Houston building a "state of the art" cruise terminal?? (Merged threads)

[Cruise Passenger]

I would love to see NCL do the texaribbean cruise again. It had great ports of call.

 

 

What were those ports of call?

[firefly333]

Two hours from the airport?? Wow, It shouldnt have taken more than about an hour and 15 minutes, did you hit a traffic jam or trouble on the bridge??

 

Hobby is only 45 minutes.

 

Guess you haven't driven it recently (the last ten years). ;)

 

Seems like my cruises have mostly been on sundays, one on a saturday, so I havent had to go thru Houston on a business day.

 

Maybe thats the difference. Except for one problem with the Galveston Causeway being closed, Iv zipped along at a pretty good clip, no slow downs. I, also, have a lead foot.

[Pechez]

I'll keep watching here. Been wondering when that Port would open. I had heard at one point that Disney was going to put a ship over there....Anyone hear that?

[Carolyn1950]

What were those ports of call?

 

Cozumel, Honduras, Belize..

[bobnsons]

Living in Deer Park this would break my heart the drive would be cut from 35 miles to 6 miles. :)

 

I still remember a few years ago the Port also built a cruise terminal at Barbours Cut. Actually it was built as a container dock with the cruise stuff on top in the event it didn't work then the Port could still use it for cargo.

 

Needless to say it didn't make it, so we'll have to wait and see how it fares this time.

[ruskatab]

I wouldnt mind NCL coming in if they bring in a newer larger ship. I had read somewhere the port was in talks with Holland. Maybe if ships do start using the new port and it has a good response other cruiselines will join in. We can only hope.

[CruiseLiz]

I've actually sailed out of the port of Houston on my one and only NCL cruise many years ago. It was not pretty, but it put me on the cruise ship, so it works.

 

I guess I drive faster than some, but when I lived in Houston (about a year ago) it only took me 45 minutes to get to Galveston. I did live right by 59 though, so it wasn't a far drive to the freeway. ;)

[*Mach*]

Two hours from the airport?? Wow, It shouldnt have taken more than about an hour and 15 minutes, did you hit a traffic jam or trouble on the bridge??

 

Hobby is only 45 minutes.

 

The reason it wouldnt be Carnival or RCL is because they are under contract to pour more money into Galveston right now. Since Carnival owns Princess, Im guessing if Princess came back, they would again go out of Galeveston on the days when there was no Carnival ship from the same port. I think RCL signed the new contract for Galveston within the last year or less for the next 3 years.

 

 

Yep... that's the case so you can pretty much rule out RCI.

If you note the time frames... fall of 2009 and fall of 2010... that's exactly what Harry Shattuck quoted months ago when discussing Bayport. That's when commitments end for several lines in their current ports.

[allgeeteredup]

I am hoping for this port so that it will hopefully drive down the cost of cruising in Texas. The cost for Carnival out of Galveston is constantly going up. Our cruise has gone up significantly since we booked last year. Any competition would be great. Keep us informed.

[JDOUGLEJ]

Have also been watching the new ports progress. Will love haveing more cruise options close enough to drive. What I really would like to see is about a 10 day cruise to the Eastern/Southern Caribbean Islands. We enjoy those islands alot and would bet such a cruise from Houston would be a huge success,especially seasonal. Really hate flying to florida to cruise our favorite spots and even cruised out of New York in the spring on a 10 day HAL cruise.

[CanTex]

Two hours from the airport?? Wow, It shouldnt have taken more than about an hour and 15 minutes, did you hit a traffic jam or trouble on the bridge??

 

Hobby is only 45 minutes.

 

Guess you haven't driven it recently (the last ten years). ;)

I drive those freeways lots and I agree with Firefly's times.

 

If anything, the drive from IAH has gotten much better during the past 10 years. Most of the Eastex Freeway (59) was rebuilt and significantly widened during that time, with new interchanges at Beltway 8, I-610 and I-10. Like others, I bet I could easily make the drive from that airport to the Galveston cruise terminal in 70-75 minutes... especially on a weekend. And 45 minutes from Hobby airport is about right too.

[Texas_firefighter]

Yep... that's the case so you can pretty much rule out RCI.

 

If you note the time frames... fall of 2009 and fall of 2010... that's exactly what Harry Shattuck quoted months ago when discussing Bayport. That's when commitments end for several lines in their current ports.

 

Fall of 2010 would work out great for us.It just so happens we have an opening in that time frame. :D It would be nice if a different itenerary would be offered .Roatan or Belize,or both.

[*Mach*]

Fall of 2010 would work out great for us.It just so happens we have an opening in that time frame. :D It would be nice if a different itenerary would be offered .Roatan or Belize,or both.

 

 

Yep... I've got to agree... Roatan would be great...

[firefly333]

Yep... I've got to agree... Roatan would be great...

 

Worse comes to worse, you can always visit Roatan via RCL. It seems you dont like them, but the last two years on RCL I did go to Roatan, lovely clear water. My favorite port.

[crystalblue0610]

I'm interested, I live in Houston BUT I just hope the routes have a nice variety and possibly 10 days

I'm rooting for Belize, Costa Maya, etc. Not just Jamacia, GC, and Cozumel

[LONESTAR 101]

Ill keep everyone posted because they dont update the site frequently and Im in good with Kay:p , If I dont hear from her in several weeks ill e-mail her again!!! We also drive down from Fort Worth,Texas to galveston and it's murder through Houston!:eek: ,we used to cruise mostly on rhapsody, we did 4 cruises with her but the idiots moved her and they were booking it out everytime, now were having to sail on Conquest for now this will be our 5th. cruise in September on Conquest, I just dont like larger ships, RCCL doesnt cruise in the fall months and thats when we like to go, Im glad as another person stated at least conquest is opening up a Eastern Caribbean cruise and that's a change, we'll see what happens with Bayport, have any of you looked at the Terminal and close up parking right at the Terminal!!;)

[*Mach*]

Worse comes to worse, you can always visit Roatan via RCL. It seems you dont like them, but the last two years on RCL I did go to Roatan, lovely clear water. My favorite port.

