When the Carnival Conquest and Ecstasy moved their turnarounds to Houston temporarily, the port quickly learned it needed nearly double its current parking capacity, said Kay Adams, Port of Houston’s cruise manager.

The two ships brought about 1,600 cars to the port, which has just 800 dedicated spaces, Adams said. Alternative parking was located until the ships returned to Galveston this month, but now Houston plans to add at least 200 more spaces. And more could be on the way.

“Luckily we have plenty of land,” Adams told Cruise Industry News.

The port’s 20-year plan includes expanding over its 140 acres – adding more facilities as it hosts more ships, she said. “At full build-out, we’ll have three cruise terminals with more than 3,000 linear feet of wharf.”