We recently (March 2023) sailed on Allure out of the new terminal 10 at the Port of Galveston.
We love Allure, it’s one of our favorite Royal Caribbean ships and overall we had a fantastic vacation.
Royal Caribbean’s terminal #10 is located at 1402 Harborside Drive Galveston, TX 77550. It opened in late 2022 and is setup to for Oasis class vessels. More about Pier 10 from Royal Caribbean
We did struggle with the port itself. Here’s a brief rundown including some tips…
Logistics related to getting to and from the port were a real issue. I can easily say that this was the worst embarkation/debarkation experience that we’ve ever had.
Beyond hearing complaints from fellow passengers, one of our Lyft drivers issued some scathing criticism of the port and port staff. That to say, I don’t think this is a case of a couple people complaining.
In retrospect, knowing a few key things would have helped us…
- At the time of our sailing there was one rental car company with a location on the island. Enterprise car rental. If you’re looking for a one way rental from one of the Houston area airports this is your only option. At the time it was not open on Sundays. Hopefully Galveston will add more rental car options as more and more cruisers come to the area.
- As with many ports traffic is slow coming in. This is compounded by the fact that semi trucks take up one entry lane.
- There are several areas that look like drop off areas on the way in, but they are not. We saw multiple people getting out at these areas, only to have to walk the rest of the way.
- Signage is scarce and poorly placed. For example, the suites entry sign is located in a spot where you can’t actually see it when you’re close to the building. The door is guarded by stanchions and a person. So we had to ask around to figure out where the suites entrance was.
- There seems to be a holding pen for the entry line and a luggage drop off together. We thought the line was for luggage drop off. Fortunately someone verbally told us we could just walk up and drop off our luggage without standing in the line. Again, no visible signage to explain this.
Debarkation was worse. It took us well over an hour to get out of the port area. Taxis were extremely sparse. There is no organized place for a line and no signage. Maybe every 10 minutes a taxi would show up and the crowd would be left to figure out who gets it.
Uber drivers were also very scarce and very expensive. I continued to get cancellations after waiting and waiting.
There’s a good reason why I kept having Uber drivers cancel on me… The port of Galveston won’t let them in! (SEE UPDATE BELOW) Apparently it’s a hefty fine for an Uber driver to enter the port area to pick someone up. Lyft is authorized. So, when I fired up Lyft and requested a ride, I had one fairly quickly. Again… this isn’t communicated anywhere. Our Lyft driver said the numbered pink signs are pink to indicate Lyft, but no actual explanation or signage indicating any of this and our driver couldn’t actually get to the official area, we had to hoof it with all of our luggage to the other side of the building. Surge pricing or whatever Lyft calls it was full in play as it cost us around $80 to go about 15 miles
The biggest hassle with embarking and debarking from this beautiful terminal was getting to and from the terminal. This probably makes a good case for purchasing a transfer directly from the cruise line.
Have you sailed from the Port of Galveston? Leave a comment if you have tips to share with your fellow cruisers.
One improvement was just announced by the Port of Galveston…
Uber Service Now Available at Port of Galveston Cruise Terminals
Galveston, TX (May 18, 2023) – Uber is now available to provide passenger drop-off and pick-up at the Port of Galveston’s three cruise terminals. The Galveston Wharves and Uber recently signed an agreement to formalize the ride-hailing company’s service at the port.
“We are excited to announce that we’re partnering with Uber to give our passengers another convenient ground transportation option,” said Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees.
In addition to ride-hailing services, the port’s ground transportation options include taxi companies, private shuttles, limousines and other passenger transportation companies to provide services to cruise travelers on port property.
Port Mobility Director Julio DeLeon said, “More than 1 million passengers pass through our cruise terminals each year. This partnership with Uber will help move cruise passengers in a safer and more efficient manner to the terminals and make their travel experience more enjoyable.”
Passengers can look for signage to direct them to designated pick-up/drop-off curbside areas at each of the cruise terminals.
About the Port of Galveston
The Port of Galveston is the fourth most popular cruise homeport in the U.S. and only cruise port in Texas. Located at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, the port has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 45 minutes from open seas, the 840-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo and commercial businesses.
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