Port of Galveston
Port of Galveston | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
Location | Galveston, Texas |
Coordinates | 29°18′18″N 94°48′36″W / 29.305°N 94.810°W |
UN/LOCODE | USGLS[1] |
Details | |
Opened | 1825 |
Operated by | Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees |
Owned by | City of Galveston |
Type of harbour | Natural |
No. of piers | 22 |
Employees | 83[2] |
Executive director | Rodger Rees |
Statistics | |
Vessel arrivals | 840 (2018)[3] |
Annual cargo tonnage | 4,104,867 short tons (3,723,873 t) (2018)[4] |
Annual container volume | 83,643 (2009)[5] |
Value of cargo | $680.359 million (2005)[4] $2,697 |
Passenger traffic | 1,966,178 (2018)[3] |
Annual revenue | $43.5 million (2018)[6] |
Net income | $7 million (2018)[6] |
Minimum depth | 45 feet (14 m)[2] |
Narrowest width | 1,200 feet (370 m) |
Website www |
The Port of Galveston is the port of the city of
Overview
Located on the upper Texas Gulf Coast on the eastern end of Galveston Island, it is 9.3 miles (15.0 km) from the open Gulf or approximately 30 minutes sailing time. The port is municipally owned by the City of Galveston and is managed by the board of trustees of the Galveston Wharves.[citation needed] The port is self-sustaining, and does not receive any taxpayer funding.[8] The Port of Galveston consists of the Galveston Ship Channel, the south side of Pelican Island, the north side of Galveston Island, and the entrance to Galveston Bay. The Galveston Channel has an authorized minimum depth of 45 feet (14 m)[2] and is 1,200 feet (370 m) wide at its narrowest point.
The port has 15–20 lines of business.[8]
In 2015, the eastern section of the port, ending at Pier 38, was dredged to a depth of 13.716 metres (45.00 ft). Siltation occurred at a faster than expected pace, requiring more dredging in 2016. The western part of the port will be dredged from a depth of 12.1 metres (40 ft) to 13.7 metres (45 ft), at a cost of $12–15 million.[9] To accommodate cruise ships, the area where the ships turn around is routinely dredged every four years.[10]
History
During the late 19th century, the port was the busiest on the Gulf Coast and considered to be second busiest in the country, next to the port of New York City.[11]
In the 1850s, the port of Galveston exported approximately goods valued almost 20 times what was imported. The main export was cotton.
The port survived the
In March 1920 local
Later that decade, the port of Galveston became a major
The
For several years in the 1990s, port officials attempted to lure modern cruise ships to Galveston. Their efforts paid off in 2000. On September 30, the
Hurricane Ike hit the Texas Gulf Coast in 2008, causing major damage to the port. The cruise terminals were closed for several months, forcing Carnival to use the Bayport Cruise Terminal temporarily.[20]
At Carnival's behest, the port embarked on major improvements to Terminal 1 in 2010. The terminal was expanded to provide more seating, restrooms, and security screening stations.
To lure larger ships, carrying up to 5,000 passengers, the port renovated and expanded Terminal 2.
In 2021, the Port announced that a third cruise terminal would be built and Terminal 3 would exclusively serve Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class Allure of the Seas starting in November 2022, which at the time of announcement was the third-largest cruise ship in the world.[21]
Later also the passenger port of Galveston is prepared to welcome the arrival of Norwegian Prima (cruise ship from Norwegian Cruise Line), because Norwegian Prima will begin sail in Atlantic Caribbean route begin October 2022 departing from Galveston.
