Galveston port believes in Carnival’s Magic

GALVESTON — Carnival Cruise Lines is expected to officially announce today its newest and largest vessel — Magic — will begin sailing from the island in November 2011, securing Galveston’s position as the top homeport for passenger vessels in the western Gulf of Mexico.

A ship the likes of Magic is a first for the island and for Texas, both accustomed to homeporting older vessels. Florida ports typically get the newest ships.

The 130,000-ton Magic will offer amenities made popular by its sister ship, Carnival Dream. Those include a water park, a live entertainment venue, an adults-only retreat, spacious facilities for children and teens and a wide range of stateroom categories.

The Port of Galveston’s governing board Tuesday authorized extensive renovation and expansion of the Texas Cruise Ship Terminal at Pier 25 to accommodate the 3,690-passenger Magic.

That work — requested by Carnival during negotiations — could cost from $8 million to $10 million, Port Director Steve Cernak said.

Because it will increase passenger volume, Magic is expected to add $1.5 million to the $5 million a year in cruise ship passenger and parking fees for the landlord port, Cernak said.

Magic also will bring more visitors to the island’s downtown shops and restaurants, Cernak said.

Before Magic arrives, the port must replace the passenger gangway at the Pier 25 terminal.

The port recently used insurance proceeds to repair the gangway after it was struck by Carnival’s Ecstasy. A vessel the size of Magic would require a larger gangway, Cernak said.

Carnival also is asking the port to move screening for embarking passengers from the terminal’s second floor to the first and expand waiting areas, adding restrooms and seating in the event of long fog delays.

Renovations and changes also would include a system allowing passengers to check in and obtain room assignments and then explore downtown during fog delays.

Passengers would be given a time to return to the terminal, which would ease anxiety about missing the cruise, Cernak said. The new system would require passengers to move through security only once. Now, they must go through security each time they enter the terminal.

The port likely would finance the gangway through the manufacturer and pay for other renovations through the increased passenger and parking fee revenue from the larger ship, Cernak said.

Magic will replace Carnival’s 2,974-passenger Conquest, which, along with Ecstasy, homeports in Galveston. Conquest offers seven-day cruises leaving Sundays to ports in Mexico, Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

Magic also would offer seven-day cruises, Cernak said.

Cernak credited the Wharves Board of Trustees, which governs the port, with agreeing to negotiate with Carnival.

“It’s a huge opportunity for Galveston, and we went after negotiations diligently and in a serious manner,” Cernak said. “We believe we have come to a meeting of minds with Carnival to benefit both parties and the growth and recovery of the island post-Hurricane Ike. The board clearly recognized this.”

In April, the port announced Royal Caribbean International next year would replace its Voyager of the Seas with one of the world’s 10 biggest liners.

Mariner of the Seas will move to Galveston in November 2011 to operate seven-night Western Caribbean cruises through April 2012.