This was our third cruise and the first time we had a balcony which we really enjoyed. We flew from Portland, OR to Houston and stayed overnight at the Marriott Townplace Suites in Galveston. We used Island Breeze Shuttle for airport transportation. I was REALLY impressed with them, great communication and service. Our drivers were semi-retired, extremely friendly, and very accommodating. Our driver stopped at the local grocery store so we could pick up a couple 12 packs of sodas and some snacks. We could have picked up wine, too, but we brought that with us. The hotel was recently modeled, extremely clean, quiet and comfortable. It was located next to the Courtyard Marriott where you could get a meal if you wanted. However, we used the Marriott courtesy shuttle and went to a locals-frequented Italian restaurant, Sapori. The didn't serve beer or wine, but you could bring your own - so we did. The food was fantastic and our server warned us that they served huge portions. So my wife and I split an entree. Dessert was fabulous, too! It is a small place, not near anywhere, really. During dessert, we called the Marriott courtesy shuttle and they picked us up. Others at the hotel were going to local bars and other restaurants, and they were willing to take you anywhere on Galveston Island. They do not have airport shuttle service. There is a fee to have them take you to the cruise terminal. We booked early and got a great rate. It is a category 6 hotel in the Marriott system for those who are interested in using Marriott Rewards to stay there.

We purchased the Faster-to-the-Fun service. I'm on the fence as to its value, but I appreciated being near the head of the line when boarding, tendering and getting off the ship. The weather was fabulous the day we left, so I headed straight for the pool, and ordered some drinks. It was over an hour before other passengers made their way to the deck. It was sunny and in the 60's - maybe others thought I was crazy for laying out in the sun. Being from Portland, that is just what we do. :-)

When we left the ship on the last day, we had a nice breakfast in the main dining room, then went back to our room until we were politely asked to leave and then we headed up to the pool deck and hung out. At the final call to disembark, we headed out of the ship and got through customs relatively quickly. We had a late flight, and our shuttle wasn't going to pick us up until noon (which was fine) and since we were at terminal 1 and the weather was great, we walked over to the boardwalk and had an early light lunch, a local beer (IPA) and had our shuttle meet us there. Read more