Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Awesome post! We are sailing in October so I have plenty of time to figure out how to best suit our travel needs. But thanks to this site I have been able to get so much advice. We are now going to fly in on Saturday and travel to Galveston (I am going check uber out). Most likely we will fly Southwest out of Atlanta. I am still trying to decide where to stay, but I would definitely like to get to the port early so we can get on board and explore the ship. Thanks again Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...I am still trying to decide where to stay, but I would definitely like to get to the port early so we can get on board and explore the ship. Thanks again Steve

You might want to give the Days Inn a call. Their website shows the rate being about $85 for your weekend. The website says they have transportation to the cruise terminal but there may be an extra charge for the shuttle. Let us know how it works out!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RCCL is also planning a new terminal in Galveston  next to the one there.  The old terminal will be for luggage and the new one will be two story for passengers.  It is to accommodate the larger ship, Liberty of the Seas, when it arrives on 11/13/15.  The project is on hold for now, but hopefully will be completed in time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You might want to give the Days Inn a call. Their website shows the rate being about $85 for your weekend. The website says they have transportation to the cruise terminal but there may be an extra charge for the shuttle. Let us know how it works out!

 

Just checked online and they do have park and cruise and cruise port transportation, though the pricing on those rates are not listed. So, I called to find out but no one answered. Must be a busy night in Galveston :-) Any I will try them back later.

Has anyone ever tried the Priceline name your own price negotiator?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RCCL is also planning a new terminal in Galveston  next to the one there.  The old terminal will be for luggage and the new one will be two story for passengers.  It is to accommodate the larger ship, Liberty of the Seas, when it arrives on 11/12/15.  The project is on hold for now, but hopefully will be completed in time.

 

Maybe it will be ready when we sail 10/18/15!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RCCL is also planning a new terminal in Galveston next to the one there. The old terminal will be for luggage and the new one will be two story for passengers. It is to accommodate the larger ship, Liberty of the Seas, when it arrives on 11/12/15. The project is on hold for now, but hopefully will be completed in time.

Good point. Part of the deal with Royal Caribbean and Carnival was for the Port to expand Terminal 2 as a condition of bringing the larger Liberty of the Seas to Galveston in November and to accomodate the extra Carnival ship on Saturdays. The Port of Galveston awarded an $11 million contract in September to do just that. I would be interested in your source for the project being on hold because that would seem to violate the deal with RCCL. I assumed we haven't seen any construction because it takes time to do the design and procurement before you actually see something happen on the ground.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...Has anyone ever tried the Priceline name your own price negotiator?

I have scored a couple of good deals with Priceline (once in swanky Sarasota, Florida and another time on a snowy evening in Little Rock, Arkansas). Both times I found the best deals by using Priceline the afternoon or evening of my arrival day. I guess they figure if they haven't sold the room by that time they can at least rent the room at a cheap price and make a sale. You could make a reservation that has a day-of-arrival cancellation policy, then use Priceline to see if you can get a better deal at the last minute. Just make sure you know what your cancellation policy is. Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I have not noticed any further construction progress on Galveston's expansion of Cruise Terminal 2, meant to accommodate Liberty of the Seas when she arrives on November 13, 2015. A recent article in the Galveston Daily News reports that unexpected soil conditions have caused a re-design of the foundation for part of the new building, which has slowed the project.

 

The Port Director is quoted as saying the goal is still to have "substantial completion" of the new building in time for the arrival of Liberty of the Seas. The larger Liberty of the Seas will replace Navigator of the Seas as Royal Caribbean's Galveston-based cruise ship. A wharf expansion and mooring upgrades are also part of the project. These upgrades are required under the terms of contracts that the Port of Galveston has signed with Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is Liberty really that much bigger than Navigator ? I know they are different designs but I thought they were essentially the same chassis...or very close.

