Information on Royal Carribean Transfers to Port Galveston

[bluebirdjad]

Has anyone used the transfer system to Port Galveston?  Where do they meet you?  Is it quick?  When I first called Royal Carribean, the reservationist said I had to have an arrival time before noon.  I had to purchase my flight through United due to flight credits, but I selected the same flight that Royal Carribean had on their site.  The flight had an arrival time of 10:45 a.m. leaving me plenty of time to meet the transfer bus.  I booked the flight, and then called Royal Carribean back to purchase the transfers.    This time the reservationist said my arrival time had to be before 11 or 11:30. It was different from before, but the arrival time was still okay so I purchased the transfers.  Now United keeps scooting the time later and later until now it arrives after 11 am and I am worried.  I purchased the same flight Royal Carribean had available on their website, but now that flight is no longer listed and there is a shortage of information.  I feel concerned since there is such a lack of information, and there are so many restrictions.  I would have preferred to arrive the day before the cruise, but Royal Carribean does not allow that.   I am writing the blog hoping that someone has taken their transfers before and can fill me in on how it works. 

[wordell1]

First advice is to ALWAYS fly in the day before for a cruise.  If you must do transfers, stay near the airport and take a taxi/uber back to the airport to meet the bus.

If it were me, I would fly in the day before and stay in the Webster area and use Uber/Lyft for my ride to the ship.  Buy transfers for the return trip.

[bluebirdjad]

Thank you for the information.   I have already purchased the transfers.  I am hoping someone who reads this has done Royal Carribean port transfers in the past and can fill me in on what to do and expect. 

[wordell1]

14 hours ago, bluebirdjad said:

Thank you for the information.   I have already purchased the transfers.  I am hoping someone who reads this has done Royal Carribean port transfers in the past and can fill me in on what to do and expect. 

The bottom line is that you will need to be at the transfer bus at the correct time.  The reason they are asking for your flight to arrive before 11am is that anything after that will be cutting it close.

It sounds like you are OK on paper with the arrival time, but I would be stressed out given the unpredictable nature of air travel. 

If your flight is significantly delayed and you miss the transfer, you may need to have a backup plan to get to the port by sail away. 

You are asking for advice from experienced cruisers and if it were me, I would make an effort to rebook the flights to arrive earlier if possible.  In my opinion you are cutting it too close.  

[Ampurp85]

I have not done the transfer from Galveston but from Miami. It was a mess. We booked our flights by air2sea and they moved our flight a day before we scheduled to fly. We were originally on the 1st flight of the day, which got changed to the 5th flight from ORD. We landed at noon, the transfer didn't get us and the rest of the pax until after 1pm. We then had to pick up other pax, at other terminals. So we made it to the ship at 2:30. We were the last boarding pax and nothing was open for lunch. We paid $35 each for the transfer, so $70. A Lyft/Uber was $20 each way, cheaper, and we would have been aboard earlier. Considering how far the airports are from the terminal, you might want to look into something else. Or see if you can change your flight.

[Dad2Cue]

On 8/25/2023 at 4:01 PM, bluebirdjad said:

Has anyone used the transfer system to Port Galveston?  Where do they meet you?  Is it quick? 

Is this booked through Air2Sea?  I can't answer your questions but I hope you get some answers.  I need answers to these questions too.

I was also under the impression you had to book a flight on the day of your cruise.  I found out later that you can fly in the day before the cruise.  You need to call Air2Sea to do this because it can't be done online. 

I ended up cancelling the flight altogether and booked it directly with United. It seems easier to change the flight if I need to.  Plus, I can have my bags checked for free when I use my United credit card.  Checking my bags would have cost extra if I booked through Air2Sea.

I'm only left with the transfer from IAH to the port.  I still have 4 months to figure out this part of it.  I'm beginning to think there might be an easier way to get to the port.

 

[CrznTxn]

You can book a transfer to the port from IAH directly through Royal. We have done this in other ports and you need to give them your flight information. We always book directly (except for one time immediately after the pandemic when the rates were insanely low) as we have air miles for our flights. We have never had an issue and they want the information so they know how many people are at which pickup point. We are doing this tomorrow at Seattle for our Alaska cruise and it was not a problem. On a trip last month with our son on another cruise line it was like pulling teeth to get the shuttle but Royal has been quick and easy.

[Paid4c4]

I realize you have already booked the transfers and hopefully you'll arrive in time to catch the bus. For future reference you might want to consider Uber or Lyft which is generally half the cost of RCCL transfers.  Uber or Lyft picks you up and heads directly to the ship while transfers may have you on a bus which is going to pick up three or four hotels.  Good luck with your cruise.

Bill

[Pattycruise]

My experience at IAH I flew in a day early, lied to Air2sea and said I was flying in day of cruise in order to get the Royal shuttle.  (Supply them with flight info for the  day of the cruise)  I booked for the 9:30am shuttle.  I arrived very early to the airport.  Checked in with Royal-Terminal C at luggage pick up area-the info should be in your cruise documents.-though mine was wrong because they thought I was coming in international! but fortunately when I flew in a day early I scoped it out and asked the employees in the luggage area and was told Terminal C.  Anyhow  I arrive early and the Royal staff informed me there would be no 9:30am shuttle and we would be leaving at 11:30.  There are about 8 seats in the luggage area….so lots of people waiting on this shuttle with no chair.  we ended up leaving around noon due to a late flight coming in.

a friend who was at the other Texas airport came in super late and was one of the last to get on the ship. She was booked through Air2sea though, and the driver told her another 20 minutes snd she wouldn’t have gotten a ride, when she got to the terminal there was no longer staffing for screening-emoloyees gone  home-she walked right on. 

my next trip I booked with Galveston express.  Super easy.  Unfortunately I booked with Royal for the return to the airport and they had us standing in the Texas heat. Now granted, it’s 9am so not “that hot” yet but I burn super easy, waiting in the heat/sun for an hour was ridiculous. If I go back to Texas it will be Galveston express, both ways. 
As for the person saying Uber would be half the price, definitely not the case from IAH. 
Maybe consider contacting Galveston express to see their latest pick up. Also I believe if United is changing your flight time you have the right to switch to another flight at no cost?

