What cruise lines depart from Houston?

[monakayk]

I am curious what cruise lines depart from Houston. Will they have more ships with longer itineraries going out from the Bayport terminal?

 

Thanks!

[p2lockhart]

Right now there are no cruiselines out of Houston. Galveston currently has the Carnival Conquest and the Ecstacy, and the RCI's Voyager will start a stint from late December through April.

[Cruisin Dave]

As the above poster said, Houston currently has no cruise lines sailing from it's terminal. There is a new terminal is being built in Bayport and will be available sometime in '08. The cruiselines will not make an anouncement of future ships until the terminal is complete.

 

Princess has left Galveston and only RCL's Voyager is sailing from there now. Carnival has not abandoned the terminal and has two ships, Carnival Conquest and Ecstasy, sail from there. I'm willing to guess that more ships will be in the area as soon as the Bayport terminal is completed.

[monakayk]

So NCL is not sailing out of Houston anymore?

 

Any idea when in 2008 Houston's new cruise terminal will be open?

 

Also, when it opens...will Princess, Carnival and RCCL cruise out of there instead of Galveston...or at both? Houston would be so much more convenient to sail out of when flying in. Sure hope more cruise lines move over to Houston!

[springtxbill]

The terminal was going to be finished this fall but of course that didn't happen and is probably the main reason all of the ships have left. Now it is supposed to be next spring I believe but that will probably extend more.:)

[clearlakecruisers]

Well, construction of the cruise terminal building is going on at Bayport and there has been visible progress so, perhaps, they will make their '08 deadline.

I am one who thinks that several lines will be back in the area once Bayport is operational and I'm thinking NCL will be one of the first going out of there.

[monakayk]

So with Houston's Bayport completed..in 08 will cruise ships still cruise out of Galveston also?

[clearlakecruisers]

Monakayk,

 

Yes, both Houston/Bayport and Galveston will be operational when ships start coming into Galveston. Yipee!

[monakayk]

Oh wonnnnnnnnnderful! That will be great to have both cruise ports open and with loads of cruise line choices! Can't wait!

 

Thanks for the info.

[ed_k_tx]

So NCL is not sailing out of Houston anymore?

 

Any idea when in 2008 Houston's new cruise terminal will be open?

 

Also, when it opens...will Princess, Carnival and RCCL cruise out of there instead of Galveston...or at both? Houston would be so much more convenient to sail out of when flying in. Sure hope more cruise lines move over to Houston!

 

IMHO Bayport will not be that much more convenient than Galveston. It should result in only about a 15 min. time saving from Bush, the big airport, in North Houston.

Also, Bayport is in a commercial area. No hotels/restaurants nearby like in Galveston.

That being said, the terminal they are building will be state of the art and the Port of Houston is actively pursuing new (old) business.

[clearlakecruisers]

It is true that the terminal at Bayport is not located immediately adjacent to shopping and restaurants and hotels as is Galveston, all of those are available in the Kemah/Seabrook/Clear Lake areas which are within 15 minutes of the terminal. Surely some on-the-ball entrepreneur will provide a shuttle for the area (Kemah Boardwalk, NASA/JSC, etc.) and I have even heard the rumor that Tillman Fertitta, the brains behind the Kemah Boadwalk, will provide a water taxi to that area. All in all, it will be light years better than the previous Houston terminal!

[monakayk]

At least with more major cruise lines going into Houston....we won't have to get a rental car and drive to Galveston. That was such a pain...and I would just rather get a hotel with airport shuttle service and then get my own way to the ship. I hope that those options will open up at Houston near the cruise terminal.

[clearlakecruisers]

LOTS of new motels and more under construction in the area - especially in Clear Lake near I-45. That area would offer convenient access from Hobby Airport (HOU) and, although some distance, also from Bush Airport (IAH) and would be only +/-20 minutes from the cruise terminal at Bayport. Got to think someone is looking ahead to the cruisers coming into the area. If not, someone should be planning for a lot of empty motel rooms!