Latest news with #RodgerRees
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Disney Cruise Line quietly makes big plans for Texas
Right now, if you want take a Disney cruise on one of the line's buzzed-about new ships, your departure port options are mostly limited to Florida. The brand-new Disney Treasure is now sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida alongside the 2022-launched Disney Wish. And in November, the Disney Destiny, the cruise line's new heroes- and villains-themed ship will debut from Fort Lauderdale. Related: Savvy Disney vacationers use this service to save big on trips But as Disney Cruise Line continues its multi-year fleet expansion, which includes new Disney cruise vacations in Asia, too, the cruise line may be about to go bigger in Texas. Although Disney Cruise Line has not yet made any announcements about its future plans in Texas, Port of Galveston CEO Rodger Rees recently made some bold statements regarding the cruise line's plans for its sailings from the Texas port. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. In a recent meeting with the Galveston City Council, Rees revealed that Disney Cruise Line plans to expand its cruise schedule from the port in 2027, the Galveston County Daily News reported. Rees said that in 2027, the cruise line will begin sailing year-round from Galveston, and likely on a larger and newer ship. Currently, Disney Cruise Line sails seasonal cruises to the western Caribbean from the port on board the oldest ship in its fleet, the Disney Magic. Recent incidents of plumbing leaks and backups reported on board the 27-year-old Disney Magic have left passengers wondering whether it's about time for the cruise line to retire its beloved maiden vessel. Related: Disney Cruise Line dealing with plumbing problems Considering that most mainstream cruise lines expect to get about 30 years of service out of each ship, it would make sense that Disney would replace the 2,700-passenger Disney Magic as it expands in Galveston. Rees even suggested that the bigger ship headed to Galveston could be Disney Cruise Line's biggest ship yet - the 6,700-passenger Disney Adventure megaship that the cruise line is launching in December from Singapore. However, Disney Cruise Line has previously said that the Disney Adventure will sail from Singapore for at least five years as part of a collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board. It's much more likely that a 4,000-passenger Wish-class ship will sail from Galveston in 2027 - potentially the fourth ship in the class, which the cruise line plans to launch that year. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Although Princess Cruises recently dropped Galveston from its future cruise itineraries after 20 years of sailing from the popular port, other cruise lines are making major investments in Texas. Cruise lines plan to invest more than $200 million in western Caribbean cruise itineraries and Galveston is well poised to facilitate much of that growth, Rees told the city council. He said that's because Florida's biggest cruise ports are running out of room to expand and more people than ever now live within driving distance of Galveston. Royal Caribbean invested in a new cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston in 2022, and other family-focused cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises have since inked long-term agreements with the port, too. Related: MSC Cruises takes another bold step in its ambitious growth plan Galveston is a convenient cruise departure port for many families in Texas and surrounding states who want to explore the western Caribbean, so it makes sense that Disney Cruise Line would want to increase its capacity there, too. This year, more than 400 sailings carrying around 1.75 million passengers are scheduled to depart from Galveston. Following the opening of MSC Cruises' brand-new $156 million Galveston cruise terminal in late 2025, the growing port expects eventually welcome more than two million passengers annually. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Another cruise line set to take Princess Cruises' dropped homeport
After 20 years of Princess Cruises sailing from one top U.S. cruise port, a new era is on its way. A fleet redeployment plan is sending Princess Cruises in a new direction beginning in 2026, leaving a home-port void that another cruise line could be quick to days after Princess Cruises canceled its winter 2026 – 2027 season from the in-demand cruise port, reports from the port say another cruise line is already in talks to take its place. Although cruisers already have several cruise line options to consider from this convenient port, it appears that Princess Cruises' departure may make way for a cruise line that doesn't currently sail from the city to further expand cruise travelers' Cruises is set to end a 20-year run in Galveston, Texas after the winter 2025 – 2026 season after scrapping its winter 2026 – 2027 Galveston sailings scheduled on Majestic Princess as part of a 'broader global fleet deployment strategy.' Although the Port of Galveston would welcome Princess Cruises to return in the future, its CEO Rodger Rees told Chron that the port is already in talks with an additional cruise line interested in sending a ship to Galveston to fill the open spot. 'Major cruise lines are bullish on Galveston," Rees told Chron. "Cruise lines homeported here full-time and lines sailing seasonally from here have expressed strong interest in adding more sailings."Port officials won't reveal which cruise line may take the spot left by Princess Cruises until an agreement is signed, but Rees indicated that it's a potential new cruise line partner — an additional line that doesn't currently have sailings scheduled from the port. With Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Disney Cruise Line all offering western Caribbean cruises from Galveston, and MSC Cruises opening a new cruise terminal there in November, there are only a couple of major cruise lines not most likely replacement for Princess Cruises in Galveston may be Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean Group, which invested in a new Galveston cruise terminal for Royal Caribbean ships in 2022. Royal Caribbean is developing a new Royal Beach Club Cozumel experience and a Perfect Day Mexico private cruise destination in Costa Maya that support the growth of short western Caribbean itineraries from Galveston. Celebrity Cruises could potentially take passengers to those exclusive destinations as well. Celebrity Cruises currently sails to both Cozumel and Costa Maya from Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. The Port of Galveston follows PortMiami, Port Canaveral, and Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades as the fourth most popular cruise home port in the growing Port of Galveston welcomed about 1.6 million cruise passengers on more than 380 cruise sailings in 2024. More than 400 cruise sailings are scheduled for 2025, with 1.75 million passengers expected. The opening of MSC Cruises' new $156 million cruise terminal in late 2025 will support the port, eventually handling more than 2 million passengers annually. As for Princess Cruises, the cruise line has not yet announced where Majestic Princess will sail instead of Galveston during the winter 2026 – 2027 season. Loyal Princess cruisers still have a last chance to sail from Galveston to the western Caribbean on Regal Princess cruises departing between November 2025 and March 2026. Port of Galveston officials have also made it clear that they don't want to count out Princess Cruises returning in the future. "We would welcome them back in the future," Rees told Chron. "Their ships are sailing from Galveston at capacity, which is good for Princess and the port." (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
