allure returns in 2026 All Things Galveston

[MotleyCruiser]

Not sure is this has been posted before but it is nice to know there is a webcam at the port in Galveston: Now I came day dram more at the office. Today Enchantment is there.  Sailing her on August 28 for a Labor day sailing. Using @Matt's advice and saving a PTO day!! THX @Matt 

 

https://www.galveston.com/cruisevideocam/

 

 

[AshleyDillo]

9 minutes ago, MotleyCruiser said:

Using @Matt's advice and saving a PTO day!! THX @Matt 

I am always checking those Federal holiday sailings to save the PTO!

[MotleyCruiser]

WOW, This webcam get right in the thick of things!! #WalmartOfTheSeas.

[Galveston Steve]

10 hours ago, MotleyCruiser said:

Not sure is this has been posted before but it is nice to know there is a webcam at the port in Galveston: Now I came day dram more at the office. Today Enchantment is there.  Sailing her on August 28 for a Labor day sailing. Using @Matt's advice and saving a PTO day!! THX @Matt 

https://www.galveston.com/cruisevideocam/

I have the link in the original post on this thread, but thanks for sharing again.  They have a great network of cameras that follow the ships in and out of port (not just the "cruise cam").

[Galveston Steve]

3 hours ago, MotleyCruiser said:

WOW, This webcam get right in the thick of things!! #WalmartOfTheSeas.

Nice screen capture!  And your picture confirms that Carnival Dream arrived in Galveston today!  Carnival now has their two largest ship classes home ported in Galveston: Vista Class and Dream Class.  I can't wait to see which ship Royal will put here when they finish Terminal 3!

[MotleyCruiser]

@Galveston Steve How far along is that new terminal??  I know politics was taking a toll on it for a while....as usual.

[Galveston Steve]

7 minutes ago, MotleyCruiser said:

@Galveston Steve How far along is that new terminal??  I know politics was taking a toll on it for a while....as usual.

The deal was approved by the Galveston Wharves Board earlier this year, so it's a definite go.  Expected to open in the fall of 2021.

[Trevor G]

Quick question we don’t cruise until March 29th 2020 . Is spring break around that time ? Also flying in arriving in the evening would we be better to get hotel close to airport and take Uber or shared service to port or go to Galveston the night we arrive ? 

[Galveston Steve]

26 minutes ago, Trevor G said:

Quick question we don’t cruise until March 29th 2020 . Is spring break around that time ? Also flying in arriving in the evening would we be better to get hotel close to airport and take Uber or shared service to port or go to Galveston the night we arrive ? 

Spring Break will be spread across the three weeks prior to your arrival for Texas schools and colleges, so that should not impact you. I always encourage folks to stay on the island and enjoy the local restaurants and nightlife. However you might save some hotel cost if you stay near the airport if that cost difference is important to you. 

[kadmgs]

If you are flying into Hobby, I don't recommend staying near the airport. It's a rough part of town with a limited number of places for dinner. If you can't get a room on the island, try the Clear Lake/League City/Webster area. It's about halfway between the airport and the island. It's a nice area with lots of options for dinner and even shopping if need be. If you fly into IAH, staying by the airport is fine. With all that being said, Steve is correct that you should be fine in relation to Spring Break. The majority of schools and colleges will be on break either the week of 3/9-3/13 or 3/16-3/20 with the bulk being that first week. There may be some springbreakers on the island when you sail, but the big crowds will have cleared out by then.  

[Trevor G]

20 hours ago, Galveston Steve said:

Spring Break will be spread across the three weeks prior to your arrival for Texas schools and colleges, so that should not impact you. I always encourage folks to stay on the island and enjoy the local restaurants and nightlife. However you might save some hotel cost if you stay near the airport if that cost difference is important to you. 

Thanks for all the info ! 

[Trevor G]

5 hours ago, kadmgs said:

If you are flying into Hobby, I don't recommend staying near the airport. It's a rough part of town with a limited number of places for dinner. If you can't get a room on the island, try the Clear Lake/League City/Webster area. It's about halfway between the airport and the island. It's a nice area with lots of options for dinner and even shopping if need be. If you fly into IAH, staying by the airport is fine. With all that being said, Steve is correct that you should be fine in relation to Spring Break. The majority of schools and colleges will be on break either the week of 3/9-3/13 or 3/16-3/20 with the bulk being that first week. There may be some springbreakers on the island when you sail, but the big crowds will have cleared out by then.  

