The fight to cruise Cuba is on and the battleground, which may or may not surprise you, is Florida. As the U.S. and the Communist country 90 miles from its southernmost shore inch towards normalizing relations, Florida sees some of its cruise stakes slipping away, like fragments of driftwood floating into the Gulf of Mexico.… Continue reading Cuban Cruising Causing Angst in Florida
Tag: Houston
Perilous Time for Gem of the Gulf
GALVESTON — Let's start with mea culpa. Full disclosure. We love Texas. From Houston to Dallas to San Antonio to Austin to College Station to Galveston. Great places to visit that made great memories. Ah yes, Galveston, a special place that doesn't always look special. It can be pretty, and it can be pretty… Continue reading Perilous Time for Gem of the Gulf
Houston: Return of the Ships
A white elephant turned green last week. The much-maligned, little-used cruise port terminal in Houston is going to get busy. More importantly, it's going to get cruise ships that will make it busy. For three years, the state-of-the-art terminal has been empty. When something costs more than a $100 million and it's empty, this is… Continue reading Houston: Return of the Ships
Houston Cruising Still a Sad Tale
Fourth-largest seaport in the U.S. Access to the Gulf of Mexico. Thirteenth busiest port in the world. Sounds like a natural for a cruise terminal, doesn't it? As the cliche goes…Hello, Houston. Is there a problem? The problem has been well-documented. The cruise ship terminal that cost $100 million was finished four years ago, after… Continue reading Houston Cruising Still a Sad Tale
Magical Times for Gulf of Mexico Port
There’s really only one word for what’s going on in Galveston these days. Magic. Five months ago, when we sailed on the Carnival Ecstasy from the south Texas port, there were three cruise ships that called Galveston home, with combined space for 8,722 passengers. By next year, there will be five ships. Passenger total: 14,998.… Continue reading Magical Times for Gulf of Mexico Port