[bobroo]

All Royal transfers no matter the airport will have representatives in or near the baggage claim area. Often, like Orlando; they are strategically standing at the base of the escalators that nearly every baggage claim passenger descends on. They want to find you, trust me they won't be hiding. You will know who they are by the Royal Caribbean sign they are holding. As a matter of fact if you see a person holding another cruise logo, ask them where the Royal Caribbean person is. These folks all work for the same company, not the cruise lines themselves. Never have I had interaction with one that wasn't friendly and helpful.

Once you have collected your bags go to the meeting spot they will have informed you of. They will sign you in and either have you wait in a group of other bus riders or direct you to an awaiting bus. All of this happens in the baggage claim area. The buses leave only when they are full or the last passengers have arrived--meaning: you can be waiting in a bus for a while.

Royal Caribbean transfers DO NOT stop at hotels or take potty breaks. They go from the airport to the cruise terminal.

You are aware that veteran cruisers all fly in at least a day before the cruise leaves. We purposefully do this from experience. Yes, @Patticruise hack from the post above works, just do your homework before you make the transfer reservation. You can't BS'em, you need to know a valid flight number, departure city, departure time, and arrival time.

The Royal transfer to/from IAH is about $60 per person/per trip. In flying in the day of; a taxi, limousine, Uber, Lyft, or hitchhiking is your backup plan. Each and every one of these contingencies will cost you more than the Royal busload transfer, but I doubt you'll be price sensitive if you have to go this route. From IAH to the port is a solid hour and fifteen minute trip, likely longer with traffic or the never ending construction on I-45.

[Cactus527]

For reference, you can cancel RC transfers up to the day that you need to leave for the port. You can then switch it to whatever you'd like to use – Uber, Lyft, private shuttle, etc.

When we transferred from Galveston, we used Galveston Saltwater Moms. Perfect, easy, cheap.

[emmef]

Neither Houston airport (IAH or Hobby) is close to Galveston Island.  You will need at the very minimum one hour and 15 minutes transit time between airport and the Island.  Can't stress enough that traffic can be a real factor.  I've lived in the Houston area for 30-plus years. If there is any way to fly in the day before, please do.

[Dad2Cue]

3 hours ago, bobroo said:

The Royal transfer to/from IAH is about $60 per person/per trip.

$39.95 per person for one-way from IAH to the port is what I'm being charged.  A total of $79.90 for 2 people.  

I cancelled my day of cruise flight with Air2Sea and booked directly with United on the day before the cruise.  Air2Sea said that was okay as long as I found my way back to the airport the following day.  When will I be assigned a time to be back to the airport to catch the bus?  Is the designated time always 9:30 a.m. in the baggage claim area of Terminal C?  I assume my hotel shuttle driver will know where that is and get me there if I left the hotel by 8:30?

It sounds like it could be a hurry-up and wait scenario.  Is the bus booked through Air2Sea the same bus that people book directly with Royal Caribbean?

[Dad2Cue]

3 hours ago, emmef said:

Neither Houston airport (IAH or Hobby) is close to Galveston Island.  You will need at the very minimum one hour and 15 minutes transit time between airport and the Island.  Can't stress enough that traffic can be a real factor.  I've lived in the Houston area for 30-plus years. If there is any way to fly in the day before, please do.

Thank-you for all the information.  That clarifies many questions I have.  I really want to give this a try.  I have never cruised out of Galveston.  I would like  to spend more time there.  As it stands, we will only be able to do the Space Center excursion with IAH drop off after the cruise.  

[crazy4disney]

On 8/28/2023 at 10:22 AM, emmef said:

Neither Houston airport (IAH or Hobby) is close to Galveston Island.  You will need at the very minimum one hour and 15 minutes transit time between airport and the Island.  Can't stress enough that traffic can be a real factor.  I've lived in the Houston area for 30-plus years. If there is any way to fly in the day before, please do.

I swear 45S is never going to be done... We will all be flying around in Jetson's-style hover cars, and we'll be able to watch them endlessly tearing up parts of 45 below, lol. People who don't live here just can't understand how variable the travel time can be, not only because of the construction but because of all the horrible accidents the construction causes every day. The freeway has been shut down completely at least 3 times already this week because of accidents on 45S, and it's only Tuesday. I work here on the island and only live about 33 miles away, and there have been days when it has taken me 2+ hours to go only that far due to accidents. 

Statistically, odds are that any given traveler will never have an issue getting to or coming from here... But I would make sure I had real good travel insurance if coming in the day of a cruise!

 

[bobroo]

A couple more notes for the OP @bluebirdjad and @Dad2Cue ( or any future Galveston transfer information seeker)

--your bus will observe the speed limit, obey all traffic laws, and drive in the right hand lane. This may not be reflected in other's drive time estimates.

--there is a wealth of information about Galveston under the thread All Things Galveston. It's lengthy and some information may be dated but start at the beginning and read it through. There are lots of good tips there. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/568-all-things-galveston/

 

--"this sounds like a hurry-up and wait situation" <<< This!!!  1,000%