Galveston cruise port shuttle
Shared-van transfers to every terminal at the Port of Galveston for a flat $39 per seat, with protection on every seat, whichever ship you are sailing.
Every seat is protectedEvery terminal at the Port of Galveston
Galveston is the only cruise homeport in Texas and the fourth-busiest in North America, moving more than 3.4 million passengers a year across four terminals on Harborside Drive. Most travelers just say "the Port of Galveston," but each cruise line usually uses a specific terminal, and they can sit up to a mile apart. The most useful thing you can do before arrival day is confirm the terminal on your boarding pass. We take you to the right one.
Royal Caribbean
1152 Royal Caribbean Way. A newer terminal about a mile west of downtown, built for Oasis-class ships.
MSC & Norwegian
1602 Harborside Dr. The port's newest terminal, opened in late 2025, with its own parking.
Carnival & Princess
2502 Harborside Dr. Carnival's main downtown berth on the waterfront.
Disney & Princess
2702 Harborside Dr. Directly across from Terminal 25.
Terminals can change by sailing. Ships shift between them by season, so the number printed on your boarding pass is the one that counts. Give us that, rather than just "the port."
How to get to the port
We pick up from both Houston airports, the IAH to Galveston shuttle and the Hobby to Galveston shuttle, and from Galveston hotels for return trips. After your cruise, the Galveston to Houston shuttle runs the reverse. You can see exact times on the schedule and what is included on the pricing page. It is all part of our Houston to Galveston shuttle service.
What to expect on arrival
We drop you at the terminal entrance, where porters handle your large bags and you carry on your documents and valuables. From there you move into check-in and security on your line's schedule. If you are driving yourself instead, the cruise parking guide covers the official lots and how to reserve.
Every seat comes protected
If a delayed or canceled flight, or a late ship arrival, causes you to miss your pickup, the fare is refundable. You can also cancel up to 2 hours before your scheduled pickup for a full refund.
Refunds are returned less a small card processing fee. Full terms are shown at checkout.
Cruise port shuttle questions
Reserve a $39 seat online from IAH or Hobby, or from a Galveston hotel for the return. We drop you directly at your assigned cruise terminal on Harborside Drive.
Royal Caribbean generally uses Terminal 10, Carnival mainly Terminal 25, Disney and Princess Terminal 28, and MSC and Norwegian the newer Terminal 16. Always confirm the terminal on your boarding pass, since ships move between terminals.
Yes, Terminals 10, 16, 25, and 28. Give us the terminal from your cruise documents and we take you to the right one.
Yes. Every seat is protected, with a full refund for a missed pickup caused by a delayed or canceled flight or a late ship arrival, or for a voluntary cancellation up to 2 hours before pickup.
What the Galveston cruise port shuttle costs
A shared seat is a flat $39 per person, one way, between either Houston airport and any Galveston cruise terminal. Private black car service starts at $249 per vehicle from Hobby and $257 from Bush Intercontinental.
| Service | Capacity | From Hobby | From IAH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared seat | per person | $39 | $39 |
| Black Suburban | 1 to 6 | $249 | $257 |
| 14-seat Sprinter | 7 to 14 | $590 | $600 |
| Child safety seat | per seat | $15 | $15 |
Standard cruise luggage travels free with no per-bag fee. Gratuity is never included and never added at checkout, there is no fuel surcharge, and the fare does not rise on cruise weekends.
How long the transfer takes
Hobby is about 40 miles from the cruise terminals and Bush Intercontinental is about 70. On a shared van that works out to roughly an hour from Hobby and roughly two hours from IAH, because the van collects several parties and serves the terminals in sequence. A direct private car covers the same ground in about 45 minutes and about 1 hour 15.
Timing your arrival at the port
Your cruise line assigns a check-in window during online check-in, usually a one to two hour slot between late morning and mid-afternoon. Terminals enforce those windows, so arriving well before yours generally means waiting rather than boarding sooner.
