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Port of Galveston
123 Rosenberg, 8th Floor
Galveston, TX 77550

tel: (281) 286-2484
fax: (409) 766-6171

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Port of Galveston
Gateway to the Gulf©

Travel down Galveston Bay to where it meets the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston Island and you will find the Port of Galveston — Your “Gateway to the Gulf©,” located just 9.3 miles from the open sea. Originally established on land belonging to Mexico, the Port of Galveston is the oldest port in the Gulf of Mexico west of New Orleans. What began as not much more than a trading post located on the deepest natural harbor on the Texas Coast in 1825 has burgeoned into a significant contributor to the economic strength and well-being of the Galveston-Houston region and the State of Texas.

Serving as the primary point of embarkation for cruises to the western Caribbean, the Port of Galveston is the Premier Cruise Port in the Gulf of Mexico and “Texas’ Star Cruise Port©.” More than 1,100,000 cruise passengers annually access the Port and explore the Historic Downtown Galveston Strand District before or after their voyage. The cruise industry, operating its ships from the Port of Galveston, contributed approximately $1.13 billion in direct spending and 17,316 jobs to the Texas economy in 2011.

In 2012, the Port of Galveston ranked as the only cruise ship port in Texas and #1 in the Gulf of Mexico, the 5th busiest cruise port in the U.S. and one of the top-twenty cruise home ports in the world. The Port is currently the year round “Home Port” to the Carnival Cruise Line ships, Carnival Magic and Carnival Triumph, and the regular seasonal “Home Port” to Royal Caribbean International’s Mariner of the Seas. September 2012 marked the 12th anniversary of Carnival Cruise Lines sailing year-round from the Port of Galveston and the world’s largest single-berth cruise terminal.

The Port of Galveston sent its two previous long-serving Carnival ships to New Orleans in 2011 and welcomed the arrival of two new Carnival Cruise Lines ships. Carnival Magic, the newest ship built for the line’s fleet, and Carnival’s Flagship, holds 3,690
passengers and offers 7-day cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean beginning in November 2011. Carnival Triumph, which holds 2,758 passengers, moved from New Orleans to Galveston to offer year-round four- and five-day Caribbean cruises starting October 2011. Also in November 2011, the Royal Caribbean International ship Mariner of the Seas arrived in Galveston to conduct RCI’s annual 7-day winter season cruises, replacing its older sister ship, Voyager of the Seas. In September 2012, the cruise ship Disney Magic arrived to begin winter season cruises for Disney Cruise Line and Crown Princess arrived in mid-November 2012 for its renewed winter season itineraries for Princess Cruises from the Port of Galveston, bringing the total cruise ship count to five.

The Port of Galveston, with over 850 acres located on Galveston and adjacent Pelican Island, also facilitates the movement of a diverse mix of domestic and international cargo that delivers value to the region and the state. The Port is a self supporting enterprise with current annual operating revenues of approximately $24.7 million.

The Port of Galveston is only 45 minutes from Downtown Houston and 30 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico by water, making it ideally accessible for business and Galveston Island enjoyment.

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