Galveston County, Texas the end of the 19th century, a group of investors established Texas City directly across the West Bay from Galveston with the hope of making it a competing port city. The port began operations just before the start of the 20th century. The 1900 Galveston Hurricane devastated the county, killing an estimated 6000 people on the island alone and numerous others in the rest of the county. The Port of Galveston was closed for a time during reconstruction, but recovery was swift and profound. By 1910, the county's citizens had developed the commission form of government, constructed the seawall, and
Port of Galveston terminals were closed for several months, forcing Carnival to use the Bayport Cruise Terminal temporarily. At Carnival's behest, the port embarked on major improvements to Terminal 1 in 2010. The terminal was expanded to provide more seating, restrooms, and security screening stations. In 2011, Carnival added a second year-round ship in Galveston, the "Carnival Triumph", increasing their capacity by 40%. The following year, Carnival transferred the "Carnival Magic", to Galveston, marking the first time that a cruise line had based its newest ship at this port. Both Princess Cruise Lines and Disney Cruise Lines stationed ships in Galveston for the