Trip Report – Harmony of the Seas 2025

Prime Renewal Cruise

We’re kicking off our next adventure: a Royal Caribbean Casino Prime renewal cruise out of Galveston. Our goal this sailing is simple — hit the points we need for Prime status and document the entire experience for you.

Trip Cost & Value

One of the reasons we love cruising smart is because of the incredible savings we unlock. This trip is no exception:

Category	Details	Cost
🛏 Stateroom	Upgraded from Oceanview offer to Larger Balcony	+$30
⚓️ Port Charges & Taxes	Standard fees	$292.44
🍽 Extras	Tips, parking, Ultimate Dining Package, pre-cruise hotel	$839.28
💵 Total Out-of-Pocket Cost		$1,131.72

💰 Market Value (Retail Price)
🤑 Our Savings

$5,737.44
≈ 80% off retail! 🎉

Perks Included:
• $100 Onboard Credit ( NextCruise Certificate )
• Missed: Shareholder Credit (lesson learned for next time!)

👉 We track every comped cruise – including its market value and out-of-pocket costs – to see exactly how far Casino Prime perks stretch. This one came in at a fraction of retail value, proof that strategic play really does pay off. .

Getting to Galveston

We’ll be making the 8-hour drive from home to Galveston. For me, The Navigator, that’s not so bad — I just set the GPS and take a nap. Let’s hope The Pilot doesn’t do the same!

Since it’s Pirate Weekend in Galveston, we expect traffic to be heavier than usual. If you’ve never been, Pirate Weekend is a quirky annual festival with themed parades, costume contests, and plenty of pirate-inspired fun across the Seawall and Strand District. It definitely adds character to the pre-cruise atmosphere. If this sounds fun to you – you can check out the official event site here.

We always arrive one day before embarkation. That’s a hard-learned lesson from our honeymoon cruise — back when airlines and cruise lines would hold the ship if you were delayed. (Spoiler: they don’t do that anymore. Another post is coming on that wild experience.)

This time, we’ll stay just down the road from the port for an easy boarding day.

Pre-Cruise Hotel

For our one-night pre-cruise stay, we booked the IHG Holiday Inn Express & Suites Galveston West – Seawall. When it comes to quick overnights, we really like Holiday Inn Express properties. In our experience they’re clean, updated, and perfect for a comfortable night’s sleep before boarding a ship.

Normally, I don’t even think twice about the cost of hotels because, honestly, I can’t remember the last time I actually paid cash for one. Thanks to loyalty programs and free night awards, most of our hotel stays are covered.

This time, though, I slipped up. When I booked the room, I didn’t yet have an IHG free night certificate. By the time the award actually hit my account, I didn’t realize it until it was too late to cancel the paid reservation — the cutoff had passed the day before!

💸 That oversight cost us $170 for the night — a reminder that being organized is the key to maximizing travel savings. Whether it’s free night awards, cruise comps, or airline miles, keeping track of your perks really matters. One missed deadline, and the value you worked so hard to earn can slip away.

Lesson learned: keep an eye on when your loyalty rewards post. One missed timing window can turn a “free” stay into an unnecessary expense.

Why Galveston Is Becoming Our Favorite Port

This will be our 5th cruise from Galveston, and it’s quickly becoming our favorite U.S. port. Why?

🔹Easy drive-to location.
🔹Simple parking and boarding process.
🔹Less hectic than New Orleans or Miami.

Overall, Galveston cruises feel more relaxed, making it our go-to departure point.

Our Casino Prime Strategy

The real reason for this sailing: renewing our Prime status. Our strategy is to stick with low-velocity slots and manage our bankroll carefully. You can check out more about our gambling strategy here.

Casino budget: $1,500
Target: 2,500 points (enough to hit Prime renewal)
Starting balance: 1,516 points from our last cruise on Mariner of the Seas (May 2025) → Read that trip report here – Coming Soon

We’re prepared to spend a little more if necessary, but once we hit Prime, we’re done. The free annual cruise, drink perks, and priority benefits make this effort completely worth it. I’m feeling pretty confident we’ll be able to hit our goal within our budget.

Pre-Trip To-Do

Of course, no big trip would be complete without Murphy’s Law showing up. This week it’s a slow leak in my tire, so The Pilot is taking Friday off for some pre-trip car maintenance. With that fixed, bags packed, and road snacks ready, we’ll be Galveston-bound!