Cruise control: South Texas could enter cruise ship tug of war

​​​​​​​​CORPUS CHRISTI - The U.S. cruise industry is growing in popularity and economic impact with Galveston being the ultimate success story. ​​Galveston is the fourth-busiest port in the U.S. and had 837,000 cruise passengers in 2015, a 30.5 percent increase from the year before.​

Texas legislators are still examining whether Texas needs another cruise terminal, with sights set possibly on South Texas.

The Port of Corpus Christi has been thriving in recent years due to petrochemical activities and refineries in the area.

A groundbreaking for the replacement of the city’s Harbor Bridge is expected this summer. The Texas Department of Transportation project will have a higher clearance to accommodate tankers or possibly cruise ships.

​In spite of the fact that the cruise industry averages only three new ships each year, State Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, is convinced that the Texas Coast can quickly grow to support additional ports without any cost to Galveston’s economy.​ ​

“Throughout the last several years, Corpus Christi and the surrounding area down to Brownsville have had a big interest in cruise ships departing from here,” said Hunter.