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I know that the logistics regarding flying into Galveston  is a big and much discussed issue, and I have read many of the posts regarding taking the various shuttles from the Houston airports over to Galveston, to the port.   My question is,  since our cruise is leaving on a Sunday, (will be in the summer 2020, so not right away..but...)   would it be worth it to fly in on Friday or early Saturday and go ahead and take a shuttle over to Galveston and stay near the port in a beachfront hotel for a night or 2?   I would just like some opinions on this, since I have never been to Galveston (or Texas for that matter)... I do like the idea of already being just a mile or 2 away from the port when I wake up Sunday morning, but I also see that it is significantly more expensive to stay on the beach there than in a Houston airport hotel near the shuttles...   My cousin told me that the Galveston beaches are kinda crappy ...but, she is a lot more finicky than I am.... I love most any beach lol   Thanks!

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No matter which port we are departing from, we always choose to spend the night closest to the port vs closest to the airport.  We just always choose to get where we’re going first and then we can relax.  If I know I still have traveling to do to get to the port on sailaway day, I am not comfortable. Just the military training, I guess.  Get where you’re going first !

I know that there are some situations (Orlando/Port Canaveral for one) where the hotel options are more expensive  on the “port” end. I don’t care.  I still opt to stay closer to the port so that my sail day travel is minimized and the risk of running into hurdles is minimized.

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9 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

No matter which port we are departing from, we always choose to spend the night closest to the port vs closest to the airport.  We just always choose to get where we’re going first and then we can relax.  If I know I still have traveling to do to get to the port on sailaway day, I am not comfortable. Just the military training, I guess.  Get where you’re going first !

i was thinking that exact same thing... i dont care if i have to pay 100 more a night... i would so much prefer to be 1.0 mile away from the port on Sunday morning, than 40 miles away... lol... I am guessing that I can still find a shuttle running from a Houston airport over to the beach, near the port area, on other days and by other groups besides just  the cruise ship people....  surely....    and then just take a cab or maybe even be able to get a hotel shuttle to the port on sunday.. especially if i stay at a hotel such as Holiday Inn or such... 

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If you are going to get a room at one of the better beach hotels, my advice would be get it sooner rather than later. In January we tried all the top hotels for the Christmas 2019 cruise and they were all full. Found out there was a marathon going on that particular weekend, but there's something going on in Galveston frequently. 

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13 minutes ago, kittysoul said:

@rtread ahh, got it!! I will make sure then to book way way early!!  I am about a year out right now and so i don't even think they will let me yet, but in a couple months, i bet i can, and i will! ?  Thanks for the tip!

You are welcome. We've been trying to get a room at the Galvez for years....they are always full. I told them one time they needed to add on big time!

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1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

No matter which port we are departing from, we always choose to spend the night closest to the port vs closest to the airport.  We just always choose to get where we’re going first and then we can relax.  If I know I still have traveling to do to get to the port on sailaway day, I am not comfortable. Just the military training, I guess.  Get where you’re going first !

I know that there are some situations (Orlando/Port Canaveral for one) where the hotel options are more expensive  on the “port” end. I don’t care.  I still opt to stay closer to the port so that my sail day travel is minimized and the risk of running into hurdles is minimized.

I'm with @WAAAYTOOO , especially at Galveston, it just makes cruise day so much easier, I usually stay at a Courtyard by Marriott because I'm either accumulating points or using points. 

There are a lot of really nice hotels, the beaches are ok, they are definitely not Caribbean island beaches, but any day at a beach is better than working.

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I don't fly in, this port is drivable for me, there was just another thread about this, I'll have to see if I can find it.

The consensus on the other thread was uber or a shuttle.

It really depends on which airport, Hobby is closer, so probably uber, Intercontinental is on the far North side of Houston, so purely from a cost perspective a car service or shuttle. Hobby is about 50 minutes, Intercontinental is 1.5 to 2 hour depending on Houston traffic.

In the other thread @WAAAYTOOO recommended a limo service which seemed responsible.

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2 hours ago, tiny260 said:

I don't fly in, this port is drivable for me, there was just another thread about this, I'll have to see if I can find it.

The consensus on the other thread was uber or a shuttle.

It really depends on which airport, Hobby is closer, so probably uber, Intercontinental is on the far North side of Houston, so purely from a cost perspective a car service or shuttle. Hobby is about 50 minutes, Intercontinental is 1.5 to 2 hour depending on Houston traffic.

