Is Princess really leaving Houston???

I checked for cruises on their site today and don't see anything past April 2016..does this mean they aren't returning to Texas?? Totally bummed if so. I really like driving to the port, and not a huge RCI fan, it is ok, as is Carnival and NCL.. but was hoping to continue on with Princess. Does anyone know if this is official yet?

Bayport is closed until November if I recall correctly. Princess only does 6-month contracts there I believe.

It looks like they are, at least for the 2016/2017 season. I don't know if the fog issues scared them or they just want all the Caribbean sailings out of Fort Lauderdale. I just started cruising and really like Princess, and prefer the drive to port than having to fly.

Bayport is closed until November if I recall correctly. Princess only does 6-month contracts there I believe.

Yes they are seasonal, but are showing 2017 cruises from other ports but none from Houston.. this has me :(

If my memory serves me correctly didn't Princess pull out of Bayport before a few years back only to return a year or two later? I thought I remember reading that, but I wasn't in the area then so I'm not sure. Wish they would consider giving Galveston a chance if Bayport wasn't working out for them.

Princess demanded thousand of dollars to port in Galveston. Galveston said NO! Houston said yes, we will pay you to dock here!

The chances of them returning to Galveston are nil as long as they require a port to pay them to dock.

At one time we sailed Princess, never again.

Princess demanded thousand of dollars to port in Galveston. Galveston said NO! Houston said yes, we will pay you to dock here!

The chances of them returning to Galveston are nil as long as they require a port to pay them to dock.

At one time we sailed Princess, never again.

Houston probably has to pay all the cruise companies to go to Bayport, it has to be one of the least visible appealing ports to sail from.

I've only been in Galveston for a couple of months now, so I didn't know they had a history. I've always enjoyed my Princess cruises in the past, but I've never had a bad cruise with any company. I will admit Princess prices have been too high the last year or two for most itineraries.

If my memory serves me correctly didn't Princess pull out of Bayport before a few years back...

Howdy camarodrivenrs!

Since you are a new IBC (Islander By Choice), this BOI (Born On Island) wants to help with a little history.

Princess pulled out of the Port of Galveston for their 2013-2014 season, not Bayport. They had concerns over passenger satisfaction in Galveston on the dates when there were to be three ships in Galveston on the same turn-around day. They felt there were too many logistical issues with three ships in port with nearly 10,000 new and departing passengers. Since then, schedules were changed and now only 2 ships at a time share the same turn-around day.

Houston probably has to pay all the cruise companies to go to Bayport...

Click here http://www.chron.com/business/article/Port-will-pay-6-7-million-to-lure-two-cruise-4051674.php for the oldie but goody November 19, 2012 Houston Chronicle article titled Port will pay $6.7 million to lure two cruise lines. It contains information about the Port of Houston's "incentive" payments of $685,000 to Princess and $6 million to NCL. This was "to fund startup and marketing efforts" by the two cruise lines. Also as part of the deal, the cruise lines would not be required to pay rent or any kind of docking fee to use the $108.4 million cruise terminal completed in 2007.

It was a case of "If you build it... they will come." However, no cruise lines took the bait. The Bayport Cruise Terminal in Pasadena, TX had no cruise line contracts untill after the above mentioned "incentive" payments. Carnival used the terminal for a very short time after the Port of Galveston was damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Don't worry, there will not be a pop quiz later!

I sincerely hope this information will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic!

Kat

Sorry Host Kat, but princess has not docked in Galveston in at least 9 years. Princess has docked at Bayport since Houston agreed to pay the cruise lines to dock.

In Galveston, Carnival has three ships, with the Triumph on 4 and 5 day itinerary so was never in port with other ships until the Carnival Freedom arrived with sometimes both in port on Saturday, but that will end when Triumph leaves. Carnival magic and RCCL Navigator of the Seas are in port on Sunday.

There also was a time when we did have three ships dock on Sunday, Princess, Carnival and RCCL. Again, this was more than 9 years ago. It never appeared to be a problem back then with ships always sailing at full capacity.

We even had Celebrity for a few years with Carnival and RCCL.

The Port rejected Princess attempt to port here when Princess required payment, as the article states. Galveston refused to pay.

Not BOI, but IBC over 55 years spent around ships and the Port of Galveston and Houston.

