New Cruise Terminal Gets Ground Breaking for Galveston and Royal Caribbean

After Royal Caribbean signed a long-term contract with the port in December 2019, the Port of Galveston just broke ground on its third cruise terminal. With a $125 million price tag, the new terminal will be able to accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean will build the terminal in Galveston, Texas and lease it to the port for 20 years with four 10-year options. The 225,000 gross ton Allure of the Seas is expected to arrive at the port in 2022. That ship can hold approximately 5,400 passengers, nearly 40% more than Royal Caribbean’s existing Galveston ships.

In the southeast sector of the port, known as Pier 10, the new terminal will cover around 161,300 square feet. The facility will use cutting-edge technologies such as smartphone check-in and facial recognition to help customers arrive faster. The terminal will be designed and built to LEED standards.

Galveston Wharves port director and CEO Rodger Rees stated, “This new cruise terminal is a game-changer.”