The old adage that everything’s bigger in Texas, but when it comes to cruising there’s nowhere that’s bigger than Florida.
That doesn’t mean Texas can’t hold its own. Galveston, Texas is the largest cruise port outside of Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States. But the port simply continues to grow.
Just this past weekend the port opened its fourth cruise terminal and welcomed MSC Cruises for the first time. The cruise line will sail 7-day trips year-round from the port. That’s in addition to other recent growth including NCL announcing it will homeport a ship year-round in the years ahead, Royal Caribbean building a dedicated terminal, and Carnival placing its newest ship in the port.
Now, the Texas island is going to get the largest cruise ship in the world.
In an announcement made this morning, Royal Caribbean announced that it will place Icon of the Seas in Galveston starting in summer of 2027.
“The record-breaking Icon of the Seas will make its star-studded debut in Galveston in August 2027, after kicking off the season in Miami in April,” a press release said.
“Taking vacationers on the boldest adventures from Texas, Icon will deliver 6- to 8-night Eastern and Western Caribbean getaways to Royal Caribbean’s award-winning destination Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas, along with Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, where vacationers can visit Royal Beach Club Cozumel after the ultimate beach day destination opens late 2026.
“From thrills like Category 6, the largest waterpark at sea, to unmatched chill across seven pools on board and more than 40 places to dine and drink, families are in for a combination of the best of every vacation with experiences for all ages.”
If this sounds like a big deal, that’s because it is. While Royal Caribbean has for years ported Oasis-class ships in Galveston, Icon of the Seas is something else altogether. It’s not just the biggest ship in the fleet (and the largest cruise ship in the world), but it also is a complete destination in of itself.
From multiple theaters, including the AquaTheater and ice rink for skating shows, to the waterpark, the largest pool at sea, dozens of restaurants, seemingly unlimited cabin options, multiple different neighborhoods, the Icon-class ships are a step above even other Royal Caribbean ships.
And while the deployment of Icon of the Seas is big news, it’s not completely unexpected. After all, Royal Caribbean is in the process of building Perfect Day Mexico, its second iteration of Perfect Day (the original is in The Bahamas), set to open in 2027. This new destination will feature more than 200 acres, 30+ waterslides, and even the longest lazy river on the planet.
It’s being built in Costa Maya, a popular destination from Galveston that will undoubtedly see enormous interest from passengers. Therefore, more capacity is a smart move.
With Icon’s Arrival, Nearly 20,000 Texas Passengers at Once!
In addition to Icon of the Seas, 2027 will see two other large ships call the port home. Symphony of the Seas — an Oasis-class ship — will sail 4-8 night cruises from the island.
Liberty of the Seas will sail from Galveston after a refurbishment in 2026. It too will offer 4-8 night cruises.
Between Icon, Symphony, and Liberty of the Seas, Royal Caribbean alone will have the capacity to carry up to 19,240 passengers at once from Galveston. If each ship sailed only 7-day cruises, that would equate to more than a million passengers on the cruise line alone.
If you’re wanting to sail aboard Icon of the Seas, Crown & Anchor members (Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program) are available to book trips starting now. The cruises are open to the public for booking starting Thursday.
