Clear Laker Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 We are heading out on the Liberty on the 24th. Was wondering what the current status of the expansion project is and if there are any factors we should consider? We are parking @ Galveston Park N Cruise. Thank you in advance for any information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Vitale Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 Indy, I sailed out of Galveston in February. The project is fully underway, but nowhere near anything helpful yet. It's a construction project at this point, nothing more. As far as parking, I use EZ Cruise parking. It's about 2 blocks away and they've started a parkNwalk deal. If you're willing to drop off your bags w the porters, go park, and walk back to the ship, a leisurely 10 minute walk, you save about $25. I think it's $48ish as opposed to $72ish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Hey Indy! We are on the same cruise with you guys. We are driving down the day before and staying 1/2 way between Houston and Galveston. We park at 81 Dolphin which is about 2 blocks away. It's $55 for the week and we have found that the shuttle service is excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulross Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 New terminal is to be completed early May according to person in existing terminal. Matt and AdventurerMom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 New terminal is to be completed early May according to person in existing terminal. Thanks for the update! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 We are heading out on the Liberty on the 24th. Was wondering what the current status of the expansion project is and if there are any factors we should consider? We are parking @ Galveston Park N Cruise. Thank you in advance for any information. We parked here in January. As we were able to handle our own luggage, we simply walked with it across the street to check in which was super convenient as the traffic was insane. Make sure that you come in from the back side; don't take the main drag (Harborside?) in r you'll end up in the traffic mess created by those disembarking and those embarking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galveston Steve Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 We parked here in January. As we were able to handle our own luggage, we simply walked with it across the street to check in which was super convenient as the traffic was insane. Make sure that you come in from the back side; don't take the main drag (Harborside?) in r you'll end up in the traffic mess created by those disembarking and those embarking. Avoiding the traffic jams on Harborside drive (and a bunch of other Galveston suggestions) can be found in the post called All Things Galveston. I have also used Park N Cruise multiple times and find them to be very courteous and convenient to the ship. I like the fact that you can walk and avoid the need to ride a shuttle. DocLC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 Avoiding the traffic jams on Harborside drive (and a bunch of other Galveston suggestions) can be found in the post called All Things Galveston. I have also used Park N Cruise multiple times and find them to be very courteous and convenient to the ship. I like the fact that you can walk and avoid the need to ride a shuttle. Thanks for reposting the link, Steve. I was replying from my phone and it's not very easy to post links from the mobile interface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galveston Steve Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 Thanks for reposting the link, Steve. I was replying from my phone and it's not very easy to post links from the mobile interface. Is there a time when you aren't on the RC Blog, Doc? :) DocLC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 Is there a time when you aren't on the RC Blog, Doc? :) Yeah, a couple of weeks ago when I was at Disneyworld and only one day out of seven when I was on the Liberty. ;) Galveston Steve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Vitale Posted April 19, 2016 Report Share Posted April 19, 2016 Hey Indy! We are on the same cruise with you guys. We are driving down the day before and staying 1/2 way between Houston and Galveston. We park at 81 Dolphin which is about 2 blocks away. It's $55 for the week and we have found that the shuttle service is excellent. Hey Wilson, I'm in NRH also !!! Small world !! We drive down on Saturday also and stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Webster. Wilson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 Small world indeed Michael! Are you guys part of the CC Roll Call and if so are you going to the Meet & Mingle? Matt Hince lives in Southlake off of Davis. Looks like there is 3 of us within 5 minutes of each other. PRC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 Being from down here in Houston, I would give y'all a hard time about bein' yankees way up there, but I'm too busy treading water... :D Wilson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 Yeah, I've been seeing the terrible flooding in TX and particularly Houston. Be safe and careful ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Vitale Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 I don't know what a CC is, and I don't know who Matt is. Other than that, I know exactly what's going on LOL DocLC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulross Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 "CC" is Cruise Critic, which is a cruising chat board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galveston Steve Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 The Galveston Daily News reported this week that the new terminal expansion will be ready in June. That was a one sentence update in a larger article reporting that state lawmakers are discussing options to provide incentives to build additional cruise ports in south Texas, such as in Corpus Christi. Personally, that doesn't sound very feasible due to the limited options to fly there. Matt and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 That was a one sentence update in a larger article reporting that state lawmakers are discussing options to provide incentives to build additional cruise ports in south Texas, such as in Corpus Christi. Personally, that doesn't sound very feasible due to the limited options to fly there. I would think they'd look to shore up demand for Houston, which has been abandoned, rather than investing in a new terminal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galveston Steve Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 I agree Matt, and Galveston is also studying ways to expand. Although Houston has a beautiful cruise terminal, the problem with Houston is the extra 3 hours it takes to motor up the bay which takes time and fuel, and can cause fog delays lasting hours or days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 I agree Matt, and Galveston is also studying ways to expand. Although Houston has a beautiful cruise terminal, the problem with Houston is the extra 3 hours it takes to motor up the bay which