Work backward from the window rather than the sailing time. Allow three hours from Hobby and four from IAH, which covers the transfer, baggage claim and a cushion for causeway traffic on a Saturday with several ships sailing.
Every seat is protected
Most shared shuttles serving the Galveston cruise port are non-refundable. Ours are not. Shuttle Protection is included free on every shared seat: a full refund if a delayed or canceled flight or a late ship arrival causes you to miss your pickup, plus free cancellation up to 2 hours before pickup.
Booking your Galveston cruise port shuttle
Give us the terminal number printed on your boarding pass rather than the cruise line name, since ships move between berths by season and the four terminals sit up to a mile apart on Harborside Drive.
Book two to three weeks ahead for a cruise Saturday. The fare does not change with lead time and cancellation is free up to two hours out, so booking early costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Call 832.899.4040 for groups above 14, a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, or an arrival outside 8 AM to 8 PM.
Which terminal your ship uses
The Port of Galveston operates four cruise terminals, all on or just off Harborside Drive on the north side of the island. They sit up to a mile apart, so arriving at the wrong one with a week of luggage is a genuinely bad start.
| Terminal | Address | Cruise lines | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 10 | 1152 Royal Caribbean Way | Royal Caribbean | About a mile west of downtown |
| Terminal 16 | 1602 Harborside Drive | MSC, Norwegian | Newest terminal, own parking |
| Terminal 25 | 2502 Harborside Drive | Carnival, Princess | Busiest of the four |
| Terminal 28 | 2702 Harborside Drive | Disney, Princess | Across from Terminal 25 |
Ships shift between berths by season and by sailing, and Princess splits between Terminals 25 and 28. The number printed on your boarding pass is the authoritative source.
Getting to the port without flying
There is no passenger rail and no public bus between Houston and Galveston Island. If you are driving yourself, port parking runs roughly $175 for a seven-night sailing in an official lot, with covered options costing more. Our cruise parking guide covers the options.
For most cruisers flying in, two shared seats round trip come to $156, which is less than the parking alone before you add a rental or fuel. The comparison only flips for groups of three or more travelling in a car they already own.
Arriving at the terminal
Terminals operate numbered curbside drop-off zones, with porters available at the door to take checked luggage. Attach your cruise line's luggage tags before you arrive, since tagged bags move far faster and untagged ones create a bottleneck.
- Keep documents, medication and valuables in a carry-on.
- Checked bags may not reach your cabin for several hours.
- Arrive inside your assigned check-in window, not before it.
- Approach roads back up near peak windows, particularly at Terminal 25.
Shared seat or private black car
Two products serve the Galveston cruise port and the right one depends on party size and where you start. A shared seat is $39 per person from either Houston airport. A private vehicle is a fixed rate from any Houston address, starting at $249.
For one to four people flying into IAH or Hobby, the shared seat is the obvious choice on cost. From about five or six passengers the private Suburban becomes competitive per head, and it runs direct rather than serving several terminals in sequence.
Private is also the only option we run from Houston suburbs, because shared seats depart the two airports only. A pickup from Katy, The Woodlands, Sugar Land, Clear Lake, Pearland, Cypress, Kingwood, Spring, Missouri City, the Heights, the Galleria or downtown is a private booking.
What to have ready when you book
The terminal number from your boarding pass, your date and party size, your airline and flight number so we can track your inbound, and any child safety seats at $15 each way. Flag mobility equipment at the same time: folding wheelchairs and scooters ride free on standard vehicles, but a ramp or lift vehicle needs at least 48 hours notice.
Call 832.899.4040 for anything that does not fit the standard booking, including groups above 14, arrivals outside 8 AM to 8 PM, or a private transfer with a stop on the way to the port.
Book your protected $39 seat
Shared vans from IAH and Hobby to every Galveston cruise terminal, and back. Reserve in about two minutes.
Reserve your seats