygardenshotel.com/. They have a cruise shuttle, and there is a lot to do there. Moody Gardens has a rainforest pyramid, an aquarium, a 3-D imax, and several other attractions http://www.moodygardens.com/. Schlitterbahn waterpark (which has an indoor portion that is open weekends most of the year) is also with in walking distance http://www.schlitterbahn.com/gal/. --Katie

 

[threewilmingtonwalls]

I just called Disney about the transfers. Is it true that there is a third charge from the port to the Hotel Galvez even if you book though them? They just quoted me 90pp? I thought the Hotel Galvez had a free shuttle? If you book though Disney are you taking a different transfer? It is only 1 mile away, right? So 30 more x 6 seems high for a port to hotel transfer. Just wondering if anyone else got quoted that or if it was just the person I spoke to on the phone today. The quote total would be 90 pp for all transfers.

I had the same problem but I was finally able to explain to the DCL agent that this could not possibly be correct. She kept quoting me full transfer price of $90 from the hotel to the port, until I asked her to explain how one mile costs the same as 80 miles. As I understand it (and have booked for my own family, but sort of in reverse), you set up the shuttle between the Hotel Galvez and the port yourself. It is a free transfer for hotel guests. Then your DCL transfer will take you to the airport. (From the hotel? Or would you have to ride back to the port? This I don't know.)

So, I booked the Hotel Galvez for one night before the cruise. We don't qualify to add the DCL transfer from the airport because I booked the hotel myself using AAA. (BTW, doing so got me a suite for the price of a regular room.) We will have a town car drive us from the airport to the hotel, then the next morning we will take the shuttle from the Galvez to the port at no charge (we will reserve our shuttle spot though the concierge desk.) When we disembark, a DCL transfer will take us directly back to the airport.

Long-winded, but I hope this helps!

 

[wallawallakids]

I had the same problem but I was finally able to explain to the DCL agent that this could not possibly be correct. She kept quoting me full transfer price of $90 from the hotel to the port, until I asked her to explain how one mile costs the same as 80 miles. As I understand it (and have booked for my own family, but sort of in reverse), you set up the shuttle between the Hotel Galvez and the port yourself. It is a free transfer for hotel guests. Then your DCL transfer will take you to the airport. (From the hotel? Or would you have to ride back to the port? This I don't know.)

So, I booked the Hotel Galvez for one night before the cruise. We don't qualify to add the DCL transfer from the airport because I booked the hotel myself using AAA. (BTW, doing so got me a suite for the price of a regular room.) We will have a town car drive us from the airport to the hotel, then the next morning we will take the shuttle from the Galvez to the port at no charge (we will reserve our shuttle spot though the concierge desk.) When we disembark, a DCL transfer will take us directly back to the airport.

Long-winded, but I hope this helps!

Yes! It does. Thank you.

 

[Keyser]

Try super shuttle for transfers. I am getting a quote of $352 round trip (to and from the cruise terminal from IAH) for a van holding up to 10 people. If you won't have a car, I'd recommend staying at Moody Gardens Hotel http://www.moodygardenshotel.com/. They have a cruise shuttle, and there is a lot to do there. Moody Gardens has a rainforest pyramid, an aquarium, a 3-D imax, and several other attractions http://www.moodygardens.com/. Schlitterbahn waterpark (which has an indoor portion that is open weekends most of the year) is also with in walking distance http://www.schlitterbahn.com/gal/. --Katie

I just wanted to second these recommendations. Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn are both good options for things to do in Galveston. If you did have a car, I might recommend visiting NASA (basically in between Galveston and Houston) as an option on the extra day.

Houston itself has plenty to do (it is the 4th biggest city in the US after all)): there are good museums, a zoo, an aquarium, several good shopping areas, lots of restaurants (seriously - a wide range of types of food, most of it very good). But, it's notreally a very tourist-friendly place, overall. I would recommend against staying downtown. About the only reason I can think of to stay downtown is if you are there for business or you maybe if you are going to a show/game located there. It's a business area, not a tourist/residential area. There are other areas that are much better places to stay, but they're not "special" in a way that I'd recommend making an effort to stay there.

For transportation, the minivan rate seems a little high (I think you can find them under $500 sometimes - just did a check and saw a rate from Advantage that was $471 for a week, including all the fees). But, the cheapest option might be the van/limo/etc. services. Some of the limo services are cheaper than you might guess - at least worth checking on.

