Galveston Steve

On 3/3/2023 at 9:53 AM, steverk said:

Does anybody think Galveston will pass up Fort Lauderdale to become the #3 US cruise port?

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. 

9 hours ago, melmar02 said:

Does galveston.com have a webcam that faces the new terminal? Does the cruise cam swing around to point that direction, or is there a better option? 95 days to Allure and we're getting excited - hoping to see sail away for Adventure tomorrow or Allure this weekend.

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

4 hours ago, Coda_Sarah said:

Does Saltwater Moms take reservations for 2-4 people?  I reached out to them and asked if they took six people, and they sent a picture of an advertisement that said minimum was six people.  Is that based on one price criteria?  We may end up going as a group of 2 and 4 people so that's why I am asking here. 

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. 

3 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

Thanks, I did read the original post but I don't have Facebook for Saltwater Moms. I may end up trying to get someone else to reach out for me. The shuttles and/or private transport from the other two companies are confusing to me or more expensive than I prefer. We'd be ok with a shuttle but I can't find times and they say on the website that they will leave you. The private transport page is also confusing after I put in # of people and luggage. I've also never used Lyft, only Uber, although rideshare would be my preferred method. It is all just a little overwhelming, even though I've been trying to research on my own. I was hoping someone with a similar group to mine could recommend what they did and how well it worked.

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. 

On 1/3/2023 at 4:49 PM, jbrinkm said:

Seasoned Galveston travelers - could you help me with advice for travel from port to IAH? 

Details: family of 4 (2 teens) - 2 big suitcases and 4 small suitcases (plus our personal items, i.e. backpack, tote, etc but those can be on laps)

Flight at 2:30pm from IAH

What is the best balance of cost and reliability? Shared shuttle, rideshare XL or private transport? Can we do Uber now, or still just Lyft?

Also, we want to go as late as possible. No need to hurry with a 2:30pm flight. What time is the latest Allure disembarkation these days? Does that make a difference for transportation recommendations?

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

17 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Steve, how do you book JSX ?

jsx.com and they also have an app.

I've criticized RCG for some of their health protocols over the past year or two, but I'm here now to praise them. Since the restart following Covid, Nancy and I have taken 21 RCG cruises over 16 months. In not a single instance did we return with the usual "cruise crud", Covid, or other sickness. Not once.

We just returned from the 2nd US sailing on MSC Seascape, MSC's newest ship.  There are plenty of comparisons to be made. But as far as health goes we knew we were going to come home sick... and we did. Virtually no automatic doors, so every door/bathroom we entered we had to touch a door handle, push it down, and pull or push the door open. The bright chrome finish in all the public areas was beautiful but graphically showed all the handprints on door handles and handrails. Very few hand sanitizing stations or hand wash stations. Very few complimentary options for breakfast and lunch, so they essentially pushed everyone to the buffet which was a crowded mess with everyone serving their own food. Even the security person who scanned sea passes as you get on/off the ship would not scan it unless you handed it to them so they could spread germs from all the other passengers to your sea pass.  So yes, I'm sitting here with "cruise crud" and fever for the first time in years.

I'm not here to compare MSC to RCG which I could spend a lot of time doing. I am here to say that RCG has its act together on their protocols.  If you complain about RCG that's fine (I certainly have), but you might want to check out the competition occasionally to see how others operate their ships and treat their passengers.

I've flown JSX several times now, and have had great experiences. It's like flying "semi-private". They use the same facilities that private jets use, which means you avoid big crowds and long security and checkin lines. Just show up 20-30 minutes before the flight, check in, and get on the plane. They fly to many of the key cruise port cities: Miami, Orlando, Houston, Los Angeles / Orange County. Pricing can be similar to a first class ticket but we have scored some great deals at times.

