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    all aboard

    Carnival Cruise Line resumes service from Galveston this summer

    Steven Devadanam
    May 4, 2020 | 3:20 pm
    Carnival Cruise Line Vista
    Carnival Cruise Line will resume service from Galveston on August 1.
    Photo by Danny Lehman/Carnival Cruise Line

    As Texas slowly and partially opens for business — and its tourism industry welcomes guests with enticing deals — Galveston has seen throngs of visitors packing the beach and the Seawall. Now, with news of the return of a global travel giant, the port may see a whole new horde.

    Carnival Cruise Line announced on Monday, May 4, that it will resume services from Galveston beginning August 1. Galveston is just one of three ports nationwide resuming service, including Miami and Port Canaveral in Florida.

    Carnival Dream, Freedom, and Vista will offer cruises starting on August 1, according to the Port of Galveston's cruise calendar.

    “We are focusing on three homeports where we have frequent service and which are easily accessible by car for many of our guests,” a spokesperson for Carnival tells CultureMap. “This will allow us to not only phase-in service, but to also focus our resources in properly rolling out the enhanced operational protocols that we are building.”

    Meanwhile, the carrier announced that all North American cruises from June 27 to July 31 will be canceled. All other North American and Australian homeport cruises will be canceled through August 31.

    Just how big is demand for cruise travel during the COVID-19 pandemic from Galveston? Carnival Cruise Line representatives did not immediately respond to CultureMap's request for comment.

    According to Carnival, impacted guests and their travel advisors are being notified by email, including options for a combined future cruise credit (FCC) and onboard credit (OBC) package, or a full refund. Booked guests can make their selection online, alleviating the need to contact Carnival's customer service center, which is still operating in a work-from-home status due to locally imposed office closures in South Florida.

    Carnival also announced that it will “use this additional time to continue to engage experts, government officials and stakeholders on additional protocols and procedures to protect the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we serve.”

    The Port of Galveston was set adrift by COVID-19, seeing dozens of missed ship calls. As the Galveston County Daily News reported, the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees recently voted to adjust the port's revenue projections under the assumption that no cruises would return this year. The port adjusted its projected net income down by $14 million because of the cancellations, revenue losses and even lost cruise passenger parking.

    city-news-roundupvacation
    news/travel

    coming to fredericksburg

    Star Houston chef signs on to luxurious Hill Country hotel

    Eric Sandler
    Oct 22, 2026 | 3:00 pm
    Aaron Bludorn headshot
    Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group
    Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

    Houston chef Aaron Bludorn is coming to the Hill Country. The chef’s Bludorn Hospitality Group will open a restaurant and lead the culinary program at The Kimpton Fredericksburg, a luxury hotel that’s expected to open in late 2027.

    The still-unnamed restaurant will be a fresh concept from the company that’s behind five Houston restaurants — its flagship fine dining concept Bludorn, seafood restaurant Navy Blue, French-inspired Perseid at the Hotel Saint Augustine, and two locations of Bar Bludorn, including its recently-opened location in The Woodlands. Later this year, Bludorn, his wife Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and their business partner Cherif Mbodji, will open a new restaurant in San Antonio.

    “We really loved the idea of being out in Fredericksburg. With us opening in San Antonio, we’ll already have a team out there,” Bludorn tells CultureMap. “We’re a growing Texas hospitality group. We see it as a great opportunity to grow our brand with Texans in really cool spaces.”

    Bludorn adds that the restaurant will be a new concept from the company. Details, including its name and menu, will be released closer to the opening.

    “We were drawn to Aaron’s ability to create a dining experience that feels both approachable and elevated, where exceptional food and thoughtful service come together in a way that makes every guest feel welcome,” said Blake Berg, senior vice president of development & construction for hotel owner DC Partners. “We recognize that experiential dining is an important part of what makes a destination successful, particularly in a market as distinctive as Fredericksburg. Our vision is to build on the area’s existing culinary character while introducing a new level of creativity, quality and hospitality. Aaron understands that balance. His philosophy aligns with our intentional approach to The Meuse, where every element is designed to complement the community, create a lasting impression and give people a reason to return.”

    First announced in 2025, the Kimpton Fredericksburg is a 210-room luxury hotel. In addition to the Bludorn restaurant, it will offer a 10,000-square-foot outdoor pool and deck, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and more than 18,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

    The hotel will anchor The Meuse, a 22-acre mixed-use development with more than 70,000 square feet of retail space. Previously announced tenants include Houston-based Padre’s Wine Company, Texas bootmaker Lucchese, westernwear label Double D Ranch, gourmet food company Fischer & Wieser, and Jackson Ballard Gallery.

    Aaron Bludorn headshot

    Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group

    Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

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