This was our third cruise on the Rhapsody and definitely not our last. My husband of 24 years and I sailed with his brother, his wife and 6 year old son. We also had two other couples with us. All were first time cruisers except for DH and I..

I enjoy the planning and researching part of cruising, so I booked a condo in Galveston so the group could get to know each other. We all met in Galveston on Saturday prior to Sunday departure. The condo was at the Hawthorne Suites on the Island. Although I had read some mixed reviews, we were very pleased with the condo. It was a three bedroom/two bath with a sofa sleeper in the living room. The rate was $ 300.00 plus tax. This also included a full breakfast Sunday am, shuttle to the pier and free parking. We did have a discussion with the Front Desk as they were not going to let us park all three cars, but I had specifically confirmed that all of us were eligible and took a name. (This get a name rule is standard in our house.) They couldn't say no then.

Saturday night we ate at Gaido's. Our second time here. They were really busy so we had to wait for a table for all of us. Huge portions. Great seafood. Slow service, but worth the wait. Read more