This week's Southwest Airlines fiasco proved to me that JSX is a better option. Our son's family, 4 in total, had their flight from FLL cancelled as we were disembarking the ship in Miami. Southwest's options would get them home 4 days later... maybe. They immediately booked seats on JSX from Miami and were able to get home that same evening. Southwest's refunds, if they come through, should cover much of the JSX fare.

Nancy and I were already booked on JSX from Orlando for the next day (we wanted to do some sightseeing and snag the lower fares from Orlando). Our JSX flight back to Dallas was scheduled for 3:20 pm and it ended up being 4 hours late due to the inbound flight being cancelled coming in from White Plains, NY. Here's what JSX did for everyone on the flight without being forced to do it by the government or the passengers: 1) flew an empty plane and flight crew from Dallas to Orlando to pick us up 2) patiently answered our questions and provided updated information. 3) ordered a bunch of pizzas and had them delivered to the private air terminal (there was no other option for passengers to get dinner) 4) as we arrived home we each had already received an email apologizing for the delay and a voucher for $200 in future flight credit.

PROS

• 2 free bags
• Free Starlink WiFi (being rolled out fleetwide)
• Free drinks (alcoholic too)
• Free Snacks
• Seating configuration provides extra room
• Retrieve bags planeside

CONS

• More expensive but may be worth it
• Extra fee to reserve a specific seat prior to airport checkin
• Typically only very expensive valet parking is available at the private air terminal, so you need to arrive by Uber, Lyft, etc.
• They allow well-behaved large dogs to sit in front of an adjacent seat if they purchase a seat for the dog (may be a turn-off if you are allergic)

Check it out if it they fly near where you need to go!

On 12/4/2022 at 5:20 PM, ChessE4 said:

The reported time is Ship Time.

Although I would have agreed with this a month ago, this is not always the case. On two cruises on Allure out of Galveston the reported time on our Royal Caribbean itinerary is off by an hour because of “ship time”. We arrived and departed one hour early at the Mexican ports. Your experience may differ.  

I think the requirement to move up from the nursery is 36 months AND be potty trained. 

On 12/2/2022 at 9:32 AM, smokeybandit said:

I see them mentioned a lot. Are they a licensed and insured transportation group or just a bunch of ladies who like driving people around in their spare time?

Galveston Saltwater Moms is a licensed Transportation Provider with the Port of Galveston, which means they can legally operate at the cruise terminals. They have a $500,000 bond and commercial insurance through Progressive. Give them a try as an alternative to the big guys. 

9 hours ago, kadmgs said:

Same as @CrznTxn https://www.portparking.com/ I like that we parked in a warehouse and the shuttle service was included. It was super easy and they give a better discount than the Port of Galveston for disabled veterans. 

I agree... www.portparking.com is my favorite 3rd party provider in Galveston. It is owned and operated by good folks who I know personally.

4 hours ago, melmar02 said:

Where did you park? I'm assuming not on-site? We usually park at Lighthouse, and I'm curious if there is any noticeable difference using a 3rd party parking lot from the old terminal. 

It's a little further distance for the shuttle from Lighthouse to the new terminal, but otherwise should be similar. I was previously a big believer in the 3rd party parking lots because they were cheaper and more convenient than the Port of Galveston parking. For the new terminal I parked in the Port's North Lot and really loved the convenience of a short walk to the terminal, even though it was a little more expensive. 

On 11/28/2022 at 9:54 AM, Anika Celestine said:

Does anyone know if Royal has their own parking at the new terminal? We’re on the allure sailing February 19,2023. 

The parking right at the cruise terminal is operated by the Port of Galveston:

https://www.portofgalveston.com/9/Cruise

On 11/28/2022 at 11:44 AM, jbrinkm said:

There's also this whole thread but so, so long to read all of it...  

Thanks for linking to my thread! It IS a long thread but I try to keep the original post updated on a regular basis so folks can always have the latest update on my recommendations.

5 hours ago, luv2sail said:

Thank you! I found the parking map online, too. I wonder how fast the covered spots will sell out... Thinking out loud.

