Princess Calling It Quits In Houston

First of all, the laws also apply to cruises that start/end in Galveston.

 

The law involved says that alcohol served in Texas (so it would apply to the ship until it is out of Texas waters) must have been purchased from a Texas distributor.

 

Obviously alcohol purchased from Texas distributors costs more than the way it is normally purchased by Princess. (Maybe it includes federal and Texas alcohol taxes?) So, Princess has chosen to only purchase a limited quantity of a limited number of brands from Texas distributors. That is why the drinks are limited when you first board the ship.

 

By the way, another Texas law that has started to be enforced in the past year in both Galveston and Houston is that any alcohol purchased out of state must pay a Texas tax when brought into Texas. It does not matter if you will be taking it out of Texas in a couple of hours, the tax must still be paid.

And I thought that the old Blue laws were bad.

Question: does this restriction include beer? Does the restriction include a minibar set up in a suite/elite? I intent to bring two bottles of wine onboard, purchased in TX, so can I assume that will be ok to consume in cabin? Also, the ship is leaving on a Sunday, any other restrictions about that?

Really, if I had known all of this before I would not have chosen to sail out of Houston on the CB in January.

Thanks,

Bill

And I thought that the old Blue laws were bad.

 

Question: does this restriction include beer? Does the restriction include a minibar set up in a suite/elite? I intent to bring two bottles of wine onboard, purchased in TX, so can I assume that will be ok to consume in cabin? Also, the ship is leaving on a Sunday, any other restrictions about that?

 

Really, if I had known all of this before I would not have chosen to sail out of Houston on the CB in January.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

Yes it also applies to beer. There is no problem with drinking the wine you bring on board.

And I thought that the old Blue laws were bad.

 

Question: does this restriction include beer? Does the restriction include a minibar set up in a suite/elite? I intent to bring two bottles of wine onboard, purchased in TX, so can I assume that will be ok to consume in cabin? Also, the ship is leaving on a Sunday, any other restrictions about that?

 

Really, if I had known all of this before I would not have chosen to sail out of Houston on the CB in January.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

Seriously? Its not that bad. :eek:

Any idea on whether Princess will move its sailings to and from Galveston when it stops using Bayport in 2016? We live in East Texas and driving to either Bayport or Galveston the morning of the cruise is very convenient. :confused:

The 2016-2017 schedule is out. No Princess ship is scheduled to port in Texas once the Caribbean Princess leaves next April.

With the relocation of several Princess ships to Asia and Australia, there are very few left for the East coast of the USA. Princess apparently considers USA to be less of a good market than overseas.

I do not know how much of this is due to the Carnival Corp overall view of the 100 ships in the fleets. Carnival Cruise Line (like Princess, owned by Carnival Corp) has plenty of sailings from Galveston and from Florida.

(Sorry to have mentioned both cruise lines in the same sentence.)

And I thought that the old Blue laws were bad.

 

Question: does this restriction include beer? Does the restriction include a minibar set up in a suite/elite? I intent to bring two bottles of wine onboard, purchased in TX, so can I assume that will be ok to consume in cabin? Also, the ship is leaving on a Sunday, any other restrictions about that?

 

Really, if I had known all of this before I would not have chosen to sail out of Houston on the CB in January.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

Hi Bill. We've sailed out of Houston the last two years, the last time in a suite and the time before as elite. There's no issue with the mini bar set up or wine you're brought on board. Also the only difference in buying a drink while going through the channel is that they have a list of the brands that they will sell and there is tax on the drinks. You couldn't buy a bottle of wine at dinner if you were still in the channel but they had a small list of wine by the glass for purchase. The prices did not seem that outrageous and it's only for a couple of hours until you are clear of the bay.

We did have trouble with fog on the last trip and were delayed several hours getting back. I think we were one of the few trips this past year that had a problem, there were several more issues last year.

It's still a shorter trip from PHX to Houston and despite the issues, we would do it again if we didn't already have a full slate of cruises booked.

I had thought I read on here that NCL would continue in Bayport after Princess vacates but I just verified that there are no sailings from Houston for NCL after April 2016.

 

We had one and only one experience out of Bayport and leaving a day late due to fog and high winds made us miss several ports. For us the gamble was not worth it since Ft Lauderdale had better itineraries anyways so we never tried it again.

