galveston booze cruise

• Nearshore Fishing Charter
• Bay & Jetty Fishing Charter
• Deep Sea Fishing Charter
• Red Snapper Fishing Trip

Galveston Sunset Cruise

Galveston bay & dolphin cruise.

• Waterfowl Hunting
• Dove Hunting
• Deer Hunting
• Turkey Hunting

About Galveston Sunset Cruises

Galveston Bay offers some of the most breathtaking sunsets one can lay eyes on. The combination of our West facing bay and local micro-climate create truly unique colors and cloud formations. Grab a front row seat to the show on our Galveston Sunset Cruise as we take you to some of our favorite (and even secret) sunset viewing spots. There will be plenty of amazing photo opportunities and you’re sure to see a few dolphins while we’re out there too.

The Boat: 36' Contender

• Length: 36 ft
• Engine(s): 3 x 300hp Yamaha
• Max Speed: 40 knots

Your boat for this Galveston Sunset Cruise is our beloved 36′ Contender. It features a spacious deck with plenty of room for up to 6 people while three 300hp Yamaha outboard engines will have us cruising at over 30 knots to our favorite sunset destinations around Galveston Bay.

FAQs: Galveston Sunset Cruise

• Cooler with food and drinks
• Soft, white soled shoes
• Sea sickness meds (if needed)
• NO hard liquor
• NO dark soled shoes

Since Galveston’s coast faces Southeast, it can be difficult to find a good West facing spot to watch the sunset over the water. Thats why the best place to see the sunset in Galveston is from aboard our boat on a Galveston Sunset Cruise. We’ll take you to our secret spots to watch the sun sink behind the bay and throw breathtaking colors across the sky and water.

Absolutely! Our Sunset Cruise is a perfect family activity for your Galveston vacation. Everyone from the kids to the grandparents will have a blast exploring Galveston Bay and its unique sunsets.

All trips require a deposit at booking. Deposits are non refundable except in the event of inclement weather at the captain’s discretion. Read our full cancelation policy here.

• Up to 6 people
• Trip Time(s): 6:30PM

More Galveston Fishing Charters & Boat Cruises

Galveston Nearshore Fishing Charter

Galveston Deep Sea Fishing Charter

• 4 ppl (+ $50 per up to 6)

Galveston Bay & Jetty Fishing Charter

Galveston Red Snapper Fishing Trip

Circle H Outfitters and Charters

• (281) 384-7909
• [email protected]
• 715 N Holiday Dr SLIP A32, Galveston, Texas 77550

Galveston Fishing Charters:

• Nearshore Fishing
• Deep Sea Fishing
• Red Snapper Fishing
• Bay & Jetty Fishing
• Sunset Cruise
• Half-Day Bay Cruise
• Full-Day Bay Cruise

Texas Hunting Trips:

• Duck Hunting

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September Special Buy one Dinner Cruise Ticket and get one 50% off. Use Promo Code "DINNER17" Buy One Leisure Cruise Ticket and Get One Free. Use Promo Code "LEISURE17". **Not Valid on Craft Beer Cruise.

Welcome to the Boardwalk FantaSea, Cruising from the Kemah Boardwalk.

The premier destination for cruises in the Houston, Kemah, Clear Lake and Galveston Bay area! As the largest charter yacht anywhere on the legendary Gulf Coast, the Boardwalk FantaSea is home to elegant dinner voyages, historic sightseeing along the water and unforgettable party cruises.

You can use this site to purchase tickets, book corporate events, weddings or special occasions and learn more about our wonderful services. No matter what you're looking for, the Boardwalk FantaSea is the yacht for you!

The Boardwalk FantaSea Yacht will be closed for scheduled maintenance until August 4th. We apologize for the inconvenience.

