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On February 7, 2024, Galveston Wharves and MSC finalized the operating agreement for the new terminal complex. Starting in November 2025, in Galveston MSC inaugurates homeporting operations with the ship MSC Seascape. The construction works on "Terminal 3" were planned to start in April 2020, with scheduled completion in November 2021. However, due to the COVID crisis, in early-March RCG requested a 1-year extension for the construction's start (rescheduled for April 1, 2021). The initial plans included in 2021 here to be homeported Allure OTS (starting November 10th), but the ship's homeporting was rescheduled for Nov 2022.
CCL christens its newest cruise ship Carnival Jubilee at Port Galveston Texas
That said, Carnival Breeze still has a huge amount to offer for all sorts of travelers, from couples to families with kids. The ship was, notably, the first Carnival ship to feature a 4D "thrill theater" and one of the first Carnival ships with a ropes course, both attractions that appeal heavily to teens and tweens. One of three ships in the line's Dream class that date to the late 2000s and early 2010s, the 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze is no longer the newest or snazziest ship in the Carnival fleet.
THE 25 BEST Cruises from Galveston, TX 2024 (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE 25 BEST Cruises from Galveston, TX 2024 (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:33:34 GMT [source]
MSC Seascape ship to be homeported in Galveston Texas starting Nov 2025
Today, Port Galveston is one of the most successful Caribbean USA homeports. Port Galveston cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Galveston, Texas. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link. Regal Princess is based in Galveston on a seasonal basis from November to March. It operates some of the longest sailings from the Texas port, including 10- and 11-night trips to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Honduras, Belize and Mexico.
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The waiting hall is fitted with comfortable sofas, restrooms, vending machines. RCI Galveston Terminal was initially scheduled for completion/inauguration on September 1, 2022, but was officially opened on November 9th. The new facility is co-owned (50-50) by RCG and Ceres Terminals Inc (provider of stevedore and terminal management services, part of Ceres Terminal Holdings LLC).
Alas, Norwegian Prima only is based in Galveston seasonally for the winter, from December to March. It offers seven-night sailings to the Western Caribbean with calls in Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Harvest Caye, Belize. The upscale turn included loading Norwegian Prima with an unusually large variety of suites (13 categories in all), including what the line says is the largest three-bedroom suites of any recently unveiled cruise vessel. If it's swanky digs you're after (and you have the money to spend), you'll find plenty of options on this ship.
Day 1: Galveston
Once called the “Wall Street of the South”, this charming commercial hub, along with the neighboring East End Historic District, is home to mansions-turned-museums, the Grand 1894 Opera House, plus loads of unique shops and cozy cafés. Oasis Class flavors, thrills and beats go full-throttle on the biggest, boldest ship to ever sail from Texas — Harmony of the Seas®. And when the sun goes down, head to the AquaTheater or experience the Broadway hit Grease. Galveston Island is a gem for Texas tourism — and it’s easy to see why. Fascinating history, well-preserved 18th century architecture, gorgeous beaches and thrilling outdoor adventures.
This affected the schedules of 4 liners (Carnival Breeze, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Valor, Liberty of the Seas). The port was shut down to all shipping traffic (cargo and passenger). Freedom and Valor were relocated to New Orleans, Breeze remained docked overnight in Cozumel, Liberty OTS was diverted to Miami. In 2017 the number grew to 950,000 (economic impact USD 2,3 billion) supporting local jobs.
In 2016, it generated US$58,4M in local passenger spending, plus US$19,1M in port-provided services. According to the Port's statistical data, Texas receives from cruise ship operations ~USD 1,42 billion per year (direct spending). By annual cruise shipping traffic (~1 million embarking passengers), Port Galveston is currently ranked USA's 4th busiest cruise port - an increase of 126% since 2010, when the homeporting business started. Galveston cruise port is approx 40 mi / 70 km from Hobby Airport (~60 min drive distance) and approx 70 mi / 110 km from Houston Airport (~90 min drive distance). For fly-cruisers is recommended to use rideshare (larger group travel) services. Lyft is Galveston terminal's exclusive rideshare company (pricing per vehicle /not per person) so Uber is not an option.
Based in Galveston year-round, the 11-year-old vessel operates short four- and five-night voyages to the Western Caribbean that are often on sale for under $500 per person or less. For off-peak travel, we sometimes see five-night sailings for sale for around $300 per person — or just $60 a night. This is a third of the cost of similar five-night sailings on Disney Magic. In 2023, the cruise port recorded 362 booked berthings (354 ship calls received) and ~42% increase in passengers (~2,98 million) over 2022. When completed, the newest/4th MSC Cruise Terminal is expected to generate an additional 925 jobs, ~US$177M in revenues, ~US$21M in local purchases. In 2018, the Port's cruise shipping grew by 13%, resulting in USD 1,5 billion in direct expenditures and supported Texas jobs (with total wages USD 1,75 billion).
Unwind along Galveston’s 32 miles of sun-drenched shoreline at one of the many county beach parks lining the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston Island State Park offers quiet seclusion and Stewart Beach is a great family-friendly option, while East Beach is a popular gathering space for livelier beach crowds. From North or West - take Interstate 45 South, then Exit 1C, Follow the feeder road to Harborside Drive (Highway 275), then turn left onto Harborside Drive and for ~5 mi / 8 km to Kempner (22nd Street). Turn left onto Kempner (22nd Street) and follow the signs to the terminal (Pier 25 or 27). Turn right onto Harborside Drive, then continue to Kempner (22nd Street) - some 20 city blocks.
The port can handle all types of cargo - containers, dry bulk, liquid bulk, breakbulk, RO-RO (roll-on/roll-off) vessels. There is a terminal switching railroad to facilitate larger cargo movements by rail. Notably, the 3,600-passenger Regal Princess lacks nearly all the gee-whiz attractions for families found on the other ships that sail out of Galveston. You won't find big waterslides, kiddie splash zones, zip lines or go-kart tracks on this ship.
Like all Disney ships, Disney Magic boasts many cabins with split bathrooms — a boon for families. That's not something you'll find on any of the other Galveston-based cruise vessels. It dates to 1998 and is the oldest cruise ship regularly sailing out of Galveston. But it still feels modern, thanks to major makeovers in recent years. Inside Allure of the Seas, you'll find all sorts of family attractions, including counselor-staffed play areas for kids, a teen club and an indoor ice skating rink. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival offer roundtrip shuttle bus services (between Galveston and both airports in Houston) with prices per person / similar to Lyft's.
Independent shuttle services are provided by companies like Galveston Express, Galveston Limousine, Island Breeze Shuttle. In August 2021, Galveston Wharves signed an MoU with Stabilis Solutions to build and supply LNG bunkering/shore-to-ship fueling facilities in 2021. The deal was signed by Rodger Rees (Galveston Port's Director and CEO) and Jim Reddinger (Stabilis' President and CEO). Galveston is the second (after Corpus Christi) LNG bunkering port served by Stabilis (2013-founded, Houston Texas-based turnkey LNG company, part of LNG Investment Company LLC). The shortest sailings that the 10-year-old Princess Cruises ship operates out of Galveston are seven nights in length. For the most part, the top decks of Regal Princess only offer pools, whirlpools and sunning areas, as is typical for Princess ships.
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