Arriving at Terminal 2 where our ship, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas was docked, dropping off my wife and our baggage at the terminal , continuing on to the dock’s adjacent parking lot where a shuttle bus awaited to return me to the ship is a process both simple and efficient when compared to the ever increasing cost and hassle of flying.
A comparative look at the costs of flying to Florida vs. driving to Galveston reveals more savings than one might expect. For example, the lowest airfare for two round trip tickets to Ft. Lauderdale, that I was able to find at the time, amounted to $986 including taxes and fees - checking two bags added $120, DFW airport remote parking, at its lowest rate, for seven days added another $56 and a time consuming bus ride to the terminal, transfers in Florida from the airport to the ship and return - a pricey $61 - bringing the total two person cost to $1,223. In contrast, the cost of parking at the Galveston pier for seven days is $70. Adding the cost of gas for the 672 mile round trip in our Prius hybird - $48 - bringing our total outlay to $118 - a savings of $1,105!
The total cost of the cruise, of course, depends on the type of accommodations, number of days and time of year but in most cases are the same in each port with the exception of the newest mega-liners like RCCL’s Oasis and Allure of the Seas which command premium rates making the savings even greater. As one might expect, interior cabins are the lowest in price with Ocean View, Balcony and Suites requiring incrementally higher fees. Discounts are always available for seniors age 55 and over.
During the remainder of 2010 three ships will be operating out of Galveston. They include Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas with six seven-day cruises during November and December. Carnival’s Ecstasy with both four and five day sailings in October and the company’s Carnival Conquest which will be operating seven day cruises in November and early December.
For 2011 RCCL’s Voyager is scheduled for sixteen seven day cruises from January through April and in May a one way fourteen day transatlantic crossing to Barcelona, Spain to reposition it for the European market. Carnival will use its Conquest for seven day cruises from mid August to early December. The Carnival Triumph will offer ten five day cruises from October to December and in mid-November through mid-December the brand new, mega-liner, Carnival Magic, will arrive in Galveston for three seven day and one eight day Caribbean cruise.
In this writers view, the next fourteen months present an uncommonly wide range of Galveston based cruises especially attractive for North Texans and nearby residents of Oklahoma and Arkansas who together currently make up 97% of the port’s patrons. Detailed information on dates, prices and ports of call are readily available on the web at www.rccl.com and www.carnival.com.
The photo gallery below shows the five ships serving Galveston during the remainder of 2010 and throughout 2011, their gross tonnage, the year they entered service and passenger capacity.
At 137,276 tons Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas is the largest ship serving Galveston. It has a passenger capacity of 3,138 and has been refurbished twice since its completion in 1999. This photo clearly shows the close proximity of parking at the port – a plus factor available to both cruise lines.
The Carnival Magic, shown here in an artist’s rendering, is scheduled for completion in 2011. It will weigh in at 130,000 tons and will be capable of carrying 3,652 passengers – the largest capacity of the ships currently serving the port.
The 110,000 ton Carnival Conquest, shown here docked at the port’s Terminal 1 entered service in 2002 and carries 2,974 passengers.
The Carnival Triumph was completed in 1999, carries 2,974 passengers and weighs 101,509 tons.
Last but not least is the 70,367 ton Carnival Ecstasy, the smallest ship serving the port with a passenger capacity of 2,056. The Ecstasy spent six months in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina serving as a hotel for refugees and relief workers after which it was refurbished and upgraded with new features.
My wife and I have had the pleasure of sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager, Carnival’s Conquest and the Imagination, a sister ship of the Ecstasy. We rate the Voyager as the best buy from the standpoint of service and its range and quality of age specific activities for children and adults. It is the ship that introduced cruisers to such innovations as rock climbing, roller skating, ice skating, international ice shows, miniature golf and the lines’ now signature multi-storied Royal Promenade with shops, eateries and elaborate parades at the beginning and end of the cruise. Whatever your choice, you will find worthwhile land excursions at the Caribbean Ports they both visit and the substantial savings accrued by sailing from Galveston.
HAPPY CRUISING!
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