I'm no engineer and I have no insight into the construction situation (and I'm only a small town pizza lawyer), BUT I'd like to think a Freedom class ship can go to the old port considering Voyager was handled.  As you point out, Freedom is essentially a longer Voyager class ship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Matt is right... he IS a small town pizza lawyer (as I am)... he's also probably right that the port could physically handle the larger ship. Liberty is only 92 feet longer so they could probably work around that for a while if necessary. I believe the issue is passenger count. Liberty carries 410 more passengers than Navigator on a double occupancy basis (3,686 vs. 3,276). That means the passenger terminal, baggage handling, customs & immigration must all handle 12.5% more capacity with Liberty. If you read my original post above and posts from some other Galveston passengers you see that Galveston's Terminal 2 is already stretched to capacity. If Liberty arrives and must use the current passenger terminal, embarkation and disembarkation days will be even more challenged.

 

My wife and I (along with at least one other contributor on this message board) are booked on the first Liberty sailing out of Galveston in November. I sure hope they get back on track!

 

Will RCL pull out of Galveston if the terminal isn't finished? I don't know what the contract says, but at this point they have a lot of passengers booked out of Galveston, so it would cause some financial hardship to pull out on such short notice. Galveston is busting at the seams and 5 cruise ships will be sailing from here by late this year. They are studying ways to build a third terminal and that can't come too soon in my opinion.

Edited by Steve
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose you're all correct given that the Liberty is only 10-12% larger overall.  I believe Matt has even said that the Freedom class is really just a larger version of the Voyager class.  However, given some of the complaints I've read about embarkation/disembarkation, I thought maybe the terminal was already maxed out with the Navigator and thus was at capacity.  Perhaps I assumed the size difference was larger than it actually is since I haven't been on either class yet (but soon).

 

Thanks for the replies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I have not noticed any further construction progress on Galveston's expansion of Cruise Terminal 2, meant to accommodate Liberty of the Seas when she arrives on November 13, 2015. A recent article in the Galveston Daily News reports that unexpected soil conditions have caused a re-design of the foundation for part of the new building, which has slowed the project.

 

The Port Director is quoted as saying the goal is still to have "substantial completion" of the new building in time for the arrival of Liberty of the Seas. The larger Liberty of the Seas will replace Navigator of the Seas as Royal Caribbean's Galveston-based cruise ship. A wharf expansion and mooring upgrades are also part of the project. These upgrades are required under the terms of contracts that the Port of Galveston has signed with Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines.

In driving by the Galveston Cruise Terminals this week, I can report that construction on the Terminal 2 Expansion has resumed!  I drove past at 6:30 am a couple days and the construction crews were already on site and working.  At 5:30 pm today they were still busy working.  That would indicate overtime has been authorized to push for completion before Liberty of the Seas arrives on November 13th.

 

The activity so far appears to be earthwork/excavation and preparing for foundation construction.  There are two large backhoes and several other pieces of rental equipment on site along with the construction crews.  Once there is something to see, like steel and concrete, I will try to get close enough to take a few pictures, although Homeland Security tends to frown on that kind of activity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 2 cents on sailing out of Galveston, as I am an expert. (I sailed out of there last year lol). I sail during Labor Day week. That means my sailing day is during the holiday weekend. That being the case, when I researched places to stay the night before, I got quite the sticker shock. Prices in the $250-500 range were not unusual. For those locals driving down, there is a beautiful new Holiday Inn Express on I-45 in the town of Texas City. Countless restaurants nearby and less than 1/2 hour to the ship for Sunday morning. The room was $105.

 

As far as the embarkation issues,, I suppose for those flying in and getting to the ship within a couple hours of sailing, it may be (probably is) a nightmare. But I got there at 8:30. Ok, ok, I was a little anxious. The porter looked at me like I had 2 heads and said "sir, give us until 10:00 ok ?" There's a really convenient Starbucks just across the street, so after a coffee break we went back and were on board within a very short time. So I guess the bottom line for me regarding ease of embarkation is to get there as early as possible. Oftentimes we create our own chaos that can easily be avoided. Can't wait til September !!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Galveston needs either some new off-site parking parking options to open up or rental car facilities to start working on cruise departure day.  Once you start to get some competition going, prices will come down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Galveston needs either some new off-site parking parking options to open up or rental car facilities to start working on cruise departure day. Once you start to get some competition going, prices will come down.

