ONBOARD ICON OF THE SEAS -- Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley hinted the line will eventually deploy an Icon-class ship in Galveston, Texas.
During a Q&A session during the Icon of the Seas' shakedown sailing Thursday, Bayley fielded a question from a Houston-based travel advisor asking if an Icon-class ship will sail from Galveston, where Royal Caribbean in late 2022 opened a $125 million terminal to accommodate its largest ships.
"It wasn't an accident that we built that beautiful $100-and whatever-it-was million-dollar terminal in Galveston, Texas, which by the way is our highest-rated terminal experience in the world," he said. He pointed out that Royal Caribbean has sailed two Oasis-class ships from Galveston since the opening.
The terminal opened with cruises on the Allure of the Seas, which was then the largest cruise ship to sail from Texas. The newer Harmony of the Seas is now sailing from Galveston.
"If you just think forward a few more years, I wonder what we're going to do next," he said to the crowd of hundreds of advisors. "I'm not giving away our strategy here, but if you just use your imagination, big things are coming, baby," he said.
Galveston is the fourth-busiest cruise port in the U.S. and benefits from a drive-to market with an estimated 50 million people within a 12-hour drive.
The first Icon-class ship, Icon of the Seas, will sail its first revenue voyage on Jan. 27. The Icon can carry 7,600 passengers at max capacity. Future ships will be a similar size.
The Icon will sail Caribbean itineraries out of Miami year-round and its sister ship, Star of the Seas, will debut in the summer of 2025 out of Port Canaveral, Fla. Royal Caribbean is planning a third Icon-class ship, but the name has not been announced.