In the other thread @WAAAYTOOO recommended a limo service which seemed responsible.

Dittos here. Drive to Galveston, park indoors near cruise terminal.

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1 minute ago, Yo2slick said:

We are driving to Galveston as well, we thought about a hotel but after seeing how much they wanted for a basic motel room its a hard pass from us.

If you have your own car, one option is get a hotel room in Houston and drive to terminal the next morning. Very driveable but it is Houston. There are parking options at or near the terminals.

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29 minutes ago, rtread said:

If you have your own car, one option is get a hotel room in Houston and drive to terminal the next morning. Very driveable but it is Houston. There are parking options at or near the terminals.

Yeah we already prepaid our parking with Port of Galveston.  I have spent enough time in Houston LOL, we are just gonna drive in.  I actually work nights so Ill be up anyway.

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2 hours ago, Momof4crazytocruise said:

Galveston is really only about 35-40 minutes from Hobby airport. If you're going to come in that early, why not stay near NASA Johnson Space Center and do the tour there at Space Center Houston? Plenty of reasonable hotels around, and easy trip via Uber or Lyft to the port. 

I am kind of excited about this idea now... I looked on expedia and we could either Uber around, or get a car rental pretty cheap  ... kind of putting together a new idea of going down early enough to spend a night in Webster, and go see the Space center  and then drive to Galveston the day before the cruise and spend one night on the beach there too....maybe have some time to squeeze in a BBQ restaurant visit too lol

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4 hours ago, kittysoul said:

@tiny260 @rtread @WAAAYTOOO ... if you guys fly into Houston, when going to Galveston (those who have sailed from Galveston), how did you get over to your hotel from the airport?  

We are flying into Hobby (HOU) rather than Bush this time.  Either way it’s a connection for us from DCA so we might as well get a little closer to where we are going right from the start.  I looked around for transportation and got a couple of quotes that were TOO high and basically has given up and decided we would Uber it (that’s too far to Uber IMHO) but then last week I decided to try again and got a quote from ZLimousine for $105 each way (plus tip, of course) for a Town Car.  While not cheap, I thought it was a reasonable compromise so I booked with them. I can not vouch for the service as we have not gone yet but I will reach back once we get back.  It’s a long drive so there’s really no cheap way to get from Houston to Galveston !  It’s one of the reaons (IMO) that cruises out of Galveston are slightly cheaper than out of Florida.

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14 minutes ago, melmar02 said:

If you are going to be renting a car, I believe Enterprise is the only company on Galveston Island. 

And a one-way rental is VERY expensive. We did that the last time we cruised out of Galveston (we had business to conduct so we needed a car). It’s not like in Florida where a one-way car rental from Orlando to Cape Canaveral is no significant additional cost.  The one-way from Houston to Galveston is very pricey - over $300. Enterprise definitely needs some competition down there !

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2 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

We are flying into Hobby (HOU) rather than Bush this time.  Either way it’s a connection for us from DCA so we might as well get a little closer to where we are going right from the start.  I looked around for transportation and got a couple of quotes that were TOO high and basically has given up and decided we would Uber it (that’s too far to Uber IMHO) but then last week I decided to try again and got a quote from ZLimousine for $105 each way (plus tip, of course) for a Town Car.  While not cheap, I thought it was a reasonable compromise so I booked with them. I can not vouch for the service as we have not gone yet but I will reach back once we get back.  It’s a long drive so there’s really no cheap way to get from Houston to Galveston !  It’s one of the reaons (IMO) that cruises out of Galveston are slightly cheaper than out of Florida.

yeah..i have never been to Houston and so I had no idea that there was an issue until we had already booked there.  The reason I am thinking I will just get a rental car rather than deal with shuttles and ubers, is that I ran an air/hotel/car package through expedia just to see the ballpark .. staying in a holiday inn i think is what i picked, near the Space Center for 2 nights...and it came up right at around 500 each... i figured that for including our airfare, 2 nights in a hotel and a car rental for 9 days,  that 500 was a really good deal... of course I will have to pay to park it at the terminal lot for a week, but thats just another 100 or so i think for the week...

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45 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

And a one-way rental is VERY expensive. We did that the last time we cruised out of Galveston (we had business to conduct so we needed a car). 

