Texas

Forget Florida: Your favorite cruise lines are betting on Texas

Published

11 months ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Forget Florida: Your favorite cruise lines are betting on Texas

Cruise lines are increasingly sailing out of Texas’ only cruise port, the Port of Galveston.
Galveston saw a record 384 cruises and 1.7 million guests in 2024 — half a million more than in 2023.
The port is located near Royal Caribbean’s next two private resorts in Mexico.

Texas — known for chili, cowboys, and increasingly, cruises.

America’s cruising culture is irrevocably intertwined with Florida. No other state has seven cruise ports, including the three busiest in the world, and an established grip on the nearby leviathan Caribbean cruise market.

What the Sunshine State doesn’t have, however, is Galveston.

The historic and unassuming Texas island is home to the state’s only cruise port. Yet, it’s quickly become a crucial battleground as vacation-at-sea companies compete for travelers’ hearts and wallets.

The Galveston boom

Carnival has been sailing out of Galveston for about 25 years. Its Carnival Jubilee was designed for the Texas market.

Photo courtesy the Galveston Wharves

In 2022, Royal Caribbean opened a $125 million cruise terminal in the Galveston. A year later, the port invested $53 million in expanding Carnival’s terminal, which now serves as the homeport for Carnival Jubilee, one of the cruise line’s largest ships built specifically for the Texas market.

In 2024, the port saw a record 384 cruises and 1.7 million guests — half a million more travelers than the year prior.

Not much compared to the world’s busiest Port of Miami, which saw 8.23 million passengers in 2024. However, while Florida’s ports are near max capacity, Galveston’s market is still quickly growing.

The Texas port plans to open a fourth $156 million terminal in November, which MSC and Norwegian will share. The launch would also mark the start of MSC’s Galveston itineraries.

MSC Seascape, shown in a rendering, would sail out of Galveston when its terminal opens in November.

Photo courtesy the Galveston Wharves

“Florida doesn’t have many more terminals,” Rodger Rees, the port’s director and CEO, told Business Insider. “The market has been somewhat saturated.”

Galveston does, however, have more space to expand — and with it, aspirations to someday surpass Florida’s Port of Everglades as America’s third most popular cruise port.

“These ships are going out of here full every Saturday and Sunday,” Rees said — a significant accomplishment, given that Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, and MSC would all have some of their largest or newest ships sailing out of the Lone Star State this year.

For the port of Galveston, the local cruise boom has meant survival. The company almost declared bankruptcy 15 years ago, unable to generate profit from its aging cargo infrastructure, Rees said.

Now, the future is bright — in 2025, it expects to rake in $84 million, a 6.4% growth from the year prior, thanks to the growing vacation-at-sea business.

Bigger, better, and more convenient in Texas

Royal Caribbean’s more than 161,330-square-foot Galveston cruise terminal can accommodate its largest ships.

Royal Caribbean International

Travelers in cities like Dallas, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City are a day’s drive from Galveston. Houston and its two airports are only about an hour away — strategic, given that it’s a shorter flight there than to Miami from metropolitans like Las Vegas, Chicago, and Phoenix.

Compared to Florida, “Texas is a similar-sized market that has half the penetration with a very similar propensity to cruise,” Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, told analysts in late October 2024.

As important, Galveston is also close to popular ports of call in east Mexico, eastern Caribbean, and Central America, including Norwegian’s private island in Belize.

The location is similarly crucial for Royal Caribbean, which has two private resorts — Perfect Day Mexico and Royal Beach Club Cozumel — scheduled to open in Mexico in 2026 and 2027.

Royal Caribbean’s Royal Beach Club Cozumel, shown in a rendering, is scheduled to open in 2026.

Royal Caribbean International

“Having assets like the Royal Beach Club will allow us to drive more of the Gulf Coast markets that can have an easier fly-cruise experience and lower cost,” Liberty added.

Royal Caribbean’s resorts — in conjunction with its Symphony of the Seas, one of the world’s largest cruise ships, sailing out of Galveston in 2026 — could continue to catapult its popularity.

“We’re getting bigger and nicer ships here,” the port’s CEO said. “Why go all the way to Florida?”

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Related Topics:america Carnival ceo cruise Featured Florida galveston Market MSC norwegian port rodger rees Royal Caribbean texas traveler year

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Texas

UConn vs. Texas Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel

Published

11 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

UConn vs. Texas Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

The No. 5 UConn Huskies (9-1) will attempt to continue a five-game winning streak when they host the Texas Longhorns (7-3) on Friday, December 12, 2025 at PeoplesBank Arena. The contest airs at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Keep reading to get all you need to know ahead of wagering on the UConn-Texas matchup.

UConn vs. Texas How to Watch & Odds

When: Friday, December 12, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut
TV: FOX
Streaming: FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX One (Try free for 7 days)

UConn vs. Texas Prediction

The Huskies are holding opponents to just 60.4 points per game while averaging 91, giving them one of the strongest scoring margins in the country. Their defense has been particularly sharp, limiting opponents to 37.4% shooting from the field.

Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. continue to set the tone. Ball is averaging 15 points per game, and Reed Jr. has provided steady interior production with 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. Their consistency has been central to the Huskies’ early-season dominance.

