The port of Galveston, Texas is about a 5-hour drive from our house. But, despite its close location, my family has only cruised out of Galveston twice. The vast majority of our dozen+ cruises have been out of Florida. Why?
When my kids were younger, the ships that sailed from Galveston were mostly smaller/older cruise ships. The latest and greatest ships with all the bells and whistles headed straight from the ship builder to Florida. In addition, the itineraries out of Galveston are basically limited to Western Caribbean ports due to its location.
However, things have changed over these past few years. Royal Caribbean opened a new larger terminal in 2022, and MSC just announced it is building a new terminal in Galveston that will open next year. Galveston is now the 4th busiest cruise homeport behind Port Canaveral, PortMiami and Port of Everglades (all in Florida).
Some of the shiny new cruise ships that homeport in Galveston this year and next year include:
Carnival Jubilee: I sailed on the Jubilee’s sister ship, Carnival Celebration, last year (see my review here). This ship holds over 5000 guests and features the Bolt rollercoaster at sea.
Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas/Allure of the Seas: These two Oasis-class gigantic ships are trading off in Galveston over the next few years. These ships hold over 6500 passengers and feature water slides, dry slides, a carousel, robot bartenders and more. See my review of Harmony of the Seas.
Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima: Both of these ships can accommodate over 3000 guests and sail from Galveston during different months. These are the newest ships from Norwegian Cruise Line and include a speedway as well as a free-fall dry slide on the top decks!
MSC Seascape: This ship debuted in 2022 and is heading to Galveston in 2025. The MSC Seascape features a robotic arm coaster, the first of its kind at sea.
Are you excited about any of these newer/bigger ships sailing from Galveston?
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