The construction of Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise terminal in the Port of Galveston, Texas, is progressing as planned, the port revealed. The 161,300 square-foot terminal, which sits on 10 acres in the eastern area of the port, will be used to cater to Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. She will be the biggest ship to ever homeport in Texas.ย
Several cruise lines use the Port of Galveston to showcase their newest and biggest ships. Over the next two years, Carnival Cruise Line will homeport its newest LNG-powered vessel Carnival Jubilee in Texas, while Norwegian Cruise Line plans to homeport Norwegian Prima, the first of six Project Leonardo Class ships, in Galveston.
Royal Caribbean’s Newest Terminal Opens Fall 2022
Terminal 3, Royal Caribbean’s new $125 million home for Allure of the Seas, is set to open in fall 2022. The massive 161,300 square-foot terminal sits on 10 acres in the eastern part of the Port of Galveston, also known as Pier 10, and will be used exclusively by the Royal Caribbean ships visiting or sailing from the city.
The 125 million dollar project is a partnership between Royal Caribbean International, Ceres Terminal Holdings, LLC, and the Galveston Wharves. Construction of the 68-foot tall building front started in the summer of 2021 when it broke ground. Since then, the structure of the terminal has risen up and will be completed in the fall of this year.
The new terminal will be opened in just eight months by the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbeanโs Oasis-class ship, Allure of the Seas, from its new island home.
The new terminal will be a welcome sight in the city and a change to the skyline of Galveston. The front of the building will be faced with colorful blue panels, vertical accent windows, and the distinctive Royal Caribbean anchor logo.
An interior rendering by Royal Caribbean shows a soaring, sun-drenched space decorated in bright, tropical colors. Mobile check-in and facial recognition will enhance boarding and disembarking at the terminal.
Read Also: Royal Caribbean Shares Sneak Peek Inside $125 Million Galveston Terminal
Under the port’s Green Marine initiative, Royal Caribbean has committed to designing the terminal to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards.
New Terminal & Cruise Ships Will Be Huge Boost For Galveston
The arrival of an Oasis-class cruise ship will significantly impact Galveston. Not only will 5,400 guests be embarking and disembarking every week, but the thousands of crew members will also be calling in Galveston to spend some valuable hours between cruises.ย
The new Royal Caribbean cruise terminal alone creates 400 construction jobs, 400 permanent jobs, 1.4 billion dollars in local business services, and 5.6 million dollars in state and local tax income.
And that’s not all. Carnival Cruise Line has committed Carnival Jubilee to Galveston, while Norwegian Cruise Line will be sending its new Project Leonardo Class ship, Norwegian Prima, to Galveston. Altogether, the three ships will be welcoming around 13,000 guests each week to the port.ย
When she sets sail from Galveston for the first time on November 13, Allure of the Seas will be operating 7-day Western Caribbean itineraries calling in Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel.
Carnival Jubilee will be sailing the same itinerary, with the same ports, starting in November 2023. Norwegian Prima will be operating from Galveston from December 2023, also sailing Western Caribbean itineraries.ย
Royal Caribbean International has also announced the redeployment for Radiance of the Seas to Galveston and New Orleans from October 2022 through April 2023