Thousands more cruise passengers have sailed out of the Port of Galveston in 2024 than in years past, just as new infrastructure promises to continue expanding the port’s capacity to handle big ships.

More than 1.24 million people cruised out of Galveston aboard one of 14 ships in the first nine months of this year, data from the port shows. That’s 5.6% over what port officials forecast for the period and nearly 11% over the passenger count for the same period in 2023. Galveston has seen a 3% increase in cruise ship calls so far this year compared with 2023.

Carnival is currently the line with the largest volume of passengers sailing out of Galveston, but other cruise companies aim to catch up. Earlier this month, the port announced a 10-year deal with Norwegian that will give that line permanent space at the new terminal under construction at Pier 16, which is slated to open in 2025. Officials with Norwegian say they view Galveston as a long-term growth market.

Data from the Port of Galveston indicates the cruise industry accounted for over 4,500 jobs and $732 million generated for Galveston's economy in 2023. That’s in addition to more than $25 million in state and local taxes.

The Galveston cruise business also has a buoying effect on the region’s overall hospitality sector as many cruise passengers travel into the Houston market. Those visitors often stay at hotels on the front or backside of their cruise, eat in local restaurants and enjoy area attractions.

See how the area hotel market is performing so far this year.

Written by A.J. Mistretta 

Image: the Carnival Vista is one of several ships by that cruise line sailing out of Galveston this year