We have never been on a cruise before and are considering taking a cruise out of Galveston. (We live in Austin, so no airfare.)

I have a couple of basic questions and/or rumor confirmation and need help.

1. Any recommendations for cruise lines? My husband is more skeptical than I am about cruising, so I'm thinking that it may be important to start off on the right foot.

2. I've heard that they companys, as a general rule, use their older, less nice, less well maintained ships on their shorter (4-5 days) cruises. True? Possibly true? Pure unbiased rumor?

3. I've read an article on choosing a cabin. I'm a VERY light sleeper. Advice on location?

Finally,
4. I'm interested in this for the experience, so any destination is fine, but are some better than others, when going out of Galveston?

Facts and rumors equally welcome.

kcd

Since the hurricaine has caused untold troubles for the gulf coast and all the cities, I would contact a Travel agent to sort out which ships will be available for whatever dates you choose.

Your choice of port will narrow your choice of ships. You might not get the newest ship in the fleet (try Miami & Ft. Lauderdale) but you will have fun, the fellow cruisers and crew are usually great on whichever you choose.

Have fun.

I agree with MaryAnn, you need to check with a TA to see what ships are cruising out of Galveston. I would recommend if possible to go on a 7 day cruise rather than a 4-5 day cruise. The experience is much different (better). I would agree the older ships are more likely used for the mini-cruises. There may be some good deals out of ports other than Galveston to help compensate for any airfare. Ft. Lauderdale would be a good choice.

Thanks for that info. I understand about the impact of the hurricane, and that it can affect travel plans. However,we are not planning on going for several months. I'm thinking that, while the horror of the Gulf Coast won't be resolved, the cruise ships are likely to be travelling from Galveston.

So I'm still interested in this information.

kcd

kcd

We have scheduled a 7 day cruise on Royal Caribbean from Galveston in November. I think most of the 7-day cruises from Galveston go to the Caribbean but you can go farther afield on a 12 or 14 day cruise.

Check out www.vacationstogo.com, click on Ports and then enter Galveston and the month you would like to depart. You don't have to book thru vacationstogo, but you will be able to get an idea of what is available as far as length and ports visited. They also have ship reviews and ship statistics so you can see how old a certain ship is and what amenities it has.

I think there is a good variety of cruise lines sailing out of Galveston so you should find something that would please you and your husband.

kcd,
I did two cruises from Galveston and drove there. The last one was in August right before Katrina. No damage to Galveston port. On the contrary, there will be more ships now as Carnival Conquest starts sailing from Galveston instead of New Orleans. Your best choice is Grand Princess. She starts in November. Rhapsody is good, too. As for location, if you are sensitive, try to book mid ship and not too high. But on a large ship it does not really matter. And Grand Princess is a large one at 109,000 tonns. If you need more info, you can e-mail me at [email protected] (can you tell where I am from?)

We have taken the Rhapsody out of Galveston and have reservations on Celebrity's Galaxy in February (a 12 night Panama cruise). I know Carnival also cruises from there. We all enjoyed the Rhapsody, but I will have to let you know about Celebrity! I have only heard good things. You can get a lot of information from cruisecritic.com or cruisemates.com.

Another thing to think about...

Pricing varies greatly depending on when you go.

My daughter went last year the first week of December 7 nights for $450. I find that a great bargain at $64 a day for a room, meals and entertainment.

The same cruise went up to $1500 two weeks later during the holiday season.

Try the Carnival Conquest that will be sailing out of Galveston. It is a big ship at 110,000 tons. It is a fairly new ship. Check it out on their website.

Some general info for you based on your questions:
-yes, cruise lines generally use the newer ships on longer itineraries because they fill up more and they can make more.
-For a cabin location, go to a site like Cruisesonly.com for example or any cruise line's site and look at the deck plans, choose a floor that has pax cabins above and below, not one under a dining room for example, and away from Quad and Triple rooms as those tend to be families which may be what you are trying to avoid as far as noise. Those cabins are marked, so you can see what's available in relation to them.