When it comes to cruising, there aren’t many sites that do a better job of giving you the low-down — without the fluff — than RyG’s Cruise Guide. Started in 2013, the site is a treasure trove of down-to-earth information about cruising. There you can find details and advice on everything from booking your cruise to etiquette tips to what to expect on shore excursions.

And Ryan G., the man behind the site, is also well-versed in Galveston cruising. He keeps his finger on the pulse of what’s going on the island and what it means for the future of Texas cruising.

We recently asked Ryan to share some updates on what people can expect in the coming year, along with some tips for cruise passengers to make their trip more memorable. Here’s what he had to say…

You recently covered the upcoming 2016 cruise season for Texas on your website. What are some of the major things coming for the next year that people should know about?

2016 is a year that will bring many changes to Texas’ cruise industry. Galveston will see an overall passenger capacity increase when Carnival replaces the Carnival Magic with the Carnival Breeze and the Carnival Triumph with the Carnival Liberty. While ship swaps are exciting, Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas will return to Galveston from dry-dock in February 2016 refreshed and with some new amenities. In 2016, Galveston will continue to enjoy year round Carnival Freedom cruises and seasonal Disney Wonder cruises.

However, the Houston cruise industry will have some woeful changes coming this year. After the Caribbean Princess and Norwegian Jade finish their Spring 2016 Houston deployments they are not scheduled to return to Houston again in 2016. Princess and Norwegian cruisers should enjoy these options while they can because no return date to Houston has been publicly announced at this time.

We understand that you sail most often on Carnival. What is it about the cruise line that you like so much?

I really enjoy sailing on Carnival because of the food and service. In my experience, the food served in the main dining room, as well as the buffet, has always been hot and fresh. Carnival’s crew members are friendly and will often go above & beyond to make a guest’s cruise enjoyable. Carnival has always provided me a fun vacation that is filled with many different things to see, do, and eat.

What’s your favorite memory from cruising?

A few years ago, my family as well as our extended family took an Alaska cruise on the Carnival Miracle to celebrate my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Seeing Alaska and celebrating this occasion made this a cruise I will always remember.

Do you have any tips or tricks (or “must-do” items) for someone sailing on the cruise line that they might not know about?

I have a few simple “must do” items to share for this question.

1) Read the ship’s daily newsletter (on Carnival this is the “Fun-Times”). This is where you can get information about dining & entertainment that will occur during the day.

2) Exercise a little each day during the cruise. I enjoy walking a few rounds on the jogging track while the sun is setting. I usually take pictures of the sunset during this time.

3) Try something new! You may find that you like something that you previously never experienced.

What about something that a cruise passenger should avoid?

Cruise passengers should avoid overspending or impulse buying while onboard the ship and in ports of call. All cruisers should feel free to splurge a little, but at the end of the cruise there will be a bill that must be paid and dealing with a large post-vacation bill is usually not fun for anyone.

If someone was a new visitor to your site, where would you direct them first?

I would direct a new visitor to my Cruise Tips page. This page contains links to my articles over various cruise topics.

We want to thank Ryan for his insight. You can visit his site at EmbarkAndAway.com.