Port of Galveston Location & Information

The Port of Galveston was established in 1825, but destroyed in the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and was rebuilt. Today, it is an interesting and beautiful port to explore. With great seafood restaurants and wonderful sights, you'll enjoy your time here!

Port of Galveston News and Info

The Port of Galveston is the oldest port in the Gulf of Mexico west of New Orleans. A natural harbor, it was originally established by the Congress of Mexico in 1825 when the land know today as Texas was still owned by Mexico. During the late 19th Century, the port was the busiest on the Gulf Coast and was only second-busiest in the USA to the port of New York City. The port exported most of the nation's cotton, as well as cattle, rice and other commodities. Galveston's wealth was due to the port's activity. However, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 devastated the port and it needed to be rebuilt. Today the port is once again thriving and a beautiful and unique place to spend some time.

The Port of Galveston is homeport to a number of vessels for the companies Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean International, Princess Cruises and Disney Cruise Lines. The ships that call the Port of Galveston Cruise Terminal 1 home are Carnival Magic, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Triumph. It takes approximately 30 minutes to sail from the port to the open seas of the Gulf of Mexico. Destinations for cruise passengers include the Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Jamaica and The Bahamas. It has seen almost 5 million passengers through it's gates provides over 200, 000 people with jobs.

Port of Galveston Cruise Terminal 1 Information for Passengers

• The Port of Galveston, Harborside Drive, Galveston, TX, United States, is located on the south side of the Galveston Channel. The port consists of two terminals. Both terminals can house one cruise ship at a time. Terminal 1 is the larger of the two and can berth larger ships. Terminal 2 is smaller, houses smaller cruise liners and is to the west of Terminal 1.
• Passengers enter through the south entrance of Terminal 1 and then proceed through security and must have a valid cruise ship ticket and government issued photo ID. Minors absolutely must be accompanied by a legal parent or guardian.
• Passengers drop off their luggage to helpful baggage handlers.
• The cruise ships dock to the north of the terminal.
• Parking is offered to the west of the terminal, also along Harborside Dr. / HWY 275. A shuttle picks you up from the parking lot and delivers you right to the front entrance of the terminal building.
• The industrial feel surrounding the port doesn't take away from the beauty of the terminal. There are great seafood restaurants right on the waterfront. Make sure to but fresh shrimp right on the pier!

Make sure to always check in with the Port of Galveston website for all your cruise information and services. And don't forget to book your parking lot spot with Instapark for the best that parking has to offer.

Reserve your parking lot spot with Instapark right now!