Galveston Bay metropolitan area in the United States, and home to one of the nation's most significant shipping centers. Houston, the nation's fourth largest city, is the economic and cultural center of the region. Other significant communities bordering the bay include Texas City, Pasadena, Baytown, Seabrook, Kemah, Clear Lake, and Anahuac. The bay is bordered by four counties: Brazoria, Chambers, Harris, and Galveston. Important ports that serve the bay include the Port of Houston, the Port of Texas City, and the Port of Galveston. The Houston Ship Channel, which connects the Port of Houston to the Gulf, passes through the bay. It
Galveston, Texas Triumph" in the first half of 2016 with "Carnival Breeze" and "Carnival Liberty", respectively, but replaced "Liberty" with "Carnival Valor" later in the year due to mechanical issues. "Carnival Breeze" and "Carnival Freedom" sail seven-day Caribbean cruises, and "Carnival Valor" sails four- and five-day Caribbean cruises from Galveston. Carnival plans on replacing "Breeze" with "Carnival Vista" in 2018, and "Valor" with "Carnival Dream" in 2019. Galveston is the home port to Royal Caribbean International's, MS "Liberty of the Seas", which is the largest cruise ship ever based here and one of the largest ships in the world. In September 2012