I booked the cruise a little over 3 months in advance and then about 3 weeks prior to our cruise the prices had dropped. I filled out the price guarantee form online and within 2 days had an email with a $250 on board credit. Sweet, this will cover the gratuities and some drinks on board.
We drove to Galveston the night before and stayed at the Holiday Inn on the seashore right across the street from the beach. Because we got there so late( about 7pm) we didn't have much time to spend at the beach but that was ok because I didn't much care for the water. It was really dirty. I did let my daughter play for a little while though.
On cruise day we opted to pay for parking in the garages across from the port instead of parking for free at the hotel because the hotel did not seem like it would be very secure. We booked the garage parking the night before.
Storage in the staterooms was plentiful and the bathroom was Good size. We had the beds made to a king and we also had a pull down bunk for our daughter which she loved. There was also a couch that could be used as a bed for a additional small child if need be.