Parking in Galveston

I was in Galveston and talked to the folks at EZ Cruise Parking and they told me that the weekly rate is going up by $10 effective October 1st. On the internet you can make reservations for $45 per week (7 nights). The Port of Galveston costs $70 per week. So go to the EZ Cruise website (http://www.EZcruiseparking.com) and make your reservations NOW. Yes, EZ Cruise has a shuttle to take you and your luggage to the cruise terminal.

Frank

However, a lot of Motels in Galveston will also give you free parking, and some even have shuttles to the piers...

I may decided to stay off the island (cheaper rates) and park with ezpark.

anyone with experience or suggestions??

JB

Where are you thinking of staying? In Houston or in one of the small towns between Houston & Galveston?

Conquest-Dec. 25, 2005

We Stayed At The Commodore On The Beach Hotel In Galveston Only Minutes From The Pier. This Hotel Had A Continental Breakfast Staff Was Very Nice And They Shuttled Us To And From The Pier For Only Tips. Very Fast.:) We Didnt Have To Wait Very Long Once We Departed From The Ship And Our Cars Were Fine On The Premises Of The Hotel, Nice Beach Front View.

Since we're not staying at a motel/hotel, I thought this was a pretty good deal, alot cheaper and closer than the Port of Galveston parking. Frank

We used EZCruise last year & will use them again this year. Great value. Had travel partners that stayed at the Holiday Inn & used their shuttle service. Again they had no problems, either. Had to wait a little while, but... still worth it.

We Stayed At The Commodore On The Beach Hotel In Galveston Only Minutes From The Pier. This Hotel Had A Continental Breakfast Staff Was Very Nice And They Shuttled Us To And From The Pier For Only Tips. Very Fast.:) We Didnt Have To Wait Very Long Once We Departed From The Ship And Our Cars Were Fine On The Premises Of The Hotel, Nice Beach Front View.

Commodore no longer offers shuttle service. We're staying at Days Inn b/c it's about $30 cheaper and also provides free parking. We're debating whether to do the $12 cab ride to the pier or use EZ Cruise Parking.

There is a motel in Galveston behind Gaito's seafood restaurant that has a large secured parking lot. Stay there one night ($47), and you can park there for the cruise, free. Only 2 miles to pier. They will arrange the cab. Plus, they give you a free dinner at the restaurant. I have found that getting a cab from Galveston (especially when several ships are arriving together) IS A HASSEL. I go across the street from terminal, and get the scenic trolley, which takes you nearly to the motel on Seawall.

BS

Do you know the name of the hotel?

Do you know the name of the hotel?[/yes. Gaido's Seaside Inn 3370 Seawall 1-800 525 0064 ask for cruise special BS quote]

Unfortunately EZ cruise has raised their rates to $55 a week with an online reservation and $60 a week at the pier. The Port of Galveston is $70 a week, so you're still saving some money, but EZ cruise isn't the huge discounter it used to be.:( It's too bad that I didn't read this thread sooner so I could get the cheaper price before they raised it.:cool:

What I was thinking about doing was staying at a motel/hotel that was along the trolley route so I could use it to get to and from the pier. The trolley is only $1.00 for adults and .50 cents for kids. If I'm going to pay that much for parking I might as well look into getting a cheap room. We thought we'd drop our luggage off at the pier and then go for a quick lunch. Then we would head back to the hotel to leave our car for the duration of the cruise. Then we would take the trolley to the cruise terminal without having to lug our luggage around. If we have too much luggage we might just take a taxi back to the hotel after the cruise. Is the $12 taxi for just one person? Would our family of 4 be just $12 to return to a local hotel just a couple of miles away or would it be more? Are all of the hotels along the seawall near to the trolley route so we could easily access it?:confused:

We were just on the Conquest last week -- stayed at the Ramada on the seawall -- 54 per night for a king non smoking -- took taxi ($10 plus tip) to the pier and parked free for the week at the Ramada --- the 10 taxi fare covered the both of us. I believe it would be the same fare for the 4 of you but not sure. The Ramada was right on the trolley route, but honestly for $10 plus tip each way the taxi drops you right at the door.

CordovaMom, thanks for the info. That sounds like just the type of deal we're looking for.;)

My husband wants to drive in the day of our cruise which is about a 5-6 hour drive depending on traffic. He thinks spending a bunch of money on a hotel and taxi's is a waste. He says he'd rather spend the money on shore excursions or souvenirs. But if I can get a decently priced hotel with a cheap trolley ride or even a reasonably priced taxi, he might go for it. I hate leaving things to chance and driving in the day of the cruise. If the highway were shut down due to a wreck and traffic was backed up for miles, we could miss our cruise! Or our car could break down and make us miss the cruise.:eek: I would feel much better if we arrived there the day of the cruise.

