Galveston and San Diego ports vs Port Canaveral

[DisneyCDE]

For the San Diego and Galveston Cruise Terminals, are there any Disney Touches like in Port Canaveral? or is it just a regular cruise terminal?

 

[erionm]

For the San Diego and Galveston Cruise Terminals, are there any Disney Touches like in Port Canaveral? or is it just a regular cruise terminal?

Not likely since DCL doesn't have an exclusive use lease like they do at Port Canaveral.

DCL will have exclusive use of Terminal 4 at Port Everglades, so that terminal is currently being remodeled to include Disney touches.

 

[Drusilla99]

San Diego does not have anything special other than the portable signage Disney brings in. The port is small and a little bit of a nightmare. When you enter for security, you could be entering with guests for another cruise line and then once past security Disney guests go to one room, X-cruise guests go to another room.

 

[MinnesotaDisneyFan]

I’ve cruised out of San Diego and New Orleans (not Galveston). Disney adds some temporary banners to the embarkation and debarkation areas to add a little Disney flair. But nothing as elaborate as Port Canaveral.

I have enjoyed sailing out of these ports as they are in more developed and urban areas where there are hotels, stores, restaurants within walking distance to the port. Which makes for a more relaxed embarkation morning where you can literally walk across a street with your bags and be at the port! Port Canaveral is more isolated where you’re a car or bus ride away from anything.

 

[BrandyMcD]

I've sailed out of Galveston three times. There is not anything permanently Disney. As someone else noted, there are movable Disney signs and banners. The employees have Disney tags. And at least once Mickey was walking through the waiting area. It's otherwise a perfectly fine terminal in my experience.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

San Diego does not have anything special other than the portable signage Disney brings in. The port is small and a little bit of a nightmare. When you enter for security, you could be entering with guests for another cruise line and then once past security Disney guests go to one room, X-cruise guests go to another room.

Regarding the bolded: we've never encountered that when sailing DCL out of San Diego.

 

[TXDCLfan]

I've sailed out of Galveston three times. There is not anything permanently Disney. As someone else noted, there are movable Disney signs and banners. The employees have Disney tags. And at least once Mickey was walking through the waiting area. It's otherwise a perfectly fine terminal in my experience.

We have sailed out of Galveston many times on all cruise lines it is an easy port to navigate and very friendly people working there.

 

[Drusilla99]

Regarding the bolded: we've never encountered that when sailing DCL out of San Diego.

There was another ship doing a port day out of the port on our last cruise in Nov, so that's why that was happening. I don't believe that happened when I sailed out of there the other two times, it's probably a hit or miss situation

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

In Galveston, there are temporary banners and signs put up. There are photo ops, and on some sailings we've had characters in the waiting area.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I've sailed from PC, San Diego, Vancouver, New York, and Miami. They did bring in Disney signs and stuff in each of the non PC terminals and sometimes, they even have characters in the waiting area

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Galveston is a very easy terminal to get to and navigate, but the vibe is so so for us. Very raw.

 

[ChasingDreams]

San Diego does not have anything special other than the portable signage Disney brings in. The port is small and a little bit of a nightmare. When you enter for security, you could be entering with guests for another cruise line and then once past security Disney guests go to one room, X-cruise guests go to another room.

I have cruised out of SD multiple times and it when arriving it was always dedicated to Disney. Extremely easy large waiting area and we actually preferred it to PC. If another cruise was boarding it was on the opposite side.

 

[KKKKCS]

How is parking at Galveston? We will have a rental car for our cruise in March.

 

[MillauFr]

We have enjoyed all 3 terminals. Galveston, San Diego, and Port Canaveral. I liked Houston and San Diego. So much to see and do in each city.

 

[anricat]

How is parking at Galveston? We will have a rental car for our cruise in March.

There are a lot of parking options. If you want to park very close, you can book directly with the Port of Galveston. They have different lots, some are further and use a shuttle and some are closer with no shuttle. They just mailed me a coupon code for the Express Lot (no shuttle, you walk, but it's extremely close) for $15 off. The code is JUBILEE2023 No expiration date noted. If you want to park in another lot with them, try code SUMMERFUN23 for $10 off. Again, they didn't note an expiration date. www.portofgalveston.com

 

[BStieers]

I have sailed out of Miami, San Diego, Galveston, Seattle & Canaveral - San Diego was my least favorite experience as a good portion of our wait time was outside in the direct sun, and return was a bit of a mess with poor instructions and very few employees on the ground to assist. Galveston was easy, and well air conditioned by comparison.

 

[KKKKCS]

There are a lot of parking options. If you want to park very close, you can book directly with the Port of Galveston. They have different lots, some are further and use a shuttle and some are closer with no shuttle. They just mailed me a coupon code for the Express Lot (no shuttle, you walk, but it's extremely close) for $15 off. The code is JUBILEE2023 No expiration date noted. If you want to park in another lot with them, try code SUMMERFUN23 for $10 off. Again, they didn't note an expiration date. www.portofgalveston.com

Thank you for the info. And the coupon codes!

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

How is parking at Galveston? We will have a rental car for our cruise in March.

It’s ok. Once we parked in a lot across the street and walked right across to the terminal. Easy. Booked again with the same lot the following year and ugh. We went to the same lot and they forced us to drive about a mile away to another lot (same company, both times we booked online ahead of time so we assumed experience would be the same and it wasn’t), and that was a major PItA. Dh circled around and dropped us off and we ended up waiting outside the terminal for about an hour. He said there were not enough shuttles and he said never leaving out of Galveston again. We actually have not sailed out of Galveston since then lol. But that’s just a coincidence. I think we got unlucky. But if we sail out of Galveston again we will go for the port parking.

 

[leanne2255]

Was not impressed with the San Diego port. As another poster mentioned, we had to wait outside in the sun, and there is NO place to sit if you have mobility issues. The boarding queues were not organized at all, and the experience left us starting our cruise in a VERY bad mood.

 

[Carohs]

I feel like I gotta defend San Diego just a little bit. The queue once you get into the building is fairly smooth and straightforward but Port staff does control who goes in based on PAT. I've gotten there early, on time, and late. If you get there early or on time they make you line up on the sidewalk by PAT. The line can get long enough that there is sufficient people and other ambient noise you can't hear port staff. Add to that excited people chattering away not paying attention anyway, and yeah it's going to be somewhat disorganized and people not lined up where they're meant to. It would help if there were signage but this is a public sidewalk right next to some other tourist attractions like the Waterfront Park, USS Midway, and Star of India. Needless to say lots of foot traffic regardless. If you get there early you gotta wait in the sun, if you get there on time, you may need to wait a few minutes for the prior group to clear but you get to be in the line that moves (still in the sun) with the exception of the occasional pause for the people who got in the wrong line and/or have further questions/issues with port staff. If you get there late, you can talk to the port staff and they'll direct you to the entrance. One time they made us to talk to another staffer so we can get the right colored ticket or other some such but we were able to go in right away. We were all checked in within 20 minutes of arriving but still had to wait maybe another hour before our boarding group was called.