Softservekid1 Posted June 28 #1 Share Posted June 28 I tried to talk the couple we are traveling with into going the day before departure, but they didn't want to pay the cost of a hotel. I can see their point as all the motels raise their Friday night rates to around $300. Gouging for sure. So, From North Dallas I will be driving in the morning of the cruise. This drive through or around Houston is a crap shoot as the traffic can be a nightmare. My question is: I think when I "check in" on the app before we leave, I pick a boarding time?? Is it best to pick an early boarding time, say 11:00am then when we get there at say 1:00pm will we be able to board immediately? Any advice is really appreciated, and again, I'm sorry for all my rookie questions. As y'all can tell. I'm kinda anal. I want to be prepared.🙃 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare starstruck05 Posted June 28 #2 Share Posted June 28 Texas traffic is always unpredictable. We never stay in Galveston. We stay in Houston since there are 100s of options and drive in that morning. Texas City is a good option too. (I'm from New Orleans) From Houston it's about 1-1/2 hours in normal traffic so an 11 am check in, I would leave the hotel around 830/9. If you drive in from Dallas, that's what a 5/6 hour drive? If you leave early morning you will make an 11 am check in but a 1 pm check in would be safer. Just make sure to make it before 2:30/3. That's usually the cut off time for boarding. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BlerkOne Posted June 28 #3 Share Posted June 28 The road to Galveston has been under construction for the past 300 years or so. An accident can cause a delay for a week or more. Only slight exaggerations. More than once a ship has sailed from Galveston without a brand or two of liquor because a liquor delivery truck couldn't make it in time. 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikayla73 Posted June 28 #4 Share Posted June 28 What about staying somewhere on the other side of Houston but not Galveston? That gets you through the traffic and a shorter drive in the morning of the cruise. I know @Saint Greg has mentioned Webster before. Just another thought. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Softservekid1 Posted June 28 Author #5 Share Posted June 28 this is a great idea, I'll check with my party Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princess76021 Posted June 28 #6 Share Posted June 28 12 minutes ago, Softservekid1 said: this is a great idea, I'll check with my party hi, we've driven to Galveston from the DFW area more times than i want to remember. we have left as early as 5 a.m. and gotten there almost 2 we have left at 7 and gotten there at 11:30 as they have said it's a crap shoot and there is almost always some sort of construction. I finally got him to go a day early and on greg's advice we stayed in Webster at the Fairmont which he also suggested. there are plenty of eating venues there. the drive to Galveston took 20 minutes i have sort of a cruise diary starting in 2005. if you have any question ask away hugs from texas 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo6313 Posted June 28 #7 Share Posted June 28 (edited) If you decide to drive down the day of the cruise the good news is that it looks like it would be on a Saturday sine you were saying Friday night hotels are expensive. Traffic will be much lighter since it is on the weekend. There will alway be some traffic getting through Houston but it will be much lighter on a Saturday. Staying at a hotel in the Clear Lake or League City area will get you far enough south of Houston to avoid major traffic. I think you could get a reasonable hotel rate in one of those areas. I would also suggest using an app like Waze if you drive in that day because it could help direct you around traffic if there is an accident or major construction. Edited June 28 by daveo6313 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Saint Greg Posted June 28 #8 Share Posted June 28 1 hour ago, mikayla73 said: What about staying somewhere on the other side of Houston but not Galveston? That gets you through the traffic and a shorter drive in the morning of the cruise. I know @Saint Greg has mentioned Webster before. Just another thought. Yes it's a 30 minute drive to the port with reasonable hotel prices. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeMo Posted June 28 #9 Share Posted June 28 We love to stay on the seawall, BUT, there are a few events in Galveston that inflate the room cost to the Royalty level. We are 600 miles away so driving in day of cruise is a very bad option. The area north of Galveston on 45 usually has decent weekend rates. We try to stay around Texas City (or a few miles north) and home base there. Some events to be aware of include: Topless Texas, Dickens on the Strand, Mardi Gras, Lone Star Rally and of course the busy tourist season. You can save serious $ by staying up the road 15-30 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BlerkOne Posted June 28 #10 Share Posted June 28 4 minutes ago, JoeMo said: We love to stay on the seawall, BUT, there are a few events in Galveston that inflate the room cost to the Royalty level. We are 600 miles away so driving in day of cruise is a very bad option. The area north of Galveston on 45 usually has decent weekend rates. We try to stay around Texas City (or a few miles north) and home base there. Some events to be aware of include: Topless Texas, Dickens on the Strand, Mardi Gras, Lone Star Rally and of course the busy tourist season. You can save serious $ by staying up the road 15-30 minutes. Yes, I ran into the Lone Star Rally last year. No wonder the cruise was so cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallion Posted June 29 #11 Share Posted June 29 (edited) 8 hours ago, Softservekid1 said: I tried to talk the couple we are traveling with into going the day before departure, but they didn't want to pay the cost of a hotel. I can see their point as all the motels raise their Friday night rates to around $300. Gouging for sure. So, From North Dallas I will be driving in the morning of the cruise. This drive through or around Houston is a crap shoot as the traffic can be a nightmare. My question is: I think when I "check in" on the app before we leave, I pick a boarding time?? Is it best to pick an early boarding time, say 11:00am then when we get there at say 1:00pm will we be able to board immediately? Any advice is really appreciated, and again, I'm sorry for all my rookie questions. As y'all can tell. I'm kinda anal. I want to be prepared.🙃 Cheaper Option: You should be able to find a 4 star Hotel in Houston for probably $110-150 or so even on Friday night-then its an easy Saturday morning drive to Galveston Edited June 29 by Stallion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPTexas Posted July 2 #12 Share Posted July 2 We live in the north Texas area as well and always drive down the night before . . . always. For us it is less stress, especially with all the miles to Galveston - you never know what might happen. Driving down the day before gives us options should something happen (crossing fingers it hasn't yet) and we consider the leisurely drive the start of our cruise vacation. Our first cruise we stayed in Galveston for the experience (the Grand Valdez), but now we always stay in or around Texas City with a quick 20-30 minute drive to Galveston. We park at a cruise parking lot with a shuttle to the port. We are not thrill-seekers enough to let unplanned traffic or an event get in the way of our cruise! 😉 Happy cruising everyone! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Softservekid1 Posted July 2 Author #13 Share Posted July 2 1 minute ago, DPTexas said: We live in the north Texas area as well and always drive down the night before . . . always. For us it is less stress, especially with all the miles to Galveston - you never know what might happen. Driving down the day before gives us options should something happen (crossing fingers it hasn't yet) and we consider the leisurely drive the start of our cruise vacation. Our first cruise we stayed in Galveston for the experience (the Grand Valdez), but now we always stay in or around Texas City with a quick 20-30 minute drive to Galveston. We park at a cruise parking lot with a shuttle to the port. We are not thrill-seekers enough to let unplanned traffic or an event get in the way of our cruise! 😉 Happy cruising everyone! YEP ! we decided to stay in Texas City also. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPTexas Posted July 2 #14 Share Posted July 2 5 minutes ago, Softservekid1 said: YEP ! we decided to stay in Texas City also. Wise decision. Enjoy your cruise! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssb Posted July 2 #15 Share Posted July 2 There are a number of budget minded hotels on highway I45 “on” the Island , just over the causeway before 61st street . You are on the island in the morning close to terminals , and on the island the night before close to tourist destinations. I personally do not like Texas City because of all the petrochemical industry and pollution. Galveston is not affected by that issue because of the “prevailing” winds out of southeast , which puts Galveston up wind from the refineries. That is unless there is a wind out of the north from cold fronts , which are short lived . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlawrence01 Posted July 3 #16 Share Posted July 3 We always stay at the Microtel by Wyndham across from the Houston Space Center on NASA Parkway in Houston for $60-70 per night. It is nothing fancy but it is clean. On the morning of the cruise, we drive south on TX-146 avoiding all of the construction on I-45. It usually takes only 35 minutes and the traffic is generally light. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennellen Posted July 23 #17 Share Posted July 23 I'm driving down from DFW for a cruise in September. Original plan was to go day before and stay with a friend in Conroe, but I've been rethinking and now I'm like 95% thinking I'll be staying somewhere between Webster and Texas City. I mapped out from her house and it's little over 2 hours with no traffic. Yes, it'll be an added expense but I don't want the stress of that drive morning off. As others have said, traffic is so unpredictable in Texas. If I stay at a hotel much closer I can have a nice leisurely morning. The whole point of a vacation is no stress! Or that's how I'm justifying staying in a hotel now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackiel3290 Posted July 23 #18 Share Posted July 23 On 6/28/2024 at 1:24 PM, mikayla73 said: What about staying somewhere on the other side of Houston but not Galveston? That gets you through the traffic and a shorter drive in the morning of the cruise. I know @Saint Greg has mentioned Webster before. Just another thought. We are staying at the BW in Texas City, it is much more reasonable than in Galveston proper. