Galveston Port Approves Master Plan Update That Includes More Cruise Growth

The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees has voted to fund an updated 20-Year Strategic Master Plan and will continue to support development of additional cruise infrastructure.

The fourth-ranked port in the country, Galveston is already a busy cruise location. The city’s port welcomed 3.4 million passengers in 2024 and is on track to see some 400 sailings and nearly 3.6 million passenger embarkations and debarkations this year.

Come November, it will have a fourth cruise terminal open that will homeport MSC and Norwegian cruise lines.

The existing master plan, adopted by the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees in 2019, includes plans to double the number of cruise terminals from two to four, to build an internal roadway to accommodate more port traffic, and to expand its cargo complex. These major projects are either completed or in various stages of construction, according to a press release from the board.

“Our updated master plan will look at growth opportunities in all of our business lines – cruise, cargo and commercial,” Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO, said in a statement.

“The board’s unanimous vote to support cruise infrastructure growth reflects the economic benefits that our cruise business provides and allows us to continue to invest in our cargo business,” Rees added.
 
The board called Galveston’s cruise industry a “significant economic engine” for local and regional businesses.

In 2023, cruise operations generated 4,547 jobs for Galveston area residents, $733 million in business revenues, $291 million in personal income, and $25 million in state and local taxes, according to data provided by the board.
The updated master plan will evaluate all that has been accomplished to date and lay a foundation for continued growth based on new cruise and cargo forecasts and port and community goals.

According to the board, a great deal has changed in the last five years. That includes the cruise business growing faster than forecasted, construction costs continuing to rise and the port receiving state funding to jump-start cargo expansion.

Rees said that the port wants the updated plan to consider locations for the USS Texas, public areas on the waterfront, and safely connecting the port’s waterfront commercial areas to downtown.

In addition, several items in the current plan will be addressed, including dock and wharf improvements, development potential for port acreage on Pelican Island, drainage improvements, and a public boardwalk.
 

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