I agree Matt. The "official" port parking used to have plenty of open spaces, but with four ships here now they are almost full. Some hotels on the Island offer packages that include cruise parking and a shuttle to the port.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NickyNewark, great suggestions! Yes, holidays and special events drive up hotel prices on the Island. There are some nice museums, restaurants, shops, bars, juice bars, historic homes, within an easy walk of the cruise port which does make Galveston a great place to arrive a day or two early if you can. For cheap hotels, that's a good suggeston for staying in Texas City. And hey, why not get on the ship as early as possible and start enjoying your cruise!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

i usually do Hotwire to see if I can find a deal on hotels on the island. Friends of mine have stayed in Clear Lake / Kemah location which is about 30mins from the island and have gotten good deals. I drive downthe day before and stay the night just to be on the safe side since never know what road closure you will run into in Houston. I do the official port parking and have never ran into any issues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Liberty is between 90' to 95' longer than the Navigator.  It will be able to make the 180 degree turn.  The problem is the terminal size.  The current terminal has a hard time handling the passengers that get off/on the Navigator so with the additional passengers on Liberty it will be a challenge.  Hopefully the new terminal will be complete by 11/13/15 when the Liberty comes to town or shortly after that or by the end of the dry dock.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks like the Port of Galveston is going to be some six months late in completing the expansion of Cruise Terminal 2. The port has a contractual date of September 30, 2015 to complete the expansion for Royal Caribbean, but won't complete the project until March, 2016. The expansion is needed to accommodate the arrival of the larger Liberty of the Seas, which arrives here November 13. According to the Galveston Daily News, Royal Caribbean is "disappointed" and has demanded that temporary measures be taken to relieve terminal congestion. The port is investigating the purchase or rental of a 10,000 square foot air conditioned tent.

 

The delay was apparently caused by unexpected soil conditions which forced the design/construct contractor to go back to the drawing board with their foundation design.

 

The 90,000 square foot existing terminal would be expanded by an additional 60,000 square feet. The expansion includes seating for 2,000 more passengers, expanded passenger screening, baggage handling, and customs enforcement. The expansion of customs enforcement capacity is a much needed improvement in my eyes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is not Carnival that is being pulled out.  It is Princess (which is under the Carnival Umbrella) and NCL.  They will be there for the Spring and then that is it.  To long a distance to come from Houston Ship Channel to the Gulf.  You probably new not Carnival, but just typed what you were thinking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is not Carnival that is being pulled out.  It is Princess (which is under the Carnival Umbrella) and NCL.  They will be there for the Spring and then that is it.  To long a distance to come from Houston Ship Channel to the Gulf.  You probably new not Carnival, but just typed what you were thinking.

 

Thanks for the clarification… Carnival has 3 ships in Galveston but I didn't remember any in Houston.  The Houston port has a nice facility but there is nothing there to attract people to come a day or two early since it's part of an industrial port area.  Galveston has a lot of tourist activity that makes it a natural place to arrive early and enjoy the island a little.

 

Galveston has been studying how it can add a third cruise terminal.  It sounds like they need to hurry up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Terminal Expansion Update... the Port of Galveston has authorized an additional $1.3 million to procure a large tent, portable restrooms, and other improvements to get Terminal 2 ready for the November arrival of Liberty of the Seas. This additional investment is in response to the delay in completion of the terminal building expansion (see the earlier post above). The other improvements include improved security screening and baggage handling areas as well as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection screening facilities. This is good news and should help make the embarkation and disembarkation experience much better leading up to the terminal expansion completion early next year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mooring Improvements Update... the Texas Navy warship Zavala is believed to be the first steam powered warship in the western hemisphere. Built in 1836, she played a role in preventing Mexico's General Santa Anna from receiving supplies after his bloody slaughter of Texans at the Alamo. By preventing supplies from reaching the Mexican army, the Zavala helped Sam Houston defeat Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, avenging the Alamo slaughter and securing Texas' independence from Mexico. The Zavala later ran aground in 1842 in the Port of Galveston near the current Cruise Terminal. Installation of mooring bollards will be delayed until the Port can hire archaeologists to investigate the site and determine if remnants of the ship exist at the site of the new mooring bollards. This is a requirement before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will issue a permit to construct the new facilities. Galveston is rich in history, but this was not expected.

