GALVESTON, Texas — The fourth most popular cruise home port in the U.S. is expanding further after the Port of Galveston finalized an operating agreement for a fourth terminal.
The Galveston Wharves just made the announcement Tuesday, and the MSC Seascape will call the new terminal its home port beginning in November 2025.
According to officials, the port will develop the $100 million cruise terminal, $42 million parking garage, internal roadway, and other improvements at Pier 16 beginning in early 2024.
“We’re excited about this mutually beneficial public-private partnership. Adding MSC to our family of cruise lines offers our cruise guests an elegant, European-style family cruise experience,” Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, said. “It also elevates our status as a top U.S. cruise home port and moves us up to the eighth largest cruise port in the global market, while paving the way for MSC to reach millions of cruise passengers in the Central U.S.”
The estimated $142 million project will be funded with port cash reserves and revenue bonds. The port will convert an existing cargo warehouse into a 165,000-square-foot cruise terminal.
Under the 20-year agreement, which includes four 5-year extension options, MSC will have a set cruise schedule beginning in late 2025 when the terminal opens, officials said. The port also can negotiate with other cruise lines to use the terminal based on availability.
“We want to give more guests the opportunity to experience MSC Cruises’ unique European flavor, and bringing MSC Seascape to Galveston allows us to be more accessible to millions of people in the central part of the country,” Rubén A. Rodríguez, president of MSC Cruises USA, said. “A great cruise starts with a top-notch terminal, and we’re excited to partner with the Galveston Wharves to ensure our guests enjoy the experience from end to end. We think it’s important to support the communities we serve and look forward to working with leaders in Galveston to make this project a reality.”
MSC Cruises is the world’s third-largest cruise brand. Galveston will become the line’s fourth home port in the region upon completion of the terminal project.
The cruise line said the MSC Seascape, which launched in 2022, is the latest in their Seaside class of ships, which were designed specifically for Caribbean cruising and feature enlarged and enhanced outdoor spaces.
The MSC Seascape can accommodate 5,632 passengers and 1,648 crew members.
MSC Cruises said departures begin in November 2025 with seven-night sailings available to book now. Destinations highlights include Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico and Isla de Roatan, Honduras.
Port officials said the Port of Galveston hosted 1.49 million cruise passengers in 2023, a 43 percent increase over 2022.
“That MSC chose Galveston as its newest home port is a tribute to our strong and growing cruise market,” Rees said. “Our popularity is reflected in the growth of our passenger counts and sailings. In 2024, we have berth reservations for 388 sailings with the potential for more than 1.6 million cruise passengers. This will exceed records set in 2023. This is great news for the port and our region because our cruise business is a major revenue and jobs generator, which boosts regional and state economies.”
Port officials said the local impact of the port’s 2022 cruise activity included 3,500 jobs, $568 million in local business revenue, and $73.5 million in local purchases by passengers and crew. A fourth cruise terminal is forecast to generate an additional 925 jobs and $177 million in local business revenue annually.