Galveston RUMOR!!!!

[Bigtex1622]

Port Backs Cruise Lines Law Suit

 

Thanks JJSMaine, I loved the line in the article:

 

Since 2000, when Carnival Cruise Lines began sailing from the island, Galveston has become the top cruise port in the Gulf of Mexico.

I wish RCCL would see this article!!! ;)

[jewopaho]

Actually the taxi fare from Intercontinental Airport is about $40.

 

Taken from Cruise Critic information on Galveston:

"Taxi service from both airports is another option. A typical fare from Hobby is $75, and from George Bush Intercontinental, about $100. The port is 40 minutes from Hobby, 90 minutes from Intercontinental."

 

Hertz didn't reopen its Galveston facility after Hurricane Ike. It's either Enterprise and its $100 dropoff charge or nothing.

 

Carnival's "eastern Caribbean" itinerary consists of stops in Key West and Nassau. The western route is the usual Cozumel/GrandCayman/Jamaica. The VOS stops at Roatan, Costa Maya and Coz. There's nothing to attract passengers who don't live close by, or can't fly into Hobby. None of the ships are new, the itineraries are ordinary, and the venue is small. It's definitely worth going to NASA (20-25 minutes up the road), but that would require coming in a day in advance, or staying a day beyond (assuming that the ships sail on Sundays).

 

I enjoy sailing out of Galveston, as it's a 40-minute ride from my home ... but given the obstacles, I wouldn't think that another full-time ship is in the immediate future.

[BallFour4]

During the Q&A time at C&A party I asked about the another ship for Galveston. The answer was "NO" do to the uncertainy of the weather, ie hurricanes, during the late summer & fall months.

Galveston has been devastated with two hurricaines since cruising came to the mass market customer. Alecia in 1983 and Ike in last year. What an epidemic :(

Do you imply that hurricanes do not come to other ports? Please... get the facts before you rag on a port.

The Port of Galveston was not down for long after Ike and remains today a viable departure site for many cruise passengers.

 

 

.

[BallFour4]

Port of Houston, owns Port of Galveston I don't think that will happen

 

 

That'd be a no there sparky...

[BallFour4]

You're right ... if you're referring to Hobby International. The only airline that flies there with any regularity is Southwest. JetBlue, AirTran and Delta have limited service.

 

You had better tell the American Airlines and folks that spend their days there that. Hobby airport is thriving, and up in passenger departures.

Please don't speculate... Know the facts :)

[parrotthead]

 

Galveston has been devastated with two hurricaines since cruising came to the mass market customer. Alecia in 1983 and Ike in last year. What an epidemic :(

 

Do you imply that hurricanes do not come to other ports? Please... get the facts before you rag on a port.

 

The Port of Galveston was not down for long after Ike and remains today a viable departure site for many cruise passengers.

 

 

.

Right! NOla has had its share of hurricanes too. As other ports have. I can not see where any business would say that due to hurricanes they would not do business in a certin port. :rolleyes:

[parrotthead]

Actually the taxi fare from Intercontinental Airport is about $40. It costs more than that to get from Orlando to Port Canaveral. It takes about 40 minutes which is less about the same as Orlando to Port Canaveral and they seem to be doing very well.

It cost us almost $20 to get to FortLauderdale Airport from Port Evergaldes last week....---> 3 miles!!!

[TMFNYC]

Wow, I must say this forum has really bought back memories. My first ever cruise was out of Galveston and on Rhapsody. I enjoyed her so much, I booked another the moment I returned to land.

 

It would be great, if they slapped on those bull horns and put her back where she has made so many people happy... Texas of course.

 

Splendour was great also- but it wasn't Rhapsody. Voyager was nice and different- but I found it to be a little large to master.

 

I have been Loyal to Royal... but having another RCCL choice in Galveston would make so many cruisers happy. I am sure a lot of 1st time cruisers found their love of cruising on Rhapsody of the seas. So please bring her back home.

 

~James

[Tucker in Texas]

When both the Rhapsody and the Sovereign were here, they did 10 (maybe 12) day cruises down to the Panama Canal on the SOS every now and then. How I wish I had taken advantage of them. Many of us retirees like the longer cruises. Unfortunately, husband was still working at NASA.

