Galveston Steve

Also the Windjammer buffet always has lots of vegetarian options with Indian food, Asian, beans, salads, etc. And they are all excellent. I was trying to eat vegan a couple years ago on Serenade of the Seas and was pretty successful… for a while (I found myself tempted by the other amazing options, so I did get away from my vegan diet). But as Matt says, you should not have any issues.

Navigator of the Seas - 13 July 2014 Brilliance of the Seas - 27 September 2015

Hi everyone, I'm Steve. My wife and I love cruising but need to increase our frequency! We've been on Carnival, Costa, and Premier (remember "The Big Red Boat"? We were on their final voyage). After sailing on Serenade in Alaska we were hooked on Royal Caribbean. From our condo in Galveston we are cruise nerds... watching Navigator of the Seas and the Carnival ships come and go each week, wishing we were onboard. That wish comes true this month when we board Navigator! Thanks for all the great stories and advice from Matt and everyone on the message boards!

Well I can't believe that it's been 24 years since I sailed on Carnival. That probably disqualifies me on this thread but my perception is that Royal Caribbean is just a step above on service, food quality, entertainment quality. I really enjoyed my two Carnival cruises years ago but noticed this step up when we sailed Royal Caribbean. I will say that the thing that I think really sets Royal Caribbean apart is innovation. They always seem to be a step ahead of the competition. Innovations like the rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, virtual balconies, helipads, Broadway shows, dynamic dining, and many others set Royal apart from most other cruise lines, including Carnival. I'm really excited to board Navigator here in Galveston next week and check out the refurbishments.

I understand that all rooms were refurbished. The upgrade happened in February so the website just hasn't updated the pictures yet. I'm sailing on Navigator in a couple of weeks and can confirm after that.

Back in 1988 we used the treadmills on Carnival Celebration to offset the mass quantity of food we were eating. I loved the treadmill so much that we bought one. Now that we are loyal to Royal Caribbean I love the full gym and spa facilities on their ships. It started on that first ship with walks on the treadmill. Now I'm a runner and enjoy the jogging track, or treadmill if the weather is bad. We usually hit the gym and track first thing to start the day and also spend some time afterward relaxing in the hot tub or sauna. Starting the day with a vigorous workout seems to make the wonderful meals even more enjoyable.

My first cruise was on Carnival Celebration back in 1988. I had been traveling for work 5 days a week, every week, for over a year. This included domestic and international travel. i just wanted to sleep in the same bed for a week and relax. My wife had been at home so she was ready to travel! She came up with the cruise idea and I thought it was a great solution! I could relax, be pampered, wake up in a different port of call every day, and still sleep in the same bed for the whole week. I loved it! Back then we weren't as connected to work via email and cell phone as we are now, but being able to tell my colleagues at work that they can't get in touch with me for a week is also a great reason to cruise. I just can't believe that 26 years later we haven't been on more cruise ships… I plan to make up for some lost time.

My response is a little tardy since your Navigator cruise has already happened, but maybe this will help others. I live in Galveston and would recommend the following: Fly into HOU (Houston Hobby). It's much closer than IAH and you won't have the Houston traffic to deal with. You can arrange a Towne Car or Suburban in advance and the fare from HOU to Port of Galveston should be about $120 plus tip. http://www.townecarhouston.com or you can also use Cool Tours which is a Galveston business and can accommodate any size group and may be a little less expensive depending on the group size: https://cooltoursgalveston.com/shuttle-cruise-package-from-hobby-airport-hou/ There are a couple of hotels near the port and the historic Strand District in Galveston. It's a great idea to arrive a day early and enjoy the island ambiance. The Harbor House (http://www.harborhousepier21.com) is very convenient to the ship and to many nice restaurants, museums, and shopping. The Tremont House (http://www.thetremonthouse.com) is also very walkable with wheeled luggage. The Tremont House is a Wyndham Hotel located in a beautiful historic building. The Tremont's rooftop bar has wonderful views of the island and port area. Fog was an issue in the Houston/Galveston area over the winter, but Royal Caribbean and Carnival seemed to fare better than the Caribbean Princess that sailed from Houston. Barring weather, and all ships have to deal with that, the ships seem to arrive and depart pretty much on time from Galveston. Galveston also has very easy access to open Gulf waters, unlike Houston and New Orleans. If anyone has questions about sailing from Galveston or the local area, feel free to message me.