Port of Galveston - Board of Trustees of the Galveston Wharves
05/12/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/12/2021 11:01
GALVESTON WHARVES TO WELCOME FIRST NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE SHIP
Galveston, TX (May 12, 2021) - Galveston Wharves announced today that Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Prima would set sail from the Port of Galveston in fall 2022. This is the brand's first new class of ships in nearly 10 years and the first-ever Norwegian Cruise Line ship to sail from Galveston.
Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, said, 'We're thrilled that Norwegian Cruise Line chose Galveston, the fourth most popular cruise port in the U.S., as one of the first U.S. ports to debut its newest ship.'
The ship's visit to Galveston, the only cruise port in Texas, is part of a larger effort to debut its newest ship in a number of major markets. Galveston is a major drive-to market with 30 million people living within a 300-mile radius.
On Oct. 15 the 140,000-ton, 3215-passenger Norwegian Prima will depart for Galveston from New York on a 12-night Caribbean voyage that will include stops at Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba. While in Galveston, Norwegian Prima will sail two roundtrip Western Caribbean voyages: a 3-day cruise on Oct. 27 and a 4-day cruise on Oct. 31.
Port officials are in discussions with the cruise line and hope to pen a memorandum of understanding for a long-term strategy beginning in November 2023.
About the Galveston Wharves at the Port of Galveston
Located at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Wharves has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 45 minutes from open seas, the 840-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo and commercial businesses. As the fourth most popular U.S. cruise port, it welcomed more than 1 million cruise passengers in 2019. Also one of the busiest in Texas, the port moved 4.3 million tons of cargo in 2020 and has an estimated annual state economic impact of $2.1 billion.