 

[wallawallakids]

I just wanted to second these recommendations. Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn are both good options for things to do in Galveston. If you did have a car, I might recommend visiting NASA (basically in between Galveston and Houston) as an option on the extra day.

Houston itself has plenty to do (it is the 4th biggest city in the US after all)): there are good museums, a zoo, an aquarium, several good shopping areas, lots of restaurants (seriously - a wide range of types of food, most of it very good). But, it's notreally a very tourist-friendly place, overall. I would recommend against staying downtown. About the only reason I can think of to stay downtown is if you are there for business or you maybe if you are going to a show/game located there. It's a business area, not a tourist/residential area. There are other areas that are much better places to stay, but they're not "special" in a way that I'd recommend making an effort to stay there.

For transportation, the minivan rate seems a little high (I think you can find them under $500 sometimes - just did a check and saw a rate from Advantage that was $471 for a week, including all the fees). But, the cheapest option might be the van/limo/etc. services. Some of the limo services are cheaper than you might guess - at least worth checking on.

Thank you. Sounds like downtown is not the way to go! I am going to look into the advantage rate. Maybe the price has dropped (which would be excellent). My son would love NASA if we could get a car that would be nice for him. Moody Gardens sounds really interesting as well. Thank you for the help.

 

[Pocahantas]

I used BOI Valet last week and it was great.

Dropped off the family and the bags and was at BOI in just a couple of minutes. Gave him my last name and keys and he gave me a claim ticket.

the walk to the terminal is maybe 300 yards. Cross the street in front of Terminal 1 go left 100 yards to Terminal 2. It was less than 10 minutes from dropping the family and bags at the terminal to rejoining them after parking.

On getting back, I called as soon as we cleared customs and the car was waiting for me when i got there. back at the terminal in a couple of minutes with the bags waiting at the curb.

May not be fun to walk in the rain, but the area to unload bags at the terminal is covered, unlike most of the shuttle lots. If you drop your bags first and then one person parks and walks, it is very easy.

Not that we will ever sail out of Galveston again unless Disney comes back, but I would definitely use BOI again.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I just booked them for our February 9th cruise.

 

[Yvet]

Bump

 

[s232271]

We used BOI Dec 1 and yes it is hard to find if you have never used them . There is no sign anywhere that I could see. When I booked online i printed out the confirmation and it had directions on it how to find them. We followed them exactly-- without them I never would have believed that what looked like an abandoned building was a parking garage. That being said we were happy with service and would use them again.

is it right on the corner across from the terminals?
we are using them in March. thanks!

 

[bwallace]

is it right on the corner across from the terminals?
we are using them in March. thanks!

yes. it is an unmarked pink warehouse. the entrance is just a few feet from the corner. Across the street from the terminals and across from the building that has the elevated walkway.

 

[BearChick]

I'm 21 pages late to this party, but I lived in Galveston from 2006-2010 and owned a few stores downtown and on the beach. So, if you have any questions about Galveston, I'd be happy to answer what I can. We are cruising in Feb and this will be our first trip back to the Island since we moved--we are looking forward to seeing some friends and eating at some places we miss dearly!

If you've got any questions, like I said, I'm happy to answer what I can.

 

[BearChick]

Ok, I'll admit I didn't read this whole thread! Can anyone give a recommendation of a good restaurant in Galveston for the night before our cruise? We enjoy fine dining, but will have our DD4 with us (she's usually well behaved, but she IS 4)! We will be driving in, so any where in town is fine! Thanks!

Your best option is going to Casey's on Seawall. Casey's is owned by the Gaido family, who (obviously) owns Gaido's next door--a 100-year legend on Galveston Island. Casey's is more casual dining (if you like fine dining, definitely just suck it up and go to Gaido's. Order the Shrimp Pegues and some shrimp bisque and thank me later!) with a more family-friendly atmosphere and burgers and such for the kids, but they still have the same quality of Gulf-fresh seafood (not always the same dishes) served at the flagship restaurant next door. The chains like Landry's, etc. use frozen seafood from all over the place. Gaido's gets theirs fresh daily, straight from the Gulf.

I lived in Galveston for 5 years and have made literally THOUSANDS of restaurant recommendations to tourists on the Island and I've never gone wrong sending someone to Casey's or Gaido's.

