The Port of Galveston Texas, recognized as the fourth most prominent cruise home port in North America, marked a significant milestone on August 28th by welcoming its 1 millionth cruise passenger of the year. This accomplishment positions the port on a trajectory to achieve a noteworthy record of at least 1.3 million passengers by year-end.
Representatives from the Port, Carnival Cruise Line, and the Marine and Leisure Sciences Business Coalition (MLSBCC) extended a warm welcome to the De Graff family from Hudsonville, Michigan, at Cruise Terminal 28. In a celebratory gesture, the family, consisting of Peter De Graff, his wife Ashley, their 8-year-old son Elijah, 6-year-old daughter Abigail, and mother-in-law Sheri Scroggins from Wylie, Texas, were presented with gifts and cake prior to embarking on their 5-night Carnival Breeze cruise.
Galveston's ascension as a cruise home port of choice has led to the deployment of newer and more spacious vessels catering to diverse destinations. In preparation for the arrival of the newly constructed Carnival Jubilee in December, the port has teamed up with Carnival for a $53 million enhancement project at Cruise Terminal 25. Additionally, the port is enhancing its park-and-walk facility situated adjacent to terminals 25 and 28.
Capitalizing on this growth trajectory, the port envisions surpassing 350 cruise sailings in 2023, marking the 22nd year of Galveston's home port operations. In the preceding year, 2022, the port achieved 324 cruise sailings and attained the milestone of its millionth passenger on December 22nd.
The decision of passengers to opt for Galveston, Texas' exclusive home port, can be attributed to the blend of convenience and a superb sailing experience, particularly to Western Caribbean destinations. The accessibility of Galveston to over 30 million individuals residing within a 300-mile radius establishes it as a key drive-to cruise market for central U.S. locales including Houston, Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Little Rock.