Cargo
The port is equipped to handle all types of cargo including containers, dry and liquid bulk, breakbulk, RO/RO, refrigerated, and project cargoes. The
Passengers
As of 2019, Galveston is the fourth-busiest cruise ship homeport in North America
There are two dedicated cruise terminals. Unlike many other ports, the cruise terminals are not used for other activities, such as conferences or corporate events.[9] Terminal 1 was expanded and improved in 2010, as a condition of Carnival Cruise Line placing their then-newest ship, the Carnival Magic at the port.[18][20] Terminal 2 was expanded in 2016 to accommodate Royal Caribbean's desire to base their larger Freedom-class ships in Galveston.[9][19] The new 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) facility can accommodate up to 5,000 passengers and allows for simultaneous handling of passengers embarking and disembarking.[24] A third terminal, on Pier 10, will be built at the cost of approximately $100,000,000 for Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships and will be the home of the Allure of the Seas starting in November 2022.[21]
The port receives fees of $11–26 per cruise ship passenger, depending on whether port employees are responsible for tying the ship down, or for paying the harbor pilots responsible for bringing the ships into the port.[10] Cruises account for approximately 60% of the port's revenues.[9]
Unlike other cruise ports in the United States, the port of Galveston can be affected by fog, particularly in late December, January, and February. This can delay the ships' return to port.[25] Beginning in 2014, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission began collecting taxes from returning cruise passengers on any alcohol and cigarettes they had purchased onboard or in foreign ports.[25]
Other revenue streams
Much of the port's profit comes from parking fees.
In February 2016, the port completed construction on the Galveston Downtown Transit Terminal. Designed to "connect the port to the city itself", the facility contains a shopping center and parking.[24]
See also
Citations
- ^ "UNLOCODE (US) – UNITED STATES". service.unece.org. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c Bassett, Roland (January 8, 2011). "Port of Galveston continues to grow". Galveston Daily News. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ^ a b "Port of Galveston: Statistics". Port of Galveston. Archived from the original on October 23, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ^ a b "US Port Ranking by Cargo 2009" (PDF). US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ^ "North American Port Container Traffic 2009" (PDF). US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ^ Galveston Daily News. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
- ^ Handbook of Texas: Galveston Wharves
- ^ a b c d Rumbaugh, Andrea (October 11, 2016), "Port director who built up Galveston's cruise business to retire", Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, retrieved June 6, 2017
- ^ a b c d e f g Berman, Scott (March 21, 2017), "Cruise business central to Galveston's future", Fairplay, IHS, retrieved June 6, 2017
- ^ a b c d e Scully, Sarah (November 18, 2015), "Galveston welcomes new cruise ship, more passengers", Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, retrieved June 6, 2017
- ^ a b c Wright-Gidley and Marines, p. 87
- ^ a b c McComb, p. 47.
- ^ a b c McComb, p. 168.
- ^ McComb, p. 49.
- ^ a b McComb, p, 48.
- ^ a b c Wright-Gidley and Marines, p. 88.
- ^ a b McComb, p. 167.
- ^ a b c d Elder, Laura (October 1, 2015), "Port marks major milestone in cruising", Galveston County Daily News, Galveston, TX, retrieved June 6, 2017
- ^ a b c d Bennett, Mia (October 31, 2016), "Competing for Attention", The Maritime Executive, retrieved June 6, 2017
- ^ a b c d e f g h Shattuck, Harry (October 7, 2011), "Galveston expands its cruise ship offerings", Dallas News, Dallas, TX, retrieved June 6, 2017
- ^ a b "3RD CRUISE TERMINAL A GAMECHANGER FOR GALVESTON ECONOMY". portofgalveston.com. Port of Galveston. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ Handbook of Texas: Galveston Railway
- ^ Rumbaugh, Andrea (April 20, 2016), "BMWs, Minis set to roll through Galveston port", Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, retrieved June 6, 2017
- ^ a b c Dudley, Sean, "All go in Galveston", International Cruise & Ferry Review, vol. Spring/Summer 2017, retrieved June 6, 2017
- ^ a b Ryan, Molly (January 6, 2014), "On the horizon for Houston-area cruises: Fog, taxes, and different ships", Houston Business Journal, Houston, TX, retrieved June 6, 2017
- ^ "Port of Galveston wins parking lot lawsuit appeal", Cruise Industry News, January 16, 2017, retrieved June 6, 2017
General sources
- "Statistics". Port of Galveston, TX – Official Website. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
Further reading
- McComb, David G. (1986), Galveston: A History, University of Texas Press, ISBN 9780292720534
- Wright-Gidley, Jodi; Marines, Jennifer (2008), Galveston: A City on Stilts, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 9780738558806