Galveston Steve

Nice screen capture! And your picture confirms that Carnival Dream arrived in Galveston today! Carnival now has their two largest ship classes home ported in Galveston: Vista Class and Dream Class. I can't wait to see which ship Royal will put here when they finish Terminal 3!

I have the link in the original post on this thread, but thanks for sharing again. They have a great network of cameras that follow the ships in and out of port (not just the "cruise cam").

When I check in for both my wife and myself, both SetSail passes appear in the app. You just swipe to display the other pass. That's all you should need if you are checking in at a port that accepts the digital SetSail passes.

Royal Caribbean does sell gift certificates on line, but it may be too late to make that happen. The simplest method (since you are traveling with her) is to do as you suggested and just go to Guest Services and deposit cash into her account. Maybe give her a card that says you have done this so she can choose a spa treatment of her choice. Enjoy your cruise!

I would be interested in seeing the Adventure Ocean info for Ovation in Alaska as well!

Awesome! Thanks for the report!

I often see people having their MDR waiter fix "to-go" plates for guests who didn't show up for dinner or they want to take their dessert to enjoy later. The waiter will give you a plate with one of those room service covers on it. I have often seen people carry plates out of the Windjammer using a napkin or another plate as a cover (often for a sick spouse or just being nice and bringing something back for a spouse to have breakfast in bed).

I bought CCL after our first cruise on Carnival Celebration in 1987. We were so impressed with the cruise experience that we thought it would be a good investment, and it was! We sold it a few years later when I questioned some of the management decisions. After a couple cruises on RCL we bought stock because we also thought it would be a good investment. An innovative and creative company with assets that can be repositioned globally as market conditions change and plans to continuously and systematically upgrade those assets (ships) was very appealing. Their "double double" initiative to double profits and achieve double digit return on invested capital was ambitious, but was successfully realized. Like others noted above, purchasing RCL stock for me was about making a good investment in a product I am familiar with (similar to CCL years ago). I submit the Shareholder Benefit request form for every cruise. The rules are so complicated I have stopped trying to figure out if I qualify, so I make them tell me yes or no. I have received the benefit on a few cruises but I usually don't qualify. It doesn't matter because the benefit is price appreciation and dividends.

We had a Central Park balcony on Harmony deck 10. The noise from pool music was very loud and aggravating during the day even inside the cabin. It was very nice at night with the more tranquil music and night lighting ambiance.

I tried using only the digital Setsail pass for the first time on Mariner in Miami last year. When we checked in they said they still have to have something on paper for their accounting or some other purpose, so they made us fill out a short form. In that case the checkin process took longer to use the digital version. I've seen others make this comment elsewhere on the boards. Would be curious about other experiences with using the digital Setsail pass.

Thanks for asking... I'm BOI: Born OFF the Island, haha. But my wife and I lived in Galveston for a number of years before retiring to Dallas. We lived on the 21st floor of a condo overlooking Galveston Bay and the entrance to the Galveston Ship Channel. We watched all of the cruise ships come and go on a daily basis, ate the local cuisine, and lived life on the island. Only kids and a grandchild could tear us away, but we still try to cruise from Galveston when possible.

The Port Parking park-and-walk facility is located at 18th and Harborside in a warehouse building. It is about a 0.7 mile walk (about 8 blocks) to Terminal 2 where Royal Caribbean docks. It would be a nice stroll down The Strand Historic District on your way to the ship. Just make sure to drop your luggage at the cruise terminal before you park. The Port Parking main facility is at 37th and Harborside in a large warehouse building. This main facility is not a walkable location but they have plenty of convenient shuttle busses

Yes, the balcony dividers can be opened on Liberty. It requires a specific wrench/tool and your stateroom attendant can do that for you. We had adjoining Junior Suites on Liberty in December and the balcony access was very nice!

Hi @spursfreak21. My post on All Things Galveston has a list of great local restaurants that I recommend. Don't go to the tourist traps and chain restaurants... you only have two meals to have a good eating experience in Galveston. A good choice for a full-menu breakfast is Farley Girls Cafe near the University of Texas Medical Branch. It's excellent and would be my first choice for a full breakfast. Mod Coffeehouse is also a cool, eclectic place if you want coffee and something light such as pastries. Another good option for breakfast would be Mosquito Cafe. There are lots of dinner options on my list depending on what sounds good to you. Let me know if you have questions!

Same experience, could be any of those three.

Well done!

The Santa Hustle 5K and Half Marathon is that weekend. It draws a lot of people to the island.

Hi Laura! I have not used 81st Dolphin, but I think they would be fine. It’s outdoor, gated, and looks secure. A few months ago I used Port Parking, as mentioned above, and had a good experience. I think you would be fine with any of the providers in Galveston. Several have a park and walk option that saves money if you don’t need the shuttle bus. You can drop your bags at the cruise terminal, drive to the parking lot, and walk back to the ship. Of course the weather may make this option uncomfortable. Have a great cruise!

You might find this post helpful. It discusses airport transportation and all things Galveston... All Things Galveston

Fog risk in early October is pretty low. The oppressive summer heat doesn't break until later in October. Fog is most prevalent in December/January in Galveston. If the ship arrives on time and you do self-assist disembarkation you should be able to get a taxi by 8:00 am. If flying out of Houston Hobby (HOU) it's about a 45 minute drive. If flying out of Houston Intercontinental (IAH) it's about a 1 hour and 15 minute drive. That assumes no traffic. Flying out of Hobby should be ok if the ship arrives on time (pretty likely) and traffic cooperates (pretty likely on a Sunday morning). Flying from Intercontinental can also work if everything goes right, but it's cutting it a bit close because you have to get to the other side of Houston.

There is no charge to use the lounge chairs located in various areas on the beach or under the trees. It's first come, first served. You can ask an attendant to help set you up or move chairs around if needed. There is an extra charge option for "beach loungers" that includes two lounge chairs and a sun shade. These are available on the cruise planner and are pre-reserved for a fee. You reserve one "beach lounger" and it accommodates two people.

For number of guests you select "1" for one Bungalow. Use any name in your party to tie to the reservation. That will buy you one Beach Bungalow which is good for up to 6 people on Labadee. When you arrive at Columbus Cove and check in, they will put VIP wrist bracelets on everyone in your party. I've done Labadee Beach Bungalows twice and Coco Cay once. I've never had to give them a list of names.

It's official! Fall of 2021. Michael Bayley hints at Oasis Class and eventually Icon Class but no definitive ship announcement yet. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Royal-Caribbean-to-build-nearly-100M-cruise-13444607.php#photo-16603325

That's great news. Before all of the "Galveston Haters" start dumping on your post, there are several interesting points in the article in addition to the fact that you pointed out that ships sail from Galveston at 110%: Terminal 3 will be a ~$100 million investment by Royal Caribbean and could be a 60-year deal (20 year initial term with four 10-year extensions)... I'm sure Royal has done their homework and know Texas will support the expansion. 70% of passengers drive to the port and 20 million people live within a day's drive. With the Texas economy being perennially strong I believe there will be plenty of support for the expansion. By bringing in a new, experienced, Port Director about a year ago, Galveston has taken a key step in expanding their cruise business and brought a fresh vision for the Port.

Your questions were very straightforward and simple to answer. You even provided multiple choice answers for them to choose from! The responses were almost nonsensical in relation to your questions. Amazing.