Cruise Hive reported all the way back in January 2014 that Port of Galveston made a 5-year agreement with Royal Caribbean to upgrade one of its cruise terminals so that the cruise line would send larger ships to the port. Well now with the terminals upgrades well underway there seems to be some delays.
According to the Houston Chronicle the renovations have been hampered by delays and even fellow cruise operator Carnival Cruise Line is not happy. The plan was that an upgraded cruise terminal 2 with 150,000 square feet and an increase to 1,000 seats would be completed by Spring 2015. The project was to cost around $10 Million but now that amount has been exceeded. Also an extended berth would be able to cater to larger vessels within the Royal Caribbean fleet.
A statement given to the Chronicle from Carnival Cruise Line is below:
“The delay in the required terminal improvements has resulted in a negative experience for our guests before and after their vacations,” spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz said. “The terminal is not up to the qualifications of a world-class cruise terminal found in most North American cities, and we are hopeful that the port will adhere to its new timeline.”
The reality is that work is still being done with mounds of dirt being moved by diggers right next to the terminal. The site also mentions that the terminals foundations were not as expected so more work had to be done and work on extending the dock has come to a halt. Archaeologists have also come across an 1840 Republic of Texas Navy ship known as the The Zavala. The ship was left rotting in Galveston’s harbor. The archaeological find could delay the docks extension and increase the developments cost even further.
Port of Galveston has become a popular American port for cruise lines including Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Once the terminal is complete larger vessels with higher capacity will be able to sail from Galveston. It’s not known when the renovation will be completed.
