Galveston RCL update and Carnival information

Port ready to receive Carnival's newest, largest ship

By MATT DEGROOD The Daily News 10 hrs ago

The Port of Galveston recently completed improvements at Cruise Terminal No. 1 in anticipation of Carnival Cruise Line’s newest and largest ship arriving, the first of major changes coming to the public docks, a top port official said.

“When I think about the Vista coming in, it’s the first STAGE of the expansion of the cruise business in Galveston,” Director Rodger Rees said. “COUPLED with the Oasis-class ship coming in, it shows the market can sustain the passenger counts we need and it will allow the port to really start looking forward.”

The Carnival Vista, a 1,055-foot vessel, will move to Galveston on Sept. 23, replacing Carnival Breeze, and crews over the summer completed a project costing about $3.3 million to accommodate its arrival, Rees said.

Crews strengthened mooring devices, built a new gate for a gangway, improved the surface of the wharf and built a larger area that connects the passenger waiting area to the passenger loading bridge, officials said.

Port officials expected the improvements to cost about $4 million, but crews reduced expenses by completing much of the work in-house and brought the project in $700,000 under budget, Rees said.

The port will use some of the leftover money to paint the terminal’s waterfront exterior and add lighting to the interior, Rees said.

The Vista’s increased capacity of about 244 more passengers compared with the Carnival Breeze could result in 20,000 more passengers a year traveling to Galveston, officials said.

While the port undoubtedly benefits from the Vista’s arrival, it is only part of a LARGER cruise-related PICTURE at the port, Rees said.

“It’s ALL coming together at the right time,” Rees said.

Port officials are NEARING an agreement with Royal Caribbean to build a THIRD cruise terminal and bring the world’s largest passenger ship to the island in 2020 and a FOURTH cruise terminal could be part of a larger picture, Rees said.

Officials also are working to lure MRE cruise lines to the public docks, Rees said.

“This will finally help us get that steady stream of money coming in for us to leverage to reposition some cargo and fill slips,” said Ted O’Rourke, the chairman of the port’s governing board. “We don’t want all of our eggs in one basket with cruises, but to take that and enhance other areas.”

The CITY also is working on a $2.2 million PROJECT from 51st Street to Second Street along Harborside Drive that will improve TRAFFIC flow around the cruise terminals, Rees said.

The port depends heavily on revenue from cruise ships. Port officials anticipate about 55 percent of revenue budgeted for 2018 will be cruise-related.

Galveston’s port is the fourth-busiest U.S. cruise port. It’s a landlord port that generates much of its income from lease agreements with maritime tenants and fees related to ship calls.

Port officials can protect the public docks from depending overly much on cruise revenues through smart agreement structures, Elizabeth Beeton, a member of the Wharves Board of Trustees, said.

Port officials have estimated about $250 million is needed to update dilapidated facilities at the public docks and hope that growing the cruise business could help accomplish some of those renovations, Rees said.

Cruise Terminal No. 1 is the BIGGEST single-berth cruise terminal in the WORLD Harbormaster Brett Milutin said.

Carnival Vista, which debuted in 2017 and has been stationed in Miami, weighs about 133,500 tons and has a capacity of about 4,000 passengers.

The ship will offer two seven-day Caribbean trips, departing each Sunday. The first includes calls at Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. The other trip includes stops at Mahogany Bay, Belize and Cozumel.

Matt deGrood: 409-683-5230; matt.degrood@galvnews.com

I hope RCL lands the agreement to expand Galveston. I like the port. Dirty and smelly, but very convenient to get to. Lots of flight options (for me) into Houston.

What is MRE cruiseline? Do they mean MSC?

What is MRE cruiseline? Do they mean MSC?

More

might return to Galveston if they get a oasis ship. sailing oasis in a few months.

What is MRE cruiseline? Do they mean MSC?

Must be M)eals R)eady to E)at.

I suspect the average cruiser will be...disappointed...with MRE Cruises' food offerings. :D :halo:

Side note: I thought the over-capitalization in that press release really harmed it. :rolleyes:

Doesn't change the ridiculous flow of traffic in the area...or lack of flow prob better put. They also need to install anti-fogging devices before we will sail out of Galveston again. ;-)

Must be M)eals R)eady to E)at.

 

I suspect the average cruiser will be...disappointed...with MRE Cruises' food offerings. :D :halo:

 

 

 

Side note: I thought the over-capitalization in that press release really harmed it. :rolleyes:

Have you been to the Windjammer lately? ;p

They are working on harborside also

I hope RCL lands the agreement to expand Galveston. I like the port. Dirty and smelly, but very convenient to get to. Lots of flight options (for me) into Houston.

Very smelly for sure, and not all that convenient to get to, especially if flying in/out of......;)

Doesn't change the ridiculous flow of traffic in the area...or lack of flow prob better put. They also need to install anti-fogging devices before we will sail out of Galveston again. ;-)

Glad to see an expansion of cruises out of Galveston. It is driving distance for a lot of people and it seems they are not having any problems filling the capacity that is already there. Hopefully they can find a few new itineraries.

What is MRE cruiseline? Do they mean MSC?

MRE - Marine Renewable Energy :)

I hope RCL lands the agreement to expand Galveston. I like the port. Dirty and smelly, but very convenient to get to. Lots of flight options (for me) into Houston.

The "smell" is when north wind blows the refinery smells from Texas City -the "smell of money".

Dirty? Galveston is a working port.

You want to see dirty and smell fumes, go to Alexandria Egypt.

And,. for those who gripe about fog; most years we have none. Other years average 15 fog days.year.

One has more chances of getting flooded in Houston than being delayed by fog.

Weather happens!

Port ready to receive Carnival's newest, largest ship

By MATT DEGROOD The Daily News 10 hrs ago

 

The Port of Galveston recently completed improvements at Cruise Terminal No. 1 in anticipation of Carnival Cruise Line’s newest and largest ship arriving, the first of major changes coming to the public docks, a top port official said.

 

“When I think about the Vista coming in, it’s the first STAGE of the expansion of the cruise business in Galveston,” Director Rodger Rees said. “COUPLED with the Oasis-class ship coming in, it shows the market can sustain the passenger counts we need and it will allow the port to really start looking forward.”

 

The Carnival Vista, a 1,055-foot vessel, will move to Galveston on Sept. 23, replacing Carnival Breeze, and crews over the summer completed a project costing about $3.3 million to accommodate its arrival, Rees said.

 

Crews strengthened mooring devices, built a new gate for a gangway, improved the surface of the wharf and built a larger area that connects the passenger waiting area to the passenger loading bridge, officials said.

 

Port officials expected the improvements to cost about $4 million, but crews reduced expenses by completing much of the work in-house and brought the project in $700,000 under budget, Rees said.

 

The port will use some of the leftover money to paint the terminal’s waterfront exterior and add lighting to the interior, Rees said.

 

The Vista’s increased capacity of about 244 more passengers compared with the Carnival Breeze could result in 20,000 more passengers a year traveling to Galveston, officials said.

 

While the port undoubtedly benefits from the Vista’s arrival, it is only part of a LARGER cruise-related PICTURE at the port, Rees said.

 

“It’s ALL coming together at the right time,” Rees said.

 

Port officials are NEARING an agreement with Royal Caribbean to build a THIRD cruise terminal and bring the world’s largest passenger ship to the island in 2020 and a FOURTH cruise terminal could be part of a larger picture, Rees said.

 

Officials also are working to lure MRE cruise lines to the public docks, Rees said.

 

“This will finally help us get that steady stream of money coming in for us to leverage to reposition some cargo and fill slips,” said Ted O’Rourke, the chairman of the port’s governing board. “We don’t want all of our eggs in one basket with cruises, but to take that and enhance other areas.”

 

The CITY also is working on a $2.2 million PROJECT from 51st Street to Second Street along Harborside Drive that will improve TRAFFIC flow around the cruise terminals, Rees said.

 

The port depends heavily on revenue from cruise ships. Port officials anticipate about 55 percent of revenue budgeted for 2018 will be cruise-related.

 

Galveston’s port is the fourth-busiest U.S. cruise port. It’s a landlord port that generates much of its income from lease agreements with maritime tenants and fees related to ship calls.

 

Port officials can protect the public docks from depending overly much on cruise revenues through smart agreement structures, Elizabeth Beeton, a member of the Wharves Board of Trustees, said.

 

Port officials have estimated about $250 million is needed to update dilapidated facilities at the public docks and hope that growing the cruise business could help accomplish some of those renovations, Rees said.

 

Cruise Terminal No. 1 is the BIGGEST single-berth cruise terminal in the WORLD Harbormaster Brett Milutin said.

 

Carnival Vista, which debuted in 2017 and has been stationed in Miami, weighs about 133,500 tons and has a capacity of about 4,000 passengers.

 

The ship will offer two seven-day Caribbean trips, departing each Sunday. The first includes calls at Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. The other trip includes stops at Mahogany Bay, Belize and Cozumel.

 

Matt deGrood: 409-683-5230; matt.degrood@galvnews.com

Lee,

This is great news. Looking forward to seeing Oasis class ship coming to Galveston. Just hope RCI will go to some different ports.

Vic

Memorandum of understanding with Royal Caribbean for Terminal # 3 Galveston and for Oasis Class Ship :

Port Director Rees said "the port has a memorandum of understanding with Royal Caribbean and is working toward a contract. Royal Caribbean would build the terminal, investing about $100 million in Galveston.

The Port of Galveston will lease the cruise line 10 acres of land. It will turn unused portions of Pier 10 into surface parking, and it will provide utilities to the pier.

Rees expects construction to begin by the end of this year, if the contract is finalized as expected.

That would free up the terminal where Royal Caribbean currently operates for new cruise lines."

Very smelly for sure, and not all that convenient to get to, especially if flying in/out of......;)

No more difficult to get to than Port Canaveral (actually the drive is 4 miles less to Galveston from Hobby than from MCO to Port Canaveral)

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Very smelly for sure, and not all that convenient to get to, especially if flying in/out of......;)

Mother Nature’s Prevailing wind currents on Galveston Island most all the time are from the south/southeast from the wonderful breezes of the Gulf of Mexico , and the refineries are north of Galveston Island on the mainland towards Houston . . It is only when Mother Nature’s northerners blow in during the winter , which are not that often , that any odors occur . The north winds quickly return back to being out of prevailing south/southeast .

Doesn't change the ridiculous flow of traffic in the area...or lack of flow prob better put. They also need to install anti-fogging devices before we will sail out of Galveston again. ;-)

Something is happening and has already been done .

Present terminals #1 and #2 at Piers 25 to 27, are having new changed dedicated ingress, egress, traffic patterns westward from the present 23rd street on Harborside. Future terminal # 3 at Pier 10 will have new dedicated ingress, egress and traffic patterns.

New Port and Private parking lots are completed and more happening now , and future parking needs being addressed.

Next time one comes into Galveston, stay straight on 45 into town on Broadway rather than folowing sign on causeway to take Harborside, and you will have a better access to terminal entrance from Broadway off 24th and 23rd, and to parking lots off 33rd to 27th.

Texas pilots control ship movement in Fog . It has been said Pilots used fog delays against cruise lines for political and economic gain . However since negotiations occurred between parties involving short term pay rate increases , providing priority cruise ship

movement, and Federal backed Pilots wanting into Port Channels , there have been way less delays and when there were , shorter in duration .

Under extreme circumstances for safety of ships and passengers, Mother Nature can always provide havoc in all ports in the world. Delays happen everywhere for various reasons .

Never sailed out of Galveston, too many Texans. (I'm kidding ;p). We booked Liberty once but a last minute $4000 military discount has us jump ship to Radiance and Alaska. Need to try again as there are nice reasonable priced direct flights into and out of IAH from Seattle.

No more difficult to get to than Port Canaveral (actually the drive is 4 miles less to Galveston from Hobby than from MCO to Port Canaveral)

 

 

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Yet Port Canaveral handle way more cruise passengers than Galveston. The fact is Galveston could take some lessons from Port Canaveral.

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Good news.

Although Galveston needs to expand their hotel offerings.

Good news.

 

 

 

Although Galveston needs to expand their hotel offerings.

You gotta a guess how many rooms Galveston have presently?

You gotta remember Galveston is not in the business of building hotels.

Even wonder what happens to those rooms from Sunday night to Friday night and their staff.

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You gotta a guess how many rooms Galveston have presently?

 

 

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Not a clue.

Not a clue.

At present 5,000 rooms.

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