Royal Caribbean is building a new cruise terminal in Galveston, Texas, and shared a look at what it will look like inside and out.
Terminal 3 cruise terminal will be big enough to handle Royal Caribbean's largest cruise ships, and signifies a major investment in the Galveston cruise market by committing to invest millions of dollars to upgrade the facilities.
The new $125 million cruise terminal will open in Fall 2022, and Royal Caribbean shared new concept art for what it will look like.
New cruise terminals are more than just a place to check-in and board your cruise. With the new building comes a smoother process, as well as enhancements in the embarkation and disembarkation procedures.
The entryway
Allure of the Seas will be the first ship to call Galveston home when the new terminal opens in fall 2022.
In total, the building is 161,300 square feet and Royal Caribbean says it will be a state-of-the-art building.
It will also be a LEED-certified terminal (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which means it will be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently.
Construction of the terminal was delayed due to the global health crisis, but work began in April 2021 on the 10 acre parcel of land.
The new terminal is located at Pier 10 for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean.
Architects Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. came up with the look of the new terminal, but this firm is no stranger to Royal Caribbean. They also designed Terminal A in Miami, Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal, and Port Everglades' Terminal 18 and 25.
Boarding area
The facility will feature state-of-the-art technology, including mobile check-in and facial recognition to expedite guest arrival.
Not only can Terminal 3 handle Oasis Class ships, it will also be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class ships.
Read more: Royal Caribbean looks forward to big plans in 2022 and 2023
Guests who are booked in a suite will be able to enjoy a VIP area in the new terminal.
Many cruise terminals have separate seating for suite guests, and Galveston's new terminal looks to follow in Terminal A in PortMiami's approach to providing suite guests with their own "plussed" seating area before boarding begins.
Allure of the Seas will offer cruises from Terminal 3 beginning in November 2022.
Allure will sail 7-night Western Caribbean cruises to destinations like Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatan, Honduras.
