A cruise ship’s departure time is never set in stone, as guests booked on an upcoming Royal Caribbean ship sailing from the Port of Galveston have just learned.
In a letter to guests booked on Harmony of the Seas’ September 21, 2025 voyage to the Western Caribbean, the cruise line announced that the ship will depart a half-hour earlier than originally scheduled, at 3:30 p.m. rather than 4 p.m.
While the notice does not detail specific changes in boarding times, it recommends that guests traveling to the Galveston area by air on departure day adhere to recommended arrival times.
The closest airports to the Port of Galveston are in Houston, roughly an hour’s drive away depending on traffic.
Royal Caribbean strongly suggests that guests flying into William P. Hobby Airport arrive by 11 a.m., and those flying into George Bush Intercontinental Airport arrive even earlier — at 10 a.m.
“If you’ve pre-purchased your air independently, and you need more time to head to the terminal, please reach out to your carrier to arrange alternate accommodations,” Aurora Yera-Rodriguez, assistant vice president of guest experience at Royal Caribbean, said in her notice to guests.
Guests who booked their air travel through Royal Caribbean, as well as those who purchased transfers to the port from area hotels, will automatically receive updated arrangements from the line, as needed.
The Port of Galveston, also known as Galveston Wharves, is the fourth-busiest port in North America, welcoming 1 million-plus cruise arrivals each year, and the number keeps rising. Galveston is a major drive-to port, with an estimated two-thirds of cruise passengers arriving by car.
The change in departure time for Harmony of the Seas’ 6-night Western Caribbean cruise likely means that those planning to arrive at the port by car or public transportation will have to leave a bit earlier from their home or hotel in order to accommodate the new departure time.
Why Do Cruise Ships Leave Port Earlier Than Planned?
The cruise line offered no reason for the altered departure time, and since the cruise is still more than two months away, it cannot be tied to bad weather, which often prompts changes in departure and arrival times.
Sometimes other factors come into play. For instance, Royal Caribbean announced an earlier departure time for a Symphony of the Seas cruise in July 2024, due to a container vessel that was to arrive at Cape Liberty in New Jersey, the cruise ship’s homeport at the time. In that case, the idea was to move the cruise ship out of the cargo ship’s way.
Port congestion or the need to accommodate other cruise ships can impact departure times, too. Galveston is a busy cruise port; besides Harmony of the Seas, the port is home to Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Dream, Carnival Breeze, and Carnival Jubilee.
While no specific changes in Harmony of the Seas’ boarding times were included in the notice, the earlier departure could impact the boarding process. Typically, cruise ships begin boarding guests an hour or two after disembarkation of current guests is complete.
Cruise guests debark their ships normally by 10 a.m. at the latest, and embarkation of the new passengers can start before noon. Generally speaking, all cruise guests must be onboard their ship two hours prior to departure.
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Once the Oasis-class Harmony of the Seas gets under way, her Western Caribbean itinerary will take guests to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras. The mega-ship, which can accommodate 6,600 guests with all berths occupied, will sail from Galveston until mid-March 2026.
The ship will reposition to Barcelona for the summer 2026 season, then return to North America for a series of Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral through spring 2027.