 

As for hurricanes, what a bunch of bull twickie. The Galveston Port wasn't closed down near as long as NOLA was after Katrina. That was the first hurricane that landed here since 1983. Rita was aiming for us but then went East and it was business as usual in Galveston without a hic-up. I was one of those that questioned that Galveston could get the port up and running by December 1st and I ate dirt.

 

Tucker in Texas

[buckanear]

I was one of those that questioned that Galveston could get the port up and running by December 1st and I ate dirt.

 

It was certainly no easy feat! I don't like how the Bayport terminal is set up and so I was very happy that the finished terminal 2

[Tucker in Texas]

It was certainly no easy feat! I don't like how the Bayport terminal is set up and so I was very happy that the finished terminal 2

 

Heard good things about the Bayport terminal other than the parking was inadequate. Not my problem, 17 minutes, I can get my "worthless" son to drive me there (lol).

 

Tucker in Texas

[bilyclub]

Hertz is out ? Thanks for the info. That takes Galveston out of my plans...No way to get out of town on a Sunday.

[buckanear]

Heard good things about the Bayport terminal other than the parking was inadequate. Not my problem, 17 minutes, I can get my "worthless" son to drive me there (lol).

 

Tucker in Texas

 

It worked fine with the Ecstasy, but the problem is the setup for larger groups. Because there are chairs lined up throughout the entire terminal you can't weave guests in the queue inside the terminal, they were lined up along the wall and so there was a lot of wasted space. The alternative is to seat people in chairs, either in order or by groups, and do a stagered check-in, but that can present some logistical problems.

 

The chairs are great when boarding is delayed and no one's going anywhere anytime soon, but they can also be a hurdle when they're right smack dab in the middle. Another thing they did was put the counters really close to the wall making movement more difficult.

 

Another thing I didn't care for was that the path for guests was circular. You went out in the same area that you came in instead of starting on one end and ending up at another. This just seemed inefficient.

 

It's a gorgeous terminal, I just didn't care for the setup. It also would have been nice if they had put padding under the carpet in the checkin area. If I have to be on my feet all day, it would be nice for my feet not to kill me. I can also say that about Galveston. Another thing they did, from the standpoint of an agent, was that the counters were really close to the wall making movement behind the counters harder. You had to stand against the wall to allow people to pass.

 

I know I should like it and encourage RCI to go there since I live in Webster and it's much easier to get to, but I just didn't care for it.

[Tucker in Texas]

It worked fine with the Ecstasy, but the problem is the setup for larger groups. Because there are chairs lined up throughout the entire terminal you can't weave guests in the queue inside the terminal, they were lined up along the wall and so there was a lot of wasted space. The alternative is to seat people in chairs, either in order or by groups, and do a stagered check-in, but that can present some logistical problems.

 

The chairs are great when boarding is delayed and no one's going anywhere anytime soon, but they can also be a hurdle when they're right smack dab in the middle. Another thing they did was put the counters really close to the wall making movement more difficult.

 

Another thing I didn't care for was that the path for guests was circular. You went out in the same area that you came in instead of starting on one end and ending up at another. This just seemed inefficient.

 

It's a gorgeous terminal, I just didn't care for the setup. It also would have been nice if they had put padding under the carpet in the checkin area. If I have to be on my feet all day, it would be nice for my feet not to kill me. I can also say that about Galveston. Another thing they did, from the standpoint of an agent, was that the counters were really close to the wall making movement behind the counters harder. You had to stand against the wall to allow people to pass.

 

I know I should like it and encourage RCI to go there since I live in Webster and it's much easier to get to, but I just didn't care for it.

 

Interesting post, Erica. Maybe if they did open it full time, some of these problems can be solved. Considering they hadn't used the terminal before nor did they have a whole lot of time to prepare, you know there had to be some cracks in the system (lol).

