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Revision as of 20:03, 7 June 2017 by Karanacs (talk | contribs) (→Overview: add)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Port in United States| Port of Galveston | |
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| File:Port of Galveston logo.jpg | |
| Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Galveston, Texas |
| Details | |
| Opened | 1825 |
| Operated by | Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees |
| Owned by | City of Galveston |
| Type of harbour | Natural |
| No. of piers | 39 |
| Employees | 88 |
| Executive Director | Michael J. Mierzwa |
| Statistics | |
| Vessel arrivals | 944 (2009) |
| Annual cargo tonnage | 9,791,907 short tons (8,883,069 t) (2009) |
| Annual container volume | 83,643 (2009) |
| Value of cargo | $680.359 million (2005) $2,697 |
| Passenger traffic | 788,931 (2009) |
| Annual revenue | $23.25 million (2010) |
| Net income | $7.34 million (2010) |
| Minimum depth | 45 feet (14 m) |
| Narrowest width | 1,200 feet (370 m) |
| Website http://www.portofgalveston.com | |
The Port of Galveston is the port of the city of Galveston, Texas. It was established by a proclamation issued by the Congress of Mexico on October 17, 1825, while the land known today as Texas was still part of Mexico. The Port of Galveston is the oldest port in the Gulf of Mexico west of New Orleans.
Overview
 | The factual accuracy of parts of this article (those related to article) may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (May 2013) |
Located on the upper Texas 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, as designated by the City Charter. The port is self-sustaining, and does not receive any taxpayer funding. 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) and is 1,200 feet (370 m) wide at its narrowest point.
The port has 15-20 lines of business.
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 dept of 12.1 metres (40 ft) to 13.7 metres (45 ft), at a cost of $12-15 million. To accommodate cruise ships, the area where the ships turn around is routinely dredged every four years.
History
During the late 19th century, up until the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, 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. The port exported most of the nation's cotton, along with large amounts of cattle, rice and other commodities. Galveston's wealth and great esteem was due in large part to the port's activity. The port was devastated by the 1900 Storm, and though it has since recovered, its status was quickly overtaken by the Port of Houston and other deep-water ports that were able to expand without restrictions due to geographic features.
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 Carnival Cruise Lines ship Celebration debarked from the port of Galveston. The 722 feet (220 m) long Celebration, and other ships based in Galveston in the first few years, were small and older. Over the next 16 years, the port invested more than $85 million to build and improve facilities to accommodate these ships. Princess declined to sail from Galveston after the 2007 season.
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.
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. In 2011, Carnival added a second year-round ship in Galveston, the Carnival Triumph, increasing their capacity by 40%. The following year, Carnival transferred the Carnival Magic, to Galveston, marking the first time that a cruise line had based its newest ship at this port. Both Princess Cruise Lines and Disney Cruise Lines stationed ships in Galveston for the winter season in 2012-2013. From 2014 to 2015, the cruise business expanded substantially, adding an additional 400,000 passengers.
In order to lure larger ships, carrying up to 5,000 passengers, the port renovated and expanded Terminal 2. A new building was constructed on the foundations of an 80-year-old silo and then connected to the original Terminal 2. The port's contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines specified that the work would be completed before the Liberty of the Seas was repositioned to Galveston. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival expressed public displeasure when the project was delayed multiple times. One delay was due to a redesign required when engineers discovered the work area had sandier soil than expected and would thus require a more sturdy foundation. The construction area was thought to be the location of a sunk Texas Navy warship, requiring archaeological analysis before construction could begin.
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 Galveston Railroad, a terminal switching railroad, facilitates movement of cargo by rail.
Del Monte uses one wharf to import bananas. In April 2016, a new vehicle distribution center for BMW Group was opened at the port. This was the result of a public-private partnership that the port entered into with Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics Vehicle Services Americas. The new 20 acres (8.1 ha) site has the capacity to import 32,500 cars per year, an inventory worth more than $1.3 billion.
Passengers
As of 2017, Galveston is the 4th-busiest cruise ship homeport in North America and one of the top 10 homeports in the world. Over the years, the port has welcomed ships from major cruise lines including Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Lines, and Norwegian Cruise Lines. In 2017, three Carnival ships and two Royal Caribbean ships call the port home year-round, while Disney operates one ship for limited sailings. An estimated 946,000 cruise passengers will sail from the port in 2017, a ten percent increase over 2016. A 2015 economic analysis estimated that cruise passengers injected $56 million per year into the local Galveston economy, an average of $62 per passenger.
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. Terminal 1 was expanded and improved in 2010, as a condition of Carnival placing their then-newest ship, the Carnival Magic at the port. Terminal 2 was expanded in 2016 to accommodate Royal Caribbean's desire to base their larger Freedom-class ships in Galveston. The new 150,000 square feet (14,000 m) facility can accommodate up to 5,000 passengers and allows for simultaneous handling of passengers embarking and disembarking. Port officials have earmarked $100,000 for the design of a third terminal, but are waiting for definitive interest from a cruise line before beginning work.
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. Cruises account for approximately 60% of the port's revenues.
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. 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.
Other revenue streams
Much of the port's profit comes from parking fees. The port operates a large parking lot for cruise passengers to leave their cars. They also charge an access fee for private operators to enter the cruise terminal area to pick up or drop off passengers. Several parking operators sued the port over these fees. In January 2017, the United States Federal Maritime Commission unanimously upheld the port's right to charge them.
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.
References
- ^ Bassett, Roland (2011-01-08). "Port of Galveston continues to grow". Galveston Daily News. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- ^ "Port of Galveston: Statistics". Port of Galveston. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- ^ "US Port Ranking by Cargo 2009" (PDF). US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- "North American Port Container Traffic 2009" (PDF). US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- ^ Staff (2011-01-25). "Port: 2010 Was a Big Year". Galveston Daily News. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- Handbook of Texas: Galveston Wharves
- ^ Rumbaugh, Andrea (11 October 2016), "Port director who built up Galveston's cruise business to retire", Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, retrieved 6 Jun 2017
- ^ Berman, Scott (21 March 2017), "Cruise business central to Galveston's future", Fairplay, IHS, retrieved 6 June 2017
- ^ Scully, Sarah (18 November 2015), "Galveston welcomes new cruise ship, more passengers", Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, retrieved 6 June 2017
- ^ Elder, Laura (1 October 2015), "Port marks major milestone in cruising", Galveston County Daily News, Galveston, TX, retrieved 6 June 2017
- ^ Bennett, Mia (31 October 2016), "Competing for Attention", The Maritime Executive, retrieved 6 Jun 2017
- ^ Shattuck, Harry (7 October 2011), "Galveston expands its cruise ship offerings", Dallas News, Dallas, TX, retrieved 6 June 2017
- Handbook of Texas: Galveston Railway
- Rumbaugh, Andrea (20 April 2016), "BMWs, Minis set to roll through Galveston port", Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, retrieved 6 June 2017
- ^ Dudley, Sean, "All go in Galveston", Ibnternational Cruise & Ferry Review, vol. Spring/Summer 2017, retrieved 6 June 2017
- ^ Ryan, Molly (6 January 2014), "On the horizon for Houston-area cruises: Fog, taxes, and different ships", Houston Business Journal, Houston, TX, retrieved 6 June 2017
- "Port of Galveston wins parking lot lawsuit appeal", Cruise Industry News, 16 January 2017, retrieved 6 Jun 2017
External links
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29°18′18″N 94°48′36″W / 29.305°N 94.810°W / 29.305; -94.810
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