I know! We'll be driving from Dallas and picking up my MIL from Hobby in February. DH and I both drive small SUVs, and I don't think 5 people and all our luggage will fit in our cars. It looks like two one way rentals of a mini-van or full size SUV will be cheaper than a week's rental plus parking though. Either way...?

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4 hours ago, kittysoul said:

I am kind of excited about this idea now... I looked on expedia and we could either Uber around, or get a car rental pretty cheap  ... kind of putting together a new idea of going down early enough to spend a night in Webster, and go see the Space center  and then drive to Galveston the day before the cruise and spend one night on the beach there too....maybe have some time to squeeze in a BBQ restaurant visit too lol

Just a little more advice....the Johnson Space Center is massive and even if you planned a short in-and-out tour, you will find yourself wanting to see all you can.....just sayin'

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14 minutes ago, rtread said:

Just a little more advice....the Johnson Space Center is massive and even if you planned a short in-and-out tour, you will find yourself wanting to see all you can.....just sayin'

i am thinking we will fly in the night before so that we can dedicate an entire day to nothing but the space center... we may not get to see 'everything' but hopefully we could cover a great deal of the highlights! ?   I will say though...the more i watch youtube videos about the Galveston beach... it does look kind of icky.... is there a lot of pollution.. or oil in the water from the oil drilling and stuff?

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@rtread I have a while to plan this one... but I am still wondering if i should get the rental car or just depend on Uber's/ Lyft to get around...  I am looking now and see that there is a nice Mariott hotel that is right across the street from the Space Center and people have given reviews that you can stay there and just walk across the street to the space center.  I guess what mostly depends on, to me is how difficult it is to drive myself around from the airport to the  Space Center area and then on to the cruise port parking area, without getting too frustrated.  lol

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The beaches in Galveston are gross because the Gulf current pushes all of the mud from the Mississippi Delta our way. Once Texas curves south, the beaches clear up, but you have to get south of Corpus Christi. I grew up going to the beach at Galveston, but you couldn't pay me to get in that water now. I was down there last week and the seaweed wasn't too bad at all and the water was actually almost green. Still not getting in it, though. Earlier in the summer there was an issue with high bacteria levels due to all the rain we got in late May/early June. The bacteria was from fecal matter being washed from pastures into the bay. Gross!!! 

Your plan to go to Space Center is what I was going to recommend. If you rent a car, I would stay at a hotel on Bay Area Blvd near I-45. There are a ton of good restaurants in that area as well as a nice mall and other shopping options in case you forgot something. For BBQ, in that area I would recommend Delta Blues BBQ for a sit down/more of a traditional restaurant. It's owned by the Pappa's family and they are a Houston Restaurant Empire. The BBQ is great. If you are looking for something a little more low key, Rudy's BBQ is a great option. If you're wanting another Texas staple, Tex-Mex is a must. There's several options for it in the area. Los Cucos is the most traditional Tex-Mex in my opinion. Chuy's is an Austin original, but is a good option as well. For something a little different/funky, we love Torchy's Tacos. They have awesome breakfast tacos and regular tacos that are far from regular. FYI, ask for the secret menu... the Mad Cow is the bomb and make sure you ask what the taco of the month is. I live about 30 mins. from Webster and we got to Torchy's so much that the bartender knows us. Feel free to "pick my brain" about the NASA area. 

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9 minutes ago, kadmgs said:

The beaches in Galveston are gross because the Gulf current pushes all of the mud from the Mississippi Delta our way. Once Texas curves south, the beaches clear up, but you have to get south of Corpus Christi. I grew up going to the beach at Galveston, but you couldn't pay me to get in that water now. I was down there last week and the seaweed wasn't too bad at all and the water was actually almost green. Still not getting in it, though. Earlier in the summer there was an issue with high bacteria levels due to all the rain we got in late May/early June. The bacteria was from fecal matter being washed from pastures into the bay. Gross!!! 

