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Galveston Terminal # 3

ssb

By ssb,
in Royal Caribbean International

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BSocial

BSocial

Posted
Posted (edited)
17 hours ago, RCCL Fan said:

Well here's what seems doable to me

 

Allure

 

1)  Galveston to Miami, Coco Cay, & Nassau   (7 day)

 

2) Galveston to Roatan, Costa Maya, Cozumel  (7day)

.. .

Unless allure does some 8 night/6 nights I don't see how Allure can go anywhere else, unless port conditions change.

Baltimore and Cape Liberty ships stop in Port Canaveral.    I can see Allure stopping in Miami . . . .

 

 

No offense, but I would not book an itinerary with Miami as a Port of Call from Galveston ( #1).     It's a great city and I have enjoyed visiting Miami - but not from my cruise ship, please.   

Edited by BSocial
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John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

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3 hours ago, ssb said:

Yes but so many say they want to go East out  of Galveston like it never happens  . Carnival And Royal are going East . Even Liberty goes East to Jamaica and Cayman. We have done many repos in and out of Galveston not having to go West . 
 

 

Most cruise lines consider Jamaica and Cayman to be part  of the western itineraries 

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time4u2go

time4u2go

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39 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Possible damage. Fairly slanted article in my opinion. 

It could be.  There's several other articles about it also.  If you are interested, search "grand cayman cruise pier reef".

Edited by time4u2go
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twangster "Live from...." Rare

twangster

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19 hours ago, RCCL Fan said:

With minimal investment from key west they could operate with some more breathing room and bring even larger ships than Voyager class. 

 

All they can do is maintain the shipping channels in their current state.  There is massive opposition to cruise ships in Key West and any talk of going bigger quickly becomes a huge issue that is hotly debated.  Even studies to determine impact end up in the courts and that's just the study to provide data on the subject.  

 

You won't be seeing Voyager class in KW for a long time, probably never.  Solstice class is about as large as it goes.  

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twangster "Live from...." Rare

twangster

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Posted (edited)

Like Oasis in Bayonne they may just repeat the same itinerary over and over.   Like Bayonne, Galveston is geographically challenged.  It's all the way at the top of the Gulf.   

 

Marinetraffic.com has a route planner that can shed some light on itineraries. 

 

The trick though is not using the maximum speed of the ship in your calculations.  They always build in buffers for lost time such as late passengers, late port pilots, traffic, medical emergencies, weather, etc.  It also takes up to an hour to approach a pier, set lines and gangways and get clearance so add that time to your travel calculations.

 

Miami has potential tidal challenges and king can tides impact Oasis class departure times.  They can't just come and go whenever like other ports. That's not an issue for smaller ships.  

 

The existing Bahamas routes out of NOLA or Galveston require one high speed transit through the Gulf either at the beginning or the end plus there are two sea days somewhere in the itinerary typically.  High speed legs are not unheard of.  St Kitts requires a high speed leg on Oasis- based Eastern cruises.  That's why it's usually the first port dropped when a ship has speed restrictions like Allure does today.  They won't typically plan an itinerary that requires high speed on every leg, every day.  

 

The biggest problem with having Miami on the itinerary is Miami.  That's a hard sell as a port of call mid-cruise.

 

Edited by twangster
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ssb

ssb

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Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, twangster said:

Like Oasis in Bayonne they may just repeat the same itinerary over and over.   Like Bayonne, Galveston is geographically challenged.  It's all the way at the top of the Gulf.   

 

Marinetraffic.com has a route planner that can shed some light on itineraries. 

 

The trick though is not using the maximum speed of the ship in your calculations.  They always build in buffers for lost time such as late passengers, late port pilots, traffic, medical emergencies, weather, etc.  It also takes up to an hour to approach a pier, set lines and gangways and get clearance so add that time to your travel calculations.

 

Miami has potential tidal challenges and king can tides impact Oasis class departure times.  They can't just come and go whenever like other ports. That's not an issue for smaller ships.  

 

The existing Bahamas routes out of NOLA or Galveston require one high speed transit through the Gulf either at the beginning or the end plus there are two sea days somewhere in the itinerary typically.  High speed legs are not unheard of.  St Kitts requires a high speed leg on Oasis- based Eastern cruises.  That's why it's usually the first port dropped when a ship has speed restrictions like Allure does today.  They won't typically plan an itinerary that requires high speed on every leg, every day.  

 

The biggest problem with having Miami on the itinerary is Miami.  That's a hard sell as a port of call mid-cruise.

 

Miami,  New Orleans, Key West , Charleston , Savanna , Galveston ports have more to offer than some island ports in the Caribbean. I would welcome change . We overnighted many years ago in Miami on a TA from Galveston to Barcelona . We enjoyed the change  then . 

Edited by ssb
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vettecruiser1

vettecruiser1

Posted
Posted

Just returned from a cruise and I believe Belize will be an option for docking.  When we were there we could see an island that was being built up with a large pier for cruise ships and the island being built is fairly close to were the ship currently anchor for tendering.  When I asked about it the local on the tender said they are building this island for cruise ships to have a Beach island and waterpark sort of what they did in Harvest Cay.  Then if you want you can still tender to Belize City for Mainland excursions from this new island.   He said they are still about 2 years away from the island being complete but it got me thinking.  I believe I saw somewhere that Royal was wanting to build more Coco Cay type islands with one down close to Belize or Roatan, I think this was in the article about the Freeport expansion.   Anyway I bet this Belize island will be what Royal will use for the Allure when it comes since based on the construction it fits into that time table.

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ssb

ssb

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Posted (edited)
47 minutes ago, vettecruiser1 said:

Just returned from a cruise and I believe Belize will be an option for docking.  When we were there we could see an island that was being built up with a large pier for cruise ships and the island being built is fairly close to were the ship currently anchor for tendering.  When I asked about it the local on the tender said they are building this island for cruise ships to have a Beach island and waterpark sort of what they did in Harvest Cay.  Then if you want you can still tender to Belize City for Mainland excursions from this new island.   He said they are still about 2 years away from the island being complete but it got me thinking.  I believe I saw somewhere that Royal was wanting to build more Coco Cay type islands with one down close to Belize or Roatan, I think this was in the article about the Freeport expansion.   Anyway I bet this Belize island will be what Royal will use for the Allure when it comes since based on the construction it fits into that time table.

 

 

ALSO Royal Destination ports with better experience expansion plans 
 

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) and the ITM Group are cementing their relationship by forming a new destination company that will be called Holistica. The redevelopment of the Grand Lucayan resort complex and the transformation of Grand Bahama’s cruise port into an adventure park will be the company’s first project.

The Holistica partnership will be a 50-50 deal between RCL and ITM and will also include destinations in Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Kumamoto, Japan, according to a press release.

“Holistica will create an inclusive model for destination development that works holistically – thus the name – to meet the needs of coastal communities, local governments and land, sea, and air travelers,” the release noted.

RCL President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Bayley said in the release that the rise in the popularity of cruise vacations gave rise to the need to continue the development of coastal destinations and the creation of one-of-a-kind cruise experiences.

“The continuing growth and rising popularity of cruise vacations make it clear that the sustainable development of coastal destinations, including the thoughtful evolution of existing ones, is in the travel industry’s best interest,” said Bayley.

“We have spent five decades learning what works and what doesn’t, and we know the potential of strategic development to deliver extraordinary guest experiences and meet the needs of local communities.”

ITM Group CEO Mauricio Hamui said well-designed destinations benefit communities and offer cultural enrichment to those visiting these communities.

“There is a way to do these projects inclusively, collaboratively, and sustainably – and those are the characteristics this new partnership is meant to embody,” he said.

“The timing is right for a venture of this type. A collaborative development approach, paired with meaningful private financial resources, gives local destinations the opportunity to grow the right way.”

Holistica’s Freeport is still under review by the government, the release stated. It added that the development is centered on the redevelopment of the Grand Lucayan resort, “and includes ambitious plans for local ownership, employment, job training, community investment and sustainable construction practices”.

Bayley said the development of more destinations increases the quality of vacations and expands the options in an ever growing tourism industry

Edited by ssb
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vettecruiser1

vettecruiser1

Posted
Posted

I wish I would have taken a picture of the island and pier, it has some major constructing to go before the island looks anything like coco cay but the pier already had 4 of those concrete platforms extending out and the crane boat was working on putting out more.  I guess you have to build the pier first that was it is easier to move in the construction machinery.

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PCWalton1

PCWalton1

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Posted

OK you Galveston trumpeters. How bad is this idea. We fly into IAH late the night before so we will grab a rental car, drive down to Texas City, drop off the car and stay at a hotel for the night in Texas City. Next morning we will grab an Uber/Lyft to the cruise terminal. 

Upon our return we grab an Uber/Lyft to Texas City to pick up a rental car, drive over and spend most of the day visiting the Space Center then head to IAH for our evening flight home. 

 

The lateness of the flights are because they are on the airline we frequent (Alaska) and are they only non-stops to/from Seattle. 

 

Thanks 

 

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PCWalton1

PCWalton1

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, Tulsacoker said:

not sure why get a rental car. uber/lift everywhere

Arriving that is a good idea but if I Uber after the cruise what do I do with the luggage all day as we visit the space center without a trunk to store them?

Edited by PCWalton1
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Tulsacoker

Tulsacoker

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9 minutes ago, PCWalton1 said:

Arriving that is a good idea but if I Uber after the cruise what do I do with the luggage all day as we visit the space center without a trunk to store them?

I think the Space Center has lockers to rent and a place to store luggage (for a fee) . I would contact them to be sure.

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ssb

ssb

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Their are 7 hotels just over causeway before 61st for crashing in  Galveston ! 

Look into  pricing and uber to there and uber to terminal next morning !

Rent car for return . AND Look on internet for Nasa Tours on return !   

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PCWalton1

PCWalton1

Posted
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5 minutes ago, Tulsacoker said:

I think the Space Center has lockers to rent and a place to store luggage (for a fee) . I would contact them to be sure.

Thanks, I will take your advice and Uber arriving from IAH but I think I will stick with the rental on the return. Either way I would still be Ubering leaving Galveston and once the luggage is in the rental car trunk I can forget about it for the day. 😀

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