We here at Real Food Traveler are huge fans of cruises. In the U.S., there are several port cities from which a variety of cruise lines depart and each one is a destination itself. Galveston, Texas is one of those, with the bonus of having the cruise terminal ports just down the street from all the action. The city is an historic and beautiful island from which to set sail for the Bahamas, Caribbean, and into Mexico and Central America. After spending a few days in Galveston ourselves, prior to a cruise, we’ve created some suggestions plus practical tips to help you make the most of your time on the island before or after a cruise.

Keep this article handy by saving it to Pinterest. Use it to help you plan your trip before you cruise out of Galveston. Photo, top left and  bottom right, courtesy of Canva.com. Remaining photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Editor’s Pick: Things to Do When You Cruise From Galveston TX

– Plus tips for making the most of your time before or after a cruise out of the Port of Galveston

BEFORE YOU PLAN YOUR CRUISE OUT OF THE PORT OF GALVESTON:

• The following cruise lines sail out of Galveston: Carnival, Disney, MSC, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean.
• Go to Galveston a few days BEFORE a cruise so that you eliminate any chance of not making it in time because your flight was delayed. Plus, you get to relax, enjoy the city and shop for any forgotten items.
• Go to Galveston a few days AFTER your cruise to keep yourself in “vacation mode” and ease the transition back to “real life” and to relax and enjoy what the island has to offer.
• Better yet, go a little before and a little after your cruise. There are so many things going on in Galveston, you’re more likely to catch some of them with a longer stay.

EDITOR’S TIP: Before you leave home – make sure you have all of your documentation including passports for everyone sailing, including the kids. Our Uber driver told us that, almost every cruise day, he has to drive sad and angry shoulda-been passengers to the airport because they forgot someone’s passport or other necessary documentation at home. The cruise lines will NOT let you board without having everything you need. Don’t even try to test it.

EDITOR’S TIP: Before you leave your car parked prior to a cruise – make sure the engine and headlights are turned off. Our Uber driver also told us about all the people who return to their cars after a cruise, just to find the battery dead. That’s a bad way to end a great vacation.

Okay, now, let’s help you plan your time in Galveston!

One of several sculptures in Galveston creating awareness of trash in the ocean plus a colorful mural. Photo by Jimmy McDonough.

Where to stay before or after you cruise from Galveston

The Tremont House is very conveniently located on Ship Mechanic Street, a short walk or drive away from the main part of the Galveston Cruise Port, depending on which cruise line you are going on. In addition, it’s just outside the iconic Boone Powell Arch (the only one of seven “fantasy arches” remaining from the 1986 Mardi Gras) from which many parades start in Galveston.

The fun and dramatic Boone Powell Arch is located right outside The Fremont Hotel. Photo by Jimmy McDonough.

Opened as a Marriot property in 2023, this historic building from the 1800’s has been a variety of things over the years, including a retail store and newspaper offices. The elegant décor of The Tremont House combines marble floors with exposed brick, and stylish furniture and accessories. There’s a bar and a restaurant off the lobby and a rooftop bar that’s newly revamped and re-open – all three are popular with hotel guests but also with the locals. The guest rooms have dramatic, vaulted ceilings, plantation shutters, very comfy beds, a spacious bathroom and nice amenities. There’s also an onsite fitness facility with street views. Check out is a generous 12pm.

EDITOR’S TIP: The Tremont House has a shuttle that will take you to your cruise part. Some cruise lines are just a couple of blocks away and totally walkable. But some would be a long walk schlepping luggage.  Reserve seats on the hotel’s shuttle for $15/person but do it at least a day in advance or there might not be space. Carshare is also available, such as Uber.

The Tremont House in Galveston is the perfect place to call home before or after a cruise. Photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

Where to eat and drink before or after you cruise from Galveston

Order a beer flight and scoop up some free popcorn at the Naked Iguana Brewery. They have a huge selection of brews, from light ales to complex tripels and hearty seasonals.  Sit at the bar and you’re likely to get into a friendly conversation with the locals at this neighborhood spot. And when you do that, you also get recommendations for things to do and places to go from those really in-the-know.

