newbie cruiser has a question

We are planning out first cruise from Galveston, TX to Mex this April. Now
all we have to get are our airline reservations from Washington, DC.

Does anyone know how EARLY the piers open for the Carnival Cruise Line
embarkations? My husband wants to know how early we can get there in order
to be able to get to the pier in plenty of time. I know they say we can't
get to the pier LATER than 1 pm for the 4pm start of the cruise.

Thanks for any info.

--
Irulan
from the stars we come
to the stars we return
from now until the end of time.

Irulan,

I can't speak for the port in Galveston, Texas itself with exact certainty.
However, I sure a few others on this newsgroup may be able to. Yet, out of
the Carnival Cruise Line terminal in San Pedro (now in Long Beach),
California, for our later afternoon departures, we arrived at the port at
11:30 AM, just be be on the safe side. Most of the time we had to wait a
bit, but usually not that long.

I hope this helped, at least a little bit.

Happy sailing...
John Sisker - SHIP-TO-SHORE CRUISE AGENCY®
(714) 536-3850 or toll-free at (800) 724-6644 & (Agency ID: 714.536.3850)
www.shiptoshorecruise.com





"Irulan" wrote in message
...
We are planning out first cruise from Galveston, TX to Mex this April. Now
all we have to get are our airline reservations from Washington, DC.

Does anyone know how EARLY the piers open for the Carnival Cruise Line
embarkations? My husband wants to know how early we can get there in order
to be able to get to the pier in plenty of time. I know they say we can't
get to the pier LATER than 1 pm for the 4pm start of the cruise.

Thanks for any info.

--
Irulan
from the stars we come
to the stars we return
from now until the end of time.

On Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:00:03 -0500, "Irulan"
wrote:

We are planning out first cruise from Galveston, TX to Mex this April. Now
all we have to get are our airline reservations from Washington, DC.

Does anyone know how EARLY the piers open for the Carnival Cruise Line
embarkations? My husband wants to know how early we can get there in order
to be able to get to the pier in plenty of time. I know they say we can't
get to the pier LATER than 1 pm for the 4pm start of the cruise.

Thanks for any info.

I agree with Sue as to the traffic. I45 (or the Gulf Freeway) is
always under construction and does carry a lot of traffic - including
multitudes of 18 wheelers and cowboy pickups.

Charlie

[Default] Thus spake "Irulan" :

We are planning out first cruise from Galveston, TX to Mex this April. Now
all we have to get are our airline reservations from Washington, DC.

Does anyone know how EARLY the piers open for the Carnival Cruise Line
embarkations? My husband wants to know how early we can get there in order
to be able to get to the pier in plenty of time. I know they say we can't
get to the pier LATER than 1 pm for the 4pm start of the cruise.

Thanks for any info.

I had clients drive down two weeks ago for a VotS cruise. They said
the highways were still a mess. I strongly recommend flying in the
night before. Especially flying in from the NE.

Unfortunately, the hotel infrastructure still isn't totally up, so
finding a room in Galvestion might be tough. Two options (hmm, might
actually be three or more): Fly in to IAH the night before, take a
hotel shuttle to a close to the airport hotel and then take something
like Galveston Limosine (which is nothing like a limosine) to the
pier, and then back from the pier to the airport. Or: Fly in to IAH
and somehow (GL?, Super Shuttle?) get to a hotel in Clear Lake or
Kemah. Probably better hotels for the buck, and nicer surroundings.
Transportation might be a bit more expensive. Or: look in to renting
a car, at least to the pier. I have no idea what the drop charges
would be, or how that would compare to renting for the week (5 day?)
and paying to park. You would still fly in to IAH the night before
and find a hotel somewhere on the way down. Absolute last choice
would be for you to fly SWA from BWI to HOU (Hobby). Hobby is a
relatively small airport. Big by late 50's to mid 60's standards, but
small, now. And the neighborhood has gone downhill in the last 15
years or so. If you fly in to HOU, then you should defintely head
south. The major advantage of Hobby over Intercontinetal is that it
is about half the distance to Galveston, and on the other side of
downtown Houston. If you are taking the 4 night cruise, you'll be
leaving on Thursday and getting back on Monday. Both heavy traffic
days. If you are on one of the 5 night cruises, you wil either leave
on a Monday (heavy traffic) and get back on a Saturday, or leave on a
Saturday and get back on a Thursday.

As far as early arrival, you probably won't be able to even check your
bags before 10, and security will not let you through the checkpoint
until the last person is known to be off the ship, usually some time
around 10:30 or 11. Check in won't be much earlier than 11:15 to
11:30. You won't be able to get into your room until 1:30, so you'll
have to drag your carry on with you the whole time.

All the above said, I seriously recommend flying in the night before
and getting to Clear Lake or Kemah and catching a taxi or shuttle to
the pier from there. Figure on an 11 ish arrival at the pier.

Check in on line for speedier processing and DO NOT pack you passports
or travel documents in your checked bags. And make sure you have a
change of clothes in your carry on. Carnival isn't "real" picky about
what you wear to dinner the first night, but they kind of politely ask
you to not wear cut-offs and nasty t-shirts.
--

- dillon I am not invalid

Men are like a carpet. Lay them well and you can
walk on them for years.

[Default] Thus spake Charlie Leo :

On Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:00:03 -0500, "Irulan"
wrote:

We are planning out first cruise from Galveston, TX to Mex this April. Now
all we have to get are our airline reservations from Washington, DC.

Does anyone know how EARLY the piers open for the Carnival Cruise Line
embarkations? My husband wants to know how early we can get there in order
to be able to get to the pier in plenty of time. I know they say we can't
get to the pier LATER than 1 pm for the 4pm start of the cruise.

Thanks for any info.

I agree with Sue as to the traffic. I45 (or the Gulf Freeway) is
always under construction and does carry a lot of traffic - including
multitudes of 18 wheelers and cowboy pickups.

Charlie

The one thing that almost always surprises first timers is the exit to
the pier. It is immediately after the causeway. And in this case,
immediate means the moment the causeway gets almost on to land. And
it's more of a right turn than a "traditional" exit.
--

- dillon I am not invalid

Men are like a carpet. Lay them well and you can
walk on them for years.