The Longhorns have shown they can score, averaging 85.8 points per game, but their defense has struggled, allowing opponents to shoot 48.5%. That could be an issue against a UConn offense that moves the ball well and attacks efficiently.

UConn’s home court-advantage and Texas’s 2-2 road struggles tilt the matchup toward the Huskies.

Pick ATS: Texas (+16.5)
Pick OU: Over (145.5)
Prediction: UConn 81, Texas 69

Prediction provided by FOX Sports’ Sports AI. Download the FOX Sports App for free access to Sports AI.

UConn vs. Texas Betting Insights

Betting Line Implied Predictions

Based on the spread and over/under, the implied score for the matchup is Huskies 81, Longhorns 64.
The Huskies have a 95.9% chance to win this meeting per the moneyline’s implied probability.
The Longhorns have an 8.3% implied probability to win.

Key Spread Facts

UConn has compiled a 3-7-0 record against the spread this season.
Texas has won six games against the spread this year, while failing to cover four times.
UConn has covered the spread once this season (1-4 ATS) when playing as at least 16.5-point favorites.

Key Total Facts

The Huskies and their opponent have broken the 145.5-point mark four times this year.
Longhorns games have gone over 145.5 points on eight occasions this season.
The total for this matchup is 145.5 points, 23.4 fewer than the combined scoring average of the two teams.

Key Moneyline Facts

UConn has won six of seven games when the moneyline favorite this season (85.7%).
Texas has split the two games it has played as underdogs this season.
UConn has played as a moneyline favorite of -2326 or shorter twice this season, and won both.
Texas has not entered a game this season with longer moneyline odds than +1103.

UConn vs. Texas: Recent Results

Huskies vs Longhorns Recent Games
Date	Favorite	Spread	Total	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline	Result
12/8/2024	Longhorns	-1.5	141	-121	+101	76-65 UCONN

UConn vs. Texas: 2025-26 Stats Comparison

	UConn	Texas
Points Scored Per Game (Rank)	79.8 (137)	89.1 (21)
Points Allowed (Rank)	61.7 (10)	73.2 (189)
Rebounds (Rank)	9 (234)	11.7 (49)
3pt Made (Rank)	7.7 (203)	8 (175)
Assists (Rank)	17.9 (38)	14.6 (179)
Turnovers (Rank)	8.8 (10)	11.5 (167)

UConn 2025-26 Key Players

Huskies Leaders
Name	GP	PTS	REB	ASST	STL	BLK	3PM
Solomon Ball	10	15	3.3	1.6	0.8	0.3	2
Tarris Reed Jr.	5	14.8	7.6	1.4	1.2	1.6	0
Alex Karaban	10	13.4	5.4	2.2	0.9	1.2	2
Silas Demary Jr.	10	10	4.5	5.1	1.8	0.2	0.3
Eric Reibe	10	9.6	4.6	0.3	0.3	1.3	0.3

Texas 2025-26 Key Players

Longhorns Leaders
Name	GP	PTS	REB	ASST	STL	BLK	3PM
Matas Vokietaitis	10	15.9	6.6	0.2	0.4	1.1	0
Dailyn Swain	10	15.7	6.9	3.5	1.6	0.3	0.7
Jordan Pope	10	12.5	2.1	3	0.3	0.1	2.4
Tramon Mark	10	9.9	2.8	2.5	0.7	0.6	1
Simeon Wilcher	10	9.4	2.4	1.9	0.7	0.5	1.6

FOX Sports used technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar to create this story.

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Texas

Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl

Published

24 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl

At this point in time, opting out of bowl games is nothing new, but Texas is going to have more opt-outs in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan than many—self included—expected. This problem pales in comparison to what’s going on in Ann Arbor, but the amount of lost experience will be something for Texas to overcome, primarily on defense.

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Texas

Latest in recruiting war for elite 2028 QB has Texas Football joyful

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Latest in recruiting war for elite 2028 QB has Texas Football joyful

Neimann Lawrence list the Longhorns as one school that is standing out

As the Longhorns continue to build for the future, one of their targets is four-star prospect Neimann Lawrence. The Miami native is one of the best quarterbacks in the 2028 class and is attracting interest from some of the nation’s top programs. On Monday, Lawrence revealed the schools that have stood out so far, including the Longhorns.

While Mondays update was encouraging, Texas was not the only school Lawrence mentioned. He also highlighted Michigan, Miami, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. That is not an easy list of schools to go to battle with; the Longhorns have time to make themselves stand out.

Currently, the Miami Northwestern High star is ranked as the fourth-best quarterback in is class by 247Sports. They also rank him as the ninth-best player from Florida and the 39th-best player in the nation. With collegiate debut still over a year away, those rankings could change.

At the moment, the Longhorns do not have a commitment in the 2028 class, but they have made offers to some of the top recruits. That includes Brysen Wright, Jalanie George, Jamarios Canton, Micah Rhodes, and King Pitts. Landing any of those players would give Texas a bright future.

With a decision still months away, Lawrence will be a player to watch. A lot could change as his recruitment continues, but it is a good sign for Texas that they are standing out early on in the process.

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