A 160,000 gallon oil spill near Galveston, Texas is delaying cruise ships coming and going to the cruise port, including Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas.

The collision between a barge and another vessel Saturday near the Texas City Dike spilled 160,000 gallons of heavy oil into Galveston Bay and has forced the U.S. Coast Guard to close the Houston Ship Channel.

Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas was scheduled to arrive early this morning and let off its passengers while allowing new ones to board but it remains stuck outside the harbor.  

Passenger Jonathan Spoon is aboard the ship and told the Galveston Daily News, "We are being told they are conducting a flyover to see if the ship can make its way into the port (of Galveston) without going through the oil.  There are lots of ships parked all around us. So far no problems on the boat."

He said Royal Caribbean reopened many of the ships restaurants and onboard activities to keep the passengers comfortable. 

Royal Caribbean has not commented on the situation yet, but is monitoring it.

Royal Caribbean has reached a deal with the Port of Galveston, Texas for a five-year agreement after the Port of Galveston’s governing board approved the deal on Monday.

The deal will generate a minimum of $1.86 million in annual operating revenues for the public docks.

In addition, the deal requires making about $10 million in improvements to the port's Cruise Terminal No. 2.

Royal Caribbean currently operates Navigator of the Seas out of Galveston although Royal Caribbean did promise to bring a larger cruise ship to the port if the improvements made to Cruise Terminal No. 2 are completed.

Port Director Michael Mierzwa believes they can borrow enough to cover an estimated $10 million in improvements Royal Caribbean has requested, he said. 

The agreement differs from the now-expired arrangement Royal Caribbean forged with the port in 2007. Unlike the previous agreement, Royal Caribbean chose to guarantee a yearly minimum revenue based upon a Voyager-class vessel making 19 calls to the port, rather than the guaranteed 25 calls a year under the expired agreement, Mierzwa said.  

Royal Caribbean agreed to an additional 30 calls in both 2014 and 2015, essentially committing to a year-round vessel in both years with a promise to bring a larger vessel to Galveston next year if improvements were made to the Cruise Terminal No. 2, which has accommodated smaller passenger liners in the past.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) will begin collecting personal importation taxes on alcohol and cigarettes from passengers returning from cruises in Galveston in 2014.  Royal Caribbean operates Navigator of the Seas currently out of Galveston.

Beginning on January 4, 2014, cruise travelers disembarking out of Galveston will need to pay the tax for alcoholic beverages and cigarettes imported into the state that were purchased either on the ship's duty free store or at a foreign port of call. 

During the recent legislative session, the agency was appropriated funding to begin tax collection of imported alcoholic beverages and cigarettes from seaport facilities. The Galveston Port facility will be the first seaport location where this tax will be collected with plans to extend to the Houston-Bayport facility in the fall of 2014.

Tax collection points staffed with TABC personnel will be situated at both terminals 1 and 2 at the Galveston facility located where patrons come through the U.S. Customs secondary checkpoint. Passengers will be able to pay the taxes with either cash or credit cards.

TABC personnel have worked with Port of Galveston officials to ensure that the tax collection is done efficiently and with limited disruption of port operations and delays to the passengers.

Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas will call Galveston, Texas year-round starting in the winter of 2013, after she undergoes a refurbishment.

Navigator of the Seas will offer seven-night western Caribbean cruises after she enters drydock in February 2014 as part of Royal Caribbean's effort to update every cruise ship in the fleet.  

During Navigator of the Seas' time in drydock, she will receive

• FlowRider surf simulator
• Giovanni’s Table
• Park Café
• Izumi Asian Cuisine
• Virtual Balconies for select interior staterooms
• New panoramic oceanview staterooms – featuring full-length, floor-to-ceiling windows
• Outdoor oversized movie screen overlooking the main pool
• Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• New Diamond Lounges for suite and Crown & Anchor Society members
• Cupcake Cupboard
• WiFi throughout the ship
• flat-panel televisions in all staterooms
• interactive signage

Royal Caribbean executive vice president of Global Sales and Marketing, Lisa Bauer, commented on the news, "We are thrilled to be homeporting Navigator of the Seas, with her new enhancements and first at-sea amenities year-round in Galveston. As part of our commitment to delivering the most innovative and contemporary vacation experiences to guests, the iconic FlowRider, as well as the new Virtual Balconies, will be among a new range of amenities being introduced aboard the Voyager class of ships – making every ship our best ship. These exciting and unmatched onboard amenities on Navigator of the Seas, offer adventurous family vacationers many opportunities to be WOW’ed in ways that only Royal Caribbean can deliver.”

Two of the new features, the virtual balconies and panoramic oceanview staterooms, are features that Royal Caribbean is "live testing" aboard Navigator of the Seas to get the technology ready for Quantum of the Seas, which will be under construction at the time.