Can you convince me to cruise from Galveston

[mmfox316]

I have cruised on the Dream a few times and the Fantasy and Magic once each. I love the Dream and Fantasy. The Miami port and Magic were a less than Disney experience for me. I really want a longer than 4 day cruise but it gets expensive as you know. I see cruising from TX is a little cheaper.

What are your experiences with flying into Hobby a day ahead and staying overnight by Hobby or near port. Of course a car rental would be involved.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Our DCL cruise that cruised out of Galveston encompassed all the worst things for us that has ever happened on a cruise. First, the air from PHL to IAH was outrageous, and I'm usually good at finding low fares. I guess Hobby was worse if we chose IAH. The port terminal had a warehouse feel, it's nothing like PC. I could get over those two factors if they're not important /relevant to you. But what put a sour note on beginning and end of that 8-nt cruise for us was the terrible motion sickness we got from crossing the Gulf to the Atlantic to the Caribbean, it was so bad in the aft restaurants that night, and I spent my life on small-sized sailboats and motor boats, never have I been so affected, even sleeping overnight on small sailboats . I laugh now looking back at our portraits from formal night, I actually look green. But what was the worst part for us was how the cruise ended, the port was fogged in, we were stuck for hours in international waters without cell service, it was very creepy being able to hear the horns of all the nearby oil tankers but not be able to see them, with no clue how long we would be stuck there. We ended up missing our flights, but travel insurance saved us when we had to book new ones leaving the next day and for our hotel that night. But not knowing what was going on or how long we were going to be stuck at sea was a little nerve wracking. Of course it was winter, and the only flights we could get connected through Chicago and of course there was an ice storm and more delays with that. A very, very exhausting 10 days. Anyhow, we love the Magic, and we love the longer cruises, so my only advice would be to see if you didn't have to cruise when the seas were too rough or port having a good chance of being fogged in, which I think is mostly a winter thing. There are plenty of people who cruise out of Galveston on other cruise lines besides DCL, and I doubt all their experiences were like ours. But maybe consider your travel dates and those few issues. Good luck!
ETA: we did not rent a car, we stayed at the Country Inn & Suites and had a shuttle to the port. We researched a lot regarding renting a car versus a private shuttle from the airport to that hotel. That was costly as well, but not as much as renting a car. Our driver stopped at a shopping center so we could jump out and buy a few things which was nice.

 

[Kirk]

Can't speak to the cruise but since I live in a suburb of Houston I can make a few points about the area.

Hobby (HOU) is a main hub for Southwest Airlines whereas Bush (IAH) is larger and is hub for United. Hobby is closer to Galveston but the surrounding area is pretty rough being closer to the south side of Houston. Galveston close to the Port has a historic look with some great shopping as well as fine dining close to or right on the water.

Fisherman's Wharf

The Strand Historic District

My favorite place to stay in Galveston is

The San Luis

right on the beach but you can probably find something closer to the Port.

 

[LSUfan4444]

I really want a longer than 4 day cruise but it gets expensive as you know. I see cruising from TX is a little cheaper.

Seems like you've convinced yourself. You want a longer cruise on DCL and found one that fit your budget our of Galveston.

What are your experiences with flying into Hobby a day ahead and staying overnight by Hobby or near port.

Flew in, picked up a car rental and stayed at a hotel near the airport. Following morning, woke up early and had breakfast, hopped in the rental and dropped the car off in galveston and the car rental company shuttled me to the terminal. Very easy.

 

[laceltris3]

Also a Houston local, I agree with the above. I would stay in Galveston, not near Hobby for sure. Traffic from IAH can be really bad so leave plenty of time. The port itself is in a pretty industrial area, but Galveston itself is nice, but the beaches aren't great. The San Luis is also my preferred hotel there (and as a bit of trivia, that's where all the national news guys stay when there's an incoming hurricane).

I love sailing out of Galveston, but that is in large part because it saves me flights for a family of 5. We got fog delayed on our last cruise, so leave plenty of time for flights. Also check your email the morning you embark to see if it's delayed. While it lacks the ambiance of PC, it is super easy to get in and out and parking options are plentiful and cheap. I thought being up on deck in the fog was kind of cool, and they opened up activities and food options during the delay.

 

[dcassetta]

Flew in, picked up a car rental and stayed at a hotel near the airport. Following morning, woke up early and had breakfast, hopped in the rental and dropped the car off in galveston and the car rental company shuttled me to the terminal. Very easy.

Do you remember which company you used? Did they charge you a drop off fee?

 

[LSUfan4444]

Do you remember which company you used? Did they charge you a drop off fee?

