Rees reiterates 2025 date for Galveston's fourth cruise terminal

Rees mentioned the new Cruise Terminal 16 that's in discussion with MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line in an update on the Port of Galveston's progress on its 20-year strategic master plan adopted in December 2019.

Norwegian Prima is scheduled to homeport in Galveston from December 2023 to March 2024, the first time NCL has sailed regularly from the Texas port. 

And Rees has said MSC Cruises could be there in 2025, though the line hasn't publicly disclosed a date or the ship. 

Vertical parking garages

The fourth cruise terminal would include a parking garage. Rees earlier estimated $70m for the terminal and $40m for a 1,500-space parking garage.

In his update, the port director said it costs roughly $30m to build a parking garage but a small fraction to use open land for a ground lot, adding: 'We’re using land for surface lots until we have a demand for a higher-revenue use for the land.'

'Although the return on investment for surface parking far exceeds the ROI from other parking alternatives, we will need to plan for vertical parking garages in the future,' Rees said, 'mainly due to space limitations at potential building sites and for the convenience of our cruise passengers.'