We now have a new web page at www.galvestonpinktaxi.com. Some of the information is the same that you will find here on Blogger, but there are some new features.
The main feature is an Event Calendar where we attempt to keep up with the many great activities going on here in Galveston.
Stop by and see our new site GalvestonPinkTaxi, and let us know what you think of our features and layout.
October in Galveston is the beginning of a festive Winter Season. The air begins to feel cool and crisp, and, as usual, we have a great line up of events.
Fun events, Charity events, and Theater at The Grand 1894 Opera House -
October 1st begins with the Hotel Galvez Ghost Tour Dinner. Next up is the 21st Annual Fall Car Show by the Mustang Club of Houston at the Lone Star Flight Museum, and the Miss Galveston Pageant. Mid-month events include Artwalk, D'Feet Breast Cancer "Family Celebration of Life" and ArtOberFest, and The Witches Ball. End the month of October with The First Luthern Church Oktoberfest!!! and Oni-Con. See more
Every Sunday at the Port of Galveston we have two Cruise Ships demanding the attention of transportation providers: The Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas and the Carnival Magic. The Navigator of the Seas has a total capacity of 5020, guest and crew members, and the Carnival Magic has a total capacity of 5057, guest and crew members.
Both of these ships arrive on Sunday morning around 7:00 AM, and began debarking passengers around 8:00 AM. From 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM is our busiest time period as passengers are departing, passengers are arriving, crew members from both ships are taking advantage of a few hours off time, and local Galveston residents are going about routine business. Both ships disembark a combined 7000 + passengers, take care of reloading supplies and cleaning, check-in a combined 7000+ arriving passengers, and pull away from the docks around 4:30 PM on the same day. This is an incredibly fast, and hectic operation.
The Taxis start the morning lined up at the Taxi Stands waiting for passengers
The Cruise ships attempt to alleviate congestion by staggering passenger arrival times. However, the reality is passengers are departing and arriving at the same time, and there is considerable traffic congestion at the Cruise Terminal. The Taxis start the morning lined up at the Taxi Stands waiting for departing passengers. As we begin dropping off the departing passengers to their destinations, we begin picking up Cruise passengers heading to the Cruise Terminal, as well as Galveston residents who are going about their own routine and need transportation. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes for a taxi to pick up passengers, travel to the Cruise Terminal, unload, and depart the Terminal. On average, each taxi can make two trips to the Terminal an hour.
This past Sunday during the 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM time, I noticed there were over 30 calls holding on our computer dispatch board. For hotel guests, this time period may coincide with the hotels' check out policies, and they are left to wait for transportation in the hotel lobby. This is understandably frustrating for vacationers who are ready to get on to the next step of their trip, and find themselves facing an unexpected delay. During this most hectic time period, it is my experience to pick up passengers who have been waiting for one hour since their original call to Yellow Cab dispatch. I know this can seem like an incredibly long wait.
You will get to the Cruise terminal well before departure time
There is no simple, perfect solution for the Sunday rush. Not every Sunday is as hectic as this past Sunday, which makes planning difficult. I ask for your patience, and assure you that you will get to the Cruise Terminal well before departure time.
TIPS ON CRUISE DAY
When you do call for your taxi, be sure you are ready to go whenever your driver arrives. One might think, "Well, we'll just call an hour ahead" to plan for the wait time. There is no guarantee this plan will work out, as your Taxi could arrive within a few minutes. There is probably a Murphy's Law for this.
Be sure the Taxi company has your contact phone number. Be prepared to answer a call from an unfamiliar number, probably with a 409 or 832 area code. Speaking for the Pink Taxis, John and I call our customers directly as soon as we receive your dispatched call. We inform our customers that their call has been received, let them know we are dedicated to that call, and give an estimated time of arrival. Our phone number is 832-409-7960.
Use the Yellow Cab Hail-a-Cab app. You are not required to enter any credit card information to use the app. If you do enter credit card information, you are NEVER charged a cancellation fee, and your card is not charged without your signature authorization.
The Dispatch call takers are very busy, and it may be difficult to get through on the Dispatch phone number.
With the app, you can order your taxi.
Once a taxi has accepted your trip, you can track your taxi via GPS.
If you do get other transportation, you can easily cancel your trip via the app.
If you came to Galveston in a personal vehicle - Many passenger parties will take their check in luggage to the Cruise Terminal in their personal vehicle. By doing this, you can take some time to relax, have breakfast, see a little bit of our Historic Downtown Strand area, then park at your hotel and call your taxi. Some drop off luggage and other members of their party so they will already be in the Check-in line while the driver parks at the hotel and returns to the Cruise Terminal via Taxi.
Relax, be sure all of your boarding documents are handy, and ENJOY THE TRAVEL
