Cruise Ships Set to Return to Galveston as Port Reopens Post Hurricane Harvey
by Daniel McCarthy
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After closing its doors last Friday because of Hurricane Harvey, the Port of Galveston has reopened to cruise ship traffic and will begin the road back to normal operations today.
All three Carnival ships that were delayed by the storm are on their way back to the Port.
Guests on Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor will disembark in Galveston on Friday, Sept. 1. Guests on both ships were given the option to disembark during stops in New Orleans, though half stayed on board Freedom and a little more than half stayed on Valor.
Valor is expected to make its next sailing on Monday, Sept. 4, while Freedom will leave for its next itinerary on Saturday, Sept. 2.
Carnival Breeze, which took extra time in Cozumel before making a provisional stop in New Orleans, will arrive in Galveston on Saturday with more than half of its original guests still on board. It is then expected to sail its next cruise on Sunday, Sept. 3.
Royal Caribbean International’s Liberty of the Seas, which was scheduled to finish its sailing in Galveston on Sunday but was then diverted to Miami, will come back to Galveston on Friday, Sept. 1 at noon. Guests were given the option of disembarking in Miami, with Royal providing transportation to airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
The ship is expected to make its next sailing, and return to its regular schedule, on Sunday, Sept. 3.
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The Port is allowing passengers who were on those delayed sailings to pick up their vehicle from parking lots without any additional fees or fines. Any passenger not listed on the registration or insurance of the car they are picking up should contact Houston Police before heading to the lot.
There are still a number of road closures on highways out of Galveston, which is a little more than 50 miles southeast of Houston. Travelers can check all road closures and flood areas on the Drive Texas website.
