It’s a day five years in the making… now it’s just around the corner. Actually it is today November 05, 2013.
Built in 2008, the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Houston has sat dormant since it has been built. Outside of a few cruises following Hurricane Ike, the terminal hasn’t seen any traffic.
That’s about the change. On November 5th, Bayport welcomes its first dedicated cruise ship — Princess Cruise Lines’ Caribbean Princess.
Here are a few details of what to expect. The Caribbean Princess is 952 feet long, was built in 2004 (refitted in 2011), and can hold more than 3,000 passengers.
She will be taking Houston cruisers on 7-day trips to the Caribbean, sailing a regular schedule every week to Cozumel, Roatan, and Belize City.
Princess will have the port to itself for several months. Bayport’s other tenant — Norwegian Cruise Lines — doesn’t arrive until October 2014.
In the meantime, cruisers in the Houston area now have an option that’s about 45 minutes closer than Galveston and more competition between cruise lines could result in lower fares.
Five years ago, the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Houston opened its doors… to nothing. In fact, apart from a few cruises in 2008 the terminal has sat unused — leaving many to call the $108 million project a boondoggle.
But that’s about to change. Starting later this year the terminal will welcome a total of 102 cruises from Princess and Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Even that deal, however, took some large incentives that totaled nearly $7 million, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Incentives or not, it’s now clear that the Port of Galveston — which has enjoyed a booming cruise industry during the past decade or so — now has some competition for cruise lines.
So could the terminal in Houston one day overtake the port in Galveston in popularity and departures?
There’s no doubt that it’s an uphill climb. That said, there is a lot to like about the Bayport Terminal.
First, is the port’s location. The majority of people who cruise from Galveston come from the Houston area — either they live there or fly into the city. The Bayport Terminal is less than half the distance from downtown Houston than the Galveston port. And someone coming from a flight from Houston Intercontinental would shave 30 minutes off their travel time each way by sailing from the Bayport Terminal.
Second, the Bayport Terminal is akin to the “big box” stores so many people are used to. The terminal is new, clean and large. Parking is very convenient, right next to the terminal. In Galveston you have to park off-site and ride a shuttle to the terminal. That added convenience can be a big factor, especially when many cruise passengers are older and have some mobility issues.
Third, is the port’s room to expand. There is plenty of room around the Bayport Terminal to add in more docks, infrastructure, and parking with relatively little development costs. That low cost could help the port in offering lower fees to the cruise lines or being able to offer more incentives to sail from Houston.
Of course, there is a reason that the Bayport Terminal has sat empty for so long.
Sailing from Galveston is popular with the cruise lines. Since Galveston sits closer to the Gulf of Mexico, it allows the ships to use less fuel and travel shorter distances on their trips. Those savings add up significantly.
As well, while Galveston is a bit further from Houston than the Bayport Terminal, it is definitely more of a destination. Families can go to the beach, Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn, enjoy great seafood and more. In our opinion, this negates the extra drive time.
Finally, the Port of Galveston has enjoyed a decade of working with the cruise lines day-in and day-out. That long-term relationship cannot be overlooked. If there is anything important to a business, it is reliability and predictability. Knowing all the ins and outs of working with one port is a big plus for the cruise lines.
All that said, we do see one issue that could cause cruise lines to take a harder look at the Bayport Terminal — hurricanes.
After 2008′s Hurricane Ike, cruise lines relocated to Bayport Terminal for several months. If Galveston were to be hit by major hurricanes multiple years in a row, or even two storms in one season, then it’s not unthinkable that the cruise lines would take their business to a more protected port.
We simply hope both ports do booming business, offering passengers more sailings and lower fares.
Hobby Airport serves domestic destinations and has seen significant increases in passenger numbers over the past two years. With 9.84 million travelers in 2011, there is a good chance it will hit the record 10 million mark in 2012.
Southwest flies out of Hobby Airport
WI-FI internet, retail stores, and more than 12 food and beverage outlets ensure a pleasant visit. Visitor information centers as well as ADA amenities are also available.
Airlines serving Hobby Airport are AirTran Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Southwest Airlines.
TRANSPORTATION
Hobby Airport is located about 11 miles south of Downtown and offers various transport options.
Taxis
Taxis are available at Curb Zone 3 outside of the baggage claim area in the lower level.
All destinations within Houston city limits are charged according to the zone or meter rate, whichever is less.
Approximate fares from HOU are:
$30 to downtown area
$36 to Medical Center/Reliant Park
$65 to Galleria
$75 to Bush Intercontinental Airport
There is a late night surcharge of $1 per trip (8pm-6am)
Rental Cars
The following rental car agencies have counters at Hobby Airport:
Alamo
Avis
Budget
Dollar
Enterprise
Hertz
National
Thrifty
SuperShuttle
This shared-ride service transports travelers to and from their private address, office or hotel.
It takes longer than a taxi due to more frequent stops but may be more affordable, especially if travelling alone. Private limousines are also available.
For fare quotes and reservations go to www.supershuttle.com
Courtesy vans
Various hotels and motels offer courtesy vans to their properties. You can use the courtesy telephones in the baggage claim area to request a pick-up.
