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October 11, 2001
The Port of Seattle's Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 will see its 59th cruise ship tomorrow as the 2001 cruise season comes to an end.
Seattle's second year as a cruise ship homeport was another year of remarkable growth. With two luxury cruise ships homeported on the downtown waterfront, Seattle figured prominently in the cruise ship world. Norwegian Cruise Line --the first cruise ship to homeport here -- with 22 calls and Royal Caribbean International, which made 16 calls in 2001, brought the lion's share of the estimated 185,000 passengers -- a 54% increase over 2000. The ship calls meant more than 630 new jobs locally, plus millions in both business and tax revenue to the region's economy through ship provisioning, hotel stays, tours, restaurants, and other purchases from passengers.
"The Port's continued success in this new industry reflects the strong partnership we have forged with the cruise lines, the City of Seattle, the business community, and our labor unions," said Port Commission Chair, Clare Nordquist. "The Port of Seattle's homeport cruise operation has added a new dimension to the Seattle economy. This year, cruise ship visits generated over $29.6 million in new economic activity in the region. Plus, $1.9 million in local and state tax revenues. We look forward to an even brighter year in 2002."
Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sky completed 22 seven-day cruises to the fjords of Southeast Alaska. The Sky became a familiar site along Seattle's waterfront, departing every Sunday from early May through late September.
Royal Caribbean International brought its newest ship, Radiance of the Seas, to Seattle for 16 three- and four-night sailings through the Pacific Northwest with visits to Victoria, Vancouver and Desolation Sound. Radiance's rock-climbing wall, miniature golf, private balconies and Las Vegas-style entertainment in a three-story theater have proven hugely popular with its 2,100 passengers each sailing.
This year's final cruise ship call will occur October 12 when RCI's Radiance of the Seas berths at Pier 66 before steaming for a 10-day Hawaii cruise and the Caribbean winter tour season.
Looking ahead to the 2002 cruise season, a total of 77 sailings have been scheduled from Seattle, a substantial increase over the 59 sailings in 2001. The number of passengers is expected to top 250,000 next year. The NCL Sky will return in 2002 for 21 more round-trip cruises from Seattle to destinations in Alaska and Canada. RCI will again offer 19 Pacific Northwest itineraries for spring and late summer sailings with Radiance of the Seas.
The bulk of the increase comes from Holland America Line's decision to homeport its newest flagship, the Amsterdam, in Seattle next year for cruises to Alaska. Beginning in May 2002, the 1,380-passenger ship will sail 19 weekly roundtrip cruises. Sailing Saturdays from May 18--September 21, the Amsterdam will visit Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria. The 61,000-ton ship features three restaurants, six lounges, a library, kids' room, card room, disco, duty-free shops, two pools, spa, Internet center and movie theater.
In addition, Holland America Line will also deploy the Zaandam to Seattle for several three-and four-night sailings to the Pacific Northwest. The new program takes passengers to Victoria and Vancouver. That brings the total to 27 sailings for the Seattle home-based cruise line.
"Holland America Lines' increased presence in the local cruise market is a welcome development, and we look forward to a long, prosperous partnership with one of this region's most established companies," said Mic Dinsmore, Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Seattle. "Seattle has long been known as one of North America's premier container ports. Now, we have demonstrated to the cruise lines and to cruise passengers that we are also a premier cruise port. The Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal is a proven facility, and our staff have demonstrated that it is fully capable of providing the highest level of customer service."
Editor's Note: The Radiance of the Seas arrives at Pier 66 at 6:30 am and departs at 5 pm. Photographers can use the public plaza at the Bell Street Pier at Pier 66 for shots of the bow of the vessel. The Lenora Street Bridge on Alaskan Way also provides a good vantage point of the vessel and the pier. Due to heightened security, RCI will not permit access to the ship or to the "ticketed passenger-only" areas of the cruise terminal. Digital photos of the cruise terminal and several cruise ships are available at www.ivey.com/Ivey.POSView/. Minimize the small pop-up window, register, and select the photo category of interest.