Texas has its own cruise port. Cozumel by Tuesday, no flight required.
Galveston is the fourth-busiest cruise port in America and the only one within a day’s drive of Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Baton Rouge. Five lines sail from it, from Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class Symphony of the Seas to Carnival’s 4 night Cozumel runs, with MSC year-round, Norwegian in winter and a winter Disney ship. SmartCruiser shows every sailing leaving Galveston from every line, prices each one with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to sail from Galveston
Galveston is a Western Caribbean port with a few surprises. Pick your length and we show what sails that week.
A 7 night Western Caribbean week
- Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, Belize or Jamaica, with two or three sea days across the Gulf
- Sunday departures on Royal Caribbean, Carnival and MSC all year, with Norwegian and Disney in winter
- Symphony of the Seas sails from the Royal Caribbean terminal at Pier 10, the biggest ship in the Gulf until Icon of the Seas arrives in 2027
Best for: families, multi-generation groups, anyone within a day’s drive of the coast.
4 and 5 nights to Cozumel
- Thursday to Monday on Carnival: a sea day, Cozumel, a sea day home
- 5 night versions add Progreso for the Mayan ruins at Uxmal and Chichen Itza
- The cheapest cruises in Texas, and the easiest first cruise for a group
Best for: long weekends, first cruises, Houston and Dallas groups.
Bahamas weeks and the Panama Canal
- Carnival’s 7 night Bahamas loop from Galveston: Key West, Nassau and Celebration Key with no Florida airport
- Winter partial Panama Canal transits of 10 to 14 nights when Norwegian or Princess schedule one from Galveston; rare, so grab them when they show
- Both sell out early because Texans rarely want to fly to a cruise
Best for: repeat cruisers, retirees, anyone who has done Cozumel three times.
Galveston deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every sailing leaving Galveston from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing from Galveston with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery sailing from Galveston
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where ships from Galveston sail
Pick a destination and the list above filters to the Galveston sailings that go there.
Which line from Galveston?
Five lines, four terminals, one island. Our one-line take on each ship based here.
When to go
Galveston sails all year. Texas school calendars and the summer heat set the price more than the Caribbean does.
Galveston cruise questions we answer every day
How much is parking at the Port of Galveston?
The port’s own lots are priced per cruise rather than per night: the economy lots on 33rd Street serving Terminals 25 and 28 run about $65 for a 4 night and $95 for a 7 night cruise before taxes and fees, with express lots and the covered garage across from Harborside costing more; book online ahead of time, since walk-up space sells out on busy weeks. Private lots along Harborside Drive typically charge about $10 to $15 a night with a shuttle to your terminal, and many are covered, which matters in a Texas summer. Royal Caribbean’s Pier 10 terminal has its own parking areas.
How do I get from Houston to the ship?
Houston Hobby is 45 miles and about an hour up I-45; Bush Intercontinental is 70 miles and 90 minutes to two hours in traffic. Shared shuttles typically run about $35 to $50 a person each way from either airport, private cars about $150 to $200. If you are driving from Dallas, Austin or San Antonio it is a four to five hour run, and I-45 south of Houston is the only slow bit.
Should I stay in Galveston the night before?
Yes if you are flying in or driving more than four hours; a Sunday morning delay on I-45 is the most common way to miss a Galveston ship. Hotels on Seawall Boulevard and in the historic Strand district are 5 to 10 minutes from the terminals, and many sell park-and-cruise packages. The Strand is worth an evening on its own.
Do I need a passport to cruise from Galveston?
On a closed-loop cruise that starts and ends in Galveston, US citizens can sail with a government photo ID and an original or certified birth certificate. We still recommend a passport: if you miss the ship in Cozumel or Roatan or need to fly home, you cannot board a flight without one. Any Panama Canal partial transit from Galveston is a round trip and qualifies.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses, per person, double occupancy. Gratuities, drinks packages, excursions and parking are extra.
Which terminal does my ship use?
Royal Caribbean sails from its own terminal at Pier 10, Carnival from Terminals 25 and 28 on Harborside Drive, Disney from Terminal 28 in winter, and MSC and Norwegian from the new Terminal 16 between them. Your documents name the terminal. Boarding opens about 11 am and ships sail around 4 pm; pick a mid-window arrival time in the cruise line app and the lines are short.
Talk to a Galveston cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we price every line sailing from Galveston side by side with the fares you qualify for. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.