Ready to hit the high seas?

Houston's Bayport Cruise Terminal this week inked deals with Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines to begin cruise departures starting next year.

These are the first cruise contracts for Port of Houston Authority's four-year-old, $108 million terminal. The port expects the deals will have a $200 million impact on Houston over the next two years. Princess says it's planning 27 departures for the 2013-14 cruise season out of Houston and Norwegian will make 75 departures over the next three years.

The Port of Galveston has developed a strong cruise business since it launched in 2000. The Port of Houston hopes it will be able to capitalize on the growing desire of passengers to depart from this region for ports of call in the Caribbean and beyond.