Carnival Cruise Line and the Port of Galveston reached a milestone this past weekend when the port welcomed their 10 millionth cruise passenger.
Mr. Yingtao Liu from Norman, Oklahom, boarded Carnival Vista on Sunday, December 9 and was the port’s 10 millionth cruise passenger. Carnival Cruise Line was the first cruise line to realize the potential of Galveston as a year-round cruise port in 2000 and since then, has carried millions of guests from Texas.
Upon arrival at the port, to their surprise, Mr. Liu, his wife, parents and three children were warmly greeted by Rodger Rees, Port of Galveston CEO and Port Director; Pavol Drimaj, Carnival Vista Hotel Director; and other members of the Carnival Vista team before boarding the ship for a week-long voyage – the family’s first cruise ever!
To celebrate the port’s incredible milestone, Carnival Cruise Line along with the Port of Galveston, Galveston Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and Island Bay Resort, rolled out the red carpet and provided a variety of gifts to the Liu family, including a Carnival tote with a collection of vacation essentials, a bountiful basket of delicious treats, a specially designed gift bag of Galveston-related items, and a three-night stay at a local resort.
The family will also receive onboard courtesies and VIP treatment from Carnival Vista throughout their seven-day cruise which includes stops at Caribbean hot spots Cozumel, Belize and Mahogany Bay.
Earlier this fall, Carnival Cruise Line home ported one of the most innovative ships in its fleet, Carnival Vista, at the Port of Galveston, and next year, Carnival will continue to expand its voyages from there with Carnival Dream’s year-round four- and five-day cruises to Mexico, the largest Carnival ship to operate a short cruise program from any port.
In addition to Carnival Vista, the line operates Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor from the port – together, these three ships carry more than 650,000 passengers annually, the most of the any cruise operator.