Sorry Host Kat, but princess has not docked in Galveston in at least 9 years. Princess has docked at Bayport since Houston agreed to pay the cruise lines to dock.

 

In Galveston, Carnival has three ships, with the Triumph on 4 and 5 day itinerary so was never in port with other ships until the Carnival Freedom arrived with sometimes both in port on Saturday, but that will end when Triumph leaves. Carnival magic and RCCL Navigator of the Seas are in port on Sunday.

 

There also was a time when we did have three ships dock on Sunday, Princess, Carnival and RCCL. Again, this was more than 9 years ago. It never appeared to be a problem back then with ships always sailing at full capacity.

We even had Celebrity for a few years with Carnival and RCCL.

 

The Port rejected Princess attempt to port here when Princess required payment, as the article states. Galveston refused to pay.

 

Not BOI, but IBC over 55 years spent around ships and the Port of Galveston and Houston.

If I remember correctly, in 2011 Princess announced they would be using the Port of Galveston again. Princess returned to the Port of Galveston for their 2012-2013 Winter season as I stated. Also, remember Disney Magic was using Port of Galveston too from September through December, 2012. If I remember correctly, about the time Princess returned Disney left. Princess then pulled out of the Port of Galveston and went to the Port of Houston Bayport Cruise Terminal for their Fall/Winter 2013/2014 season.

Look at the old 2012-2013 threads about Princess on this forum when they came back to Galveston and then especially when they left. Princess cruisers had made early bookings for their cruises out of Galveston but then the cruises were changed to be out of the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Pasadena, TX. Many discussions about how there was nothing for cruisers in the immediate area of the Bayport Cruise Terminal. No hotels, no restaurants, no activities... nothing there as there is in Galveston that our members considered important for their pre and post cruise enjoyment. And at that time too, many of our new members were confused about exactly where the Bayport Cruise Terminal was located. Some of our older members thought it was the old Barbours Cut Terminal in La Porte, TX the Port of Houston had used for cruises before the new Bayport Cruise Terminal was built.

Yes, the Port of Galveston refused to pay. Yes, the Port of Houston "bribe" probably sealed the deal for the Princess move to the Bayport Cruise Terminal. However, the Princess fears about how more than 2 ships at one time would be handled WAS a worry for them AT THAT TIME due to the various ship schedules AT THAT TIME. Also, some of the ships were changing to larger ships with even more guests. With nearly 10,000 new and departing passengers on those weekends they felt it would tax the arrival/departure structure in place AT THAT TIME. Also, a trusted friend of mine that happens to be a Travel Agent told me Princess had received a lot of feedback on Galveston AT THAT TIME and their guests were asking for a change AT THAT TIME.

And yes, I am fully aware of how it is NOW and how arrival/departure schedules have been changed. In fact, just last Saturday I sailed on Triumph from Terminal 2 since Freedom was at Terminal 1 and we returned to Terminal 1 on Thursday. The ship was loaded with lots of newbie cruisers and some were quite confused about the ship returning to a different terminal.

EDITED TO ADD:

Did some more research. Please note you were the one to announce the Princess arrival back to Galveston in your March 3rd, 2011, 10:54 AM new thread titled Princess returns to Galveston as follows:

Princess announced today the 3,070 passenger Crown Princess will return to Galveston December 19, 2012 for 19 weekly sailings to Costa Maya, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, Belize City, Belize and Cozumel, Mexico.

 

Yes:)

 

We can only hope the Port of Galveston will negotiate a year round ship from Princess and Royal Caribbean in the near future.

I sincerely hope all this information will be satisfactory.

Kat

Thanks for the quick history on recent Galveston / Houston cruise news. I've been kicking around cruise critic for a while now, though not as active as you two. I always seem to end of living by a major cruise area as I grew up in South Florida, spent four years in Alaska, and now am here in Galveston.

I think it is always better to have more options close at hand and personally, would love to see Princess stay and definitely would like to see Celebrity offer some winter cruises from here. I also think that Galveston would make an awesome port to visit for cruises leaving from New Orleans as so far I really enjoy hanging around the Strand on cruise days.

In Dec. we stayed at the Boardwalk Inn. There was plenty to do there. We took the shuttle van the next day to the port. I agree it is a relatively long drive from Hobby to the cruise terminal. From IAH it is close to an hour drive.