Stop at the neighborhood hangout, the Naked Iguana Brewery in Galveston to try their beers and nibble on some popcorn. Photo by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

On our walks, we kept passing Hearsay on the Strand, peaking in at the exposed brick walls and dramatic pendulum lighting hanging from a vaulted ceiling. Galveston Restaurant Week was going on while we were there, and Hearsay was one of the restaurants offering a fixed-price, multi-course dinner. Combining our curiosity about the place with our desire to partake of the annual program that promotes the local dining scene, we booked a table.

Menu prices were reasonable, and the options were many, including flatbread pizzas, salads, pasta, steak and more. The three most popular items that night, based on how many we saw being delivered to tables, were the pretzel board with cheese melted over the top of a giant, soft pretzel, with charcuterie nibbles nestled in the twist’s openings. The Espresso Martini was ordered again and again thanks, I’m sure, to fellow diners seeing the presentation of a food-grade bubble canopy over the glass, popped with the sipper’s lips. The Smoked Old-Fashioned was another “I’ll have what she’s having” cocktail with swirls of fragrant smoke dramatically revealed as the glass dome was lifted. Don’t miss local food specialties like Galveston’s own Redfish or gulf shrimp.

Hearsay serves up prime examples of the extremely fresh seafood from the area, sourced just minutes away including grilled Red Fish, top right. Photo by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

A short walk from The Tremont House, Saltwater Grill has been a favorite with the locals for more than 25 years. When we visited, they were having a special Sunday jazz brunch buffet as part of Galveston Restaurant Week. The plump Gulf Shrimp were my favorite. Normally, they are only open for happy hour and dinner serving steak and a bounty of fresh seafood including crab, shrimp, crawfish, salmon, scallops, lobster and more. They are located right across the street from The Grand 1894 Opera House, added incentive to take in one of the internationally-renowned shows there.

On the Seawall along the beach go to The Spot, a place we remember fondly from prior visits. This colorful diner-like, well, spot, has wings, burgers and a shareable Seafood Platter with shrimp three ways (cod, tilapia, waffle fries, onion strings and honey-citrus slaw). For something sweet, they are known for their milkshakes and malts. This Seawall location is part of a cluster of five businesses in one, including a Tiki Bar, all on the beachfront.

On our last night in Galveston, we went to Stuttgarden Tavern, again a short walk from The Tremont House. We happened to be there for their twice weekly Trivia Night, which we played (and won!), while eating their shaved Prime Rib Cheesesteak, Jaeger Pork Schnitzel and a salad to balance it all out.

A short walk from where you’ll cruise out of Galveston, Stuttgarden Tavern serves hearty beers and food like this Jaeger Pork Schnitzel. Photo by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

Hungry for more? Hear our podcast about Galveston’s culinary scene.

Things to do before or after you cruise from the Port of Galveston

Get immersed in Galveston’s history (and present) within one area at the Galveston Historic Seaport. A short walk from The Tremont House, you can take a Historic Harbour Tour & Dolphin Watch narrated boat ride, visit the Ship to Shore Museum and the 1877 Tallship ELISSA. The Harbour Tour includes admission to the ELISSA.

The Historic Harbour Tour & Dolphin Watch takes you out into the Harbour, up one direction and down the other where you pass docked cruise ships (such a sight to see from that perspective!), past industrial areas, past Pelican Island and a semi-sunken ship that is now home to a plethora of sea life and wildlife.  Over the course of our boat ride, I saw at least 15 dolphins, swimming quite close up. I’ve never seen that many at once –  it was a thrill.

