Oct. 12, 2013 - WONDERful cruise from Galveston

[cindermouse]

Due to a schedule conflict we're switching to the 10/26 cruise so take us off for the FE - 2 cabins for cindermouse. Thanks and have fun!!

 

[acourtwdw2]

Is anyone platinum? Have you reserved your palo, excursions or spa appointments today?

 

[ballle_98]

Hi all, we just booked our cruise last week. We're from Austin, TX. We have 2 daughters, aged 14 & 8, and 2 sons, aged 11 & 2. We have been visiting Disney World for years but never taken a cruise before. My daughters and I love crafts and would like to participate in the exchange. We already have some ideas for gifts. We do not know what our cabin numbers are yet. Look forward to meeting y'all!
Heather

 

[BeHappyGin]

Hi All, My son is deployed, should be home a couple weeks before this cruise and there will be about six adults and three children. We may have three cabins. We'll probably fly into Hobby so I'm looking for help to get hubby and I to the port on Saturday morning and back to the airport the following Sat.

 

[BeHappyGin]

I saw that beaglefan and tawneycarter are from the area. Could one of you give me some tips on getting from the airport to the port and from the port to the airport?
Our flight arrives at 11 am on the 12th and we fly out at 3:40 on the 19th. Do you think that gives us enough time for the commute?

 

[BeHappyGin]

If there is still time I would like to join the FE, just let me know what I have to do.

 

[beaglefan]

I saw that beaglefan and tawneycarter are from the area. Could one of you give me some tips on getting from the airport to the port and from the port to the airport?
Our flight arrives at 11 am on the 12th and we fly out at 3:40 on the 19th. Do you think that gives us enough time for the commute?

Options are the Disney Shuttle (assuming you are flying into IAH) which would ensure that you have no issues with connecting.

the distance is far enough that a Taxi is not going to be reasonably priced, and you might as well get a shuttle/limo/town car. A rental car would be stressful if renting the day of.

If you search you will find more than a couple of posts, though I have read a reasonable priced option is:

Texas Cruise Ship Shuttle (http://cruiseshipshuttle.com)

I don't have any personal experience. We cram the entire family in our car and are packed!

Good luck!

 

[goiu]

DIS Name: goiu
Name: Lisa
Traveling with: DH(Geoff), DD 7, DS 4, MIL and FIL
Part of the FB Group Yes (under my husbands name)
Participating in FE: Yes
Where are you from: Colorado

For Fun:
What Ships have you sailed on: Wonder (3) Magic (4)
Most looking forward to on the ship: Everything!

 

[deputymama]

We'll probably fly into Hobby so I'm looking for help to get hubby and I to the port on Saturday morning and back to the airport the following Sat.

Hi. I just wanted to let you know that I looked into flying into/out of Hobby too but my conclusion was that it was just too complicated for me and my family to get to the boat from there. Disney does not have transportation from there and I couldn't find any other shuttles that would work. You could take a taxi but that is about $100 each way. Some people have rented a one way car in the past but it is looking like that is no longer an option. Keep looking. I'm sure you'll figure out something. But for me, I didn't want to chance it. Especially with a 1 yr old in tow.

 

[tawneycarter]

So a couple of things about Houston / Galveston.- Sorry about the long post, I hope it answers a bunch of questions.

1. Houston is Big, really big, and the airports are no where near the port of Galveston. Its an hour from either airport to Galveston.
2. Galveston is a beach town which means there are lots of hotels and they are dependent on the beach and cruise crowd.
3. Almost all hotels in Galveston will have a shuttle to take you to the terminal. So if you arrive on the 11th, stay at a hotel in Galveston and take the shuttle to the terminal.
4. There are almost always 2 boats in port on embarkation days so that is an additional 6000 people in Galveston trying to get thru the terminal. Its not a painful experience if you are prepared for it and you stick to your PAT. Make sure that if you have children you prepare them by talking about the noises they might hear, the things they might see, and how important it is to stay close to mom and dad. If your child is prone to melt down the terminal is where it is most likely to happen. There is just too much stimulation.
5. If driving to Galveston. There are numerous places to park your car close to the terminal. There are two lots right by the ships that seem to pull most of the traffic at $70+ per week. Drive right past those dudes and keep a look out for a better price. I have parked in a secure parking lot with fences and security cameras for as little as $40 per week. You might be thinking but those guys are not walking distance, never fear they too have shuttles. Trust me you do not want to carry your luggage at all if you can avoid it. The two lots right across the street from those ships make you walk. Its a busy street and you have a weeks worth of clothing, FE's and all of your kids stuff.
6. Bring tips for the shuttles and the terminal porters. $1- $2 per bag is customary. Its just my DH and I and we normally have 1 big bag, 1 medium bag, and 1 hang up bag. I normally give the terminal porter a $10 because I want to make sure everything gets to the right place. I found out last time that if you tip a little heavy handed here, the porters will walk your bags to the front of the pile-o- baggage. This means that the cruise ship staff picks the bags up first and they get to your cabin door earlier over later.
7. Getting off the ship is a snap, leave your bags outside your cabin the night before and they magically appear in the terminal the next day. You will have a ticket that will show you where in the grid your luggage is at. Grab a porter give him the ticket and he will show you where to look. Then he will put them on his trolly and take them to the shuttle for your transfer either to the hotel, airport, or to your parking lot.
8. Cruise Staff are very busy on the last day so they want people off the boat as early as possible, you might feel a tad rushed. Do your self a favor and relax, eat breakfast in the buffet and slowly head out. If you are handling your own luggage this is not possible. If you take your time there is less luggage in the terminal to look thru, more porters available, and don't worry you will still be off the ship by 10 am.

