Former Galveston council member calls for review of Royal Caribbean’s Miami agreement
Ralph McMorris said Galveston should study terms secured by Miami before making a long-term waterfront commitment to the cruise line.
Ralph McMorris, a former Galveston council member and island business owner, has urged Galveston to examine Royal Caribbean’s agreement with Miami before committing another waterfront property to the company for decades.
In his commentary, McMorris said Miami negotiated significant minimum passenger guarantees and provisions allowing it to recover substantial public infrastructure costs. He also pointed to a five-year condition involving Royal Caribbean’s minimum revenue guarantee.
According to McMorris, that provision was designed to keep Miami’s minimum revenue guarantee from Royal Caribbean higher than the cruise line’s comparable guarantees to other ports in the Caribbean basin during the five-year period. He presented the Miami terms as a reference point for Galveston as it considers a decades-long arrangement with Royal Caribbean.
