Galveston Hotel Info: After a lot of searching and consideration we have found a fabulous hotel on GalvestonIsland for everyone to stay at before the cruise. The island apparently fills up the night before a cruise leaves and is a resort island so the hotels are typically quite expensive. We found the most amenities and the best price as well as a group guarantee so we can all be together at this hotel.
In addition, Kristin’s Mom (Darlene) will be hosting a “Non-Rehearsal Dinner” (as there is no rehearsal) on Sunday evening and the location will be within walking distance to the hotel. Also, the hotel is close to restaurants and shopping. A FREE hotel shuttle will take us to the port for the wedding and cruise on Monday and the hotel is close to the port so we will not have far to travel that morning. There is also FREE onsite parking for those of you who are driving (and a shuttle to take you back to the hotel for your car when the cruise returns). Breakfast is available at the hotel or there is an ihop close by, however breakfast is not included in your room rate (one amenity we had to compromise on).
We have a group rate booked at The Holiday Inn Resort Galveston On the Beach.
Address: 5002 Seawall BoulevardGalveston, TX77551
The great group rate is $95 for Sunday night (February 26th). And if you will be coming in on Saturday (February 25th) you may also book that night for $95. You may book a room with two queen beds or a king bed for the same price.
Reservations can be made online or by phone:
Online: Go to www.holidayinnresorts.com/galveston-bch. Then in the column on the left under ‘Check Availability’ enter your date(s) of stay and number of people in the room. Then enter the Group Code: BSP and leave the ‘Rate Preference’ on ‘Best Available’. Click on ‘Check Availability’. Choose your room type and then click on ‘Reserve’ and fill in the needed information.
By Phone: Call 1-409-740-5300 and identify yourself as being with ‘Ball/Sanders Pre Cruise’ group.
You will have until December 10th (also date for final payment of cruise) to reserve your room and then after that the rooms will be sold to the general public. Your credit card will not be charged until you arrive in Galveston.
As a reminder you can make payments at any time towards your cruise by calling our travel agent Jill Merrill at 910-476-2088.
Cruise and Travel Agent Contact Info:
Our travel agent is Jill Merrill. She is a home based travel agent in Fayetteville, NC working with AAA Vacations for the past 6 years. In addition, she worked with Johnny at the control tower before retiring in April. You may call her on her cell at 910-476-2088 or email her at favoritetravelagent@gmail.com.
The final payment for the cruise is due by December 10, 2011. However, feel free to contact Jill at any time to make deposits as you go along.
Excursion Info:
If you want to go ahead and start planning port of call excursions please go to:
http://www.carnival.com/Activities/
and chose ‘Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico’ for the first port and then to look at the second port’s excursions chose ‘Cozumel, Mexico’. Your cruise will have to be paid in full before booking your excursions. Please see our registry for info on the excursions we would like to go on ourselves... you are more than welcome to join us!
Passport/Travel Requirements:
Carnival highly recommends all guests travel with a passport (valid for at least six months beyond completion of travel). Although a passport is not required for U.S. citizens taking cruises that begin & end in the same U.S. port, travelling with a passport enhances your disembarkation experience, as delays may be expected upon your return to the U.S. if you do not have one. Additionally, passports make it easier for you to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port should you miss your scheduled port of embarkation, or need to fly back to the U.S. for emergency reasons. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) allows U.S. citizens (including children) sailing on cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port to travel with one of the following WHTI compliant document: Valid U.S. Passport, Passport Card, Original or suitable quality copy of a Birth Certificate (Issued by the department of vital statistics), Certificate of Naturalization, Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card, e.g., Nexus Card, Sentri Card or Fast Card , Enhanced Tribal Card, A Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Enhanced Driver's License (EDL).
Passport information can be found at www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html including info on passport books and passport cards. New passport books are $135 for an adult and $105 for a minor under 16 years old. Passport books can be used for international travel. Passport cards are $55 for an adult and $40 for a minor under 16 years old. The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.
New Requirement for U.S. Birth Certificates
Beginning April 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of State will require the full names of the applicant’s parent(s) to be listed on all certified birth certificates to be considered as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship for all passport applicants, regardless of age. Certified birth certificates missing this information will not be acceptable as evidence of citizenship. This will not affect applications already in-process that have been submitted or accepted before the effective date.
In addition to this requirement, certified copies of birth certificates must also include the following information to be considered acceptable primary evidence of U.S. citizenship:
- Full name of the applicant
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal of issuing authority
- Registrar’s signature
- The date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office (must be within one year)
If you are 15 years old or older you must have a government issued ID in addition to your birth certificate.
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