Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Thomas.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Nearly 20 years ago, what started as a leap of faith grew into something far bigger than I ever imagined. After moving to Texas to help with hurricane relief, I saw an unexpected opportunity in the cruise parking industry and decided to take a chance.
I started small, operating out of a gas station far from the cruise terminals with just one shuttle and a determination to make it work. There was no big operation, no fleet of vehicles, and no guarantee of success. It was simply an opportunity I believed in and was willing to work for.
Over the years, through countless long days, challenges, changes, and a lot of perseverance, I continued to build the business one customer at a time. Nearly two decades later, what began as one shuttle and an idea has grown into an established cruise parking operation serving thousands of travelers.
This journey wasn’t built overnight. It was built through years of hard work, taking chances, learning along the way, and never being afraid to adapt. What started almost on a whim became my business, my livelihood, and something I’m incredibly proud to have built from the ground up
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The journey definitely hasn’t always been smooth. There have been plenty of struggles along the way, especially when it came to figuring out what worked best and how to make everything flow as smoothly as possible.
As the company grew, the challenges changed with it. What worked when I had one shuttle didn’t necessarily work as we expanded, so I’ve constantly had to learn, adjust, and find better ways of doing things. Some things worked, some didn’t, and many lessons were learned through trial and error.
Even today, as the company continues to grow, there are always new challenges to overcome. I think that’s simply part of owning and growing a business. You never reach a point where everything is perfect. You continue learning, adapting, solving problems, and finding ways to make things better for your customers and your team.
Looking back, many of those struggles are what helped shape the company into what it is today.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What I’m most proud of about our business is that we’ve never wanted to be just a place where someone leaves their car while they’re on a cruise. We want to be part of their vacation experience from the moment they pull onto our lot.
We specialize in cruise parking and complimentary shuttle transportation to and from the Port of Galveston. Over nearly 20 years, we’ve learned that getting thousands of people, vehicles, luggage, and families where they need to go takes much more than simply providing a parking space. We’ve worked hard to develop a system that keeps things moving while still giving our customers personal service.
I believe what really sets us apart is that we’re a locally built, family-run business. We’re hands-on and involved in the day-to-day operation, and we genuinely care about the people who choose to park with us. Our team helps with luggage, answers questions, assists families, and does everything we can to make the beginning and end of their vacation as easy as possible.
I’m especially proud of the reputation and relationships we’ve built with our customers. We have people who return to us cruise after cruise, recommend us to their friends and family, and recognize our staff when they come back. To me, that kind of loyalty means more than simply growing the number of cars we park.
Our saying is, “Your Vacation Begins With Us,” and that’s something I truly believe. For many of our customers, we’re one of the first faces they see when their vacation begins and one of the last when they return home. We want them to feel welcomed, taken care of, and excited about their trip from the very beginning.
We’ve grown tremendously from where we started, but I never want us to lose the personal service that helped build the company in the first place. I’m proud of how far we’ve come, but I’m even more proud that after nearly two decades, we’re still growing, learning, and looking for ways to give our customers an even better experience
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up in a small town in North Carolina with my three sisters. Life was pretty simple in a lot of ways. Some of my favorite memories are spending time with my granny, helping her in the garden and just enjoying the kind of things that come with growing up in a small town.
My childhood wasn’t always easy, but I think some of those experiences helped shape me into the person I am today. They taught me independence, resilience, and how to keep moving forward even when things don’t go exactly as planned.
We also traveled quite a bit growing up, which gave me the opportunity to see places and experience things outside of the small town I called home. I think that helped give me the adventurous side I’ve carried with me throughout my life.
I’ve always been someone who isn’t afraid to figure things out as I go. Looking back, I can see pieces of the person I was growing up in the person I became, someone who values family, isn’t afraid of hard work, and is always willing to take a chance on something new.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://DiscountCruiseParking.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CG6TKeArb/?mibextid=wwXIfr
