Key Aspects:
- Road construction around the Port of Galveston will alter traffic patterns for passengers arriving by vehicle.
- Cruise Terminals 25 and 28 will be impacted through December 25, 2025.
- The terminals are used by four Carnival Cruise Line ships.
The Port of Galveston issued an important traffic pattern alert to cruise guests planning to sail from the port between December 5 and December 25, 2025.
It is the second time in less than two months that vehicle traffic entering and exiting the port has been impacted by ongoing road construction in the area.
In a social media post and on its website, the Port of Galveston informed travelers that traffic routes are being altered for those headed for Terminal 25 and Terminal 28.
Carnival Cruise Line ships sail from Terminal 25, and all guests arriving in vehicles must enter the port on 23rd Street and exit on 33rd Street. Those bound for Terminal 28, which serves Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises, must enter and exit on 33rd Street.
Port officials also urge all passengers to park in Port of Galveston cruise parking lots and use the port’s shuttle system to bring their luggage to the embarkation terminals. Also, pedestrians arriving from downtown areas should enter and exit the terminal complex at 25th Street.
The latest instructions for accessing Terminals 25 and 28 differ slightly from those issued in October 2025. At that time, road construction forced all guests headed to Terminal 25 to enter and exit at 23rd Street. Access to Terminal 28 remains the same — entering and exiting at 33rd Street.
The Port of Galveston, in recent years, has been upgrading its internal roadways in an effort to divert some traffic away from the city’s busy Harborside Drive. In fact, Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees noted in his end-of-year statement on December 1, 2025, that the port is nearing completion of upgrades to its internal roadway.
The latest traffic alert is valid until December 25, 2025, at which point it appears possible that the roadway work will be finished.
Read Also: Galveston Cruise Terminal Overview and Guide
The port, also known as Galveston Wharves, is the fourth-busiest in North America based on cruise arrivals, behind Port Miami, Port Canaveral, and Port Everglades. With roughly 400 ship departures and more than 3 million passenger transits, the port continues to grow each year.
December a Busy Month For Galveston’s Cruise Terminals
Virtually every major cruise line has a presence at Galveston. Carnival Cruise Line has four ships sailing from the port — Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Dream, and Carnival Legend.
In fact, the port made significant changes to Terminal 25, to the tune of $53 million, in order to accommodate the mega-ship Carnival Jubilee, when the 183,521-gross-ton ship debuted in late 2023.
Galveston is a busy port in December, as cruisers take advantage of warm weather vacations to the Caribbean and many book popular holiday sailings.
On December 13, 2025, for example, two Carnival ships, the 5,228-guest Carnival Jubilee and the 3,646-guest Carnival Dream, both depart on Western Caribbean voyages — that’s nearly 9,000 passengers between just those two vessels.
The Port of Galveston has several parking lots available to cruise guests, including the Express Lot, specifically for Terminals 25 and 28. It has 680 spaces and is a short walk to the terminals.
Also, for those terminals, passengers can utilize Economy Lots A and B, both with shuttle service, and the SMP Garage, which is within walking distance.
Other major developments at the port include the opening of Terminal 16 in November 2025. That facility is home to an MSC Cruises ship, MSC Seascape, and will also be used by Norwegian Cruise Line.
Royal Caribbean, which has two ships currently sailing from Galveston, Mariner of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, uses Terminal 10.
