Galveston advances talks on second Royal Caribbean terminal
The proposed Cruise Terminal 14 would be designed to accommodate the cruise line’s Icon Class ships.
The Port of Galveston has moved ahead with discussions on a second Royal Caribbean cruise terminal, although formal approval of the memorandum of understanding has been deferred. The port’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the measure.
The proposed Cruise Terminal 14 would sit between existing Terminal 10 and the future Battleship Texas site near Terminal 16. Plans call for the facility to accommodate Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class vessels and give the cruise line preferential berthing access seven days a week.
Under a proposed amendment to the memorandum, the port would create a ground lease arrangement modeled on Terminal 10 and permit the slip east of Pier 14 to be filled. Publicly available information indicates the port would fill that slip and build a pier and berth meeting Royal Caribbean’s requirements. Another description of the proposal assigns construction of the Icon Class-capable pier and berth to Royal Caribbean, with the port responsible for parking facilities.
No completion date has been announced. Royal Caribbean is not required to proceed at this stage because definitive agreements do not have to be completed until Dec. 31, 2027.
