Spring break 2024 - must end up in Dallas on Sunday April 7! - Ft Lauderdale or Galveston

[psychtobe]

Hello cruisers,

 

We need to be in DFW on Sunday April 7 to see the total solar eclipse on Monday April 8 (family lives there) and we want to take a cruise the week before.

 

We will be flying from the west coast ~ either a red eye Friday March 29 or morning Saturday March 30. Thus we think our options are:

1. Ft Lauderdale

2. Galveston

3. Southern California. Probably less interested in the cruise options/ports, though the travel will definitely be cheapest.

 

Galveston has mostly short cruises.

We found a Celebrity Ascent - Western Caribbean - 7 days out of FLL that leaves Sunday March 31 and returns Sunday April 7. The refundable balcony option is around $3500 for 2 including all port fees/taxes, and around $2500 for the inside room, which is within our budget. The date fit our travel needs well.

 

We enjoyed Celebrity in 2015 though I'm sure things change especially post-COVID. For us the food is really important and Celebrity was better than Princess and much better than Royal or Carnival. Interesting ports next most important. We don't do spas and so forth. 

 

We'd probably get a balcony for ourselves and put our teenage kids (17 and 14) in their own interior or OV but it would be nice if it were on the same floor (not required).

 

If you have any general suggestions about how to organize our thinking or planning, cruise line to consider, etc., please let us know. Ports to look at that I missed or if the West Coast of Mexico really has a better option.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Charles4515]

7 minutes ago, psychtobe said:

 

We need to be in DFW on Sunday April 7 to see the total solar eclipse on Monday April 8 (family lives there) and we want to take a cruise the week before.

I would do the Ascent. Should be plenty of flights to DFW. We have two airports. I have flown here on Southwest and American from FLL. I didn’t know about the eclipse but now I will mark April 8 on my calendar and try to find my eclipse glasses that I got for the total eclipse a few years ago when I lived in Maryland. 

[donaldsc]

Try to find a cruise that gets in a few days before the eclipse just in case the ship has a problem and is delayed.  You can use web sites such as ShipinPort to find out what ships will get you there on the right day.

 

 

DON

[Honolulu Blue]

10 hours ago, psychtobe said:

Hello cruisers,

 

We need to be in DFW on Sunday April 7 to see the total solar eclipse on Monday April 8 (family lives there) and we want to take a cruise the week before.

 

We will be flying from the west coast ~ either a red eye Friday March 29 or morning Saturday March 30. Thus we think our options are:

1. Ft Lauderdale

2. Galveston

3. Southern California. Probably less interested in the cruise options/ports, though the travel will definitely be cheapest.

 

Galveston has mostly short cruises.

We found a Celebrity Ascent - Western Caribbean - 7 days out of FLL that leaves Sunday March 31 and returns Sunday April 7. The refundable balcony option is around $3500 for 2 including all port fees/taxes, and around $2500 for the inside room, which is within our budget. The date fit our travel needs well.

 

We enjoyed Celebrity in 2015 though I'm sure things change especially post-COVID. For us the food is really important and Celebrity was better than Princess and much better than Royal or Carnival. Interesting ports next most important. We don't do spas and so forth. 

 

We'd probably get a balcony for ourselves and put our teenage kids (17 and 14) in their own interior or OV but it would be nice if it were on the same floor (not required).

 

If you have any general suggestions about how to organize our thinking or planning, cruise line to consider, etc., please let us know. Ports to look at that I missed or if the West Coast of Mexico really has a better option.

 

Thanks in advance!

There are several other embarkation ports that you didn't list between Galveston and Ft. Lauderdale, namely:

 

• New Orleans
• Tampa
• Miami
• Port Canaveral (sort of near Orlando)

 

It's OK not to toss them for whatever reason, but you really should put them on your initial list.

 

Beyond that, I don't have much to say but have fun planning and have fun cruising!

[YourWorldWithBill]

17 hours ago, psychtobe said:

Hello cruisers,

 

We need to be in DFW on Sunday April 7 to see the total solar eclipse on Monday April 8 (family lives there) and we want to take a cruise the week before.

 

I agree with donaldsc: plan to arrive early. As people become aware of the April 8, 2024 rare total eclipse that happens to pass right through Dallas and follows a slim track through North America, I bet that travel will get very busy. A couple of weeks ago I had to cancel a booking for a group cruise scheduled for that week, when I found out about the eclipse. I know people who have already booked hotel rooms in smaller towns in hope of clearer skies (less polluted air).

[psychtobe]

Thanks for the tip on cruises out of New Orleans. I found an NCL cruise that would work, the ports aren’t too interesting to us as we’ve been to Costa Maya and Cozumel before and not divers so not too into Roatan, but we could make do.

 

There is a Haven 2 BR option for a decent price. How is the Haven restaurant or more specifically how does it compare to the MDR on Celebrity? We are really willing to pay extra for food. Unfortunately one advantage of the Haven (16+ only on the sundeck) is a drawback for us, because our son will be only 14 at the time of the cruise.

[psychtobe]

11 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

I agree with donaldsc: plan to arrive early. As people become aware of the April 8, 2024 rare total eclipse that happens to pass right through Dallas and follows a slim track through North America, I bet that travel will get very busy. A couple of weeks ago I had to cancel a booking for a group cruise scheduled for that week, when I found out about the eclipse. I know people who have already booked hotel rooms in smaller towns in hope of clearer skies (less polluted air).

we live in the path of the eclipse from a couple years ago and a little pollution made no difference. It was a magnificent sight, we were all much more moved than we thought we would be. Obviously if it’s cloudy or raining everyone is out of luck.

[YourWorldWithBill]

12 hours ago, psychtobe said:

we live in the path of the eclipse from a couple years ago and a little pollution made no difference. It was a magnificent sight, we were all much more moved than we thought we would be. Obviously if it’s cloudy or raining everyone is out of luck.

Thanks. I figured that would be the case, so we're staying home. 

[Mary229]

Check the flight schedules.  I am in DFW and am always amazed at the overbooked flights to FLL and their exorbitant cost.   You will not have that issue flying into Houston which is served by two airports with many options and is generally inexpensive 

[Charles4515]

52 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Check the flight schedules.  I am in DFW and am always amazed at the overbooked flights to FLL and their exorbitant cost.   You will not have that issue flying into Houston which is served by two airports with many options and is generally inexpensive 

OP has family in DFW. Also the eclipse will be total in DFW not in Houston.

[Charles4515]

13 hours ago, psychtobe said:

we live in the path of the eclipse from a couple years ago and a little pollution made no difference. It was a magnificent sight, we were all much more moved than we thought we would be. Obviously if it’s cloudy or raining everyone is out of luck.

I am in Fort Worth and rarely encounter pollution. Usually it is bright sunshine. I have to wear the darkest legally allowed sunglasses to drive. Of course there can be overcast days like today but they are the exception. In the 2017 I lived in the DC area and we lucked out. It was no clouds and spectacular. I think DFW has the best odds. Many more sunshine days than we had in DC.  Next North America total eclipse will be 2045 so there may be a lot coming to DFW to see it. Luckily I won’t have to go anywhere. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

12 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I am in Fort Worth and rarely encounter pollution. Usually it is bright sunshine. I have to wear the darkest legally allowed sunglasses to drive. Of course there can be overcast days like today but they are the exception. In the 2017 I lived in the DC area and we lucked out. It was no clouds and spectacular. I think DFW has the best odds. Many more sunshine days than we had in DC.  Next North America total eclipse will be 2045 so there may be a lot coming to DFW to see it. Luckily I won’t have to go anywhere. 

Less pollution in Fort Worth, but you're our sturdy offensive line blocking against bad weather!

[psychtobe]

yeah our family is there so dont need a rental car or hotel, but flights will get crazy and getting from house to airport after the eclipse will be a nightmare if the one in Oregon was any indication.

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

OP has family in DFW. Also the eclipse will be total in DFW not in Houston.

The advice stands bout checking flights and airlines.  He may be displeased with his options.  It does no harm to check flights first.  

[Charles4515]

18 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

The advice stands bout checking flights and airlines.  He may be displeased with his options.  It does no harm to check flights first.  

 

If OP books the cruise now it is too early to check flights on most airlines. The two I usually for FLL from here, for American opens bookings  331 days out and Southwest will be even closer to the sailing date. 

[Mary229]

52 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

If OP books the cruise now it is too early to check flights on most airlines. The two I usually for FLL from here, for American opens bookings  331 days out and Southwest will be even closer to the sailing date. 

He better figure it out because I have been in a very similar situation and thankfully the cruise line allowed me to switch cruises.   This isn’t the good old days, there are many factors leading to flight shortages and , worse, convoluted routes. He could at least look at current flights for the same time period.    
 

I now always book a refundable deposit and don’t pay more until my flights are figured out.  That might be a possibility is to book two cruises with refundable and later when flights are available cancel the less desirable