MSC is officially coming to Galveston in 2025...

[NavyCruiser]

A fourth cruise terminal is officially coming to Galveston in 2025 for $100M

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending/article/galveston-fourth-cruise-terminal-18653223.php?sid=5b0232842ddf9c12eaed23b5&ss=A&st_rid=cae07a69-2b28-4f80-b724-e882d07aa643&utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_term=engagement_a&utm_campaign=hcrn | membership updates

 

By Peter Warren, Staff writer, Feb 7, 2024

Galveston Wharves announced it has finalized its deal with MSC Cruises on a fourth cruise terminal set to cost $100 million in the Port of Galveston.

The 165,000-square-foot terminal, along with a $42 million parking garage and internal roadway, is projected to open late in 2025. 

"We’re excited about this mutually beneficial public-private partnership," Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees said in a statement. "Adding MSC to our family of cruise lines offers our cruise guests an elegant, European-style family cruise experience. It also elevates our status as a top U.S. cruise home port and moves us up to the eighth largest cruise port in the global market, while paving the way for MSC to reach millions of cruise passengers in the Central U.S."

 

The negotiations for the fourth terminal have been in the works since at least 2022. It will fill the space previously occupied by Del Monte Fresh Produce Co., which left the terminal for Freeport.

 

The agreement between Galveston and MSC Cruises lasts for 20 years with the potential for four additional five-year extensions. MSC Cruises, which is the third-largest cruise brand in the world, has been focused on North American expansion and this move helps with those plans.

The brand told Travel + Leisure it plans on operating seven-day trips out of the port starting in November 2025. Customers can buy tickets now for seven-day trips to Costa Maya, Mexico, Isla de Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, Mexico starting at $439. The first listed departure date is Nov. 9, 2025.

"A great cruise starts with a top-notch terminal, and we’re excited to partner with the Galveston Wharves to ensure our guests enjoy the experience from end to end," MSC Cruises USA President Rubén A. Rodríguez said in a statement. "We think it’s important to support the communities we serve and look forward to working with leaders in Galveston to make this project a reality."

[Bgwest]

🤙🏻😃

[peder]

Love to see MSC's commitment to the area, but I will repeat my concern that across different lines, there are a ton of ships all doing the same Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan itinerary, and there are not a ton of options for other itineraries.

 

Maybe we'll see MSC get creative and start sending to other ports outside of the Yucatan.

[deliver42]

We're booked on the Seascape out of Galveston for Nov, 2026

[NavyCruiser]

Being from Houston, over half of our 35+ cruises are from Galveston.  & being a scuba diver, love that I can dive all the Cozumel, Belize, Roatan ports. 

Also, having 4 terminals will increase competition between the cruise lines to better service, more ports, & maybe lower pricing.  

Hopefully MSC will bring new innovation to cruising out of Galveston...

[Jimmym1981]

On 2/7/2024 at 7:43 PM, deliver42 said:

We're booked on the Seascape out of Galveston for Nov, 2026

Same! Nov 9th first sailing there!

Edited February 9 by Jimmym1981

[Bgwest]

21 minutes ago, Jimmym1981 said:

Same! Nov 9th first sailing there!

We are booked on an April 2026 sailing out of Galveston so I hope your Nov 2026 isn’t the first one!!

[Jimmym1981]

1 hour ago, Bgwest said:

We are booked on an April 2026 sailing out of Galveston so I hope your Nov 2026 isn’t the first one!!

Oh shoot. 2025! lol. 

[George C]

Not new news but can’t wait to sail from Galveston, love yacht club, we are sailing week after thanksgiving from Miami this year , will most likely book week after thanksgiving in 2025 from Galveston in a yacht club of course. I posted something about this a month ago on cruise critic gulf coast .

 

Msc also offers veterans 10 percent discount, just show them your DD214

Edited February 10 by George C

[Bgwest]

7 hours ago, Jimmym1981 said:

Oh shoot. 2025! lol. 

😃

[Bgwest]

4 hours ago, George C said:

Not new news but can’t wait to sail from Galveston, love yacht club, we are sailing week after thanksgiving from Miami this year , will most likely book week after thanksgiving in 2025 from Galveston in a yacht club of course. I posted something about this a month ago on cruise critic gulf coast .

 

Msc also offers veterans 10 percent discount, just show them your DD214

Also first responders and educators.  😃

[marti2282]

Hope they do some sailings to the ABC islands!

[SunriseCoffee]

23 hours ago, Jimmym1981 said:

Oh shoot. 2025! lol. 

We booked the first sailing in 2025 as well. I created a roll call.

 

Hopefully the new port will be ready as planned with everything working smoothly. 

[Jimmym1981]

37 minutes ago, SunriseCoffee said:

We booked the first sailing in 2025 as well. I created a roll call.

 

Hopefully the new port will be ready as planned with everything working smoothly. 

Fingers crossed! I didn’t even think about that aspect. I’ll also join the roll call!

Edited February 11 by Jimmym1981

[Jimmym1981]

23 hours ago, George C said:

Not new news but can’t wait to sail from Galveston, love yacht club, we are sailing week after thanksgiving from Miami this year , will most likely book week after thanksgiving in 2025 from Galveston in a yacht club of course. I posted something about this a month ago on cruise critic gulf coast .

 

Msc also offers veterans 10 percent discount, just show them your DD214

Will they stack this on top of the Gold Discounts? We tried the DD214 and they said only active or retired. 

[George C]

11 hours ago, Jimmym1981 said:

Will they stack this on top of the Gold Discounts? We tried the DD214 and they said only active or retired. 

I just gave my travel agent my dd214 and they made me diamond this was a few years ago, and they again gave me ten percent off for our December cruise, I was only in army two years.

[Jimmym1981]

35 minutes ago, George C said:

I just gave my travel agent my dd214 and they made me diamond this was a few years ago, and they again gave me ten percent off for our December cruise, I was only in army two years.

Thanks for the heads up. I’ll see what can be done about it. A few weeks ago, my agent tried and was denied. I still got a good discount on my Celebrity status match so can't complain too much.  

[George C]

30 minutes ago, Jimmym1981 said:

Thanks for the heads up. I’ll see what can be done about it. A few weeks ago, my agent tried and was denied. I still got a good discount on my Celebrity status match so can't complain too much.  

We were also diamond plus on rccl which would give us 5 percent discount, veterans get ten percent. Diamond status also gives you free specialty dinner.

[Jimmym1981]

35 minutes ago, George C said:

We were also diamond plus on rccl which would give us 5 percent discount, veterans get ten percent. Diamond status also gives you free specialty dinner.

We are Elite on Celebrity so that transferred to Gold now days. I think my discount for the cruise seemed to be 10% from what I could tell. Not sure how it worked out, but it averaged about that difference from our friends who do not have status. Maybe I did get a military discount? I'll check with my TA to see how he did all the deals. He is always working the system the best he can. Lol