Provided by Visit Galveston
An additional cruise ship will now anchor at the entrance of the Galveston Bay after the Port of Galveston debuted its newest and fourth cruise terminal on Nov. 7.
The port broke ground on its new cruise terminal back in 2024 after MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings signed long-term contracts with the Galveston Wharves, ultimately funding the $156 million project, according to a Nov. 7 news release from Galveston Wharves. The MSC Seascape was the first ship to take off from the new terminal.
The cruise complex features a 165,000 square foot terminal, a 55 million dollar parking garage and two boarding bridges.
Julianna Washburn/HPM
“We want to give a warm Texas welcome to MSC Cruises as the world’s third-largest cruise line enters the Galveston market. Having MSC and Norwegian Cruise Line homeporting in Galveston says a great deal about our position in the U.S. and global cruise markets,” Wharves Board Chairman Vic Pierson said during the welcome ceremony for MSC Seascape, according to the release.
Caitlin Carnes with Visit Galveston said she hopes the new cruise line can help bring more tourism to the island.
“Being able to add more diversity to our cruise offerings, I think, is going to allow us to reach more people and get them to fall in love with Galveston as a destination and not just a port,” Carnes said.
With the added terminal, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO Roger Rees said he expects the port to reach 445 sailings with almost 2 million passengers in 2026.
Norwegian Viva will sail seasonally from the terminal starting on Dec. 13, with 7- and 14-day itineraries to the Caribbean through April 2026. It will return for sailings from Oct. 2026 to April 2027, according to the release.
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