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:
- Stateroom: Balcony (i think the original offer was an Oceanview and we upgraded to a Larger Balcony for like $30 total)
- Port Charges: $292.44
- Extras: $839.28 – this includes tips, parking, our splurge for the Ultimate Dining Package and our pre-cruise hotel (☹️).
- Total Trip Cost: $1,131.72
- Market Value: $5,737.44
- Savings: Nearly 80% off retail price 🎉
Perks Included: $100 OBC from using a NextCruise Certificate (I forgot to apply for our Shareholder credit – lesson learned!).
👉 We keep a detailed log of every comped cruise and what the market value would have been, which helps show just how powerful Casino Prime can be.
🚗 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 their website.
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 4th or 5th sailing out of Galveston, and it’s quickly rising to the top of our list. It’s close enough to drive, has a manageable layout, and is far less stressful than ports like New Orleans. Boarding feels smoother, parking is simpler, and the whole experience is more relaxed.
🎰 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!
✨ What’s Next
That’s our overview! Up next: Day 1 – Embarkation & First Impressions.
Follow along as we share daily trip reports, photos, casino progress, and finally, a full wrap-up where we’ll compare our budget vs actual spending.
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