Galveston Quest for PORT OF CALL

[ssb]

Galveston wharves trustee envisions city as port of call

 

By MATT DEGROOD The GALVESTON Daily News | Posted Yesterday

 

Ted O’Rourke is on a mission to make the island a port of call, a status that could lead to thousands of cruise passengers descending on the city for shopping and shore excursions.

 

“There’s no reason we can’t lobby the cruise lines to make this happen,” O’Rourke, a trustee on the Port of Galveston’s governing board, said.

 

“I’m going in February to try to bend their ears.”

 

A port of call is a stop a cruise ship makes on a voyage, as opposed to where it originates or ends, and island and port leaders have sought for years to make Galveston one.

 

Galveston is home port to three year-round Carnival Cruise Line ships, one year-round Royal Caribbean ship and a seasonal Disney Cruise Lines ship.

 

Those four full-time ships are Carnival’s Breeze, Valor and Freedom and Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas.

 

Starting in 2018, the Carnival Vista — the largest and newest ship in Carnival’s fleet — will move to Galveston to replace the Breeze.

 

With the arrival of Carnival Vista, Breeze will move to Port Canaveral, Fla., where it will offer seven-day cruises year-round.

 

The port is the fourth-busiest cruise port in the United States.

 

With the addition of Carnival Vista, Carnival’s three full-time ships will carry 650,000 passengers annually from Galveston, officials said.

 

It is this success, combined with the offerings of Galveston, that would make for an ideal port of call, O’Rourke said.

 

“It’s a no-brainer,” O’Rourke said. “My whole mission is getting this done. I want this.”

 

The topic was addressed during Monday’s regular meeting of the Wharves Board of Trustees, which governs the port.

 

Though all of the board members were in agreement that it would be beneficial to the city, some expressed concern about potential stumbling blocks.

 

Chairman Benny Holland highlighted the Jones Act as a potential issue to making Galveston a port of call.

 

Under Section 27 of the Jones Act, or the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, foreign-flagged vessels are prohibited from shipping from one U.S. port to another. Because most cruise ships sail under foreign flags, this has long caused issues for cruising within the United States.

 

However, O’Rourke said there have been misconceptions about the law.

 

The Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 is the one that applies to cruise lines, rather than the Jones Act, he said.

 

“As long as you touch one foreign port, you’re good,” he said during the meeting.

 

O’Rourke said that as long as a foreign port is included in the itinerary and no one leaves the cruise permanently during one of the stops, having Galveston as a port of call would not be in violation of the Vessel Services Act.

 

One possibility O’Rourke mentioned is a cruise ship might start out of New Orleans, stop in Galveston, sail to Cuba and then return to New Orleans.

 

Tampa was another port mentioned that might be interested in such a partnership.

 

Holland directed port officials and O’Rourke to begin lobbying cruise companies to make Galveston a port of call.

 

“Go and ask them what we have to do to get a port of call,” Holland said. “Tell them we have two cruise terminals and we’re hoping to get a third.”

 

Trey Click, the executive director of Galveston’s Historic Downtown Strand Seaport Partnership, was at Monday’s meeting to voice his support for a port of call.

 

“This would be great for small businesses and everyone downtown,” he said.

 

O’Rourke will attend a cruise seminar put on by the American Association of Port Authorities on Feb. 14-15 in San Diego to try to push the issue.

 

Though Click and other community members are behind the effort, there are some worried the effort might not get off the ground.

 

“No doubt some will be delighted by this, but I’m also realistic,” said Galveston Park Board of Trustees Chairwoman Joyce Calver-McLean. “It’s not up to us. We can make this successful — we can help market this. But at the end of the day, does this make sense to them?”

 

Calver-McLean remembered some talk of Galveston as a port of call going back 12 years.

 

The key to the proposal moving forward would be a cruise line signing on to the proposal.

 

But O’Rourke was confident such a decision was possible.

 

“There are already lines doing this on the coasts,” he said. “We’ve got to get a port of call here. The possibilities are are endless."

[cruising grandma]

Royal Caribbean has pulled out of cruising from New Orleans. I'm unsure, but don't think Liberty will be going to Cuba, might be too large. Now, the only ship from RCI going to Cuba is Empress. If I'm cruising the Caribbean, I prefer to go to Caribbean islands for nice beach days, nothing against Galveston. I cruised from Galveston and stayed precruise there several times, and will be there this Sunday to cruise on Liberty. I don't choose to cruise on ships leaving from the northeast to the Caribbean, which have port days in Cocoa Beach. I do enjoy a port day at Key West, occasionally. It might be good for Galveston economy, but most cruisers do come into Galveston pre cruise and see sights and spend money in hotels, restaurants and shops, now.

[George C]

I think the stupid Texas laws will help prevent cruise's from stopping here as a port, no other port has limits to what you can drink within texas waters. Much rather stop in Caribbean or Mexico or Key West

[ssb]

I think the stupid Texas laws will help prevent cruise's from stopping here as a port, no other port has limits to what you can drink within texas waters. Much rather stop in Caribbean or Mexico or Key West

 

You can have what ever you want while on island , tax will have been paid.

And have, whatever tax has been paid on , while on ship in Texas waters .

[cruising grandma]

You can have what ever you want while on island , tax will have been paid.

And have, whatever tax has been paid on , while on ship in Texas waters .

 

I couldn't even get limes in Texas waters...:rolleyes:

[ssb]

I couldn't even get limes in Texas waters...:rolleyes:

 

Yes agree, but I just shift gears, choices and enjoyed myself.

I Expect the unexpected when I travel. We both know that, as much as we have traveled. If that's the worse thing that happens for an hour on our cruise, I consider myself lucky.

[cruising grandma]

Yes agree, but I just shift gears, choices and enjoyed myself.

I Expect the unexpected when I travel. We both know that, as much as we have traveled. If that's the worse thing that happens for an hour on our cruise, I consider myself lucky.

 

Yes, I'll be drinking my vodka soda without the lime for a short time Sunday. No problem....I'll be enjoying cruise time anyway!

[Thorncroft]

It could happen. Azamara Quest made a port stop in Mobile back in November and will make another call in March.

[George C]

You can have what ever you want while on island , tax will have been paid.

And have, whatever tax has been paid on , while on ship in Texas waters .

 

Island is not bad, but I do not want to be limited to sub par scotch and drinks for a couple of hours getting to and leaving from. I am sailing in April, but chose another port to leave from for November even though I will pay more for air. Again no other port has this stupid law, NYC I think just adds a sale tax while you are there.

[Galveston Cruiser]

Island is not bad, but I do not want to be limited to sub par scotch and drinks for a couple of hours getting to and leaving from. I am sailing in April, but chose another port to leave from for November even though I will pay more for air. Again no other port has this stupid law, NYC I think just adds a sale tax while you are there.

 

Some travel for the ports and others travel just to drink!

It is less than two hours to international water.

BTW: it is a State law.

[George C]

I also think New Orleans would be a much more interesting port, great music and food along with casinos.

[Galveston Cruiser]

Galveston has great restaurants, lots of history, music venues and much less expensive than NOLA.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Thorncroft]

I also think New Orleans would be a much more interesting port, great music and food along with casinos.

 

New Orleans is an awesome city to visit. (I wouldn't necessarily want to live there.) They get a number of port calls from cruise ships each year, besides the ones that are regularly homeported there.

[ssb]

New Orleans is an awesome city to visit. (I wouldn't necessarily want to live there.) They get a number of port calls from cruise ships each year, besides the ones that are regularly homeported there.

 

Galveston and NewOrleans would both be logical destination ports on these cruises . This would not be a either or , unless one is a home port.

[Thorncroft]

Galveston and NewOrleans would both be logical destination ports on these cruises . This would not be a either or , unless one is a home port.

I'm sure that Galveston has some things to offer to visitors, but I'm not sure that it can compete on the same level as NOLA. There's just so much to do and see in NOLA. But, as I said before, if even Mobile can get a cruise line like Azamara to makes some port stops, I'm sure that Galveston can as well.

[ssb]

I'm sure that Galveston has some things to offer to visitors, but I'm not sure that it can compete on the same level as NOLA. There's just so much to do and see in NOLA. But, as I said before, if even Mobile can get a cruise line like Azamara to makes some port stops, I'm sure that Galveston can as well.

 

Again this is not a competition between New Orleans and Galveston . A cooperative effort by both and other appropriate ports on the third coast of US can only be a win win win for everyone . Both are certainly appropriate.