Your plan to go to Space Center is what I was going to recommend. If you rent a car, I would stay at a hotel on Bay Area Blvd near I-45. There are a ton of good restaurants in that area as well as a nice mall and other shopping options in case you forgot something. For BBQ, in that area I would recommend Delta Blues BBQ for a sit down/more of a traditional restaurant. It's owned by the Pappa's family and they are a Houston Restaurant Empire. The BBQ is great. If you are looking for something a little more low key, Rudy's BBQ is a great option. If you're wanting another Texas staple, Tex-Mex is a must. There's several options for it in the area. Los Cucos is the most traditional Tex-Mex in my opinion. Chuy's is an Austin original, but is a good option as well. For something a little different/funky, we love Torchy's Tacos. They have awesome breakfast tacos and regular tacos that are far from regular. FYI, ask for the secret menu... the Mad Cow is the bomb and make sure you ask what the taco of the month is. I live about 30 mins. from Webster and we got to Torchy's so much that the bartender knows us. Feel free to "pick my brain" about the NASA area. 

kadmgs has given a very good rundown on the beaches and I got hungry reading his restaurant recommendations!

One thing Texas does not have is nice beaches. A few years ago we went on a road trip to Pensacola when our son was in the service. We went from New Orleans to Pensacola as close to the gulf as we could get.....we saw a lot of beaches. I have been ashamed of Texas beaches ever since.

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3 hours ago, kittysoul said:

@rtread I have a while to plan this one... but I am still wondering if i should get the rental car or just depend on Uber's/ Lyft to get around...  I am looking now and see that there is a nice Mariott hotel that is right across the street from the Space Center and people have given reviews that you can stay there and just walk across the street to the space center.  I guess what mostly depends on, to me is how difficult it is to drive myself around from the airport to the  Space Center area and then on to the cruise port parking area, without getting too frustrated.  lol

That sounds like a good plan....NASA is a good location as far as going on to Galveston....not far at all.. You will be on I 45 coming in to Galveston, just take the Harborside Drive exit and it goes right to the terminals. Sometimes there is heavy traffic on Harborside, sometimes not.

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@kadmgs  Oh this is awesome!!  Thanks so much for all of this golden info!  I will write these things into my little book that I take with me and for certain try some of those restaurants!  Having never been to Texas, I definitely want to try the BBQ there..and the tex mex!     Can you tell me more about where the 'Bay Ara Blvd' is located, like which neighborhood to search on the hotel search engines...   If you know a couple specifically that would help.. like midrange ..maybe a holiday inn or mariott in that general area?  In a city that huge, those hotel search engines get so confusing, trying to nail down a certain area (for me anyway! lol)   Thanks so much for your advise/ help! ?

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You've already received a lot of great advice above. However I do have a post here that I try to keep updated regarding Galveston.

For accuracy sake, it's muddy water from the Brazos River (not the Mississippi) that makes the Galveston beaches less attractive most of the year.  Since you are going on a Caribbean cruise you will see nicer beaches on your cruise for sure, so the NASA option sounds perfect for you and your son.

Enjoy!

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I live right across the street from NASA (I work there), so I know the area pretty well! #IsurvivedHarvey. Feel free to pick my brain as well!

11 hours ago, kittysoul said:

@kadmgs  Oh this is awesome!!  Thanks so much for all of this golden info!  I will write these things into my little book that I take with me and for certain try some of those restaurants!  Having never been to Texas, I definitely want to try the BBQ there..and the tex mex!     Can you tell me more about where the 'Bay Ara Blvd' is located, like which neighborhood to search on the hotel search engines...   If you know a couple specifically that would help.. like midrange ..maybe a holiday inn or mariott in that general area?  In a city that huge, those hotel search engines get so confusing, trying to nail down a certain area (for me anyway! lol)   Thanks so much for your advise/ help! ?

Bay Area Blvd is one of the main drags down here - NASA RD 1 is the other. The mall is there, with great restaurants, west of I-45. East of I-45 has restaurants and hotels, all of the (nice) LaQuinta, Marriott type. Search "Webster TX" to get the best read on hotels in that area. There is a very nice Courtyard Marriott and Hilton down near NASA that most of my colleagues and family stay at that they all like (search Nassau Bay for those hotels). It is within walking distance of the Space Center and some restaurants.

I think you can also put in a landmark - like Johnson Space Center, and that would get you in the right area.

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20 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

And a one-way rental is VERY expensive. We did that the last time we cruised out of Galveston (we had business to conduct so we needed a car). It’s not like in Florida where a one-way car rental from Orlando to Cape Canaveral is no significant additional cost.  The one-way from Houston to Galveston is very pricey - over $300. Enterprise definitely needs some competition down there !

The less expensive option there is to rent the car for the full week and return it to Houston. Even with parking it's probably less than the one-way options.

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