A director at the Port of Galveston has confirmed that Royal Caribbean has shown interest in constructing a new cruise terminal next to the existing Terminal 10, which the line opened in 2022 at a cost of roughly $125 million. According to Royal Caribbean Blog's July 19 weekly round-up, a second terminal would potentially allow the cruise line to homeport additional ships in Texas, a market that has been growing rapidly.
Galveston has been on a strong upward trajectory, welcoming around 3.4 million passengers in 2024 and an estimated 3.6 million in 2025, with projections pointing toward 4 million in 2026, according to Cruise Hive. The port's economic impact study for a potential fifth terminal found it could generate 1,500 new local jobs, $91.5 million in personal income, and $278 million in direct business revenue.
Royal Caribbean already has a meaningful Texas footprint, and separately confirmed earlier this year that Icon of the Seas will redeploy to Galveston in August 2027 for alternating 6- and 8-night Western Caribbean sailings. A second dedicated terminal would give the line the flexibility to run two large ships simultaneously from the port.