 

When we went on the Navigator of the Seas out of Ft. Lauderdale, embarkation was delayed because the computers were down. They had us seated in chairs in order that we came in. When the computers came up, they then called us row by row in the order we came in. That seemed to work well in spite of some Platinums, Diamonds, Diamond+ complaining about not having an exclusive area for them to wait and priority boarding. I am a Diamond and it didn't bother me but you know how testy some people can get. While we were waiting, those that would have been behind the counter checking in people circulated offering to get people juice or water which I thought was very nice. The staff handling it were very patient and kept us informed throughout the wait. The good news was that as soon as we got on, the cabins were ready.

 

Tucker in Texas

[bmazzo]

Taken from Cruise Critic information on Galveston:

"Taxi service from both airports is another option. A typical fare from Hobby is $75, and from George Bush Intercontinental, about $100. The port is 40 minutes from Hobby, 90 minutes from Intercontinental."

 

Hertz didn't reopen its Galveston facility after Hurricane Ike. It's either Enterprise and its $100 dropoff charge or nothing.

 

Carnival's "eastern Caribbean" itinerary consists of stops in Key West and Nassau. The western route is the usual Cozumel/GrandCayman/Jamaica. The VOS stops at Roatan, Costa Maya and Coz. There's nothing to attract passengers who don't live close by, or can't fly into Hobby. None of the ships are new, the itineraries are ordinary, and the venue is small. It's definitely worth going to NASA (20-25 minutes up the road), but that would require coming in a day in advance, or staying a day beyond (assuming that the ships sail on Sundays).

 

I enjoy sailing out of Galveston, as it's a 40-minute ride from my home ... but given the obstacles, I wouldn't think that another full-time ship is in the immediate future.

 

 

From Someone who has cruised from Many Ports. Galveston by far was the most inconvenient to sail to and from. We eventually wound up renting a car and keeping it parked at a Best Western hotel for an entire week to conveniently get back to Intercontinental Airport. Similar itineraries out of Ft Lauderdale, or Miami with much lower airfare. The drive,(with no traffic) is over 90 minutes so planning is the key. Given the low cruise fares out of Galveston, I'd take that as an indication that another ship isn't in the works. BTW Rapsody of the Seas makes a fortune in the Souh pacific and Austrailia. There is definately a growth opportunity there.

[buckanear]

LoL, yes I do know!

 

What Bayport did was they designed the checkin area so that its impossible to have a seperate seating area. There's no room on the sides to put chairs so the queue can be in the middle. It's very weird. It seems that the checkin area is smaller than that in terminal 2 in Galveston. I don't know if its because of how its setup or if it actually is smaller. I'm thinking that it is actually smaller because the counters go along two walls instead of one. Too make it worse, they bought the chairs that are connected together, like long benches.

 

One more nitpick about the terminal. Sorry! :) The counters are impossibly short! It hurts your back to be stooped over all the time.

 

I don't want to sound like ninny, I really liked a lot of things about the terminal. It was gorgeous and I loved being surrounded by windows and seeing the ship. It had a nice breakroom (after we finally got running water) and storage area to put your lunch and belongings.

[Rancher Dave]

The port pilot article is interesting. If I recall the Houston Pilots were offering a big discount to the lines to use the new terminal.

 

If I were a pilot I would have to sail Houston instead of Galveston...pays better from what I have heard.

 

The extra sailing time is likely negligible overall...may affect when you arrive at first port but seems many of the RCCL returns are 2 days at sea before arriving back heare and not at full speed...so returns would work out just fine.

 

It will be good once RCCL puts another ship here.

[Tucker in Texas]

LoL, yes I do know!

 

What Bayport did was they designed the checkin area so that its impossible to have a seperate seating area. There's no room on the sides to put chairs so the queue can be in the middle. It's very weird. It seems that the checkin area is smaller than that in terminal 2 in Galveston. I don't know if its because of how its setup or if it actually is smaller. I'm thinking that it is actually smaller because the counters go along two walls instead of one. Too make it worse, they bought the chairs that are connected together, like long benches.

 

One more nitpick about the terminal. Sorry! :) The counters are impossibly short! It hurts your back to be stooped over all the time.

