Oil Spill Closes Galveston Ship Channel, Delaying Cruise Departures

An oil spill at the Port of Galveston disrupted cruise operations after a vessel operated by Forestwave Navigation BV struck Pier 32 late on October 28, 2025, prompting authorities to close the Galveston Ship Channel.

The incident comes during a busy stretch for the Texas homeport, with multiple cruise departures and arrivals scheduled in the days leading into Halloween. The closure has already delayed at least one sailing and forced last-minute terminal changes for another.

Response and cleanup efforts after the Pier 32 collision

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston said it received a report at about 9:50 p.m. local time on October 28 after the collision led to an oil discharge. Response teams worked alongside the Texas General Land Office and Forestwave Navigation BV to contain and clean up the spill.

In a statement, the Coast Guard said, “The Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office and the responsible party, Forestwave Navigation BV, are working together to respond to the spill and have personnel and assets on scene.”

By the evening of Wednesday, October 29, officials said the source of the discharge had been secured, although the total amount of oil released had not been confirmed. Authorities also said environmental and safety assessments were continuing, including air and site conditions, and that there were no known negative impacts to local wildlife at that time.

Why the ship channel closure quickly affected cruise schedules

The spill response included closing the Galveston Ship Channel, the deep-water access route used by vessels entering and leaving the port’s cruise terminals. The Coast Guard described the closure area as spanning “from Gulf Copper to Pelican Island Bridge” as crews worked to reduce the impact of the spill and support cleanup operations.

With the channel closed and vessel traffic restricted, cruise lines faced immediate operational constraints, including delayed departures and changes to where ships could berth and process guests.

Regal Princess delay leaves Halloween plans uncertain

Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess remained docked in Galveston on October 29 beyond its planned departure time for a four-night sailing to Cozumel, Mexico. The 142,229-gross-ton ship, which carries up to 3,560 guests, had just completed a transatlantic crossing from Southampton, U.K., and was scheduled to depart around 3 p.m.

By the evening of October 29, cruise tracking data still showed the ship alongside, and as of 8:45 p.m. no updated departure timeframe had been provided in the available information. A passenger awaiting embarkation said, “This is my first cruise, and embarkation keeps getting postponed,” as travelers questioned how lost time could affect the schedule, including a planned Cozumel call on Halloween.

Carnival Breeze switches terminals and shifts check-in windows

Carnival Cruise Line told guests sailing on Carnival Breeze that the ship would operate from Cruise Terminal 10 rather than Cruise Terminal 28 for debarkation and embarkation on Thursday, October 30, 2025. Carnival said the four-night itinerary itself was not changed, and the ship was still expected to call on Cozumel on Saturday, November 1.

In its guest notification, Carnival wrote: “The U.S. Coast Guard and the Texas General Land Office are responding to an oil discharge in the channel at the Port of Galveston which occurred on Tuesday, October 28. This is preventing Carnival Breeze from operating from our terminal, tomorrow, Thursday, October 30.” The message added, “Consequently, embarkation will now take place at Cruise Terminal 10.”

Terminal 28 and Terminal 10 are a little more than a mile apart. Terminal 10 is located on the east end of the cruise port at 1028 Harborside Drive. Carnival also told guests the ship is expected to return to Terminal 28 at the end of the voyage, and advised guests to keep their original parking plans for Terminal 28 because parking would not be available at Terminal 10.

Guest logistics for the Terminal 10 embarkation day

• Parking plans: Guests were instructed to keep existing parking reservations for Terminal 28 because Carnival Breeze is expected to return there at the end of the sailing, and parking will not be available at Terminal 10 on embarkation day.
• Shuttle service: Carnival said complimentary shuttles will transport guests from Terminal 28 to Terminal 10 for embarkation on October 30.
• Drop-off instructions: Guests using rideshare, taxis, or other drop-offs were told to ensure drivers go to Terminal 10 for embarkation on October 30.

Carnival also advised that embarkation appointment windows would be pushed back by one hour. The company provided an example that a guest with a noon to 12:30 p.m. appointment should plan to arrive between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., while reminding guests they must still be onboard by the final boarding time listed on their boarding documents.

Other ships and terminal planning in the days after the spill

The Port of Galveston hosts multiple major cruise lines, and additional ship calls in the days after the spill faced uncertainty depending on when the channel could safely reopen. Ships with upcoming Galveston operations included Carnival Dream and Carnival Jubilee, along with Royal Caribbean International’s Mariner of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas.

Terminal capacity and scheduling also became part of the short-term planning. Cruise Terminal 10 is Royal Caribbean’s Galveston terminal, a 161,334-square-foot facility that opened in November 2022, and Mariner of the Seas was the next Royal Caribbean ship scheduled to return to Galveston on Saturday, November 1.

As cleanup and investigative work continued and the full volume of the discharge remained unconfirmed, cruise guests sailing from Galveston in the days immediately following October 28 were advised by their cruise lines to monitor official communications for terminal assignments, arrival windows, and real-time port access updates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How did the oil spill occur?

The spill occurred late on October 28, 2025, when a vessel operated by Forestwave Navigation BV collided with Pier 32 in Galveston, discharging oil into the water.

What is being done to address the spill?

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is working with the Texas General Land Office and Forestwave Navigation BV to respond, with personnel and assets on scene. Officials said the discharge source has been secured, while cleanup and environmental and safety assessments, including air and site conditions, continued as of October 29.

Are passenger itineraries changing?

Carnival said the Carnival Breeze itinerary was not affected and the ship was still expected to call on Cozumel on November 1, even though embarkation logistics changed in Galveston. Regal Princess was delayed past its planned October 29 departure, and its schedule, including a planned Halloween call in Cozumel, depended on when the ship could depart.

Where should Carnival Breeze guests park if they planned Terminal 28 parking?

Carnival instructed guests to keep their original Terminal 28 parking reservations because the ship is expected to return to Terminal 28 at the end of the voyage, and said parking would not be available at Terminal 10. The cruise line also said complimentary shuttles would transport guests from Terminal 28 to Terminal 10 for embarkation on October 30.

When will the Galveston Ship Channel reopen?

As of October 29, authorities had not announced a reopening timeline. The channel remained closed from Gulf Copper to the Pelican Island Bridge while cleanup and investigation work continued.