GALVESTON, TEXAS-- Galveston's second cruise ship since the lifting of COVID-19 sailing restrictions set sail this week, on a four-day cruise to Mexico. All Carnival ships are sailing at roughly 70% capacity, according to a company spokesman.
On sailings from Texas, passengers ages 12 and over are expected to be fully vaccinated 14 days prior to departure. Exemptions are allowed for unvaccinated children, within the expected 95% vaccination rate among all passengers and crew. That makes for a more normal voyage than those offered by the company on sailings out of Florida, where state laws prohibit the cruise line from requiring proof of vaccination.
Carnival has been sailing year-round cruises from Galveston since 2000.
From Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line:
“We’re delighted that Carnival Breeze is our first ship to return operating short cruise itineraries and our second ship to resume from the Port of Galveston. Short cruises are very popular with our guests – roughly half our fleet operates cruises of five days or less – so we are excited to broaden our itinerary offerings to include these convenient and affordable getaways.”
More about the ship
Breeze first launched in 2012. It features a 320-foot long enclosed Twister waterslide, a splash park, a ropes course, a 2-level miniature golf course, and a 10,000+ square-foot adults only outdoor pool retreat called Serenity.
Among the dining venues included in the cruise fare are two pit stops featuring recipes of Guy Fieri-- Guy's Burger Joint and Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que. While I have not enjoyed eating on the ship itself, I met with both Guy and the designer of the first true flame-powered smoker to be used onboard a cruise ship before it premiered on Breeze and three other ships in 2017. And of course, samples of Guy's 'cue were involved, so I can attest to the tastiness.
The ship has 1,845 staterooms, including 851 with balconies and 54 suites. Total guest capacity if every bunk is filled is 3,690. The normal crew size is 1,386.
Pricing and hot tips:
Breeze starts out operating rotating four and five day cruises that include the ports of Cozumel, Progresso, and Costa Maya. Those run through the summer, when the shift is to seven day itineraries for the holiday weeks that include Christmas and New Year's. But if you're looking for a longer vacation this summer or fall, try booking back-to-back sailings of both the four and five-day routes. That gives you nine full days, often for the price you'd find for a 7-day cruise on other ships.
Example: You can book a balcony stateroom departing August 26 for $534 per person, followed by the 5-day sailing that departs on August 30, for only $504. The total for your extended vacay is now only $1038 per person or $115 per day. Compare that to Carnival's other ship sailing from Galveston, Vista, Where a 7-day cruise departing August 28 will run you $959, or $137 per day.
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