I went though Enterprise ( I THINK it's the only car rental agency on the island of Galveston, at least at one time it was). You'll have to play with the prices to see what works out cheapest but you've got a few options that staying near the airport allows.

You can either pick up the car rental the day you land (or take the hotels airport shuttle back to the airport to pick up the car rental the day of embarkation) and pay for parking at the galveston cruise terminal the entire week and drive the car rental back to the airport.

OR you can pick up the car, drop it off at the terminal and pick up another one when you disembark. Obviously if you keep the rental the entire week and pay for parking you can shop other car rental companies and get better rates than what Enterprise charges. being that you would pick up and drop off from the airport shop a few companies.

It will take a little research to see what comes out cheaper but you should be able to get all transportation for about $250-$300 with a car rental and parking......how you piece it together has some flexibility though.

Does that make any sense at all lol???

 

[LSUfan4444]

Okay...I played with a few dates just to give you a ballpark..

Say you went with budget and picked up a car on Saturday and brought it back the following Sunday this is what you're looking at (Oct 14-22). Outdoor, uncovered parking at the port is ABOUT $70.

 

[llachance]

We will be sailing, with Disney, for the 4th time, out of Galveston, this fall. We have sailed on Carnival and Royal as well. Love only having to drive to the port - more because packing is less of a hassle. On Disney we haven't been socked in by fog but our last cruise on Carnival we were (it was actually kind of fun having the extra day and watching all the ships maneuver back into the port. We actually docked overnight because customs wasn't available to get us off the ship). Have never experienced sea sickness because of rough water in the gulf but I suspect it could happen but it could on any ship. Winter can play havoc because of the fog, and last year was worse than usual, but other ports have their weather issues as well. I too love the ease of parking. We usually stay in the Springhill Suites the night before and look for coupons for one of the parking lots.​

 

[Cackyschmackers]

We will be sailing, with Disney, for the 4th time, out of Galveston, this fall. We have sailed on Carnival and Royal as well. Love only having to drive to the port - more because packing is less of a hassle. On Disney we haven't been socked in by fog but our last cruise on Carnival we were (it was actually kind of fun having the extra day and watching all the ships maneuver back into the port. We actually docked overnight because customs wasn't available to get us off the ship). Have never experienced sea sickness because of rough water in the gulf but I suspect it could happen but it could on any ship. Winter can play havoc because of the fog, and last year was worse than usual, but other ports have their weather issues as well. I too love the ease of parking. We usually stay in the Springhill Suites the night before and look for coupons for one of the parking lots.​

OP is from NY not TX; driving from home to the port and having some control over your own fate is quite different than being stuck on a ship not knowing what time or day you'll be debarking when needing to fly home with a party of 5 with little kids in wintry conditions, believe me.

 

[Disney_traveler]

OP is from NY not TX; driving from home to the port and having some control over your own fate is quite different than being stuck on a ship not knowing what time or day you'll be debarking when needing to fly home with a party of 5 with little kids in wintry conditions, believe me.

Off topic BUT I was reading to learn stuff about cruises and your name just makes me giggle!

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Off topic BUT I was reading to learn stuff about cruises and your name just makes me giggle!

Hee hee! It's a spin off from a childhood nickname! Glad it made you laugh!

 

[cmph]

We did the 7 day on the Wonder over this past NYE. While other cruises before and after ours had enormous fog issues and/or choppy seas that undoubtedly disrupted a lot of people's trips, our experience was great. So - my takeaway is that it's a total crap shoot, and be mentally prepared. FWIW, when the weather cooperates, it can be simple enough, otherwise. We flew into Hobby, as did my parents (which for all of us was cheaper than flying into anywhere in Florida), and we rented a mini-van. We stayed at the San Luis the night before we sailed, which was lovely; pool was gorgeous, restaurants were nice, Rainforest Cafe (which has a ride inside) is across the street, all rooms have sea views. We booked the rate that allowed us to park the car for the entire length of the cruise and provided a shuttle to the port. The hotel's shuttle system was the biggest pain. I won't go into a lengthy discussion of that, but it was terribly inefficient; I'd stay there again and do it all the same, but I think I'd be less stressed about it knowing what it might be like (if you book, happy to explain). We got to the terminal about 30min after we should have, and we really just walked right on to the ship. We dropped our luggage, took just a few minutes to check-in, waited maybe 5-10min to have our family photo taken, and then we were on. Disembarking had similar shuttle nonsense, but we did eventually get back to the hotel, where we shuffled items in our luggage around, had a lengthy lunch and went on the ride at Rainforest Cafe, and headed back to the airport. I had purposely booked early evening flights for us and my parents, so we wouldn't feel rushed to get off the ship and to the airport, as it was a weekend so no work/school the following day. Of course weather issues could affect even evening flights, but again - we had essentially the ideal Galveston experience, so it went according to plan. Aside from the hotel shuttle, we all agreed that sailing out of Galveston (for us!) had been a lovely experience and we'd happily do it again... BUT fully aware that it could be far less than ideal the next time around.

