The Port of Galveston celebrated welcoming its 1-millionth cruise passenger of the year on December 22.

The passenger, Kathy Wade, and her family were welcomed by the port officials at the new Royal Caribbean cruise terminal with gifts before they departed on their four-day Adventure of the Seas cruise.

Wade, who is from Dallas, was traveling with her family on a Christmas holiday cruise.

“This is our sixth cruise this year,” Wade said.

“We love to cruise and we love Royal! We’ve been on the Adventure of the Seas several times.”

Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, said: “We’re very happy for the Wade family. We’re also happy to mark this milestone for the port and our cruise partners. It shows that cruising from Galveston is back and moving full steam ahead! This is great news for avid cruise travelers like the Wades, for all the local people who work in cruise-related jobs and for the entities that benefit economically. The port’s cruise industry is a major economic engine for our region, benefitting suppliers, maritime services, hotels, restaurants, and shops, to name a few.”

In the upcoming 2023 season, the Port of Galveston expects to break its 2022 passenger record with 362 sailings, which is a new record in the port’s 22-year-long history as a cruise homeport.

Among the cruise lines scheduled to sail from the Port of Galveston in 2023 are Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean.