TripAdvisor, from 10 years ago. One leaping off point for planning/ research:
STM0041
Bullard, Texas
An easy way to embark on a cruise!
Review of
Port of Galveston
Reviewed January 4, 2015
My wife and I have sailed numerous times from the Port of Galveston on both Carnival and
Royal Caribbean. I found that if you DO NOT follow their driving instructions, you will have an easier time getting to the ship.
As we live some 250 miles from Galveston we typically find a hotel to stay at the night before the cruise in the Webster area. If travelling with children, we will arrive to the Webster area early and fit in an afternoon at Space Center Houston/NASA. There are plenty of dining options in Webster and plenty of more choices a short drive away in Kemah.
From there, it is a short 30 minute drive the next morning to Galveston. We reserve and prepay our covered indoor parking at Galveston Park and Cruise for $40-75 per cruise depending on length of the cruise.
On the morning of the cruise, we drive down I-45 south but instead of exiting on Harborside Drive as they suggest and getting caught in all the other cruise traffic, we stay on I-45 until it becomes Broadway Ave. in Galveston. Follow Broadway to 19th St and turn left there. This will take you through the Strand area to Harborside Drive where you will need to take another left. The Port entrance is a right at the first traffic light. Going this way, you will miss being in a long line of cars trying to make a left hand turn into the same entry.
Drop off your bags with the porters and exit the port area at the 25th St. exit. Galveston Park and Cruise's lots are right there across the street at 25th and New Strand Street. We park our car and walk back across the street with our carry-on to the terminal. Typically, we will drop off our luggage about 10:15 AM and will be having lunch on the ship between 11-11:30. Early check-in was always a breeze.
When returning to port, we do the self debarkation, roll our luggage back to Galveston Park and Cruise, put in our car and be on our way by 9 AM.
We found that 4 wheeled rolling luggage made it easy to maneuver down the ship's debarkation ramps, through customs and across the street.
Alternately, if you want to stay in Galveston the night before, the Harbor House is a very nice, comfortable and clean hotel with plenty of great restaurants within walking distance with the historic Strand area/tall ship Elissa right at your doorstep.
The hotel staff advised me that we could park our vehicle at there sister hotel (The Hotel Galvez on the seawall) just about 2 miles away and they would shuttle you to the pier. If you arrived at the Harbor House without a vehicle, the cruise terminal would be a fairly long walk with your luggage. The hotel would arrange to have the Hotel Galvez shuttle pick you up at the Harbor House and transport you to the cruise terminal.
Date of experience: December 2014