Public METRO buses
The public bus route 88 serves HOU and downtown locations. Service runs Monday through Saturday, from approximately 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. To check schedules and plan your trip, go to www.tripplanner.ridemetro.org
AIRPORT FACTS
11 miles from Downtown Houston
One of Southwest Airlines’ largest hubs
Nonstop service to more than 35 destinations throughout the U.S.
Ranked 40th in the U.S. for total passenger traffic
Ranked 150th in the world in total passenger traffic (out of 1336 ranked airports or in the top 11.2% range by total airport rankings)
Acquired by the City of Houston in 1937
Rated among the top five performing airports in the world by Airports Council International (2009)
Ranked No. 2 for customer satisfaction among small North American airports in a study by J.D. Power and Associates (2008)
raveling to Houston has never been easier. As the country’s fourth largest airport system, the Houston Airport Systemserves over 180 cities worldwide, with Bush Intercontinental Airport ranking third in the United States among airports with scheduled non-stop domestic and international service.
Houston Airport System
4th largest multi-airport system in the country
20 airlines serve Bush and Hobby airports
50 million passengers traveled through the three airports in 2011
80 million passengers traveling through HAS are projected by 2020
Serves 116 U.S. and 70 international destinations
Houston is the primary gateway to Latin America—No. 1 in the nation in the number of weekly nonstop flights to Mexico.
Houston ranked No. 1 in the United States by Travel + Leisure for food options, lounges, entertainment (free Wi-Fi), on -time performance and friendly staff (2010)
Houston ranked No. 1 by Travel + Leisure readers for America’s best airports (2009).
Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
With more than 700 daily departures and 40.1 million passengers that passed through its gates in 2011, Bush Intercontinental is the largest airport in Houston.
United flies out of IAH
All five terminals are connected by an automated people-mover and underground train. WI-FI internet, retail stores, and more than 50 food and beverage outlets ensure a pleasant visit. Visitor information centers, a currency exchange booth, as well as ADA amenities are also available.
Airlines serving Bush Intercontinental Airport are AeroMexico, Air Canada, Air France, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar Aiways, Singapore Airlines, TACA, United Airlines, US Airways, and VivaAerobus.
TRANSPORTATION
In order to bridge the 20 miles between the airport and Downtown Houston, visitors have multiple transport options.
Taxis
All destinations within Houston city limits are charged according to the zone or meter rate, whichever is less.
Approximate fares from IAH are
$52 to downtown area
$60 to Galleria/Medical Center area
$65 to Reliant Park
$73 to Hobby Airport
$105 to NASA Space Center
There is a late night surcharge of $1 per trip (8pm-6am)
Rental cars
The following rental car agencies have counters at IAH:
Advantage
Alamo
Avis
Budget
Dollar
Enterprise
Hertz
National
Thrifty
SuperShuttle
This shared-ride service transports travelers to and from their private address, office or hotel. It takes longer than a taxi due to more frequent stops but may be more affordable, especially if travelling alone. Private limousines are also available. For fare quotes and reservations go to www.supershuttle.com
Courtesy vans
Various hotels and lodgings offer courtesy vans to their properties. You can use the courtesy telephones in the baggage claim area to request a pick-up.
Public METRO buses
The public bus route 102 serves IAH and downtown locations.
Service runs Monday through Sunday, from approximately 5 a.m. until midnight.
To check schedules and plan your trip, go to ridemetro.org.
AIRPORT FACTS
20 miles from Downtown Houston
Nonstop service to 116 domestic destinations
Nonstop or direct service to 70 international destinations
Houston is the largest hub for the newly merged United Airlines, measured by daily departing seats available.
More 700 daily departures
Ranked No. 3 in the country for most scheduled nonstop destinations
Ranked 8th in the U.S. for total passenger traffic
Ranked 8th in the U.S. for international passenger traffic
Ranked 18th in the world for total passenger traffic
17 passenger airlines
With nearly 30 destinations in Mexico, IAH offers service to more Mexican destinations than any other US airport
16 passenger airlines
More than 11,000 acres
More than 24,500 parking spaces
New $440 million Terminal E and Federal Inspection Services (FIS) with 84 primary inspection booths that can process more than 4,500 passengers per hour
One of 20 airports in the nation to deploy a Global Entry kiosk that can turn an hour wait in the customs line into an average of 40 seconds.
Travel + Leisure ranked Houston for having America’s Best Airports (2010).
Ranked No. 4 for customer satisfaction among large North American airports in a study by J.D. Power and Associates (2008)
Voted the No. 4 airport in the country by readers of Global Traveler magazine (2008).
It’s a day five years in the making… now it’s just around the corner. Actually it is today November 05, 2013.
Five years ago, the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Houston opened its doors… to nothing. In fact, apart from a few cruises in 2008 the terminal has sat unused — leaving many to call the $108 million project a boondoggle.
Hobby Airport serves domestic destinations and has seen significant increases in passenger numbers over the past two years. With 9.84 million travelers in 2011, there is a good chance it will hit the record 10 million mark in 2012.
