Port of Galveston to Get New $100 Million Cruise Terminal

If you cruise out of Galveston, Texas, then you may be happy to know that the Port of Galveston will be growing by one cruise terminal complex.

The Galveston Wharves and MSC Cruises have reached an operating agreement to open and build a fourth terminal complex.

MSC Seascape will make this new terminal its homeport beginning in November 2025. The terminal is going to cost a pretty penny.

“The port will develop the $100 million cruise terminal, $42 million parking garage, internal roadway, and other improvements at Pier 16 beginning in early 2024. The estimated $142 million project will be funded with port cash reserves and revenue bonds. The port will convert an existing cargo warehouse into the 165,000-square-foot cruise terminal,” the port said in a news release.

MSC will have a set cruise schedule beginning in late 2025 when the terminal opens. The port can also negotiate with other cruise lines to use the terminal based on availability.

“We’re excited about this mutually beneficial public-private partnership. Adding MSC to our family of cruise lines offers our cruise guests an elegant, European-style family cruise experience. It also elevates our status as a top U.S. cruise home port and moves us up to the eighth largest cruise port in the global market, while paving the way for MSC to reach millions of cruise passengers in the Central U.S,” said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO.

MSC Cruises is the world's third-largest cruise line and they've focused much of their growth on the North American market.  Galveston will mark the cruise line's fourth home port in the region once this terminal project is complete.

About the MSC Seascape

MSC Seascape launched in 2022 and is the latest in MSC Cruises' Seaside class of ships, which were designed specifically for cruising the Caribbean and feature enlarged and enhanced outdoor spaces. it can hold up to 5,632 passengers and 1,648 crew members.

The Port of Galveston

The Port of Galveston is the fourth most popular cruise home part in the United States. It saw just under 1.5 million cruise passengers in 2023. That's a 43% increase over 2022.

The following cruise lines currently offer departures from the Port of Galveston:

• Carnival Cruise Lines
• Royal Caribbean International
• Disney Cruise Line
• Princess Cruise Line
• Norweigan Cruise Lines
• MSC Cruises