Galveston Wharves and MSC Cruises have finalized an operating agreement to establish a new cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston. The MSC Seascape will be the terminal's flagship vessel, beginning in November 2025.
The terminal project will begin development at Pier 16 in early 2024. The total investment, estimated at $142 million, will be financed through the port's cash reserves and revenue bonds. An existing cargo warehouse will be converted into a state-of-the-art, 165,000-square-foot cruise terminal.
Under the terms of a 20-year agreement, MSC Cruises will establish a fixed cruise program starting in late 2025, when the terminal opens.
Rodger Rees, Port Director and CEO of Galveston Wharves, said: “We are excited about this mutually beneficial public-private partnership. Adding MSC to our cruise line portfolio will provide our guests with an elegant, European-style cruise experience.”
“Furthermore, this will elevate our status as one of the leading cruise origin ports in the U.S. and position us as the eighth largest cruise port in the global market, thus opening the doors for MSC to reach millions of cruise passengers in the central U.S.“.
For his part, Rubén A. Rodríguez, president of MSC Cruises USA, noted: “We want to give more guests the opportunity to experience the unique European flavor of MSC Cruises, and bringing MSC Seascape to Galveston allows us to be more accessible to millions of people in the central part of the country.”
“We firmly believe that a great cruise begins with a world-class terminal, and we are excited to partner with Galveston Wharves to ensure our guests enjoy an unparalleled experience from beginning to end. It is vital to us to support the communities we serve, and we look forward to working with Galveston’s leaders to bring this project to fruition.”.”
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