As a rapidly growing cruise homeport, the Port of Galveston has welcomed more than one million cruise passengers in 2022. The lucky 1,000,000th guest set sail on December 22, 2022, aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Adventure of the Seas for a 4-night holiday itinerary.
1,000,000 Guests Through Port of Galveston
Dallas resident Kathy Wade and her family were honored as the city’s one millionth cruise guests by the Port of Galveston, with a collection of gifts and a short ceremony to mark the occasion.
“This is our sixth cruise this year,” Wade said. “We love to cruise and we love Royal! We’ve been on the Adventure of the Seas several times.” Balloons and fanfare greeted the family, with fun gifts for everyone to enjoy. Various port officials were on hand with their congratulations.
“We’re very happy for the Wade family. We’re also happy to mark this milestone for the port and our cruise partners,” said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO.
“It shows that cruising from Galveston is back and moving full steam ahead! This is great news for avid cruise travelers like the Wades, for all the local people who work in cruise-related jobs and for the entities that benefit economically.”
Rees also acknowledged how efficient and committed to safety the port’s staff, security, longshoremen, and other employees have been to welcome one million passengers to the bustling port, which is now the fourth busiest cruise port in the United States, and the ninth busiest in the world.
Cruising From Galveston
At the moment, the Voyager-class Adventure of the Seas is offering 4-5-night Western Caribbean sailings, and is just one of several cruise ships homeporting from the eastern Texas cruise port. Another Royal Caribbean ship, the Oasis-class Allure of the Seas, is the largest cruise ship homeported in Galveston, and is offering primarily 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries.
Royal Caribbean International opened a $125 million cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston in early November, specifically designed to accommodate that cruise line’s mega-ships. Furthermore, MSC Cruises is also working on an agreement for another cruise terminal at the port to service their vessels.
Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic and three ships from Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Vista, Carnival Dream, and Carnival Breeze, are also homeported in Texas.
Together, the ships offer a wide range of cruise lengths and popular port destinations to Texas travelers, or anyone flying to the Lone Star State for the ultimate oceangoing getaway.
In 2023, the Port of Galveston is scheduled for 362 homeport sailings, a new record in the port’s history since it first welcomed guests in 2000. The very first cruise ship to welcome guests in Galveston was Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration – the original Holiday-class vessel that served the cruise line from 1987-2008.
More than 30 million people live within a 300-mile (483-kilometer) radius of Galveston (roughly a 5-hour drive), making it a popular drive-in homeport for many. Furthermore, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston is just 70 miles (113 kilometers) from the cruise port, making it convenient for fly-in travelers as well.
