Galveston, Texas is gearing up for a big boost in its cruise business with a $100 million fourth terminal arriving in 2025, according to Houston Chronicle. The new cruise terminal, set to occupy the space left vacant by Del Monte Fresh Produce Co., is the latest feather in the cap for Galveston Wharves, which has recently seen a spike in cruise traffic.
The project, a partnership between Galveston Wharves and MSC Cruises, had been in the talks since at least 2022 and will feature a 165,000-square-foot terminal accompanied by a $42 million parking garage and internal roadway improvements. "We’re excited about this mutually beneficial public-private partnership," Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO, expressed in a statement covered by the Houston Chronicle. "Adding MSC to our family of cruise lines offer our cruise guests an elegant, European-style family cruise experience," he added, highlighting the importance of the deal in elevating the port's global market status.
Not only does the agreement between Galveston and MSC Cruises stretch over 20 years, with an option to extend for four additional five-year periods, but it also promises to bring a new kind of European flair to the Texas coastline. As BizJournals reports, the deal was signed this week, setting the sails for the terminal to be ready for the MSC Seascape to homeport there in 2025.
MSC Cruises plans to embark from the new terminal with seven-day voyages starting November 2025. Prices for these excursions to alluring destinations such as Costa Maya, Mexico, and Cozumel will start at $439, with tickets already on sale. As stated by Rubén A. Rodríguez, MSC Cruises USA President, in an announcement quoted by Houston Chronicle, "A great cruise starts with a top-notch terminal, and we’re excited to partner with the Galveston Wharves to ensure our guests enjoy the experience from end to end."
According to the BizJournals, the additional capacity afforded by the new terminal is expected to catapult the Port of Galveston to the eighth-largest cruise port on the globe. Adding the new terminal is projected to create 925 local jobs and generate significant economic benefits including $21 million in onshore spending by passengers and crew, as well as $5 million in state and local taxes. These figures come on the heels of a record 1.49 million cruise passengers in 2023, a whopping 43% increase from 2022, cementing Galveston's position as a major player in the cruise industry.
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