Busy Cruise Season Sails Into Port

Port of Seattle's Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal begins 79-ship season

The Port of Seattle's 2002 passenger cruise season begins Sunday, April 28, with the arrival of Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sky. This season's 79 ship calls -- up from 56 in 2001 -- mean 929 jobs locally, plus millions of dollars in both business and tax revenue from ship provisioning, hotel stays, tours, restaurants and other purchases by passengers.

"The Port of Seattle's homeport cruise operation has added a new dimension to the Seattle economy," Commission Chair Bob Edwards said. "This new community industry has shown remarkable growth. This year, cruise ships will generate nearly $42.5 million in business revenue, and $2.7 million in state and local taxes for this region."

Port Chief Executive Officer M.R. Dinsmore said the Port is ready to build on its success and intends to provide an even better cruise experience this year. "Seattle's prospects as a growing homeport are very strong as we continue to gain stature as a player in the cruise business, and I think the cruise lines agree, as they are putting their fastest, most technologically advanced vessels on Seattle-based cruises."

The Norwegian Sky returns this year for its third season with 21 round-trip sailings from Seattle to Southeast Alaska.

The Norwegian Sky made history in 2000 when she became the first modern cruise ship homeported in Seattle, and she will once again make seven-day cruises up the Inside Passage to Alaska's fjords and glaciers with stops in Victoria, British Columbia, plus Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, Alaska.

Also returning to the Seattle waterfront is Royal Caribbean International's Radiance of the Seas. Radiance will again offer 19 three- and four-night sailings through the Pacific Northwest with stops in Vancouver and Victoria. At 961 feet in length and weighing in at more than 90,000 tons, Radiance of the Seas can carry up to 2,100 passengers and features a rock-climbing wall, miniature golf, and a three-story theater.

The newest addition to Seattle's waterfront is Holland America Line's MS Amsterdam with its seven-day Alaska service. The Amsterdam, Holland America's newest flagship, will offer 19 weekly roundtrip cruises to Alaska on Saturdays. Beginning in mid-May, the 1,380-passenger vessel 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, two pools, spa and Internet center. In addition, Holland America Line will deploy the Zaandam to Seattle for several three- and four-night sailings to the Pacific Northwest.

"I am confident the team that came together to make our first two seasons a success -- including the cruise lines, Cruise Terminals of America, our labor partners, and our entire Port staff -- will exceed last year's tremendous accomplishments with an even better cruise season in 2002," Dinsmore said.

Editor's note: Digital photos of the cruise terminal and several cruise ships are available at the Port of Seattle Photo Library. Minimize the small pop-up window, register, and select the photo category of interest.