 

I don't want to sound like ninny, I really liked a lot of things about the terminal. It was gorgeous and I loved being surrounded by windows and seeing the ship. It had a nice breakroom (after we finally got running water) and storage area to put your lunch and belongings.

 

You would think when they were designing the terminal (probably with an architect that had never set food in a ship's terminal), they would have hired someone that actually worked in one to find out what works and what doesn't. You don't need an architectural degree for that anymore than to be a rocket scientist to figure out that you need twice as many Ladies rooms as Men's rooms at a large venue.

 

I remember back in the dark ages when I did temp secretarial work I would arrive at a job where they would plunk a typewriter down on an office desk and tell me to have at it. Most of the time it was a manual typewriter that had been sitting in a store room so the first hour was cleaning off the dust. You cannot type efficiently on a typewriter at office desk level, it needs to be lower. I sat on many a phone book trying to get the height I needed.

 

We went on the NCL Sky when it was first launched. Three small drawers in the whole cabin and lights over the bed on the wall that were where you needed to lean back to read in bed.

 

We can all think of many examples of just plain bad planning.

 

Maybe if a ship does decided to dock there, they will make some demands for some alterations before signing on the dotted line (lol).

 

Tucker in Texas

[TEXASMUNK]

I would love to see who the designer of the Houston terminal is related to in City government!

 

Last thing a governemnt ever wants to do is ask the people that actually have to work a facility what their needs might be! That would be responsible and when is the last time you believed them when they said:

"I'm from the government, I am here to help you"

 

LOL Dallas is building a hotel that none of the major chains believes will be successful but it ain't their money, so they will build it anyway!

 

Mark Twain once said "You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time" He sure never met today's politicians!

[BallFour4]

I would love to see who the designer of the Houston terminal is related to in City government!

 

Actually, the Bayport Cruise Terminal is in the city of Pasadena.

 

worthless trivia I know...

 

.

 

[Tucker in Texas]

I would love to see who the designer of the Houston terminal is related to in City government!

 

Good point on the relative, you are probably right. We locals know the terminal was only on the books so they could get their bond issue passed to ugly up the area down here with more rusty containers.

Now we have the Endeavor, a high rise that was built on the Lake. As it was going up, a few engineers remarked it was "leaning." The developers were buying up all the land they could to build more and actually started on another one by Clear Lake Park.

 

The units started around $650K up into multi millions. Going to double in price in 5 years according to the sales pitch. Garages sold for like $25K and storage units for $10K. The word was out (by the developers, of course) they were selling like hot cakes. It opened and they were very gracious letting the "curious" tour as well as the "serious." Us being the curious (lol). Then the leaks started to come out. While they claimed to have 85% sold, it was obvious to us that pass it regularly at night it was very sparsely occupied because there weren't many lights on. I usually count around six units at most. Flippers, we figured had bought them up and then the bust comes along and they are eating their lunch. We heard Matthew McGonohey (or however you spell it) was buying the pent house and had been spied at the local grocery store. When I questioned the sales person about this, he said it was going to be an "investment." Next we see building on the 2nd site has come to a halt. A piece of property for a 3rd building is back on the market. Then we hear that one bank of elevators doesn't work because it is leaning. Then we heard they haven't been using the monthly assessments ($12K a year on a 2,200 sq. ft. unit) to pay their bills. Next comes news they are bankrupt. It did survive the storm though but I'm not sure about whether those $25K garages flooded or not. So much for the 27 high rises that will surround the lake in the next 10 years--thank goodness.

 

Tucker in Texas

[BecciBoo]

Mark Twain once said "You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time" He sure never met today's politicians!

 

Actually, that was P.T.Barnum and the full quote is: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, All of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."

 

I often wondered why Galveston couldn't fund a small 2 or 3 car train from Houston into the island. I know there is a track. The train works great to get from Seattle to Vancouver.

[buckanear]

I can see the endeavor from my apartment and there is NEVER any lights on. My friend lives in the condo right behind it (which is managed by the same company) and he said there is never anyone there.

[BecciBoo]

Hey Erica: 4 more months till we see your smilin face again!:)

[buckanear]

I know!!!!!!!! I can't wait. Did you get my email a few weeks ago?