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© 2012, Boardwalk FantaSea ∙ #8 Kemah Boardwalk Suite G Kemah, TX. 77565. Boardwalk FantaSea Yacht Charters is wholly owned by Landry's Inc. Certain activities provided by this website may be covered by U.S. Patent No. 5,930,474

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Answered: First Day Drink Packages and Alcohol on Galveston Cruises

Drink packages are supposed to make things easier. Instead of having to budget and keep an eye on what you are spending, you simply pay one daily fee and drink your fill. Want a beer when you step on board? Just order it and get back to enjoying your cruise. Want a margarita while you sit poolside? Step up to the bar and it’s yours — no additional payments required.

And for the most part, the drink packages are simple and work exactly as planned. You can purchase the package, step on board the ship on the first day of the cruise and start getting your money’s worth. If you want a drink, you order it. Couldn’t be simpler, right?

Well, cruises from Galveston are a little different. There are special rules that apply to selling alcohol in Texas that have an impact on your drink package and what you can order.

Special Rules for Alcohol on Texas Cruise Ships

Search around the Internet and you’ll find all sorts of questions about drink packages for cruising from Galveston. Rumors and hearsay have run rampant across the Internet for years as passengers tell their stories. Meanwhile, Carnival and Royal Caribbean (the two lines that sail from the island) have different policies regarding alcohol while in Texas waters that causes even more confusion.

That’s why we spoke with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) — the body that regulates the sale of alcohol in Texas — as well as cruise line representatives to get the details on cruise line policy and Texas laws surrounding drink packages.

What follows is each cruise line’s policy about selling alcohol on the first day of a cruise from Galveston, plus details on the Texas laws that are behind the policies.

Carnival’s Policy Regarding Drink Packages and Alcohol in Galveston

First things first. If you purchase a drink package on a Carnival cruise departing Galveston, it will not be in effect until the next morning . So if you sail away on Sunday, you won’t be able to use your drink package (even if purchased ahead of time) until Monday morning. Don’t worry, you aren’t charged for this day. So a drink package on a 7-day cruise actually gets charged for six days.

This policy is clearly laid out on Carnival’s website , which says “Due to state laws, we cannot sell CHEERS! until the second day of the cruise (starting at 6:00am) for voyages departing from our Texas and New York home ports. Drinks purchased on the first day of the cruise will be charged to the guest’s Sail & Sign® card in the usual manner. When purchased on the second day of the cruise, guests are charged for the remaining days only (cruise duration less one day).”

The good news for cruise passengers?

You can still purchase alcohol when you first get on the ship. However, you should know that the menu is limited until the ship sails beyond Texas waters.  According to a statement from a company representative:

“Carnival offers special drink menus that are in compliance with Texas state laws for the time we are sailing in Texas waters.”

You’ll still find plenty to drink during this time, but if you like a specific brand, it may not be available until the ship leaves state waters. (This takes about two hours from the time you depart the Port of Galveston.)

Royal Caribbean’s Policy Regarding Drink Packages and Alcohol in Galveston

If you sail on Royal Caribbean (Liberty of the Seas), then our understanding is you can use a drink package from the moment you step on the ship. While this has been mentioned regularly around the Internet, we tried to confirm it by pricing out the package for an upcoming 7-day cruise (we were quoted the daily price times the number of days in the cruise), as well as calling a Royal Caribbean representative to ask directly. We were told there is no waiting period for the package.

In addition, there is no special mention of drink package restrictions for Galveston cruises as found on Carnival’s website.

Like Carnival, Royal Caribbean does offer a limited alcoholic drink menu while in Texas . Below is an image of the menu while the ship is in Texas waters.

While the menu still offers plenty of variety — including several beers and many mixed drinks — everything the ship serves while at sea isn’t available while in Texas waters.

Understanding the “Why” Behind These Restrictions

So why do the cruise lines have policies about selling drink packages on the second day and having limited menus?

To find out, we contacted the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). While the TABC couldn’t comment on specific cruise line policies, they did shed light on rules surrounding drink packages and limited menus.

