My wife and I arrived in Galveston on Friday before the cruise. We stayed at the Galveston Beach Hotel, on the island. The room was very nice. It appeared to have been remodeled and was very clean. The only problem was that the motel was rented out by a high school band who were very noisy. We changed rooms to the top floor and had no more problems. The motel staff was very nice and professional. We dined at Landry's and the Fisherman's Warf. Both were excellent.

On Sunday, the Motel Manager called a cab for us and we were quickly taken to the cruise terminal. We were able to board the ship within 20 minutes. We were allowed to park in the motel's secure parking lot for $25. The cabin on board was a Junior Suite. After we unpacked, we walked to the helicopter pad and watched as the ship left Galveston. We explored the ship, shops, bars, and theaters. Our stateroom attendant was very friendly and really took care of us.

Food at the Windjammer and MDR was very good. We ate at Chops on night. The steaks were great. I recommend that everyone try the cheese stuffed tator tots. We went to the wine tasting and actually learned a lot about wines. The casino was large with plenty of room for all the guests. The slots and dice table were very nice to me. Read more