Our upcoming cruise is on the Grand Princess, but our last cruise was on the Conquest. We loved that cruise! The kids still talk about how fun it was playing with the stingrays in the Cayman islands.:)

cruisinqt - Let me know how the Grand is, we are cruising her this time next year. We decide to do Gal because we can drive & not fly. We are looking at a hotel that has free parking for the cruise. Our idea is to go to the port and drop of suitcases then the hubby will take the truck back to the hotel and catch the trolley or taxi to the port. I was afraid hotels would cost more with it being Thanksgiving weekend, but it doesn't look like it.

I'll be sure and post a thorough review when we get back from the cruise. I take a note book with me on the cruise and jot down my thoughts at the end of each day, so I won't leave anything out. I hate it when I read a review and they don't go into detail about things. For instance, some reviews will read: "The dining was about average." They leave it at that, and I'd rather have specifics about each restaurant including which meal was their favorite one and why. I do that on all levels including the kids program, the entertainment, the clubs, etc. The only problem is that my reviews are quite long, so I hope you like to read.:)

Here is a list of the hotels that are cheap that have either free parking or free transportation, or both. I'm not mentioning the high priced ones like the Tremont or Hotel Galvez as they aren't in our budget so I didn't research them.

Gaido's Seaside Inn - 1-800-525-0064

Includes: Free continental breakfast

Free parking for duration of cruise

2 miles from cruise terminal

Trolley is across the street from the hotel

Be sure to ask for the "cruise special." They also have a nice restaurant.

Sand Piper Beach motel - (409) 765-9431

Includes: Free parking for duration of cruise

It's on Seawall blvd. which means a trolley is probably nearby.

You get 10% off for mentioning their website

They're newly renovated.

Be sure to ask for the "bon voyage" cruisers deal.

Days Inn

Includes: Free parking for duration of cruise

Free continental breakfast

The Ramada on the seawall

Includes: Free parking for the week

The trolley is nearby

Free continental breakfast

Less than 2 miles from the cruise terminal

Holiday Inn on the beach

Includes: Free parking for the week

Free transportation to the cruise terminal

Close to cruise terminal

Pricier than the others, but still under $100, so not a bad deal

Be sure to ask for the "cruiser's special."

That's the cheaper ones that I've found that offer free parking or free shuttle service to the cruise terminal. You can also check out www.galveston.com where there's a hotel search engine that will compare all of the hotels for you. That website is full of lots of good info. for anyone who's traveling to Galveston.:D

Has anybody stayed at the Days Inn and left their car there? Security oK?

I just called the Days Inn on Broadway. They do allow free parking. Has anyone ever left their atuo? Is it safe??

Tell me what are the advantages if any to parking at ezcruise's lot. I was thinking it would be easier for embarkation and debarkation to use the galveston ports lot. Is it within walking distance fo the pier?

Thanks,

Brenda

I went to their website and they put a $10 charge for car cover. Has anyone used this or know what it's for?

Thanks,

Susan

CordovaMom, thanks for the info. That sounds like just the type of deal we're looking for.;)

 

My husband wants to drive in the day of our cruise which is about a 5-6 hour drive depending on traffic. He thinks spending a bunch of money on a hotel and taxi's is a waste. He says he'd rather spend the money on shore excursions or souvenirs. But if I can get a decently priced hotel with a cheap trolley ride or even a reasonably priced taxi, he might go for it. I hate leaving things to chance and driving in the day of the cruise. If the highway were shut down due to a wreck and traffic was backed up for miles, we could miss our cruise! Or our car could break down and make us miss the cruise.:eek: I would feel much better if we arrived there the day of the cruise.

 

Our upcoming cruise is on the Grand Princess, but our last cruise was on the Conquest. We loved that cruise! The kids still talk about how fun it was playing with the stingrays in the Cayman islands.:)

Hi. True story: Took Splendour to Panama Canal three years ago. I got motel the day before. On the day of the cruise, a freak storm hit Houston about 11 AM. Tornados and bad weather caused so many wrecks, they closed the freeways, including I45. Also, airports were closed and planes diverted to Austin. Bottom line: over 600 passenger missed cruise. RCCL arranged for pax to get airlines to Cozumel (next stop) for those who had air arrangements through them, or those who had insurance. All others were on their own (and by then, all airlines were booked). As I remember, about 125 just never caught up with ship! Since then, whenever possible, I arrive at departure port early. It turned out to be a bonus, as we later spent a few days in Seattle and San Diego and had a delightful time!

Thought I would jump in here to pass on some good information. Go to the website www.galveston.com. You can find out about hotels/motels that offer free cruise parking and transportation plus many other things about Galveston and what she has to offer. By all means go in a day early and enjoy the sights and sounds. The website will also give you information about what it going on in the town the particular weekend you are there and a few coupons to save a few $$$'s (always a good thing). :D

Unlike some of the other posters here, I would recommend not going to Kemah Boardwalk or staying in Houston if you only have one day. While both are good choices if you will be there several days, to use your only day there would be a shame when Galveston has so much to offer. (Just my two cents worth!)