Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will have its very own cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston by November 2021.
The port's governing board approved plans for a third terminal on Wednesday, paving the way for Royal Caribbean and the Port of Galveston to sign a long-term agreement this week, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The cruise company will invest about $100 million into the 150,000-square-foot terminal, which will be able to accommodate its largest ships, including 6,000-plus-passenger Oasis class vessels, in less than two years' time. Construction of the terminal is scheduled to begin as soon as April.
"I'm relieved that we're finally there," Port of Galveston Director and CEO Rodger Rees told the Chronicle. "Although the work just begins. You spend a year negotiating a contract, getting all the i's dotted and the t's crossed, but now the work begins. So there's that relief of getting the paperwork done but now there's the construction period."
The agreement comes one year after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on a long-term lease with a 20-year initial term and four 10-year options after that.
The port's expansion is significant as 2019 marks the first time that more than 1 million people have embarked on cruises from Galveston, the Chronicle reported. Currently, one of the port's terminals is owned by Carnival Cruise Line while the other is shared by Carnival, Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean.
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