takes time and fuel, and can cause fog delays lasting hours or days. You are correct. I just would think if you are going to invest money in building Texas cruising, an existing terminal is usually a safer bet than trying to push something brand new. And considering Houston is not doing well, expansion might not be prudent currently. Galveston Steve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 The challenge with the Houston terminal is location. It's an industrial area far up the channel. The transit time to open water means the casinos stay closed longer at the beginning and end, which is $$$. Also, with Texas' bizarre liquor laws, limited selections only until open water...another $$$ impact. NOLA gets away with it because of LA's favorable liquor laws and, well, it's NOLA. Houston's terminal was also built as nothing more than a carrot to get voters on the far side of the county to go for a giant cargo port expansion that the locals opposed. It was domed to fail from the start but it served its purpose by getting votes. Those leaders have admitted this now. Corpus? Not a chance. It's stuck down on the end of I-37 with small airlift and way less drive-to traffic than Galveston. This plus being on the far west end of the gulf mean the economics will never work...not unless places like Veracruz become popular and the cartels aren't going to let that happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulross Posted May 30, 2016 Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 I hear the new terminal will be opening the first part of June. It is completed, so not sure what the wait is. May be inspections or something. Any one been by to check it out. Thanks Matt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galveston Steve Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 As of today, the big white tent is still standing next to the terminal. From the outside it looks finished and you can see the lights are on, but since you can't see the inside it's hard to know what work remains to be completed. Matt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 As of today, the big white tent is still standing next to the terminal. From the outside it looks finished and you can see the lights are on, but since you can't see the inside it's hard to know what work remains to be completed. Thanks for the report and great info, Steve! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulross Posted June 24, 2016 Report Share Posted June 24, 2016 Can't confirm until it actually happens, but I heard the new Galveston terminal will be opening this Sunday for its first RCCL sailing. Be great if true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galveston Steve Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 Can't confirm until it actually happens, but I heard the new Galveston terminal will be opening this Sunday for its first RCCL sailing. Be great if true. Yes, the Galveston Daily News has a front page story today confirming that the new terminal expansion will be open tomorrow. sulross 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galveston Steve Posted June 26, 2016 Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 From the GALVESTON DAILY NEWS Long-awaited Cruise Terminal No. 2 expansion opens Sunday Posted: Friday, June 24, 2016 11:00 pm By CHACOUR KOOP The Daily News The wait is over. For the first time, passengers Sunday will board their ship through the $13.2 million expansion of Cruise Terminal No. 2, a facility built to accommodate the largest cruise ship to call at the Port of Galveston but marred by months of delays. Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Liberty of the Seas, a 1,111-foot-long ship with capacity for 4,200 people, will be the first vessel to welcome passengers through the two-story, 60,000-square-foot expansion. While the project won’t be complete until late July, the port is using the new part of Terminal No. 2 so it can remodel the original part of the terminal, Port Director Michael Mierzwa said. The expansion includes a check-in area, a large waiting room and a ramp for disembarking passengers, which will be more efficient than the previous exit route — an escalator prone to breaking down, officials said. The existing part of the cruise terminal will have a significantly expanded space for passengers to line up for screening and a separate baggage area for travelers to pick suitcases up after their trip. The port is also rolling out valet service for the first time this weekend. Valet drivers will be available for passengers boarding at both cruise terminals on today and Sunday. In hopes of generating cash from 159 parking spaces at the Galveston Transit Terminal, the port entered a three-month trial period with Sovereign Services, a Houston parking company. Parking will cost $20 per day. If the idea works, the port will put out a bid for valet parking services, Mierzwa said. The cruise terminal expansion and other improvements, which total $16.3 million, has been delayed numerous times. In January 2014, the port’s governing board approved a five-year agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruises that would generate a minimum of $1.86 million in annual operating revenue for the public docks. The deal was predicated on the port making improvements to Cruise Terminal No. 2. Royal Caribbean said the agreement would mean more island sailings and promised a larger vessel — Liberty of the Seas — to replace its Navigator of the Seas. Construction of the expanded terminal was slowed because engineers found problems. Without a substantial upgrade to the supporting piles, soil conditions would have made the foundation in a section of the building subject to considerable settlement. The expansion was supposed to be completed by the first sailing of Liberty of the Seas in November. The cost increased to $13.2 million. To satisfy the cruise line, the Wharves Board of Trustees, which governs the port, approved rental of a 10,000-square-foot tent to keep waiting passengers inside. The tent cost $75,000 a month for the first three months and $35,000 per month after that. The port also bought a $48,000 portable restroom and parked it adjacent to the tent. Renting the tent, which will be taken down after the Fourth of July weekend, cost $434,100, Mierzwa said. Constructing three additional mooring bollards and dockage to secure the Liberty of the Seas was hampered by a search expedition for a 19th century Texas Navy Ship. In September, work on the $2.9 million project was delayed until archaeologists determined the site had no signs of the warship Zavala. In 1842, the Zavala was run aground in a mud flat to keep it from sinking and then allowed to deteriorate, according to historical reports. Because the site is of historical interest, the state required the port to secure an antiquities permit and allow archaeologists to conduct surveys. Contact reporter Chacour Koop at 409-683-5241 or [email protected]. Matt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 27, 2016 Report Share Posted June 27, 2016 Great news that it is finally open! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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