Texas cruise industry now bigger: Galveston welcomes MSC, opens new cruise terminal same day
The Texas town of Galveston, one of the fastest-growing ports in the United States, has welcomed a new ship from the rapidly expanding MSC Cruises. The Lone Star State has officially become the homeport of MSC Seascape.
First launched three years ago, the ship can accommodate more than 5,000 passengers, has 11 dining options and 19 bars and lounges, and features everything from a snowy spa room to an adults-only infinity pool, multiple family-friendly waterslides and even a Robotron ride that flips passengers 174 feet above the water.
As someone who sailed the MSC Seascape out of Miami with my kids over the summer, I can say the Texan had a lot of fun on this boat—although probably skipping the Robotron’s “wildest” mode after lunch…unless you’re as fearless as my kids.
In addition to all the fun already on board, now that it’s based in Texas, MSC Seascape even adds some special Texas-approved touches like Texas smoked brisket with chipotle BBQ sauce, line dancing lessons, Texas sporting events on the screen, a so-called “Big Texas Sailing Party,” spicy margaritas, and even Hola’s breakfast options! Tacos and Cantina.
MSC Seascape will operate seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries from its new homeport in Galveston, calling at Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, and Roatan in Honduras.
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Summer Hull/Points Specialist
I was especially excited to see that a week-long cruise from Galveston was priced at just under $400 per person. In addition to the budget-friendly starting price, considering everything included in the Kids Fly Free deal, a family of four can enjoy a week-long vacation starting at just over $1,000 (after taxes and fees).
On the other hand, if you want a heightened ship-within-a-ship experience, note that MSC Seascape also offers a yacht club option.
Major expansion of the Port of Galveston
The arrival was an important moment not only for MSC, but also for Galveston, as Terminal 16 officially opened the same day, becoming the port’s fourth terminal.
This doesn’t mark the end of cruise growth in Galveston. Next month, the port will also welcome Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Viva, a relatively new cruise ship that first sailed in 2023 and has exciting entertainment features such as stylish cabins, escape rooms, and even an on-board screening of the hit “Beetlejuice.”
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Norwegian Viva will also operate from Galveston’s new Terminal 16 upon arrival in December.
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Standard balcony cabin on Norwegian Viva. Ashley Kosiolek/Essentials Expert
Speaking of Terminal 16, not only is its interior new, stylish and comfortable, but notably it also has a dedicated adjacent car park, the first of its kind in the port. This design makes entry and exit more convenient and seamless compared to carrying luggage for long walks or taking shuttles to off-site lots to start and end your vacation.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new terminal, Port Director Richard Rees said Galveston will serve about 2 million cruise passengers annually (50 percent of them from Texas), but about 46 million potential cruisers live within a day’s drive of the port, providing a large number of potential travelers for MSC and other lines to Texas.
He also emphasized that just 25 years ago, Galveston was a small cruise port with almost no flights. Today it has grown into one of the largest and fastest-growing ports in the country, with cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and now MSC operating flights.
Galveston is just part of MSC’s U.S. expansion
If you haven’t heard of MSC Cruises, even though it’s one of the largest cruise lines in the world, it’s probably because, as recently as 2017, MSC Cruises only had one cruise ship in North America.
However, a lot has changed in a short period of time. This winter, the route will have seven U.S.-based ships spread across four homeports: Miami, Miami, Miami, Miami, Miami, Massachusetts and Miami. Port Canaveral, Florida; New York City; and now Galveston.
The U.S.-based fleet includes MSC World America, the crown jewel of the MSC fleet and one of the largest cruise ships in the world, which first sails in early 2025 from the new MSC Terminal in PortMiami, which also happens to be the largest cruise ship terminal in the world.
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MSC World America lights up the night at sea. Ivan Sarfati/MSC Cruises
Lynn Torrent, president of MSC Cruises North America, said recently in Galveston that MSC’s goal is to become a household name in the United States.
Considering the world-class ships, new terminals, and the company’s recent expansion of a central port in Texas that can easily open MSC to millions of additional travelers, it’s likely that the company will become a household name sooner or later.
