Carnival and Royal Caribbean sail multiple ships from the Port of Galveston, while Disney sails a single vessel from there. They are inclusive of accommodations, meals, and shipboard entertainment. Cost estimates are per person based on double occupancy without a beverage package. Expect to pay an additional $100 per person in port charges and taxes as well, so consider that when determining your inclusive rate.
Carnival
Carnival offers Galveston-based sailings on four vessels: Breeze, Freedom, Valor, and Vista. They get high marks from customers in many categories, and the variety of cruise lengths provides many options. If you are looking for elegance, the more relaxed environment on a Carnival ship may be a drawback.
Note: You can add on the CHEERS unlimited alcoholic beverage package for just over $50 per day. Their soda package is $7.50 per day for adults and $4.95 per day for kids.
Breeze
Carnival Breeze sails all year from Galveston, offering seven-day cruises to the eastern Caribbean that depart on Sunday. Ports of Call include Montego Bay (Jamaica), Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.
Average prices start from just under $500 and go up to nearly $1,700.
Freedom
Carnival Freedom also offers seven-day cruises. Three different seven-day itineraries are available. The vessel offers a Bahamas itinerary that stops at Key West in Florida and Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas. There are two western Caribbean routes. One goes to Jamaica and Montego Bay, and the other goes to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and George Town.
Average prices start just under $450 and go up to just over $1,200.
Valor
Carnival Valor offers four-day, five-day, and six-day cruises to the eastern Caribbean and a nine-day Panama Canal itinerary. This ship does not sail solely from Galveston, so dates are limited. All the Caribbean cruises go to Cozumel, which is the only port for the four-day cruise. The five-day cruise adds-on Progreso in the Yucatan. The six-day cruise adds-on Costa Maya and Belize.
The Caribbean cruises range from $325 to around $1,200. The Panama Canal cruises range from just under $820 to nearly $2,100.
Vista
Starting in September 2018, Carnival Vista will sail to the western Caribbean from Galveston with two seven-day itineraries. One has ports of call in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay. The other stops in Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan.
Prices range from around $560 to $1,625.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean regularly sails Liberty of the Seas and Vision of the Seas from Galveston. Enchantment of the Seas offers seasonal departures. They are known for having "the friendliest service at sea" and have been recognized as the overall best cruise line by Travel Weekly for many years. One drawback is that they offer only western Caribbean sailings from Galveston. If you want to travel elsewhere, you'll need to choose another option.
Note: You can add on an unlimited soda package for $8.50 per person per day, a premium non-alcoholic beverage package for $25 per day, and a deluxe unlimited beverage package that includes alcohol and all other beverages for $55 per day.
Liberty of the Seas
Royal Caribbean offers several seven-night western Caribbean sailings on Liberty of the Seas throughout each year, with ports varying by dates. Port examples include Roatan, Belize, Costa Maya, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.
Prices start at $460 and go up to more than $1,200.
Vision of the Seas/Enchantment of the Seas
Vision of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas are used for four- and five-night western Caribbean sailings. Itineraries, which vary by length and season, include the Yucatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel.
Prices range from just under $400 to more than $800.
Disney
Disney Wonder sails from Galveston on a few select dates each year. These are by far the most pricey cruises sailing from Galveston, and it's important to know that they don't offer an unlimited alcohol package. The ship does receives high accolades. In the 2018 CruiseCritic reader awards, the Wonder was praised in a number of categories, including food and entertainment.
- Western Caribbean: They offer western Caribbean sailings with four, six, and seven night options. Average prices vary between $900 and $1,550.
- Puerto Rico: Their five-night cruise sails to San Juan in Puerto Rico. Prices just under $800 and go up to around $1,100.
- Bahamas: They offer a few seven-night Bahamian sailings. Pricing ranges from $2,000 to around $2,800.
For their concierge option, expect to pay double the highest rate.
Galveston Cruise Considerations
There are plenty of cruise options in Galveston. Be aware, though, that if you are not located within driving distance of Galveston, this may not be the ideal departure port. The closest airports are in Houston, and it generally takes at least 45 and 75 minutes to get to the port without considering traffic delays or waiting for a shuttle.
