Norwegian Cruise Line Could Make a Long-Term Return to Galveston
The Port of Galveston in Texas and Norwegian Cruise Line are looking at a possible long-term contract from November 2023.
Photo Credit: ackats / Shutterstock.com
It’s been good news from Galveston this week throughout. Last week the port welcomed back
two Carnival ships and announced it would be one of the US ports that would start operating as one of the first US ports after the cruise ban. This week revealed even more good news.
Prima is the first new class of ships for Norwegian Cruise Line in nearly ten years and the first-ever ship to set sail from Galveston.
Carnival Cruise Lines hopes to launch what could be the first cruise from the U.S. since the pandemic started from Galveston on July 3rd. And Norwegian Cruise Lines will start sailing from Galveston next year.
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
Carnival Cruise Line is ready to get back to work. While the cruise industry waits for final approval to resume travel, the cruise line moved two ships into the Port of Galveston. It’s a not-so-subtle reminder that after a year of waiting, it is time to bring back jobs and economic advantages in port cities like Galveston.
Federal orders halted cruise ships fourteen months ago. The City of Galveston has been hit hard by the economic pain brought by the pandemic. Carnival Cruise Line is the Port of Galveston’s largest cruise operator. The cruise industry brings $1.6 billion in annual economic activity and employs 27,000 people in Texas. On Sunday two of Carnival’s ships – the Carnival Breeze and Carnival Vista – pulled into the port as a way of highlighting the cruise line’s economic impact on the area. A rally was held on Monday.
By Sally Adams
May 4, 2021
The CDC announced they think people can go on cruises again by this summer. They say it might be as early as July! After 14 months away, two Carnival Cruise ships are docked at the port of Galveston -no passengers yet but they re getting things ready for the return of summer cruising. Galveston Port CEO Rodger Rees knows what the absence of cruise ships means to his port. The total number is somewhere close to $ 44 million that we lost over the 14-15 month period.
Another bit of good news. Royal Caribbean will be building a new terminal here. That will bring in additional passengers for them plus for the (probably) new cruise line that occupies their old terminal. The Port of Galveston is the nation s 4th Cruise-Busiest port in the country. Rees says he s especially glad to see how many jobs will come back. The most important people who got hurt are people who couldn t work any more. It s going to be interesting to see what happens when these
Cruise ships have berthed at the Port of Galveston for the first time in a year
Carnival Breeze and Carnival Vista arrived in the Texas port on Sunday
Ships are the first to stay in Texas only cruise terminal since late April 2020
The liners are still not allowed to pick up passengers with cruises still limited by federal health orders preventing sailing during the coronavirus pandemic
Port officials say they hope the return of the ships to Galveston will help spur the CDC and political leaders to act faster to allow cruise ships to return to sea
So far, neither Carnival nor Royal Caribbean have announced plans requiring passengers to be vaccinated to travel on board