We waited until about 2 weeks before the inaugural sailing and it was sold out. Had to book the North lot but we were able to park in the row adjacent to the covered area. I think the covered lot will be very popular and sell out for most cruises, especially in the summer months. I'm convinced the convenience and covering of this lot is worth the price (to me), so I've already booked it for my late January cruise just to make sure we can get in!

4 hours ago, luv2sail said:

We have a cruise on Allure, and I am trying to figure out the North lot. Is it covered or not? Trying to understand the picture below. I can't seem to see it in YouTube videos.

This is a picture of the "North Premium Lot (Covered)".  It is the most expensive lot but it is obviously very convenient to the terminal entrance. The "North Lot" is where this photo was taken from, so if you arrive early you can probably get very close to the terminal in the "North Lot", but it will not be covered.

15 hours ago, memebag said:

I left on the Adventure on 11/14 and came back on 11/19. Leaving was a breeze. Arriving had some bumps.

It was raining when we the boat unloaded, and they make the passengers depart on the side of the terminal, not the front. The front is next to the north parking lot, where my car was, so I had to walk outside in the rain to get around to the front. People were huddled up against the building waiting on rides or something, making everyone who was walking go out in the puddles.

The parking lot has arms for entrance and exit, and the rain made it so that the exit arms wouldn't open. I sat there watching the guy swipe his card 50 times with no success. He asked if I had my parking ticket (from when I arrived) because the QR code on it might open the gate. I said I didn't know, but if I did, it was in my trunk. Eventually I got out in the rain to dig through my backpack in the trunk, but didn't find the ticket.

Eventually the gate arm just raised by itself.

Traffic on the way in was light. Traffic on the way out was very slow.

Wow, sorry you had this experience. We had no issues arriving on Allure the following day. We did notice that the parking arms were all in the up position coming in and out and they were just checking the parking passes manually.  They designed the terminal so passengers disembarking the ship don't create congestion with the arriving passengers, that's why the disembarking passengers depart the terminal on the east side while embarking passengers enter from the south side. I feel this traffic flow is much preferable to other terminals where there is a mass of humanity going in every direction. I hope you have a better experience next time!

Here are a few photos of the new Cruise Terminal 10 and the Suites & Pinnacles check in area taken on 13 November 2022.

It’s been a long time coming, but this is happening! (Actual photograph, not an artist’s rendering) 

9 hours ago, Zambia-Zaire said:

What was the issue the Port Authority had with Uber?

The Port requires the ride share companies to sign a contract with the Port and pay access fees if they want to operate on Port property. Uber refused to sign the contract several years ago.  With the new cruise terminal, Uber has decided to negotiate a contract with the Port.

33 minutes ago, memebag said:

I got new docs today with this new address for Adventure of the Seas on 11/14:

Texas Pier Terminal Texas Cruise Ship Terminal of Galveston
Island - Pier 10
1402 Harborside Drive Galveston, Texas 77550

Same for my inaugural Allure sailing! I checked a couple days ago and it had the old Terminal 2 info. Now its updated to the new information that you just posted as well. I'm glad they caught that and updated it! From my edocs for Allure:

On 8/30/2022 at 5:31 PM, Galveston Steve said:

All the time we lived in Galveston we never had a great barbecue place. Queen’s was ok but not great. We hear great things about Koop’s BBQ Kitchen but have not been there. I will commit to trying Koop’s in late September and report back!

@USCG Teacher so we tried Koop's BBQ Kitchen in Galveston on this trip... it was great! The barbecue and side dishes were really good. The space was clean and pretty basic.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  I'd recommend it!

3 hours ago, memebag said:

I'm sailing on Adventure of the Seas out of Galveston on 11/14/2022. I got my documents today, and they say we are boarding at terminal 2, which seems to be the old terminal. I was hoping we were using the new one.

That’s surprising and may be a case of the documentation not being updated. I would be prepared to see where the ship docks that morning by using the Marine Traffic app.