 

The logistics getting to the port, the lack of stuff to do around the port, the crazy Texas alcohol rules, and frequent weather issues all make this announcement a no brainer.

Tell me about the "crazy Texas alcohol rules", please. Also, did I understand that the casino is not open? We are sailing from Houston to Ft. Lauderdale and then Bermude and TA. What facilities will or won't we have between Houston and Ft. Lauderdale?

Tell me about the "crazy Texas alcohol rules", please. Also, did I understand that the casino is not open? We are sailing from Houston to Ft. Lauderdale and then Bermude and TA. What facilities will or won't we have between Houston and Ft. Lauderdale?

Casinos are always closed while in USA waters, whether it be near Fort Lauderdale or in the Houston Ship Channel.

Once outside the 12 mile limit in the Gulf of Merxico, full bar beverages will be available and the casino can be open.

Tell me about the "crazy Texas alcohol rules", please. Also, did I understand that the casino is not open? We are sailing from Houston to Ft. Lauderdale and then Bermude and TA. What facilities will or won't we have between Houston and Ft. Lauderdale?

The casino can only be open when in international waters so matter where on the earth you are sailing. Bayport (Houston) is 50 miles inland so the ship has to negotiate the Houston ship channel and sail 12 miles offshore to international waters before the casino can open. When within 12 miles of the Florida coast, the casino has to shut down. Luckily the Port Everglades is right on the coast.

The "crazy Texas alcohol rules" as you mention them are that only alcohol bought in Texas and has the Texas tax stamp can be served on the ship while in Texas waters. Princess and other cruise lines have chosen to only buy a few alcohol beverages from Texas and pay the tax while preferring to buy alcohol without tax stamps (US or Texas) to serve on the ship when in international water. It is a money issue totally. Also be aware that they have to charge Texas sales tax for all purchases while in Texas waters. Florida is the same in this tax collection scheme.

The casino can only be open when in international waters so matter where on the earth you are sailing. Bayport (Houston) is 50 miles inland so the ship has to negotiate the Houston ship channel and sail 12 miles offshore to international waters before the casino can open. When within 12 miles of the Florida coast, the casino has to shut down. Luckily the Port Everglades is right on the coast.

 

The "crazy Texas alcohol rules" as you mention them are that only alcohol bought in Texas and has the Texas tax stamp can be served on the ship while in Texas waters. Princess and other cruise lines have chosen to only buy a few alcohol beverages from Texas and pay the tax while preferring to buy alcohol without tax stamps (US or Texas) to serve on the ship when in international water. It is a money issue totally. Also be aware that they have to charge Texas sales tax for all purchases while in Texas waters. Florida is the same in this tax collection scheme.

Hi Bill. We've sailed out of Houston the last two years, the last time in a suite and the time before as elite. There's no issue with the mini bar set up or wine you're brought on board. Also the only difference in buying a drink while going through the channel is that they have a list of the brands that they will sell and there is tax on the drinks. You couldn't buy a bottle of wine at dinner if you were still in the channel but they had a small list of wine by the glass for purchase. The prices did not seem that outrageous and it's only for a couple of hours until you are clear of the bay.

 

We did have trouble with fog on the last trip and were delayed several hours getting back. I think we were one of the few trips this past year that had a problem, there were several more issues last year.

 

It's still a shorter trip from PHX to Houston and despite the issues, we would do it again if we didn't already have a full slate of cruises booked.

Thanks, AZBIRDMOM. Nice to hear from you.

Upon further reflection, I/we may save some money on our bar tab, early on anyway. Hopefully, the ship will leave on time and there are no fog problems. Not concerned about the return. We have a late flight. We are really on this cruise for our son who wants to visit the Mayan ruins in MX and Belize. Also, his second cruise. The first was almost 20 years ago on the Sun Princess through the Panama Canal.

Bill

Just a note to clear-up some misconceptions about the "Port of Houston", "The Houston Ship Channel", and the "Bayport (also called the Houston) Cruise Terminal". The "Ship Channel" is approximately 50 miles long and stretches from the Gulf almost into downtown Houston.

The "Port of Houston" is officially 25 miles long and starts at the northern end of Galveston Bay near a place called Morgans Point, and then goes on into near downtown Houston.