Drink Packages According to a spokesman for the TABC:

“State law and TABC rules prohibit any practice which could reasonably be interpreted to allow or encourage overconsumption of alcohol. This includes “all you can drink” packages or other promotions which allow unlimited alcohol for a buy-in price . These standards would apply to any alcoholic beverages served or sold within Texas territory, including any waters over which Texas claims jurisdiction. Once a vessel is outside of Texas territory, the state’s laws no longer apply.”

This appears to be the reason that Carnival waits to sell their drink package until the morning after sailaway from Galveston.

But what about Royal Caribbean? Frankly, we’re not sure. It seems that offering the drink package while the ship is still in Texas waters wouldn’t be allowed given Texas laws. However, there may be special circumstances that allow the cruise line to comply with the law for its specific situation.

An email to the cruise line asking for more information about their policies was not answered.

Limited Menus We also asked the TABC about limited menus and why they might be offered. According to the agency:

“Like any business which holds a Texas permit to sell alcohol, any alcohol sold by the cruise lines while in Texas must comply with the state’s alcohol laws. Sec. 28.07 of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code requires that any holder of a Mixed Beverage Permit (the permit most commonly used by the cruise lines) must obtain their alcohol inventory from the holder of a Local Distributor’s Permit . Again, once the vessel is in international waters, these requirements no longer apply.”

In other words, if the cruise line didn’t get their beverages from a local distributor, then it’s our understanding that they can’t sell them in Texas.

Should they obtain alcohol from an outside source (for instance, because it is less expensive — or duty free — from another source) then our interpretation is that it would be illegal to serve this while in Texas waters. However, once in international waters the cruise line would be free to serve the “out-of-state” alcohol.

This seems to be reason for the limited menu. In fact, Royal Caribbean mentions “We will only be serving Texas liquor at these bars until out of Texas waters” in their Cruise Compass information guide on embarkation day.

Remember: Restrictions Are Only Temporary

While we’ve spent a lot of time covering the ins and outs of drink packages and limited menus when sailing from Galveston, it’s actually quite simple. Both cruise lines have limited drink menus until out of Texas waters. Carnival makes passengers wait until the morning after sailaway to use a drink package. Royal Caribbean allows the use of drink packages right from the start.

Just don’t be surprised if you can’t get your favorite drink the moment you step on board. You might have to wait a couple of hours.

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How does this apply to non alcohol drinks

It doesn’t at all.

What do you know about NCL drink package? I haven’t been able to find out anything when searching. Debarkation would be Texas. Thank you for any help.

Good morning. If I understand correctly, you can purchase alcoholic beverages directly on day one, but you cannot use the beverage package to purchase alcoholic beverages on day one. With total respect, can someone please explain this?

My understanding is that TABC (Texas authority on alcohol) does not allow “all you can drink” packages in the state. So Carnival waits until day 2.

it seems that you can’t sell in “Packages” in Texas waters. Royal can pre sell the packages which means its purchased before you even arrive on board. You just can’t “BUY” the packages the day of.

So you’re charged for the two days you can’t use it

No. The first day on the ship you can’t use it, and you aren’t charged. You also aren’t charged the day of debarkation.

Gotta get a clarified answer as to why you can use Royal Caribbean’s drink package, but not Carnival’s. Do any other cruise lines port in Texas ever?

We’re not sure why. From our understanding, neither should be able to offer a drink package until they are out of Texas waters. Disney also sails from Texas on a seasonal basis.

We contacted Carnival about the Texas Law and was OK with it, however they would be charging us for 5 days, which we paid for in advance, not 4 days, which is what we will actually get. About a $250 ripoff for 5 people booked on our cruise.

Mike, you might want to call back. Given how specific the law is, it’s common for confusion. Here’s the policy on their website ( https://www.carnival.com/help/2633 ):

Due to state laws, we cannot sell CHEERS! until the second day of the cruise (starting at 6:00am) for voyages departing from our Texas and New York home ports. Drinks purchased on the first day of the cruise will be charged to the guest’s Sail & Sign® card in the usual manner. When purchased on the second day of the cruise, guests are charged for the remaining days only (cruise duration less one day)

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