Sailing from Galveston
Galveston is the Gulf of Mexico’s busiest cruise port, and its whole advantage is the catchment. For anyone in Texas, Louisiana or Oklahoma, this is a cruise that starts with a drive rather than a flight, which for a family of four is often the difference between a vacation that happens and one that does not.
The itineraries reflect the geography. Sailings from Galveston run west and south: Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatán, Belize, Yucatán. A seven-night Western Caribbean loop is the standard product.
Give the drive more time than the map says. Houston traffic to Galveston on a Sunday morning is not the ninety minutes the map claims. Leave early.
The island is worth a night. Galveston’s Strand district is Victorian, walkable and pleasant, and staying there beats an airport hotel by a distance.
Sea days are part of the deal. Galveston is further from the Caribbean than the Florida ports, so a seven-night sailing from here has more time at sea and fewer calls than the same length from Miami. That is a fair trade for the drive, but it is worth knowing before you book.