I just returned from the March 3 Harmony of the Seas sailing. Getting to Galveston from the airport was simple, not a problem and $60. We pre-booked our ride from our hotel to the cruise terminal, also not a problem. We were on the Seawall side at the Tru by Hilton, and it was about $20-25 to get to the terminal.
We pre-booked Lyft back to Hobby from the cruise terminal, and there was a problem. The scene at the terminal as the ship belches out 5,000 people in a couple of hours is pretty chaotic, and drivers will cancel you promptly after waiting for 5 minutes because they are picking up higher priced rides from people who want a car quickly. Our pre-booked driver went to the wrong area, and we offered to walk over to him since the area was choked with cars, only to have him cancel, drive by us and pick up other people. We ended up waiting about 40 minutes for another car.
The pre-booked rate was $60. The car we eventually picked up was $79. They were standard sized, not XLs. There is a bubble in pricing between 9am and 10am, and we saw the price as high as $150.
I would still pre-book, but if I were going from Terminal 10, I would better know that I had to be on the curb by the pink poles at #5 to catch my ride, and I would not offer to go to the orange area, but instead would insist that he pick me up in the proper area. I do generally screenshot my interactions with drivers, in case there is a question on pickup, so at least I got Lyft to refund my cancellation fee. Since I don't have another way to give them feedback, I will vote with my wallet and just stop using them for 6 months or so.
