Galveston Steve

I try to keep my original post in this thread up to date on these details. No hotels are within walking distance of the new Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminal 10. If Galveston hotels are within your budget then I suggest staying in Galveston. Otherwise I would stay in Webster or Clear Lake City. You don’t want to get caught in the construction traffic on the exits further south from Webster. For Suites and Pinnacle boarding, enter at the right side of the building and go up the escalators on the right side of the entry hall. Ask any staff member inside or outside the building and they are glad to point you in the right direction.

Ok, that’s right. Here’s what it showed on an Allure cruise from the new terminal in Star Class. Sea Class might have to go through the regular check in area but should be called first if there’s a wait. I guess the JS priority boarding benefit is being called to board first, not having access to the Suites & Pinnacles area.

I haven’t had a junior suite in Galveston since the new terminal opened but previously a Jr. Suite Setsail Pass just noted “Suite”. We always walked in the Suites entrance like we were supposed to be there. Never had an issue in the old terminal. Do the Setsail passes say Junior Suite now?

This has been my understanding of the policy up to now. I will say that in the past I have changed the ship/sail date on a number of cruises and the $100 change fee was not forfeited, which was nice. With the new 10% suite deposit policy I have not seen confirmation that there is still only a $100 change fee. With the drastic changes that RCG has been implementing I wonder if the change fee might increase?

Screening on the pier was commonplace prior to covid. We noticed it was back on our latest visit to Cozumel also.

No, they have not been present at the new cruise terminal on the three cruises I’ve been on that returned to Terminal 10.

Wow, Royal has been operating in Galveston for years and they have such messed up bus transfer service? Crazy. I almost always drive to the port and it's very easy to park and get to the terminal so I haven't experienced the bus fiasco. I do recommend Galveston Saltwater Moms for transportation to/from the airport. They are highly rated and also are legally operating at the Port. Follow the link I provided because there are impersonators with a similar name that are not as good. Just message them from their facebook page to arrange a reservation. Reserve well in advance because they book up early. I've sailed from the new terminal several times and it's always been very efficient for the arrival and departure process in the terminal, especially with the new security and check-in areas for arrival and facial recognition for departure. Too bad you had a different experience. Uber now has a contract with the Port, so that situation should improve very soon.

Having Uber will help quite a bit. Doing your research as you noted above will also prevent frustration. Keep in mind that the driving distance from Port Canaveral to MCO is 45 miles. That’s 2 miles further than the distance from Galveston’s new cruise terminal to HOU. If someone chooses to fly into IAH then they probably didn’t do their research or ignored the advice in this thread.

An Operating Agreement with Uber was unanimously approved by the Port of Galveston on 24 May 2023. Uber has finally agreed to the Port’s terms and the agreement is the same as Lyft's agreement, including a $2.00 fee for each pick up and drop off. I'm not sure if Uber will actually be ready to implement the agreement before your April 2 cruise however.

An Operating Agreement with Uber was unanimously approved by the Port of Galveston on 24 May 2023. Uber has finally agreed to the Port’s terms and the agreement is the same as Lyft's agreement, including a $2.00 fee for each pick up and drop off.

An Operating Agreement with Uber was unanimously approved by the Port of Galveston on 24 May 2023. Uber has finally agreed to the Port’s terms and the agreement is the same as Lyft's agreement, including a $2.00 fee for each pick up and drop off.

A few items of interest from Friday’s Port of Galveston Board of Trustees meeting: An Operating Agreement with Uber was unanimously approved by the Board. Uber has finally agreed to the Port’s terms and the agreement is the same as Lyft's agreement, including a $2.00 fee for each pick up and drop off. The Port is expanding parking for Cruise Terminal 10 near Pier 12. Trustees are receiving positive feedback from the community on the cruise traffic situation; the new cruise terminal has not resulted in worse traffic. Cruise Terminal 25 (primarily used by Carnival) is being improved to accommodate Carnival Jubilee. Jubilee is Carnival's newest ship, LNG powered, launching in late 2023 and will be home ported in Galveston. They approved funding for preliminary engineering services for development of a potential fourth cruise terminal (Cruise Terminal 16) development. This is the cruise terminal location that MSC is interested in and would be located at the current Del Monte facility.

Late — Like

You have a good point on MSC actually following through on a Galveston terminal. Time will tell. I recently sailed on their newest ship, Seascape, and the lack of customer focus in how they operate on board will not go well in Texas.

You might find this thread helpful:

Luggage drop is on Royal Caribbean Circle in front of the terminal. I have a parking map and other information posted here:

I don’t recall the ATM provider but for what it’s worth I bank with Charles Schwab Bank and they always rebate the $6.00 or $6.50 ATM fee.

I once thought it would be impossible for Galveston to get to #3, but now it looks likely. The new Royal Caribbean terminal bumped capacity by 50% in Galveston and they are running at a rate of about 3.2 million passengers per year now vs. Everglades at 3.8 million. With MSC signing a letter of intent to build a 4th terminal in Galveston that should bump them to #3 in a few years.

Here’s another webcam that changes positions and shows the new terminal. https://www.galveston.com/webcams/marinavideocam/

I have an upcoming reservation with them for 2 people and I have family who have used them for 2 people. Please make sure you use the link I provided to their facebook page because there are imitators with similar names. The correct name is “Galveston Saltwater Moms” Is this what they sent you? Read it carefully because the “6 passengers or more” only applies to the 10 person SUV option.

For your situation and since the websites are confusing I suggest you call Galveston Limo or Galveston Express. They provide shared bus service and should be able to answer questions over the phone. If you use Galveston Saltwater Moms, be sure to use the links I provided. There is a group with a similar name that imitates them and is not as reliable nor properly approved to operate in the Port.

We saw Voices on the inaugural cruise and it was excellent! It was a combination of amazing live and video recorded voices, all singing a cappella. There were some quotations from historical figures and some other photos and video projected behind the singers, with a theme of “dreamers”. I thought it was very well done. With a 5 year old I suggest sitting as close to the front as possible to be immersed in the show so it will hold their attention better.

Check out my original post here. I have a number of transportation recommendations. My current favorite is Galveston Saltwater Moms.

jsx.com and they also have an app.