 

[llachance]

OP is from NY not TX; driving from home to the port and having some control over your own fate is quite different than being stuck on a ship not knowing what time or day you'll be debarking when needing to fly home with a party of 5 with little kids in wintry conditions, believe me.

Watched it happen on Carnival - and not saying that it couldn't happen on Disney out of Galveston as well. That said all the ports have weather issues and it is the luck of the sail whether it affects your cruise or not.

 

[cmwade77]

OP is from NY not TX; driving from home to the port and having some control over your own fate is quite different than being stuck on a ship not knowing what time or day you'll be debarking when needing to fly home with a party of 5 with little kids in wintry conditions, believe me.

In that case, I would suggest looking at the cruises out of New York, there are some deals to be had there, especially if you don't need airfare and factor that in.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

In that case, I would suggest looking at the cruises out of New York, there are some deals to be had there, especially if you don't need airfare and factor that in.

We so badly wanted to do one of these but it was so $$$$$ even factoring in no airfare, and timing for us didn't work out. Some day maybe!

 

[cruiser21]

I'v

I have cruised on the Dream a few times and the Fantasy and Magic once each. I love the Dream and Fantasy. The Miami port and Magic were a less than Disney experience for me. I really want a longer than 4 day cruise but it gets expensive as you know. I see cruising from TX is a little cheaper.

What are your experiences with flying into Hobby a day ahead and staying overnight by Hobby or near port. Of course a car rental would be involved.

We've cruised out of Galveston a few times. We've flown into Bush IAH and rented a car. Around 200.00 for the week. Renting a car from Hobby will be cheaper. We stay at Hilton about 100.00 per night with free parking and free shuttle to ports. The Galveston express is 30.00 per person they will transfer you to a hotel in Galveston. We've had really good experiences cruising out of Galveston. We have cruised three times out of Galveston in early Dec and have never had weather issues or rough seas.
Weather issues and rough seas can happen anytime on any cruise. I would not let that be a factor in picking a cruise.
It's been a good experience for us and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. If your worried about fog avoid cruising in January. You could also plan on spending an extra day in Texas after cruise if your worried about delays. Hotels are cheap in Galveston and its very nice Island. There's also NASA and other things to do in that area.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

In Oct. 2013 for our 7nt on the Wonder, we flew into Hobby, rented a car and drove to Galveston where we stayed the night prior. We drove to the port the next morning and parked the car there for the week. When we disembarked, we drove to the airport, turned in the car and flew home.

I sliced and diced the costs of shuttles and all types of transportation, where to stay that offered free parking and all of that.

Bottom line, it was cheaper for us to rent a car that would sit there all week than to hire a shuttle. I wish it was all different and there were easier ways to get to and from the port from Hobby, and maybe there is now, but not when we sailed. We really like flying on Southwest due to free baggage etc. and had no issues with Hobby overall.

Good luck!

 

[cruiser21]

I think one of the issues with Galveston is there's no rental car agencies in Galveston to drop off a car. That's what we do when we cruise out of PC. Like pp said. It's always been cheaper for us to rent a car and let it sit for a week. Last December my husband had to fly into Hobby the day of the cruise and took the Galveston shuttle right to the port. It was 30.00 and he had no issues at all. There were a few other cruisers on the shuttle. If your used to taking Disney transportation the Galveston shuttle is actually cheaper.

My advice on car rentals if you go that route. The prices seem to drop 4-6 weeks before the rental period and then go back up. I've always come in between 175.00 to 225.00. Just to give you some idea what price to shoot for.

 

[cmph]

It was definitely cheaper for us 6ish months ago to rent the mini-van and leave it for a week; I doubt that part is changing any time soon. Pricing out the DCL shuttle for 6 roundtrip was a good chunk more, and it leaves you stuck with either the pricey airport hotel attached to IAH or added transportation costs to get to another hotel and back to the airport. I know my cruise meet group had people using other shuttle services, cheaper than DCL's, but they were still more than the car rental. The actual flight cost was essentially a wash for me (Southwest into Hobby vs AA into IAH), but it worked out slightly cheaper for my parents to fly Southwest into Hobby, and renting a car there was cheaper. As much as people talk about the transportation into Galveston issue, you'd think it's so crazy compared to Orlando... but really, it's kind of the same. Renting a car is cheaper for families, either way. The only difference is you're not doing two one-way rentals to/from the terminal. I think it's a bit of a bonus to have two airport options, too.