Port Profiles | Portipedia

YOU’VE GOT TO LIKE A TOWN WHOSE FIRST KNOWN EUROPEAN SETTLER WAS A PIRATE. Especially one who interrupted his illicit adventures to fight the heroically for the United States in the War of 1812.

That’s just what French privateer and smuggler Jean Lafitte did before returning to his old ways and setting up base camp in 1817 in the city that would become Galveston. Nearly 1,000 followers eventually came to live in the commune called Campeche, from which Lafitte and his pirates launched attacks against Spanish ships.

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Galveston’s downtown is compact by big-city standards, more than 36 square blocks. But within those blocks is more than 100 shops, antique stores, restaurants and art galleries. 

Begin your exploration in The Strand National Historic Landmark District (pick up a map and other literature at the Downtown Visitors Center at 2215 Strand in the Old Galveston Square Building, phone 409-797-5101). 

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During the 1920s through the 1940s, Sam Maceo’s famous Galveston nightclubs, the Balinese Room and the Hollywood Dinner Club, were host to such performers as Phil Harris, Paul Whiteman, Guy Lombardo, Duke Ellington, Freddy Martin, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee and Jimmy Dorsey. Galveston attracted people from all over the nation with great dining, big name entertainment, roulette, blackjack, craps tables and slot machines. This era ended in 1957 when the Texas Rangers raided the city and closed all the illegal gambling spots. 

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Q. How do I get from the airport to the port?

A. Many cruise passengers who fly to their Galveston cruises arrive at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, 65 miles from Galveston. Closer is the William P. Hobby Airport, about 45 miles away. Yet the journey is about an hour and a half from either airport. You can rent a car and drive I-45 South through downtown Houston to Galveston, or Galveston Limousine offers frequent shuttle service from both airports to the cruise terminal. The fare is $30 ($50 roundtrip). For more information, call 800-640-4826 or visit www.galvestonlimousineservice.com. Other transportation companies: Extreme Elegance (866-799-5466); Karr’s Limousine Service (713-780-8300); and Jeff’s Cab & Shuttle Service (866-533-3222).

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On a Mexican Riviera cruise from San Diego, my family and I spent one week after our cruise to discover all that this sunny Southern California city has to offer cruise passengers. True, most cruise passengers add only two nights before or after their cruises from San Diego, but friends who had been here told us that two days was not enough, so we decided to go the distance and try to see it all.

We were surprised to find such a varied destination. During our stay, we traveled from San Diego’s cosmopolitan city center to charming Coronado across the San Diego Bay, also known as the Big Bay, from beautiful Pacific coastline to true Southwestern desert — only 90 minutes away. We visited theme parks that our kids loved — LEGOLAND California and SeaWorld San Diego, and then toned the pace down at Balboa Park, with its world-famous San Diego Zoo. Moreover, we enjoyed our week of activities in San Diego’s perfect climate, with average daytime temperatures of 70F and most days sunny.
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For families, there is no better cruise port than San Diego. Only a few minutes from the cruise terminal is Balboa Park, the nation’s largest urban cultural park. Encompassing 1,200 acres, Balboa Park is second only to the Smithsonian in size and is often referred to as the “Smithsonian of the West.” The Park is home to 85 cultural institutions, including 15 museums that range from anthropology to science, from classic to contemporary art, performing arts venues, art galleries, botanical gardens and the San Diego Zoo, home to 4,000 animals representing 800 species on 100 acres. Balboa Park is the perfect destination for families. Continue Reading »

For pre- and post-cruise vacationers, San Diego offers a variety of day trips, all within San Diego County. The seaside resort of La Jolla is only 15 minutes north of the city center. Borrego Springs, a tiny desert town that is home to the largest state park in the contiguous United States (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park) is only 85 miles east of San Diego.

Suggestions for accommodations in these destinations: La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, 12 miles north of downtown San Diego. The original structure of this 90-room resort was built in 1927 and resembles a Spanish-style hacienda. Residing on 14 acres, the resort is one of only two beachfront properties in the exclusive La Jolla Shores section of La Jolla.

Borrego Springs is home to the AAA-Four Diamond La Casa Del Zorro Desert Resort. Families will enjoy one- to four-bedroom casitas, each with fireplace, private pool and/or spa. The 42-acre resort is situated in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

San Diego’s biggest attraction is the harbor itself, known as The Big Bay. You could design a pre- and post-cruise vacation around the Big Bay itself and have a perfectly satisfying experience — with no need to rent a car. If you’re staying a few days or more, you’ll have a good choice of hotels: No fewer than 13 line the Big Bay’s 34 miles of waterfront.

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We were on a quest. Not to see and experience all of the wonderful attractions that were the reasons I chose to bring my family to San Diego for the kids’ spring break vacation. No, the Grizzles and the Grizzlettes had something much more important in mind. We were on a quest to find — steady yourself reader — shoes that roll. Not skates, but something very much like them, one of the latest California fads, Heelys (company tagline: “Freedom Is A Wheel In Your Sole”).

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In the past several years, San Diego’s cruise ship calls and passenger counts have more than tripled, making the Southern California city the West Coast’s fastest-growing cruise port.

Why the surge in popularity? First, San Diego is possibly the West Coast port with the most varied cruise itineraries. More than 100 cruises set sail from the downtown cruise terminal. Among the regular offerings: Mexico (from five days to 15 days); Sea of Cortez cruises; 14-day and 15-day Hawaii; and Panama Canal cruises of 12 days or more.

Moreover, San Diego may just be the world’s most convenient port of departure. Abundant airlift brings 62 percent of all cruise passengers from destinations worldwide. Plus, the airport, cruise terminal and city center all are within five minutes of one another.

Add to that the many attractions within close reach of the cruise terminal, and San Diego makes one perfect port.