 

[BearChick]

Hello! I was hoping someone familiar with the TX area could help us out. We have never been to TX so we are really unsure about what to do. We are flying into IAH the night before our cruise (actually 12am on the day of our cruise! ). I have that night booked at the springhill suites as they have a free shuttle from the airport and a room that sleeps 6. After that is where the confusion comes in. I don't know if we should just do the Disney transfers to the port or hire a town car. There is no real affordable option for a party of 6. A rental car (minivan) is over 600 for the week and a one way rental seems impossible. Furthermore, I don't know what to do for the day we get off the ship. We do not fly out until 3 pm the next day. I called Disney and they can put us in two rooms at the hotel Galvez but they can't "guarantee connecting rooms" They can only request it. I have read mixed reviews about this hotel on travelocity and I am worried it isn't really kid friendly. Also, we won't have a car so can we walk anywhere? Is there enough for 4 kids to do in that area? Or should I take a town car back to Houston for the day? I saw there is an Embassy suites in Downtown Houston. Is that a nice area? All 6 of us will fit into one room there and I saw that there is a children's museum and zoo. Of course, this requires a third town car to take us back to the airport the following day. I am so confused and starting to regret picking Galveston as our first port to cruise from just because the transfers/ where to stay before and after seem so hard. Any help would be VERY appreciated. Thank you!

I wouldn't say the Galvez is "kid-friendly." Meaning that it doesn't cater to kids...by the same token, I would never say it's kid un-friendly. It's a beautiful historic hotel (built after the great hurricane of 1900.) If you won't have a car, the Galvez is in a great location for you. You can walk to the beach, walk to the Pleasure Pier (a new amusement-style park built out over the water--they demolished the Flagship Hotel after Hurricane Ike and built this in its place), and there are restaurants you can walk to. I think you'd be fine there.

Downtown Houston and the Zoo and the Children's Museum are nowhere near each other, really. The zoo and the museums are, but I wouldn't say Downtown is convenient to them. The Medical Center is more convenient to them.

I think you will like Galveston. Rent a rickshaw or some bikes from one of the shops on Seawall--the kids will like that--and you can get just about anywhere along the beach. If you want to take a cab over to the Strand (where the cruise terminal is) there are other restaurants there, plus some shopping and things like the Great Storm Theatre (tells the story of the 1900 hurricane) and some ghost tour thing that recently opened at 23rd and Harborside.

You can also take a cab to Moody Gardens and visit the Rainforest Pyramid, IMAX, and aquarium for less than cab fare between Downtown Houston and the zoo or museums there.

Give Galveston a try. She might surprise you.

 

[threewilmingtonwalls]

Your best option is going to Casey's on Seawall. Casey's is owned by the Gaido family, who (obviously) owns Gaido's next door--a 100-year legend on Galveston Island. Casey's is more casual dining (if you like fine dining, definitely just suck it up and go to Gaido's. Order the Shrimp Pegues and some shrimp bisque and thank me later!) with a more family-friendly atmosphere and burgers and such for the kids, but they still have the same quality of Gulf-fresh seafood (not always the same dishes) served at the flagship restaurant next door. The chains like Landry's, etc. use frozen seafood from all over the place. Gaido's gets theirs fresh daily, straight from the Gulf.

I lived in Galveston for 5 years and have made literally THOUSANDS of restaurant recommendations to tourists on the Island and I've never gone wrong sending someone to Casey's or Gaido's.

What about a good Mexican restaurant?

 

[Snow white 5]

We are traveling into IAH as well the night before our cruise, I was thinking of taking Disney transfer down to the cruise but we will stay another night after the cruise and I am not sure what to do. Do you all have any suggestions our flight is at 1:15pm the following day. We will be five of us I hate to get a rental for a week just to park it. Is there something fun we could do? I was thinking just going back to a hotel and swim. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[BearChick]

What about a good Mexican restaurant?

The Original on 14th and Market or Rivera's Mex-Sal on Broadway (doesn't look like much, but is really good)

 

[pluto1974]

information on this thread is awesome.

Has anyone used Z limosine for transfers? They just quoted me $30/person + tip for a one way trip from my hotel near IAH airport to the cruise terminal. that's pretty much the same price as the Disney ground transfer. Advantage is that I don't have to go back to IAH to catch the ground transfer or wait for the disney coach to leave. But the cheap price has gotten me second guessing if this is legit or not.

 

[threewilmingtonwalls]

The Original on 14th and Market or Rivera's Mex-Sal on Broadway (doesn't look like much, but is really good)

Thanks!!!