Great info thanks so much ! 

[Galveston Steve]

TERMINAL 3 UPDATE: Here is an update on the Galveston Terminal 3 project. This was posted in the Galveston daily News today.

Royal Caribbean and the Port of Galveston signed a memorandum of understanding in December. The port of Galveston trustees approved the deal in January. However, a final lease agreement has not been signed due to unspecified leadership changes at Royal Caribbean.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirms that nothing has changed with their intentions to construct a new,  state-of-the-art, cruise terminal in Galveston, and plans are continuing to move forward. Royal Caribbean has already sent survey crews and divers to inspect the condition of the new terminal site.

The Port Board of Trustees  unanimously approved the spending of $300,000 to begin engineering work to collect physical data of the site, and for pavement work at another location to allow relocating of facilities from the Terminal 3 site to a new location.  This move expresses confidence by the Port of Galveston that the deal will be finalized soon. 

 Passenger fees were increased from $8.30 to $15 per passenger on January 1 of this year. That has generated over $500,000 in new income for the port so far this year. That will help fund the Port’s cost for the new work going into Terminal 3.

[Yo2slick]

This might have already been answered but where would you recommend staying overnight in Galveston before a cruise?  

 

[GrammyBrenda]

Is there an update to this post?

[kittysoul]

this is awesome... thank you for all of the great info!! 

[Galveston Steve]

On 6/3/2019 at 2:02 PM, Yo2slick said:

This might have already been answered but where would you recommend staying overnight in Galveston before a cruise?  

 

The original post in this thread has lodging suggestions.  Also, some folks prefer to stay in the Webster or League City area because it's cheaper, but I like to enjoy the island for a day or two prior to the cruise and wake up near the port so there are no stresses with getting to the ship. 

[Galveston Steve]

On 6/11/2019 at 6:07 PM, GrammyBrenda said:

Is there an update to this post?

Yes, the original post is updated as warranted.  You can always see the date that the post was updated at the bottom of that original post.

[kittysoul]

thanks for adding this here... that confirms my original thought@Galveston Steve ,   that i might stay my first night in Webster or wherever this Bay area where the mall and restaurants are, that was suggested earlier...but I think i will feel better about going on over to the island like a mile from the port for that final night... i do not want ANY added stress on this trip!!   Being a mile away from the port is worth the extra money to me!

[kittysoul]

@Galveston Steve      Another question for ya.. if we do decide to just take an uber or shuttle over to the island the night before and stay at one of the nearby hotels... is it easy to get an uber to take us the couple miles down to the port... or maybe even a shuttle by one of the hotels (we would pick one that offered that for sure if some do...)... or are there any close enough even to walk (dragging our luggage) over to the port terminal?    thanks!  

[CDunninTX]

Such a helpful post. Thank you for gathering and sharing all that information. BIG THUMBS UP!!!

[Galveston Steve]

6 hours ago, kittysoul said:

@Galveston Steve      Another question for ya.. if we do decide to just take an uber or shuttle over to the island the night before and stay at one of the nearby hotels... is it easy to get an uber to take us the couple miles down to the port... or maybe even a shuttle by one of the hotels (we would pick one that offered that for sure if some do...)... or are there any close enough even to walk (dragging our luggage) over to the port terminal?    thanks!  

Yes, it would be easy to get an Uber to take you from the NASA area to Galveston.  I have enjoyed staying at the Tremont House hotel in Galveston.  It's walkable to the port, just a few blocks away.

Another option that is even closer is the Harbor House hotel.  I've not stayed there but I hear it is a nice place to stay.

There are a lot of island hotels that have shuttles.  I do know that on the beach there is a Hilton and the Hotel Galvez that both have shuttles.  The Galvez and the Tremont House are both Wyndham properties and share shuttle service that takes you between the hotels, the Strand Historic Area, and to the port. 

[kittysoul]

@Galveston Steve thanks for the info!... I will check into each of those hotels... I love the planning and comparing and all that almost as much as I enjoy the actual trip!

[Galveston Steve]

Port of Galveston continues to grow its cruise business: Carnival is adding a fourth year-round ship in Galveston, adding Carnival Radiance in 2021. 
 

