The Galveston Wharves will invest $53 million in the expansion of Cruise Terminal 25 ahead of the Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Jubilee arrival, a new ship set to debut in December.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming the beautiful new Carnival Jubilee to our improved cruise terminal,” said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO. “We’re proud to have Carnival Cruise Line, our long-time cruise partner, choose Galveston as the home port for its newest ship.”
The terminal’s makeover will include gangway modifications, a ramp, a new roof, two elevators and an escalator.
Rees added that cruise operations will continue while the project is underway.
In addition, there will also be mandated improvements to areas used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. According to Reese, the improvements will aid the port’s future growth, help secure more jobs and contribute to a stronger regional economy.
The project will be funded with cash reserves, a proposed bond issue and an agreement with Carnival.
“Carnival was the first major cruise line to homeport in Galveston more than 20 years ago. They believed in us then and believe in Galveston’s growing prominence as a top cruise port today,” concluded Rees.
Originally built for Costa Cruises, the vessel is set to offer a unique product, combining Carnival’s experience with special touches from the European country.
Following the Venezia, which will sail year-round from New York, the Carnival Firenze is also set to join the concept in 2024 and launch service from California.
Two Newbuilds Two new builds are entering service for core Carnival Corporation brands in 2023.
Originally ordered for AIDA Cruises, the new Carnival Jubilee is currently being built in Germany by the Meyer Werft shipyard. Joining the Mardi Gras and the Carnival Celebration, the XL-Class ship will debut during the fourth quarter, offering Western Caribbean cruises out of Galveston.
A sister to the Seabourn Venture, the Seabourn Pursuit is set to become Carnival Corp’s second expedition ship. Under construction in Italy, the vessel is scheduled to enter service in October, ahead of a winter season in Antarctica.
In addition is a yet-to-be-named new build for Adora Cruises, Carnival’s joint venture in China.
More Efficient Fleet While new ships enter service, Carnival continues to withdraw smaller and less efficient ships from its fleet.
The number is up from 54 per cent occupancy in the first quarter of 2022 when cruise operations were still being restarted across the globe.
Return to Asia and World Cruises Following a three-year gap, several Carnival brands are returning to Asia in early 2023.
While Seabourn is set to offer a series of Southeast Asia itineraries during the entire winter season, Princess and Holland America are returning to Japan in the spring.
Several brands – including P&O, Cunard, Costa, Princess and Holland America – also resumed their world cruise itineraries in January, offering long global voyages that visit several international destinations and countries.
Named Adora Cruises, the new brand will serve the local market, offering itineraries from several Chinese homeports.
In addition to two ships acquired from Costa, the joint venture is set to operate a pair of new builds, which are currently being constructed at a shipyard in Shanghai and are scheduled for 2023 and 2025 deliveries.
Carnival Corporation will decelerate its new building pace in an effort to not only moderate supply growth, but keep spending down, according to Josh Weinstein, president and CEO, speaking on the company’s year-end and fourth-quarter earnings call.
Weinstein said that the company didn’t expect to take delivery of any new ships in 2026, and beyond that, would only build two ships a year going forward.
“Going forward, we are committed to using our expected cash flow strength to repair the balance sheet over time, and we’ll be disciplined and rigorous in making newbuild decisions accordingly,” he said.
“We have just four ships on order through 2025, plus our second incredible Seabourn luxury expedition ship to be delivered in 2023.
“This is our lowest order book in decades,” Weinstein continued. “We don’t expect any new ships in 2026 and anticipate just one or two new builds each year for several years thereafter.”
Left on the Carnival orderbook through 2025 are the Carnival Jubilee, Cunard’s Queen Anne, the Sun Princess, another Princess newbuild that has yet to be named and the Seabourn Pursuit.
No new builds are on order for the company’s other brands including Holland America Line, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia. Carnival’s joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corporation was not mentioned.
With more old ships exiting combined with recent deliveries and the upcoming new build schedule, the company expects about 25 per cent of its capacity to be what it considers new ships in 2023.
That means an eight-percentage point increase in balcony cabins across the fleet, and differentiated onboard experiences resulting in greater onboard revenue.
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