How the Port of Galveston Plans to Use More Than $...

Galveston Wharves, the fast-growing cruise port on the Texas Gulf Coast, has been awarded greater than $8 million in grants that can assist it transfer ahead with formidable improvement plans for the long run.

The six grants, from state and federal funding sources, complete $8.178 million and can be invested in a collection of pedestrian and visitors security initiatives. Lots of them are outlined within the port’s present 20-year Strategic Master Plan.

As a cruise port, Galveston has grown by leaps and bounds in recent times. Main cruise traces, together with MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises, base ships there both year-round or on a seasonal foundation.

Galveston Wharves is ideally positioned as a departure port for Western Caribbean voyages.

In 2026, the port is forecasting 2 million passengers, or 4 million passenger transits (embarkations and debarkations), will go by means of the ability on virtually 450 sailings. Galveston is presently North America’s fourth-busiest port when it comes to cruise arrivals, behind the three Florida ports — Port Canaveral, PortMiami, and Port Everglades.

“Persevering with to enhance mobility is a high precedence for the Galveston Wharves,” stated Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO. 

“We’re utilizing funding from these six grants to plan and implement enhancements to make it safer and simpler for individuals to maneuver across the port and to entry the waterfront,” added Rees.

With two-thirds of its passenger arrivals driving to the port, visitors movement, pedestrian issues of safety, and adequate parking are high of thoughts within the strategic plan. Cruise company driving to and from the port use Harborside Drive, an overcrowded roadway that connects to Interstate 45, the one essential freeway to and from the port.

Two of the most important grants come from state and native sources and can be managed by the Texas Division of Transportation. One, for $2.83 million, will finance a set of visitors controls, lighting and signage, and accessibility ramps at a number of intersections alongside Harborside Drive.

The opposite, for $3 million, can be used to fund feasibility research to find out whether or not a flyover, or bridge, from Interstate 45 instantly into Galveston Wharves would cut back congestion.

Smaller grants, together with one for $408,000, can be spent on evaluating the set up of bicycle lanes and sidewalks, and different intersection upgrades contained in the port and on close by entry roads.

Which Cruise Traces Sail From Galveston Wharves?

Together with its longterm strategic targets, Galveston Wharves has made substantial upgrades to its cruise terminals, typically in partnership with cruise traces. 

It spent, for example, $53 million to renovate Carnival Cruise Line’s Cruise Terminal 25 in order that it may accommodate Carnival Jubilee’s 5,228 company when that ship entered service and commenced homeporting in Galveston in 2023.

Extra just lately, the $156 million Cruise Terminal 16 was accomplished, and now accommodates MSC Cruises’ MSC Seascape, the cruise line’s first deployment to Texas. Opened in November 2025, the terminal contains a devoted lounge for MSC Yacht Membership company and a spacious check-in space.

Norwegian Cruise Line additionally makes use of Terminal 16. Royal Caribbean operates from Terminal 10, whereas a number of different traces use Terminal 28.

Ships presently crusing winter cruises to the Caribbean embrace Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Breeze, and Carnival Legend, Royal Caribbean’s Concord of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Viva, and Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic.