Royal Caribbean International has officially opened its doors to the new $125 million cruise terminal in Galveston, Texas and welcomed Allure of the Seas, the state’s largest cruise ship.
The cruise line held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening and to celebrate the Texas debut of its Oasis Class ship.
The event was attended by Royal Caribbean executives, government and port officials and partners.
VIP guests include U.S. representative Randy Weber, Federal Commissioner Louis Sola, Mayor Craig Brown, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley and Port Director Rodger Rees.
The city of Galveston also marked the day with a proclamation, recognizing the cruise line’s commitment to the city and the successful partnership that started more than 20 years ago.
With the introduction of the Oasis Class, the world’s largest cruise ship, it’s estimated the new terminal will welcome as many as 630,000 vacationers each year.
Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International, said:
“We are thrilled to take family vacations to a whole new level in Texas. Our new, 161,334-square-foot terminal opens up a world of vacation possibilities for families in the Southwest.
“Now our unmatched Oasis Class ships, known as the best family vacations in the industry, can set sail from Galveston.
“Allure of the Seas is just the beginning, and we thank the Port of Galveston, Ceres and all the teams involved for making this bold vision a reality.”
Royal Caribbean’s Galveston facility is the first LEED Zero Energy facility in the world, generating 100% of the energy it needs through onsite solar panels.
From the start, the design strategies used to develop the terminal were aligned with parent company Royal Caribbean Group’s wholistic environmental goals.
The company is focusing to advance the development of sustainable infrastructure as well as its decarbonization strategy – Destination Net Zero.
Rodger Rees, Port Director, Port of Galveston, said: “This new cruise terminal is a game-changer for the port and the region.
“This $125 million investment, in collaboration with Royal Caribbean, the port and Ceres, is expected to bring 800 new jobs, $1.4 billion in local business services revenue, $5.6 million in state and local taxes, and incredible business development opportunities.
“And, of course, Allure of the Seas means more cruising adventures for our Texas cruise guests.”
Onboard, there are seven signature neighbourhoods, including the open-air Central Park with thousands of real plants and the Boardwalk neighbourhood.
The one-of-a-kind AquaTheater entertainment venue comes alive with high divers, acrobats, aerialists and more.
From a nine-story-high zip line and two FlowRider surf simulators to rock climbing, ice skating, and original productions that span four stages – air, ice, water and theatre.
There are more than 30 restaurants, bars and lounges on board to serve up a range of flavours like family-style Italian classics at Giovanni’s Table, American steakhouse favourites at Chops Grille and fresh sushi and sizzling hibachi at Izumi.
New concepts and dishes are coming to Allure as well, including Wipeout Cafe featuring El Loco Fresh.
The venue will serve up El Loco Fresh’s popular, grab-and-go Mexican delights like made-to-order quesadillas, tacos, nachos and more.
Allure will set sail from the new homeport on its first cruise on Sunday, Nov. 13.
Vacationers can enjoy all that Allure has to offer on the new 7-night Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston and visit destinations, such as Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatan, Honduras, for the winter 2022-2023 season.
For more information, visit royalcaribbean.com.
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