 

[BeHappyGin]

Thanks for the response to my post for suggestions for transportation to the port and back to the airport. We have gone out of Baltimore MD and took a shuttle from a hotel. It went quite well. We have also taken a Carnival cruise shuttle in FlA. I think the hotel shuttle was much more relaxing. So now I'm thinking I may want to change flights and come a day earlier and leave the day after. Still not sure.

 

[BeHappyGin]

OK.....I've been surfing. went to tripAdvisor and someone there suggested LadyBird Limousines. They have a site, email and phone #. I haven't a response yet, but there was a recommendation on these boards as well so I'm hopeful. We are arriving at Hobby at 11AM on Oct. 12, the day of the cruise. Is there anyone out there that would like to share a ride with us and maybe get a lower rate?

 

[DoanGalveston]

DIS Name: DoanGalveston
Name: Cindy
Traveling with: DH(Richard), DS11, and DS8
Part of the FB Group: Yes
Participating in FE: Yes
Where are you from: Texas

For Fun:
What Ships have you sailed on: Magic
Most looking forward to on the ship: Family time together

 

[DoanGalveston]

Would everyone interested in the Fish Extender please PM your info

Disname:
First names of Adults
First names and ages of children
Stateroom number

Please list any allergies

Interest in mixology class

Thanks,
Melissa

Hi Melissa,
Here's my info (I can't PM yet due to not enough postings):
Disname: DoanGalveston
First names of Adults: Cindy and Richard
Kids: Brandon (11yo) and Kevin (8yo)
Stateroom: GTY
No allergies
Not interested in mixology

Thanks,
Cindy

 

[coloradomama]

Hello!

We are booked for the Wonder cruise out of Galveston on Oct 12. This is the 6th cruise for myself and my dh, the 3rd for our DD(7), and the first for our DS(4). We have only cruised Carnival and this is our first Disney cruise!

We are super excited, and the FE sounds like tons of fun.

We are traveling from Northern Colorado.

 

[lucky1]

Has anyone played bingo on the ship? My husband keeps asking me about how much it costs. If you have what did you think about it?

Thanks
Mandy

I posted on the facebook page, but will also post here. Generally I play about 1 or 2 games on the cruise. Our last cruise, I won 3 out of the 4 sessions that I played. I was hooked.

It is a family friendly atmosphere and the cruise staff can be very funny and engage the crowd. yes Kids can play, but an adult has to assume the winnings. Luckily for me, DD10 card won on game, but I got the proceeds.

Generally they play 4 games each session. Cost range from $20/set of 6 paper cards (4 games) to about $60 for the family pack, which is 1 electronic hand set (about 40 cards for each game) and 2 sets of paper cards.

It is a good way to spend an hour on the cruise and they do serve drinks as well, so expect to spend money that way as well, if you want to drink, otherwise you can just play.

 

[lucky1]

I have to give our experience... We were watching for flights into Houston. Going between Hobby or George Bush airports and was going to depend on which flight we could get into the Houston that would not cost an arm and Leg.

From Tus to IAH or HOU was looking like it was going to be at least $500/person and maybe we could have got it close to $399/person.

Been checking Kayak.com and Bing/travel each Tuesday - Thursday afternoon.

This past week we saw fares of $222 on Tuesday about 8pm ET. I knew if I didn't book them now they might be gone. Yes, looked on Thursday and they were up to $430 again.


Good luck. I feel better about spending $664 instead of $1500 for our flights.

 

[coloradomama]

We are flying into Hobby the night before. I just didn't trust the airlines and was scared to fly on the day of. I have seen several recommendations for the Country Inn and Suites by the airport. It's only $72 for the night with free shuttle from the airport and free hot breakfast. We won't arrive until almost 11pm, and I didn't think it would be worth the almost $300 a night
I've seen at the hotels in Galveston. We will be at
The hotel less than 12hrs, so I don't care if it's in a not so pretty place.

Now we are trying to decide if we book a town car or just call a cab to get
To the port. The prices are similar.

What time does Disney start boarding people on the ship? We like to be among the first on, but I don't want to be there too early. Our 4yo DS will get antsy very quickly.

Amy
We are so excited. I've already started planning my FE gifts!

 

[lucky1]

Not sure how it works in Galveston but assume the earliest you can board is noon. But you can check in at 11and gets the kids wristbands and see characters as the come out.

 

[coloradomama]

Not sure how it works in Galveston but assume the earliest you can board is noon. But you can check in at 11and gets the kids wristbands and see characters as the come out.

Awesome! Thanks for the info. We've boarded other cruise lines as early as 10:30. We like getting on the ships ASAP, so our vacation can begin! I like that you can get the kids registered prior to boarding.

Amy