The Port of Seattle’s 2015 cruise season began May 2 at Smith Cove Cruise Terminal with the arrival of Holland America Line’s Westerdam. It was the first of a total of 192 calls that are expected to carry an estimated 895,055 revenue passengers in 2015, an 11% increase from last year.
Each call contributes $2.5m to the local economy, or more than $400m this season, according to port commissioner Stephanie Bowman. The cruise industry is responsible for more than 3,600 jobs, $441m in annual business revenue and $17.2m in state and local tax revenues.
This season will offer several changes, with the addition of HAL’s Statendam for 14-day cruises, Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas replacing Rhapsody of the Seas and Ruby Princess and Crown Princess replacing Grand Princess and Golden Princess.
All cruise ships that homeport in Seattle use low-sulfur fuel or plug into shore power while docked. Smith Cove Cruise Terminal can provide shore power for two vessels at once. A long-standing memorandum of understanding between the port, the Washington Department of Ecology and CLIA North West and Canada sets standards exceeding federal requirements for the treatment of waste discharges from cruise ships operating in state waters.