The cruise terminal, is known by a couple names such as the Bayport Cruise Terminal, and the Houston Cruise Terminal. As you will see in the linked to maps, the Cruise Terminal is not in the Port of Houston. It is actually a few miles (by land) south of the entrance to the Port of Houston. This location is NOT 50 miles from the Gulf, actually closer to 25 miles. (BTW - all miles stated are statue miles, not nautical miles.)

For comparison, the Port of Galveston is about 6 miles from the terminal area to the same location in the Gulf as the 50 miles referenced to above. (Obviously, these are rough measurements.)

Anyway, the point is that there has many misstatements about many aspects of these two ports in numerous threads.

1. Neither is on the Gulf of Mexico

2. Both are subject to sea fog and are closed from time-to-time in the prime cruising months (we have been delayed at both).

3. The Bayport/Houston Cruise Terminal is not 50 miles from the coastline, but is about 1/2 that.

4. Both are a long ways from any airport

5. The Bayport/Houston Cruise Terminal is a long ways from anything.

6. The biggest disadvantage of any cruise port in this area is that there are very few places a ship can go to, and return from, in 7 days.

7. At one time Celebrity did 12 day cruises from Galveston that did a Panama R/T. That was a good trip.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Houston

http://www.portofhouston.com/about-us/houston-ship-channel-map/

http://www.portofhouston.com/static/gen/inside-the-port/Channel_Development/PHA-Map.pdf

Just a note to clear-up some misconceptions about the "Port of Houston", "The Houston Ship Channel", and the "Bayport (also called the Houston) Cruise Terminal". The "Ship Channel" is approximately 50 miles long and stretches from the Gulf almost into downtown Houston.

 

The "Port of Houston" is officially 25 miles long and starts at the northern end of Galveston Bay near a place called Morgans Point, and then goes on into near downtown Houston.

 

The cruise terminal, is known by a couple names such as the Bayport Cruise Terminal, and the Houston Cruise Terminal. As you will see in the linked to maps, the Cruise Terminal is not in the Port of Houston. It is actually a few miles (by land) south of the entrance to the Port of Houston. This location is NOT 50 miles from the Gulf, actually closer to 25 miles. (BTW - all miles stated are statue miles, not nautical miles.)

 

For comparison, the Port of Galveston is about 6 miles from the terminal area to the same location in the Gulf as the 50 miles referenced to above. (Obviously, these are rough measurements.)

 

Anyway, the point is that there has many misstatements about many aspects of these two ports in numerous threads.

 

1. Neither is on the Gulf of Mexico

2. Both are subject to sea fog and are closed from time-to-time in the prime cruising months (we have been delayed at both).

3. The Bayport/Houston Cruise Terminal is not 50 miles from the coastline, but is about 1/2 that.

4. Both are a long ways from any airport

5. The Bayport/Houston Cruise Terminal is a long ways from anything.

6. The biggest disadvantage of any cruise port in this area is that there are very few places a ship can go to, and return from, in 7 days.

7. At one time Celebrity did 12 day cruises from Galveston that did a Panama R/T. That was a good trip.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Houston

 

http://www.portofhouston.com/about-us/houston-ship-channel-map/

 

http://www.portofhouston.com/static/gen/inside-the-port/Channel_Development/PHA-Map.pdf

Thanks!

Our cruise leaves Houston on April 17th and picks up more passengers in Fort Lauderdale on the 20th. If we get delayed by fog, do you think the Captain will try to make up the time so that we get to Ft. Lauderdale on time or with those waiting to board there, have to wait and board the next day?

Have you heard anything like this happening?

Thanks!

 

Our cruise leaves Houston on April 17th and picks up more passengers in Fort Lauderdale on the 20th. If we get delayed by fog, do you think the Captain will try to make up the time so that we get to Ft. Lauderdale on time or with those waiting to board there, have to wait and board the next day?

Have you heard anything like this happening?

Sure, within reason. There has been a few very bad delays at both ports, so long that port stops were cancelled. However, in most cases, delays for many reasons can be overcome. In your specific CASE, there is not much wiggle room between Houston and FLL.

Sure, within reason. There has been a few very bad delays at both ports, so long that port stops were cancelled. However, in most cases, delays for many reasons can be overcome. In your specific CASE, there is not much wiggle room between Houston and FLL.

Right! If this happens, I hope we don't miss our Bermuda stop! :eek:

Oh well...not going to worry about it....we'll deal with whatever happens! ;)