Carnival, Port of Galveston Mark 10 Years of 'Fun Ship' Cruising From Texas

Tomorrow, September 30, marks the 10^th anniversary of Carnival Cruise Lines’ first-ever departure from Port of Galveston.  During the past decade, Carnival has increased its Galveston passenger counts from 28,000 in 2000 to nearly 325,000 this year, making the cruise line the port’s largest operator.

Carnival will further build upon its commitment to the Port of Galveston when the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic, the newest addition to the “Fun Ship” fleet, commences seven-day Caribbean cruises to the Caribbean Nov. 14, 2011, becoming the largest cruise ship homeported in Texas year-round.  In addition, the 2,758-pasenger Carnival Triumph, currently based in New Orleans, will reposition to Galveston to launch year-round four- and five-day western Caribbean cruises Oct. 6, 2011.

“For the past 10 years, Carnival has enjoyed a wonderful partnership with the Port of Galveston and together we have offered outstanding vacation experiences for millions of consumers while providing a significant benefit to the local economy.  Basing the Carnival Magic and Carnival Triumph in Galveston speaks to our confidence in our partnership with the port and local community as a whole,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO.

In 2009, the Port of Galveston was the only cruise ship port in Texas and number one in the Gulf of Mexico. The Port’s 395,000 annual cruise passengers spent extra time on the Island contributing to the tourism industry of Galveston, which accounts for an $800 million economic impact annually.

“The Port is dedicated to continuing to make improvements that will keep Galveston a top cruise port and we look forward to the addition of the Carnival Magic and the repositioning of the Carnival Triumph to Galveston,” said Steven M. Cernak, Port of Galveston port director. “Home porting both ships represents the largest-ever capacity commitment by a cruise line to Texas. These deployments are expected to carry more than 450,000 passengers annually from Galveston and speak to the partnership we’ve developed with Carnival Cruise Lines.”