Cruise Terminal 16

OVERVIEW

When the Port of Galveston converted a decades-old cargo warehouse facility into a thoughtfully designed, state-of-the-art cruise complex, it made a commitment to environmental sustainability.

Opened in November 2025, the Cruise Terminal 16 complex was designed to achieve LEED Silver certification with a range of energy efficient and environmental stewardship designs. The port is preparing to apply for the certification this year. Features include the following:

• Reduced Parking Footprint: Parking was reduced by 43 percent from industry baselines, encouraging alternative transportation use and minimizing paved areas, which helps reduce heat island effects.
• Light Pollution Reduction: Exterior lighting was designed to limit uplight and light trespass, reducing nighttime glare and minimizing impacts on the surrounding environment.
• Indoor Water Use Reduction: The project achieved a 35 percent reduction in indoor water use with low-flow and WaterSense-labeled fixtures, with water sub-metering installed to ensure ongoing monitoring and leak detection.
• Environmentally Preferable Refrigerants: The building design utilizes R-454B refrigerant, resulting in a refrigerant impact of 32.52 per ton and reducing the project’s contribution to climate change compared to conventional refrigerants.
• Energy Performance Optimization: The project achieved 29 percent energy cost savings through a combination of high-efficiency lighting, enhanced envelope performance, and high-efficiency HVAC units.
• Lifecycle Impact Reduction: The project reused approximately 85 percent of the existing structural elements, significantly reducing material consumption and embodied carbon associated with new construction.