After years of sitting empty, the Port of Houston Authority’s Bayport Cruise Terminal has secured two agreements with Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Built in 2008, the controversial Bayport Cruise terminal in Pasadena cost $108.4 million to construct, and the Houston Business Journal reported it cost $513,000 for the Port Authority to maintain the terminal in 2010, although much of this cost was offset by temporary ship docking fees. In an effort to attract cruise lines to the port in 2011, no cruise lines responded to a formal request for proposals.

Now, with its first cruise agreements, the Port Said Thursday that in the next four years it expects to see a $200 million economic impact. Also, the new cruise lines are expected to lead to the creation of more than 100 jobs.

Per the agreement, Princess Cruises will begin to make passenger cruise calls in 2013, and Norwegian Cruise Lines will begin service in 2014. Princess Cruises, the first cruise line to use the terminal, plans 27 departures for the 2013-2014 season. Norwegian Cruise Lines plans to make 75 calls in Houston over the course of three years, and it have the option to extend its agreement for up to two years.

Although the Port of Houston received cruises before the terminal was built, by the time the Bayport terminal went into operation, they stopped sailing to the area. Some cruise lines told the HBJ at the time that cruises preferred operating out of the Port of Galveston because of its proximity to the open sea.

The Port of Galveston now serves as the home port for multiple cruise lines, and it has seen its tourism business spike due to the cruise industry. Just last week, Galveston said it is lobbying to become a port of call to have cruise lines stop in Galveston for passengers to visit as a destination and then continue on with their cruise.

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