The Port Of Galveston

posted by admin on Apr 1

We are leaving from Galveston – 7 days – ports of call are Montego Bay Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. The ship excursions cost a fortune per person!!! I have been looking up some stuff from different websites and have found companies that charge less and work around the cruise arrival and departure times (because I know people are scared of getting left behind). What should I do? Should we book with the ship? Outside the ship? Just hang on the beach and not book a thing? HELP!! The cruise was $2,000 for My husband, me, and our 11 year old – not bad I thought, but we just can’t spend a fortune (please no more than $500) what do you all think? 1st time cruise, nervous! Any tips would help:)

Very reliable and cheaper guides off the ship. They usually charge about $25.00 per person and you don’t pay until the end so you know you aren’t being ripped off. They are very careful to get you back on time as they rely on the ships for a large part of their business. You can always say I want to go back now if you get too nervous.

posted by admin on Mar 13

I first thought it was the composition of the sand, as I was directly comparing Gulf Coast beaches in Northwest Florida such as those in Pensacola, Destin, and Panama City (which all have sugary-white sand), to the beach at South Padre Island, Texas (which has darker beige sand). But then I looked at photos of beaches near Northwest Florida but in the adjacent states of Alabama and Mississippi — Dauphin Island/Mobile and Gulf Shores in Alabama and Biloxi in Mississippi. Those beaches have the same nice white sand that the Florida beaches do but the water colour is different. In Northwest Florida, the water is a tropical emerald blue-green colour, as you’d find in the Carribean or the Bahamas, while the water in Alabama and Mississippi (and Texas) is mostly a dull, dark blue-brownish colour. It seems like the proverbial God has blessed Florida with better beaches than the other Gulf Coast states, even when these other states’ beaches are just miles away from the beautiful ones in Florida. What’s the deal? The muddy Mississippi River empties out southeastward in Louisiana west of all the beaches in Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida, so I’m not sure it greatly affects those beaches, and South Padre Island in Texas is far, far south of the Mississippi River’s mouth (and away from the direction that it empties out), so it would seem unlikely that the river would have much impact on the colour of the water in Texas. South Padre Island is even Texas’s most beautiful beach (which still doesn’t compare to those in Northwest Florida), with beaches farther north on the state’s Gulf Coast such as Port Aransas and Galveston being uglier and browner. Why have Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi been shafted when it comes to beach beauty while Florida has taken all the blessings? Obviously, this has to do with Mother Nature, but Nature seems to have been very unfair to all the Gulf Coast states but Florida, if we are to judge.

Actually the beaches in Alabama are normally quite beautiful. There are times, based on currents and weather in the Gulf, when the water is a bit murky or brownish, but most of the time it is extremely blue and occasionally emerald green. I have been to Destin when it was murky as well, I suppose it is more rare in that spot than in Alabama, but you can check out my pictures and see some pretty water on the Gulf Shores beach.

posted by admin on Feb 11

I usually go camping with a tent or pop-up camper in Port Aransas,TX. There, I know you can park steps away from the water. I live in Houston and would like to go somewhere different and a little closer to Houston. I know in Galveston they won’t let you camp right on the water. If anyone knows a good place out of Galveston heading toward the Victoria, Port Aransas area please let me know.

If you drive west on seawall blvd, toward Port A. you will see several on the left, where you can camp, just before crystal beach area.

posted by admin on Jan 13

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posted by admin on Jan 11

I’m going with my boyfriend and we are on a tight budget, so the cheaper the better. We want a inner room (cheaper) and departing out of galveston with at least 2 ports. We are college students so cheap is the key!

Just came back from a Cozumel cruise out of Galveston for New Year’s. Two words: absolutely awesome!!! Even if you do a one port only. Go to various sites and then visit www.cruisecompete.com and compare their prices. That’s how I usually do it. Don’t forget to ask for freebies because some will offer you additional on board credit, and those on board credit comes in handy!!! Budget right for having money for drinking, playing, shopping (oh yeah, everybody ends up shopping in there. And their prices are not that much different than what you pay for things at the mall), etc. Also, go away from where the tourists spots are and try to hit the place where the locals eat/drink. Much, much cheaper. Oh, and DO NOT rent a scooter. I have seen in one day only 5 accidents happen. A woman in our cruise got into a pretty bad accident and she had an ambulance waiting for her at the port during debarkation. You may know how to drive one, but people do not respect scooters on the road. And that includes cabs, buses, police, etc…

posted by admin on Jan 8

no not now. in general. durh all of texas is cold as hell right now.

The water’s clearer in port aransas and rockport than in galveston. The beaches will also be more crowded in galveston. But, the beaches are better and you have much more to do in galveston. It just depends on what you’re looking for.

posted by admin on Jan 3

We always stay at Gaido’s. They have a cruise special. They give you $10.00 off a meal at Casey’s and a % off at the gift shop. It’s old and kinda run down. But it’s Galveston HISTORY!!! They have free coffee and croissants/donuts in the morning. You can park your car there and they will watch it. They will even call the cab for ya. $20.00 should cover the cab. And it’s WAY better than parking at the pier. I’ve done both and I really prefer staying at Gaido’s. And right across from Gaido’s is the Commodore. They have a similar deal. Free cruise parking. My mom and dad stayed there and they loved it. And there’s a little cafe’ called the Dutch Kettle that’s pretty cheap to eat at. >>>>>>

posted by admin on Dec 27

Any suggestions would be very helpful, we are first time cruisers. We are going on a 7 day cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.The ship will be leaving out of Galveston, Tx at 4:00p.m. My biggest question is, what do we wear for the formal nights. What are some great things to do on ship and off ship at the different ports. How much cash should we bring for our trip? Thanks in advance for your answers.

We have sailed the Conquest three times…here are a few suggestions…

- Park at Lighthouse parking instead of the cruise terminal. Lighthouse will deliver you and your luggage to the cruise terminal. If you use the terminal parking, you have to drop off your luggage, drive the the parking area, park your car and take the shuttle back. A huge hassle. Plus, Lighthouse will save you a few bucks. Make an advance reservation at: http://www.lighthouseparking.org/

- Don’t arrive at the cruise terminal too early. Galveston does not start embarkation until about 11:30 am. Cabins are not available until about 1:00 pm. A buffet lunch and the hamburger grill is open for lunch when you board.

- Take plenty of $1, 5 and 10 in US dollars for tipping luggage porters, taxis, shopping, tips for shore excursion staff. Other than the casino, the ship is cashless. All charges are posted to your on-board account which you can set up with a credit card or cash balance. Notable…Carnival charges your on board account for the tips $70 per person the moment you step on board.

- Cozumel is the best port for shopping. You can get some good deals in the open air markets. They are willing to negotiate with you. Grand Cayman is expensive. Other than the shops in the port, I don’t recommend shopping in Jamaica.

- You can book shore excursions in Coz and GC or go on your own. However, we recommend you only book a Carnival shore excursion in Jamaica. There is a ton of road construction going on near the cruise terminal. We were stuck in traffic for 2 hours and were late getting back to the ship. Because we were on a Carnival sponsored shore excursion, there were no worries about getting left behind. Don’t wander around Jamaica on your own.

- Formal nights will have a variety of wares…from a little black dress on the ladies to formal gowns. A coat and tie is a good choice for the gentlemen. Notable for ladies…make sure the soles of your shoes are not slippery.

- Cash in ports…depends on what you plan to buy…if you want jewelry, several hundred bucks…while the store vendors take plastic, they prefer US dollars. If you are just buying souvenirs, you can get t-shirts for $3-10 each, same for baseball caps and shot glasses. We also tip our shore excursion staff about $10 per guest in our group plus a few bucks for the bus/cab drivers.

- Only buy the photos you really love. There are dozens of photo opps on-board but the cost can add up…$22 bucks a sheet.

Bar drinks run $4-12 bucks each plus an automatic 15% gratuity is added to your bill.

Sodas are $1.75 plus 15% gratuity per can or $5.50 per day plus 15% gratuity for the soda card program. If you drink 3 sodas per day, then get the soda card. It will pay for itself.

To help you budget…here are a few of the "extra costs"-
- Bar drinks – $4-12 each plus 15% gratuity
- Soda – by the can – $1.75 plus 15% gratuity
- Soda fountain card – $38.50 plus 15% gratuity
- Photos – $7.99 to $21.99 (depending on size and style)
- Shore excursions – $50-200 per person per excursion.
- Spa treatments – $50-200 per treatment (but there were many specials on this last trip as many people were skipping the spa…)
- Casino. Use cash in the casino to avoid 3% fee for using card.
- Bingo cards – $5-20…depending on day and games
- Gourmet coffee – $3.75 and up
- Internet – 75 cents per minute
- Ship to shore phone – $7.99 per minute
- Parking at the port
- Tips for luggage porters – $1 per bag

Items above are optional…

To stay within a budget while sailing Carnival, you should open a cash account when you board instead of linking your account to a credit card. When you reach your cash deposit, the purser will send you a note and you can add more money to the account or stop spending that way you don’t end you vacation with a huge credit card bill!

- Last tip…mark the handles of your luggage with bright ribbon or marking tape. When you de-bark, there is a sea of luggage, most of it black. The marking tape will help you find your luggage quickly. Using a porter will help get you through customs quicker…tip $1-2 bucks a bag for the service.

posted by admin on Dec 25

How soon before the ship leaves do they let you go onboard? Once you do go onboard, are the restaurants and bars open?

Federal law requires all guests to be on board one hour prior to sailing. They tell you to board no earlier than 12:00 noon, but if you show up anytime after 11:00 AM, they are most likely boarding passengers to expedite the boarding process. Yes, the restaurant up on the Lido Deck is open all day, so you can eat immediately when you board. It takes time for your luggage to be delivered to your stateroom, so if you want to shower as soon as you board, you might want to pack your first change of clothes in your carry-on. Are we talking Conquest or the Voyager!!!

posted by admin on Dec 7

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