New Carnival Cruise Ship Coming To Galveston Port This Year

Carnival Jubilee - Source: Carnival Corp 

Galveston Wharves Port is preparing for the arrival of Carnival Cruise Line's latest addition to its fleet, the Carnival Jubilee, by investing a remarkable $53 million in the expansion and upgrade of Cruise Terminal 25 at Galveston Wharves. This significant investment aims to ensure that the terminal is ready to welcome the ship when it arrives in December 2023.

Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port CEO, and director, commented: "We're looking forward to welcoming the beautiful new Carnival Jubilee to our improved cruise terminal. We're proud to have Carnival Cruise Line, our long-time cruise partner, choose Galveston as the home port for its newest ship."

The upcoming Carnival Jubilee is anticipated to have a capacity of 6,500 guests, surpassing the size of the current Carnival ships operating from Terminal 25.

Galveston Port tracked via ShipXplorer.com

The ship's development blueprint involves modifying the gangway, adding a ramp, two elevators, and an escalator, and installing a new roof. Rees further mentioned that the plans encompass enhancements to facilitate the ship's accommodation, streamline the guest disembarkation and embarkation process, and modernize the terminal, which has been in service for over two decades.

According to the announcement, the plan includes enhancing the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities, which are vital in providing safety and security services at the terminal. Galveston, the fourth most popular cruise port in the U.S. and the exclusive home port in Texas derives a significant portion of its revenues, approximately two-thirds, from the cruise industry. Rees stated that these improvements represent a strategic investment in the future growth of the port, which will result in more job opportunities and a more robust regional economy. The expansion of the cruise terminal in Galveston will be financed through cash reserves, a proposed bond issue, and an agreement with Carnival, as mentioned in the release.

Rees expressed gratitude towards Carnival, emphasizing that they were the first central cruise line to establish a home port in Galveston over two decades ago. Their continued belief in Galveston's increasing prominence as a leading cruise port today is greatly appreciated.