Currently, two Carnival ships are homeported year-round in Galveston:
– 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic – its newest ship – offering two different week-long Caribbean itineraries
– 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph, operating four- and five-day cruises to Mexico
– Together, Carnival Magic and Carnival Triumph are expected to carry 450,000 passengers annually from Galveston – the most of any cruise operator
According to a study commissioned by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA):
– The North American cruise industry contributed $1.1 billion in direct spending to the Texas economy in 2010
– Cruise industry spending generated 16,457 jobs and $828 million in income for Texas workers
– Voyages from Texas are estimated to have produced $43.7 million in passenger and crew on-shore spending
– Texas residents that cruised in 2010 totaled 1.1 million, accounting for 11 percent of all U.S. cruise passengers
The CLIA study also found that nationwide the cruise industry generates:
– $37.9 billion in total economic benefits
– $18 billion in direct spending by the cruise lines and passengers on U.S. goods and services
– 329,943 total U.S. jobs generated by cruise expenditures
– $15.24 billion in total wages for U.S. employees
Source: Carnival Cruise Lines