Port of Galveston could have another banner year with new port, cruise lines

New cruise options from Galveston

The Port of Galveston could break passenger records again this year with a new port and cruise offerings.

GALVESTON, Texas - It's another year that the Port of Galveston is making a splash in the cruise industry.

New cruises out of Galveston

By the numbers:

The Port broke a cruise passenger record last year with 1.5 million travelers, and has said it could beat that this year.

Princess Cruises just announced it is canceling 17 cruises from Galveston that were to begin launching next year, saying it's part of a redeployment strategy.

Big picture view:

There are many new cruise lines and a new port in Galveston that could make this another banner year anyway.

This November, the new Pier 16 cruise terminal opens, where MSC Cruises will launch from Galveston for the first time.  MSC will offer 52 seven-day Western Caribbean trips, including visits to Mexico and Honduras.  

The Norwegian Prima, the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, and Carnival Jubilee already began cruising from Galveston this year.  Carnival plans to deploy four ships from Galveston, going to places like the Panama Canal, Belize, Aruba, Curaçao, and the Bahamas.

Norwegian Cruise Line will offer 50 Caribbean cruises over the next couple of years to Mexico, Honduras, Belize, the Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Grand Cayman, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Antigua, and the Bahamas.

And the Disney Cruise Line will sail to Mexico, the Grand Cayman Islands, and Puerto Rico.  

What to know before you take a cruise

Many travelers have been buzzing on social media about whether passengers will need to meet the new Real ID requirement to board a ship.

What you can do:

Cruise lines have stated that it is one of three types of identification that can be used to board.  They say passengers can show a valid passport, a birth certificate, or a state-issued ID with Real ID.

But one thing many travelers will definitely need is an extra $5 starting July 1.

Passengers docking in Mexico will have to pay an extra $5 tariff called an in-transit fee.

It will be collected by your cruise ship when you pay your bill.

Mexico originally wanted a $42 tariff, but the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association reached an agreement with Mexico to set it at $5 this summer, then it will go up to $10, $15, and $21 over the next three years.