 

 

I can't say if I like RCI. I've never sailed on their ships so I don't really have an opinion.

[TexBear]

Two hours from the airport?? Wow, It shouldnt have taken more than about an hour and 15 minutes, did you hit a traffic jam or trouble on the bridge??

 

Hobby is only 45 minutes.

 

The reason it wouldnt be Carnival or RCL is because they are under contract to pour more money into Galveston right now. Since Carnival owns Princess, Im guessing if Princess came back, they would again go out of Galeveston on the days when there was no Carnival ship from the same port. I think RCL signed the new contract for Galveston within the last year or less for the next 3 years.

 

Over on the Princess boards, the posters indicated PCL wasn't profitable or profitable enough sailing out of GAL. I saw a Princess ship (didn't catch the name) there on my tour of the Carnival Conquest in 8/06, so Princess left Galveston less than two years ago.

[LONESTAR 101]

I'm interested, I live in Houston BUT I just hope the routes have a nice variety and possibly 10 days

I'm rooting for Belize, Costa Maya, etc. Not just Jamacia, GC, and Cozumel

 

 

Isnt that the truth!:D , Im going to try out the Eastern caribbean next year on Conquest we shall see but at least it'll be a change,me and DW are locked in on Galveston fall months due to our vacations and jobs,but I like the fall months it's cooler!!:p .

[Bradiego]

I sailed on the Rhapsody out of Galveston and had a blast, it was nice not having to get on a plane and worry about luggage, etc since we live here in Houston. I just don't understand why RCI doesn't sail out of Galveston year around anymore, the ships were full, well I really hope that will change. I've heard rumors that NCL might come back in '09 to Houston. Never been on NCL but I know they have great itineraries from what I have seen so that would be exciting.

[Nauti-Lady]

Over on the Princess boards, the posters indicated PCL wasn't profitable or profitable enough sailing out of GAL. I saw a Princess ship (didn't catch the name) there on my tour of the Carnival Conquest in 8/06, so Princess left Galveston less than two years ago.

 

 

The Grand Princess' last sailing out of Galveston was 04/07. I also heard the profitability rumors. I'm not sure it was so much Galveston as it was just moving ships to non U.S. ports was more profitable at the moment. I would love to see Princess come back to the area. Also would love to see a Panama Canal cruise out of Houston or Galveston. Celebrity did one for a short time and I'm not sure why they left.

[alonzo14]

We did a Panamas Canal cruise in 2003 I think it was on the Spendor of the Seas. It was an 11 day cruise. Later Celebrity started sailing from Galveston on 11 and 12 day cruises.

[pla]

I am all for a 10-11 day out of Houston (or Galveston). The trip for me would be about the same as I live part way between Galveston and Houston. We went to New Orleans in January for a new itinerary, but I am not sure I want to do that again. We are getting tired of the same old ports, and we are probably going to skip this year's cruise because of so little choices. I have sent Carnival numerous e-mails to try to get them to do a longer cruise from this area. Perhaps if we all let them know that we need a change....Sorry, Bahamas is not exactly a change, as it is just more sand. Give me a Southern Caribbean, or a Panama Canal, and I am there, as well as 14 others!

 

I am not wild about NCL, but they are making progress. I would take Carnival over them any day.

 

I would love to try Princess, and if they could build more ships, maybe they would bring one here. I don't care WHERE it docks, just get some choices!! Sorry for my rant. I love to cruise, but don't like any of the choices I have right now, and with 5 of us, (and our proximity to Galveston), it is just not feasible to fly! The only way we can afford to cruise every year (or twice a year) is locally. AHHHH, poor me....LOL

[Snoozeman]

MSC would be the answer with their 10-day cruises. Let's hope the rumors are true.:)

[LONESTAR 101]

I am all for a 10-11 day out of Houston (or Galveston). The trip for me would be about the same as I live part way between Galveston and Houston. We went to New Orleans in January for a new itinerary, but I am not sure I want to do that again. We are getting tired of the same old ports, and we are probably going to skip this year's cruise because of so little choices. I have sent Carnival numerous e-mails to try to get them to do a longer cruise from this area. Perhaps if we all let them know that we need a change....Sorry, Bahamas is not exactly a change, as it is just more sand. Give me a Southern Caribbean, or a Panama Canal, and I am there, as well as 14 others!

 

I am not wild about NCL, but they are making progress. I would take Carnival over them any day.

 

I would love to try Princess, and if they could build more ships, maybe they would bring one here. I don't care WHERE it docks, just get some choices!! Sorry for my rant. I love to cruise, but don't like any of the choices I have right now, and with 5 of us, (and our proximity to Galveston), it is just not feasible to fly! The only way we can afford to cruise every year (or twice a year) is locally. AHHHH, poor me....LOL

 

 

Hey pla you rant all you want to, boy i do and im really looking forward to the new terminal and different itiniraries as well,Im going to try the Eastern Caribbean in 2009!!;) they also say theres some more ships coming into galveston and are going to extend and build more terminals so we shall see!!:rolleyes: