MSC in talks with Port of Galveston to build 4th Cruise Terminal

[TABLEROCKER]

You can cruise out of Galveston to the Bahamas on a 7 day cruise. We have done a Magic cruise to Freeport and back in 7. We can drive from Missouri to Galveston in 12 hours. Our upcoming cruise on the Maraviglia will take us 12 hours from home to KC to fly to MCO. Lot cheaper to Drive to Gal.

[Eli_6]

16 hours ago, 1kaper said:

 

A little off topic but DH and I are looking for somewhere warm to move later on in life. He’ll retire earlier than me and I’m pretty sure I could get a job in most places in my field. 
after our Galveston cruise and lots of convos, Texas is now on our list. 

I am obviously partial to my home state, but I think it is a great place to live.  With that said, if you are coming from Canada, you might be in a for a bit of a shock with the weather in the summer. It is very hot and humid in the summer.  Actually, Houston is hot and humid.  The entire state is hot, but Houston and the gulf coast are particularly miserable because of the humidity during the summer. I used to live in Austin and it was not as humid, but the temps would get higher so it was sort of a wash.  Everywhere is air conditioned so you just pretty much live indoors for 2-3 months out of the year. In an ideal world where my husband didn't have a business he had to be at and my kids didn't have school, we would live somewhere cool like Colorado or Lake Tahoe or even Scotland for the summer months.        

 

The most popular city to live in for people who aren't tied to a particular location due to their job seems to be Austin. It has a big music scene, is liberal, eclectic, has The University of Texas, etc.  The city slogan is "Keep Austin Weird."  I went to law school there at UT.  I loved living there; although, that was 15 years ago and I think it has grown a lot since then. 

 

I also really love the hill country.  Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Marble Falls, Canyon Lake, Lake Travis, Boerne, etc.  My Dad lives on some land out in the hill country near Boerne (north of San Antonio) and it is truly beautiful country.   

[talkorpi]

11 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

I am obviously partial to my home state, but I think it is a great place to live.  With that said, if you are coming from Canada, you might be in a for a bit of a shock with the weather in the summer. It is very hot and humid in the summer.  Actually, Houston is hot and humid.  The entire state is hot, but Houston and the gulf coast are particularly miserable because of the humidity during the summer. I used to live in Austin and it was not as humid, but the temps would get higher so it was sort of a wash.  Everywhere is air conditioned so you just pretty much live indoors for 2-3 months out of the year. In an ideal world where my husband didn't have a business he had to be at and my kids didn't have school, we would live somewhere cool like Colorado or Lake Tahoe or even Scotland for the summer months.        

 

The most popular city to live in for people who aren't tied to a particular location due to their job seems to be Austin. It has a big music scene, is liberal, eclectic, has The University of Texas, etc.  The city slogan is "Keep Austin Weird."  I went to law school there at UT.  I loved living there; although, that was 15 years ago and I think it has grown a lot since then. 

 

I also really love the hill country.  Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Marble Falls, Canyon Lake, Lake Travis, Boerne, etc.  My Dad lives on some land out in the hill country near Boerne (north of San Antonio) and it is truly beautiful country.   

STOP TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT THE HILL COUNTRY!!! We are getting too big and it is quickly being ruined!!! ☹️

[crazy4themouse]

One step closer?

 

https://www.portofgalveston.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=245

 

 

[1kaper]

13 hours ago, talkorpi said:

STOP TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT THE HILL COUNTRY!!! We are getting too big and it is quickly being ruined!!! ☹️

 

My Texas friend says stop telling people about Austin.  It's gotten too big he said.  

[Galveston Cruiser]

On 12/17/2022 at 8:24 AM, journeymore said:

Do you know What if anything is going on at the old Barbers Cut terminal? NCL was there for a while. 

Closed for a number of years.  Now a container port.

A total failure for cruise ships.

 

We (DH, DD & SIL) sailed MSC Orchestra from Genoa, Italy to Ft. Lauderdale, FL on MSC's inaugural sail to the U.S. in December 2008.  We loved every minute of  the international experience with multiple countries represented, long hours in ports, at least one main course representing the country of port at dinner and the excellent service.  Unfortunately, the Americans on board did not represent the good of the U.S.; complained about everything, hated announcements in multiple languages, rude to staff, complained of no hot dogs or fast food on board for their kids and, were basically. an embarrassment.  Upon disembarkation, we thanked one of the staff for their service upon which he began to cry saying we were the only Americans who thanked him!   This is an Italian cruise line and I hope they will maintain the international flavor. Will definitely sail again once in Galveston.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Galveston Cruiser

[NavyCruiser]

Today's Houston Chronicle article:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/galveston/article/port-galveston-new-cruise-terminal-msc-17669091.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HC_AfternoonReport&utm_term=headlines&sid=5b0232842ddf9c12eaed23b5#photo-23297401

 

LOCAL//GALVESTON

Cruise company negotiating with Port of Galveston to build new cruise terminal

Matt deGrood, Staff writer

Dec. 21, 2022Updated: Dec. 21, 2022 11:54 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

2of2

Cruise ships are docked at the Port of Galveston, where officials are negotiating for a fourth cruise terminal.

Courtesy of Port of Galveston

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The Port of Galveston's governing board is negotiating with a cruise company that could bring a fourth terminal and parking garage costing as much as $120 million to the island sometime in 2025, according to Rodger Rees, port director and CEO of the port.

The wharves board of trustees, which governs the island's port, signed a memorandum of understanding with MSC Cruises outlining some of the conditions for building a fourth terminal at Piers 16-18, according to the port.

“We’re excited about the huge potential of this mutually-beneficial public-private partnership,” said Rodger Rees, director and CEO of the Port of Galveston. “Adding MSC to our family of cruise lines would offer our cruise guests an elegant, European-style cruise experience.”

 

The news follows swiftly on the heels of a new, $125 million Royal Caribbean cruise terminal opening in November.

Port leaders will likely spend the first quarter of 2023 hammering out the details of an agreement with the Switzerland-based cruise company. MSC Cruises is the world's third-biggest cruise company, and the fastest-growing one, Rees said.

“The prospect of developing a new home port in Galveston is exciting because it represents a big step in our ongoing North American expansion," said Rubén A. Rodríguez, president of the group's U.S. branch.

Under preliminary terms, the port would renovate the facility at Piers 16-18 currently host to Del Monte to operate as the new cruise terminal, Rees said. The cost of that project could be between $70 million to $80 million. The port would also build a parking structure nearby that 

Under preliminary terms, the port would construct a new terminal at Piers 16-18 that could cost between $70 million to $80 million, along with a nearby parking structure that could host up to 1,500 vehicles at a cost of about $40 million, Rees said.

 

The port would then receive reimbursement for the upfront cost via a percentage of each cruise ticket sold, Rees said. The reimbursement agreement would likely last about 20 years, Rees said.

VIRTUAL TOUR: Royal Caribbean's $125M cruise terminal in Galveston is open. Here's a look inside.

Del Monte's lease at the port doesn't run out until 2024, so the earliest a new terminal could be in place would be sometime in mid-2025, Rees said. But beginning negotiations now means port officials have time to hammer out the details and reach out to firms about materials, he said.

MSC Cruise Lines is one of Europe's most popular cruise lines. The company currently operates out of Miami and Port Canaveral in Florida, in addition to year-round service from New York City, according to officials.

Development on cruise terminals in Galveston could slow with the completion of the fourth terminal, according to Rees. There are no plans to build a fifth terminal in the port's master plan, and port leaders are considering the possibility of adding a second line to the fourth terminal one day, he said.

[Eli_6]

5 hours ago, crazy4themouse said:

One step closer?

 

https://www.portofgalveston.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=245

 

 

Oh! That makes me happy! 

[Eli_6]

I hope this is a go and they put one of their ships with the yacht club.  Or do all of their ships have the Yacht Club?  

[no1talks]

1 hour ago, NavyCruiser said:

“Adding MSC to our family of cruise lines would offer our cruise guests an elegant, European-style cruise experience.”

By the time the proposed terminal would be ready, there may not be much European elegance left in MSC's U.S. operations.

[no1talks]

1 hour ago, Eli_6 said:

Or do all of their ships have the Yacht Club?

All their ships, going back ten years or more, have Yacht Club. In fact, each design change adds more Yacht Club capacity.

Their earliest two ship classes are smaller and do not have Yacht Club.

Edited December 21, 2022 by no1talks

[Galveston Cruiser]

2 hours ago, no1talks said:

All their ships, going back ten years or more, have Yacht Club. In fact, each design change adds more Yacht Club capacity.

Their earliest two ship classes are smaller and do not have Yacht Club.

MSC Ships by Age (from newest to oldest)

Ship Name	Built	Refurbished
MSC Euribia	Due 2023	-
MSC Seascape	Due Dec 2022	-
MSC World Europa	2022	-
MSC Seashore	2021	-
MSC Virtuosa	2021	-
MSC Grandiosa	2019	-
MSC Bellissima	2019	-
MSC Seaview	2018	-
MSC Seaside	2017	2021
MSC Meraviglia	2017	2022
MSC Preziosa	2013	2018
MSC Divina	2012	2021
MSC Magnifica	2010	2019
MSC Splendida	2009	2017
MSC Fantasia	2008	2021
MSC Poesia	2008	2021
MSC Orchestra	2007	2021
MSC Musica	2006	2016
MSC Opera	2004	2015
MSC Lirica	2003	2018
MSC Sinfonia	2002	2018
MSC Armonia	2001	2014

Edited December 22, 2022 by Galveston Cruiser

[Kevin308]

On 12/17/2022 at 8:24 AM, journeymore said:

Do you know What if anything is going on at the old Barbers Cut terminal? NCL was there for a while. 

It is container terminal now.

[Kevin308]

I don't think people realize how many major cities in driving distance.  Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth in the top 11  and Arlington  in the top 20.  Oklahoma City and New Orleans are also in driving distance.   So you have a lot of people that can drive to the port.     

[journeymore]

On 12/19/2022 at 4:23 PM, Eli_6 said:

Also, let me add that there are more people of Hispanic background in Texas than there are "Anglo" people:  https://www.statista.com/statistics/306044/texas-population-ethnicity-race/.  Texas was, in fact, a state in "New Spain" and, later, Mexico for longer than it has been a state in the U.S.  I don't think Texans are going to shy away from cruising MSC because they view it as not "American" enough.  Frankly, I have never even heard the trope that Texans like Starbucks and Hooters and only eat at chain eateries. That's a completely new one to me!  Heck, the most "popular" restaurants where I live are Mexican food restaurants, Seafood Restaurants, and Steakhouses...and I would bet MSC serves at least the later two.

 

The only "trope" that I think probably is true is that a lot of us who cruise out of Galveston do so because we prefer to drive to the port rather than fly. IAH and DFW are both really busy international airports.  The last several times I have flown into or out of IAH, it has been not much fun (especially with construction around the airport) and not worth messing with unless you are flying a distance that is too far to reasonably drive. And that's not because we "love our big trucks" but because it simply isn't fun to deal with flight delays/cancellations or lost luggage when you are supposed to be on vacation.  

 

I was on the MSC Seashore for 14 days in September. I live in Houston. I will say there are some differences. The unisex restrooms for one thing. I was in there yacht club but I was all over the ship. My butler was useless but I must admit I’m not sure what his job was. I’m not the person that needs to be escorted anywhere. The YC lounge was nice but the bartender wasn’t that good. Entertainment on the ship was great. The clientele is very international but so is Houston.   Everything considered if they come to Galveston I would cruise with them again. 

[Rudyard]

On 12/20/2022 at 9:59 AM, Eli_6 said:

I also really love the hill country.  Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Marble Falls, Canyon Lake, Lake Travis, Boerne, etc.  My Dad lives on some land out in the hill country near Boerne (north of San Antonio) and it is truly beautiful country.   

My dad lives in Llano. It's gorgeous out there. Luckily the census there has remained about he same since he moved there in '97. 

[txjim09]

Perhaps with a 4th cruise terminal, more transportation options will open such as car rental facilities actually open on weekends.  

[Rudyard]

20 hours ago, txjim09 said:

Perhaps with a 4th cruise terminal, more transportation options will open such as car rental facilities actually open on weekends.  

I'm surprised Enterprise still doesn't open on weekends. It seems like they'd be losing out on a bunch of money the way cruising's taken off in Galveston over the past decade.