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare dna1990 Posted July 25 #19 Share Posted July 25 I will echo three important points above. A) The day of the week will matter, at least with regards to getting thru Houston and close to the island. Saturday is better and Sunday is usually best for light traffic thru Houston itself. B) What event(s) are going on in Galveston will be a factor. Mardis Gras, Dickens, Lone Star, et al. Do a google for Galveston and your date range for an indication of increased traffic, road closures, and hotel rates. C) None of it matters if a major accident or heavy weather sets in. But do some searches around TXDOT at least for any "planned" closures. Transtar and WAZE are also decent resources. If only staying the "night before", I would almost always choose Webster, Dickinson, Texas City, Kemah, etc for my hotel location. The Galveston location, seawall, attractions, and overall vibe is great to experience, so it does come with a higher hotel price. We travel often from Cypress which is NW of Houston. On a quiet Sunday, we can leave at 8am and be in the parking lot by 9:30, with a stop at Buc-ees. My wife is making the trip today (Thursday) in moderate to heavy rain. They left at 7:45am and still have not made it to Buc-ees by 9:45. Bottom line, for those coming in from Texas, OK, Louisiana...I agree with all above....and would spring for a hotel between Houston and Galveston and get the bulk of your drive in the day before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallion Posted July 28 #20 Share Posted July 28 Lately, on my last 3 cruises, traveling from Houston to Galveston has shown great improvement with the new construction improvements. Traveling from The Woodlands to Houston seems more congested though 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BallFour4 Posted July 29 #21 Share Posted July 29 There is little to deal with for traffic from I-45 North if you take the Hardy Toll Road to Beltway * and go EAST around the city. From Beltway 8 to Galveston there is only a small delay on most days, and all three lanes are open. . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo6313 Posted August 16 #22 Share Posted August 16 On 7/23/2024 at 3:42 PM, jennellen said: I'm driving down from DFW for a cruise in September. Original plan was to go day before and stay with a friend in Conroe, but I've been rethinking and now I'm like 95% thinking I'll be staying somewhere between Webster and Texas City. I mapped out from her house and it's little over 2 hours with no traffic. Yes, it'll be an added expense but I don't want the stress of that drive morning off. As others have said, traffic is so unpredictable in Texas. If I stay at a hotel much closer I can have a nice leisurely morning. The whole point of a vacation is no stress! Or that's how I'm justifying staying in a hotel now. I live in Montgomery on the north shore of Lake Conroe and if your cruise is leaving on a Saturday or Sunday I would not worry too much about traffic. I can get there in well under two hours on a weekday and about an hour and a half on the weekends. But, I have been in the area all my life and know my way around if there are traffic issues. I find that Waze is a great app to help navigate around traffic if you are unfamiliar with an area. That said there is something about having peace of mind and no stress. Enjoy your cruise! We sail out on the Jubilee tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennellen Posted August 16 #23 Share Posted August 16 1 minute ago, daveo6313 said: I live in Montgomery on the north shore of Lake Conroe and if your cruise is leaving on a Saturday or Sunday I would not worry too much about traffic. I can get there in well under two hours on a weekday and about an hour and a half on the weekends. But, I have been in the area all my life and know my way around if there are traffic issues. I find that Waze is a great app to help navigate around traffic if you are unfamiliar with an area. That said there is something about having peace of mind and no stress. Enjoy your cruise! We sail out on the Jubilee tomorrow! Thanks for the advice. I did end up deciding to do a hotel around Webster so I can have a nice leisurely morning day of departure and won't have any stresses. I know myself enough to know until I step foot on the ship I'll have a little worrying going on. Enjoy your cruise on the Jubilee! Looks like a great ship to sail on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BallFour4 Posted August 22 #24 Share Posted August 22 If traffic is light as you drive down here on I-45 don't be tempted to exit Harborside. Stay on the freeway, it becomes Broadway and drive down to 19th and turn left. Then down to Harborside and enter the cue for your respective terminal. You will save all the frustration from the three lights that slow traffic from the other direction. Works every time. . 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssb Posted August 23 #25 Share Posted August 23 On 8/21/2024 at 10:23 PM, BallFour4 said: If traffic is light as you drive down here on I-45 don't be tempted to exit Harborside. Stay on the freeway, it becomes Broadway and drive down to 19th and turn left. Then down to Harborside and enter the cue for your respective terminal. You will save all the frustration from the three lights that slow traffic from the other direction. Works every time. . Turn left off Broadway on 23rd directly into Carnival Terminal for drop off . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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