Going on a Historic Harbour Tour & Dolphin Watch boat ride is an ideal way to see lots of frolicking dolphins. We saw at least 10 during our ride. Photo by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

EDITOR’S TIP: if you think the ship wreckage might be an awesome place for a photo shoot, think differently. The captain told us the wood is rotted and, if one was to fall through, there are sharp pieces of metal below. Multiple people have been severely injured trying to get the perfect shot!

The excellent Ship to Shore Museum provides interactive ways for visitors to get a very real sense of what it was like to be a passenger on a ship coming from Europe, Latin America and other regions to the Port of Galveston, hoping to find a better life. In the mid-1800’s, the Port of Galveston brought so many immigrants, it was second only to Ellis Island at the time.

Using audio, props, immersive vignettes and sets, visitors learn just how difficult the journey was on these ships for poorer immigrants. Wealthy passengers had far better conditions for their passage. See what it was like to finally reach U.S. soil (for those who survived the journey) and get checked out both for the state of their health as well as for their suitability to work hard. If they didn’t pass the muster, they would be sent back! For those who got to stay, the museum shows what life was like in Galveston for those who settled there – many spread out to other areas of Texas and other states.

The Ship to Shore Museum is well done and very educational and interesting. Photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

EDITOR’S TIP:  Go to the Seaport Museum before the Harbour Tour because it helps you imagine all of the people who sailed in on the very same waters so long ago, having reached what they hoped was the end of their long voyage and the start of their new life in America.

The 1877 Tallship ELISSA, a rare historical vessel, was brought to Galveston from a scrapyard in Greece, requiring expensive renovations. It’s one of only three ships of her kind in the world to still actively sail. See what life was like below deck and marvel at the fact that it’s still sailed every April to this day.

As you get ready to cruise out of the Port of Galveston, check out the 1877 Tallship ELISSA. Photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

Nearby is the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum, an actual oil rig with multiple floors of displays to explore. Learn about the science of this industry, see the equipment and learn how oil drilling has been done in the oceans. Also see how the oil rig operators live and work on the rigs, including what they ate. Life on an oil rig is a world unto itself.

EDITOR’S TIP:  Allow at least a half a day to experience all of the above. The museum displays have a lot to read, and it’s all worth the time.

Hungry for more? Here’s the list of Culture, Food & Fun in Galveston in 2025.

Other things to do in Galveston

FREE STUFF

The downtown area has numerous galleries with a wide variety of styles and mediums of art to take in. On the second Saturday of every month there are Art Walks, where some galleries offer wine and sometimes have artists present to discuss their works.

While downtown, stop at 22nd and Strand at the plaque about Juneteenth. Read about how and why Galveston is the birthplace of the holiday that commemorates when the last slaves were told they had been freed through President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. See the stunning, accompanying mural on the side of the building.

The downtown area is surrounded by block after block of charming homes. Note the beautiful architectural details. Some have plaques on the front to commemorate that the house survived the 1900 Hurricane and flood.

Take note of these plaques on homes around Galveston. Photo by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

While strolling, keep an eye out for Tree Sculptures. There’s a self-guided tour that leads you by homes throughout the island (most are in the East End Historical District) where private residents paid to have artists carve whimsical art out of majestic oak trees that were damaged or destroyed by the winds and waves of the 2008 hurricane. Most are tucked within private yards but can be viewed from the sidewalk. The most famous may be “Tin Man & Toto” created because King Vidor, one of the directors of “The Wizard of Oz,” was born in the front downstairs of the pale pink home.

While walking Galveston’s colorful and ornate neighborhoods, see if you can spot some of the famous tree sculptures. Photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

Stroll The Strand district to enjoy the architecture, funky stores, galleries, tourist shops and plenty of eateries (mostly casual). Nearby are rowdy saloons (Buckshot Saloon for line dancing) and drinking places (Sharky’s Tavern, Texas Tail Distillery). Locals told us we HAD to go to the 23rd Street Station Piano Bar but we just ran out of time. We’ll be sure to check it out on our next visit.