 

[Trevor G]

Quick question about luggage . We get off the cruise on April 5th but we can’t check into our air b&b until 3 pm . They won’t let us drop off our luggage before 3 pm . Is there any where we could do this so we don’t have to carry around with us while we explore the Strand ? 

[Galveston Steve]

45 minutes ago, Trevor G said:

Quick question about luggage . We get off the cruise on April 5th but we can’t check into our air b&b until 3 pm . They won’t let us drop off our luggage before 3 pm . Is there any where we could do this so we don’t have to carry around with us while we explore the Strand ? 

This place stores luggage for a small fee. It’s right at Strand and 25th, easy walk from the cruise port. 
The Cruise Stop
2418 Strand St a, Galveston, TX 77550
(409) 497-2974
https://maps.google.com?q=The Cruise Stop, 2418 Strand St a, Galveston, TX 77550&ftid=0x863f9e6cec5b734b:0x8242331ba52b9dea&hl=en-US&gl=us

[Zurc]

On 5/30/2019 at 10:16 AM, Galveston Steve said:

TERMINAL 3 UPDATE: Here is an update on the Galveston Terminal 3 project. This was posted in the Galveston daily News today.

Royal Caribbean and the Port of Galveston signed a memorandum of understanding in December. The port of Galveston trustees approved the deal in January. However, a final lease agreement has not been signed due to unspecified leadership changes at Royal Caribbean.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirms that nothing has changed with their intentions to construct a new,  state-of-the-art, cruise terminal in Galveston, and plans are continuing to move forward. Royal Caribbean has already sent survey crews and divers to inspect the condition of the new terminal site. ...

 

Hi, @Galveston Steve

Is there another update on Terminal 3?  Has the lease been signed?  Non-subscribers don’t have access to any Galveston Daily news articles so we really appreciate your update posts.

[Galveston Steve]

37 minutes ago, Zurc said:

Hi, @Galveston Steve

Is there another update on Terminal 3?  Has the lease been signed?  Non-subscribers don’t have access to any Galveston Daily news articles so we really appreciate your update posts.

The port recently announced that they have budgeted for the projects that they will do to support the new terminal next year. However the port also said that they expect to sign the final contract by the end of 2019, so it’s not signed yet. Construction would start in April 2020 with an 18 month construction period. That puts completion in late 2021, which was the original schedule. 

[cookie10*]

I didn't see anything regarding the over the top hotel prices on the island!! And some wouldn't let you just book a single night..... 2 or more... So we have stopped staying there and now stay by the airport cause there are lots of dependable transportation options...

[steverk]

On 5/16/2019 at 12:35 PM, kadmgs said:

If you are flying into Hobby, I don't recommend staying near the airport. It's a rough part of town with a limited number of places for dinner. If you can't get a room on the island, try the Clear Lake/League City/Webster area. It's about halfway between the airport and the island. It's a nice area with lots of options for dinner and even shopping if need be. If you fly into IAH, staying by the airport is fine. With all that being said, Steve is correct that you should be fine in relation to Spring Break. The majority of schools and colleges will be on break either the week of 3/9-3/13 or 3/16-3/20 with the bulk being that first week. There may be some springbreakers on the island when you sail, but the big crowds will have cleared out by then.  

Thanks for the post.  I'm not sure I'd recommend staying near either airport.  After all, there is a reason that Greenspoint mall, located near IAH, is referred to as "Gunspoint Mall."

 

Your suggestion of staying on the island or in the Clear Lake/League City/Webster area both have merit.  Just off of Clear Lake itself, there's a little town called Kemah with a great boardwalk, amusements, restaurants and hotels.  It is a straight shot down start highway 146 to Galveston too.

[Galveston Steve]

Interesting... when Royal Caribbean announced the cancellation of five Liberty of the Seas sailings to extend her Royal Amplification, they quietly added Jewel of the Seas to Galveston for several months to pick up the slack! Jewel arrives from Rome on 11 Dec 2020 and will run sailings from Galveston ranging from 7 to 11 nights until 22 Mar 2021.  Then she appears to reposition back to Europe (although a repositioning cruise from Galveston is not currently available to book).