 

The new moorings are required to satisfy RCCL's requirement that the dock accommodate 41 knots of off-the-dock wind for the larger Liberty of the Seas. This situation would typically only occur during a hurricane, but since hurricane season is essentially over before Liberty arrives in November, the Port says this will not be an issue. I'm not sure RCCL would agree. We will see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve really has put together a super great post here, and it is very helpful to all.

 

I'm going to give the 20 second version.  We drove to Galveston and drove right into the port mayhem.  Arriving around 11:00 a.m., we found the traffic to be in total gridlock.  We couldn't move an inch.  Signs that said "drop off your luggage first and then park" just confused us.  Who would take our luggage?  Would we be leaving it on the curb?  Should one of us stay with it?  How and where would we park afterwards - swimming upstream against this massive crush of cars?  Finally, in desperation, we swerved off down a side street and eventually into one of the private parking lots several block away.  It was almost full.   They took our money and we boarded a bus with our luggage in tow.  They dropped us off at the port.

 

IMO, RCI needs to include explicit parking and luggage drop off instructions along with the (otherwise great) pre-boarding info they send to everyone.  They do a bang-up job with ship and excursion organization - so the lack of port organization is a wonder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cruise-y, you have some really good points, and I will update my original post with some suggestions... My recommendation is to pre-reserve your parking at one of the private lots in Galveston (see my original post above). When arriving on the island, if you turn off at the "Cruise Terminal" exit (Harborside Drive) you will hit the back-up that you refer to. Instead, continue straight on Broadway as the interstate ends, and then turn left on whichever street will get you directly to your pre-reserved parking space (26th, 27th, 28th, or 29th Streets). Note: you can not turn left on 25th Street. Then take the parking lot shuttle, with your luggage, to the cruise terminal.

 

If you want to drop your luggage at the terminal first, or if your parking company says to drop your luggage at the terminal first, then continue on Broadway to 22nd street and turn left. Follow 22nd and it will dead end at the entrance to the cruise terminal. This route will normally avoid the lengthy backup on Harborside Drive that you likely experienced.

 

For people flying in a day or two early, staying at the Tremont House Hotel or Harbor House Hotel allows you to walk with your luggage directly to the cruise terminal on departure day... avoiding the traffic altogether.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Steve,

 

I'm considering reserving parking and Park N Cruise based on reviews; however, I also see a parking structure on Google Maps at the corner of Harborside Dr. and 25th St. that has an elevated pedestrian walkway from the parking structure across to the terminal complex.  Do you happen to know the name of this structure and if it's open yet?  I suppose it could also be an employee lot, but wasn't sure.

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve,

 

I'm considering reserving parking and Park N Cruise based on reviews; however, I also see a parking structure on Google Maps at the corner of Harborside Dr. and 25th St. that has an elevated pedestrian walkway from the parking structure across to the terminal complex. Do you happen to know the name of this structure and if it's open yet? I suppose it could also be an employee lot, but wasn't sure.

 

Thanks!

Doc, this is a parking garage for day use and does not offer cruise parking (I checked into it on my cruise last year). They have just built a new parking garage adjacent to it but it's not open yet and I don't believe they will offer cruise parking either. The elevated walkway is interesting and was refurbished about a year ago but it doesn't make much sense since it doesn't directly connect to cruise parking. By the way the elevated walkway leads to the terminal used by Carnival. The RCCL terminal is to the west of that.

 

You will be happy with Park N Cruise. I have used them a couple times. Friendly folks, the only indoor option I know of, and the best location to just walk across the street to the ship. Having a prepaid reservation is the way to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terminal Expansion Update... the Port of Galveston has authorized an additional $1.3 million to procure a large tent, portable restrooms, and other improvements to get Terminal 2 ready for the November arrival of Liberty of the Seas. This additional investment is in response to the delay in completion of the terminal building expansion (see the earlier post above). The other improvements include improved security screening and baggage handling areas as well as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection screening facilities. This is good news and should help make the embarkation and disembarkation experience much better leading up to the terminal expansion completion early next year.

 

The large temporary tent is installed at the Port of Galveston and being readied for passengers at Terminal 2. The tent is connected by a connecting tent to the main terminal and is surrounded by a security fence. No word yet when it will open to passengers but it looks certain to be ready for Liberty's arrival on Nov 13.

 

Tent%20Port%20of%20Galveston.jpeg

Edited by Steve
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...