MUSEUMS AND MORE IN GALVESTON

Long before it was The Bryan Mansion, the building was the Galveston Orphans’ Home to more than 6,500 children over the course of 90 years. In 2015, it opened as a museum after extensive renovation and landscaping. Animations show what specific rooms were used for, like the boy’s dorm, girl’s dorm and dining room. The museum has an extraordinary collection of items from when the Spanish first came to conquer the area. Impactful dioramas show the various wars that occurred including San Jacinto, on the path to Texas’ independence. There’s also a very interesting display about cowboys and cowgirls in Texas and how ranching came to be.

Be sure to watch the short video in one of the exhibition rooms about the 1900 storm. The placement of the video screen is a little tucked away, so we were glad that the woman who sold us our tickets had alerted us to it. It contains storm footage created by Thomas Edison who had just figured out how to record video and sent people to capture the aftermath. Not only is it horrific to see photos of the death and destruction, it’s also fascinating to learn that, in conjunction with building a 17-foot seawall, they also raised the entire town of Galveston some 9-10 feet just to reduce the chances of damage again. Between 6,000 and 8,000 people died in the 1900 storm and around 10,000 were left homeless.

In an interesting full-circle moment, the video said that people displaced by the storm were welcomed to seek shelter in other people’s homes and in businesses including at The Tremont House where we were staying.

Prior to becoming an educational museum with a stellar collection, it was an orphanage for 90 years. Photo by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

At the Moody Mansion, I could almost imagine the four Moody children rushing past me saying “Excuse me. Pardon me.” as I took my time ambling down the dramatic staircase. A lot of family pictures, signage, personal items and an audio tour place visitors right back in the years the Moody children grew up in the house. A docent at the front door explained that, despite water having poured down the walls from the 1900 hurricane, the type of oak that was used to build the house dries quickly, leaving it looking like new to this day. She also explained that every furniture item in the house is original to the family and the house, a rarity in museums such as this.

We noted how spacious each of the rooms were. We also got a kick out of the notes placed here and there to discourage visitors from touching things they shouldn’t like “No one wants to see you in this tub” in a bathroom and “If you sit on this bed, you’ll become a permanent part of the display and that means no more pizza for you, ever” or “You wouldn’t like it if people looked through your drawers so please don’t touch.” They were a cute way to keep people in line.

The Moody Mansion is frozen in time with the Moody family’s actual furnishings. Photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

If you’re into “birding,” Galveston is the place for you. The island fully embraces the plentiful avian traffic they have, located on the main trans-Gulf migration route and a variety of habitats including wetlands and grasslands, woods and, or course beaches. FeatherFest occurs every April and there are several suggest Birding Itineraries around the island.

Moody Gardens Hotel, Attractions & Golf Course is worth its own block of vacation time with an Aquarium Pyramid, living rainforest, Discovery Museum and much more. It’s outside of the main downtown area and requires transportation to get there (see below). Book well in advance to get tickets, especially around the holidays when the illuminations make it a very popular stop.

GETTING AROUND

The Galveston Trolley is a great way to get around and is a great deal. For just $1/adults (free for accompanying minors), it travels between Stewart Beach and Moody Gardens along Seawall Boulevard (passing The Spot restaurant mentioned above). Eastbound and Westbound stops are available along the way. We got a transfer to the Downtown Loop at 21st & Seawall which took us right to our hotel. It’s a fun, and dirt cheap, way to see the island.

EDITOR’S TIP: You must have exact change for the Galveston Trolley. We rode it all around to sightsee and also get the lay of the land. Then, you can decide where you want to get off to explore more.

Uber and Lyft are also available on the island and we never waited more than a few minutes for a ride.

For more information about making the most of your pre- or post-cruise time in Galveston, their website is an excellent resource.

-Story by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, Real Food Traveler

Hungry for more? Read some of our other Editor’s Pick articles.

Please note, as is common practice in this industry, this was a partially hosted visit, however, all opinions are honest and based on the author’s opinion for the purpose of informing our readers.