It's also very interesting to me that the Royal Amplification for Liberty of the Seas appears to be during the period from 10 Jan to 21 Mar 2021 (based on available booking options).  That's 70 days.  Assuming some transit time to the shipyard, this is about as long as the 63 day Amplification of Oasis.  This must be a big-time Amplification for Liberty of the Seas!

[Okgladgal]

12 minutes ago, Galveston Steve said:

Interesting... when Royal Caribbean announced the cancellation of five Liberty of the Seas sailings to extend her Royal Amplification, they quietly added Jewel of the Seas to Galveston for several months to pick up the slack! Jewel arrives from Rome on 11 Dec 2020 and will run sailings from Galveston ranging from 7 to 11 nights until 22 Mar 2021.  Then she appears to reposition back to Europe (although a repositioning cruise from Galveston is not currently available to book).

It's also very interesting to me that the Royal Amplification for Liberty of the Seas appears to be during the period from 10 Jan to 21 Mar 2021 (based on available booking options).  That's 70 days.  Assuming some transit time to the shipyard, this is about as long as the 63 day Amplification of Oasis.  This must be a big-time Amplification for Liberty of the Seas!

Great news! Thanks for sharing.

 

[teddy]

Thanks for all the good info.  It's nice to have all this info in one place.

Next week while we are on Adventure, we will be booking the Aug 29, 2021 sailing on Liberty.  

[Galveston Steve]

Beginning this weekend, the Port of Galveston has moved the cruise terminal entrance to 23rd Street to improve traffic flow to both cruise terminals.  I have updated the directions in my original post on this topic.

 

[Galveston Steve]

Some have asked where the new Terminal 3 will be located at the Port of Galveston.  First is a big picture view, followed by a more detailed view.

 

[Zurc]

58 minutes ago, Galveston Steve said:

Some have asked where the new Terminal 3 will be located at the Port of Galveston.  First is a big picture view, followed by a more detailed view.

 

Thanks for this info.  Have you heard whether the Terminal 3 new surface parking lot will be secured - fenced in, like the official Port of Galveston parking?

[Galveston Steve]

17 minutes ago, Zurc said:

Thanks for this info.  Have you heard whether the Terminal 3 new surface parking lot will be secured - fenced in, like the official Port of Galveston parking?

I have not heard specifically, but certainly it will be fenced and secured for liability reasons.  Also, the Port will be building an additional parking garage near the existing cruise terminals.

[Zurc]

1 minute ago, Galveston Steve said:

I have not heard specifically, but certainly it will be fenced and secured for liability reasons.  Also, the Port will be building an additional parking garage near the existing cruise terminals.

Thanks!  I appreciate all your informative posts!

[Galveston Steve]

Wow, big news for Galveston on the Short Caribbean deployments!  Adventure returns to Galveston newly Amplified and will sail along with the Amplified Allure beginning in Nov 2021!  And the newly Amplified Explorer will sail from Galveston for the Summer of 2021!

There are now six Royal Caribbean ships slated to sail from Galveston:

Current Ships

• Liberty of the Seas - 154,407 GT - 3,648 Passengers - 7 night sailings (Royal Amplification 10 Jan to 21 Mar 2021. Repositions to Miami 31 Oct 2021)
• Enchantment of the Seas - 82,910 GT - 2,284 Passengers - 4-5 night sailings (Repositions to San Juan Nov 2020)

Future Deployments 

• Jewel of the Seas - 90,090 GT - 2,191 Passengers - 7-11 night sailings (Arrives from Rome 11 Dec 2020, apparently repositioning to Europe 22 Mar 2021)
• Adventure of the Seas - 137,276 GT - 3,114 Passengers - 4-5 night sailings (Arrives 16 Nov 2020. Repositions to Copenhagen 21 Apr 2021. Returns to Galveston Amplified 13 Nov 2021.)
• Explorer of the Seas - 137,308 GT - 3,286 Passengers - 4-5 night sailings (Arrives Amplified 5 May 2021. Repositions to Miami 25 Oct 2021.)
• Allure of the Seas - 225,300 GT - 5,484 Passengers- 7 night sailings (Arrives Amplified 10 Nov 2021)

[Zurc]

Galveston Steve - 

we’ve read Royal is rethinking 2020 capital expenditures.   What is the word in Galveston regarding Terminal 3?  Understand Royal is still in the due diligence time period.   Is Terminal 3 build still a go for this year, or are they considering canceling (postponing) the terminal ?