298 Sailings Set for Seattle as Alaska Cruise Season Begins
Time flies, and here it is, Alaska cruise season once again. At the busy Port of Seattle, a major homeport for voyages to The Great Land, the season officially kicks off with the arrival of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss on April 12, 2025.
Adding to the celebratory atmosphere at the port is the launch this season of shore power availability at all three of the port’s cruise berths, a major environmental milestone.
Scores of cruise ships will embark guests at Seattle through mid-October, bringing adventure-minded cruisers to Alaska’s top ports, such as Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Seward, and Skagway, among others, and offering scenic cruising through pristine areas like Glacier Bay.
Revenue cruise passengers transiting the port are predicted to reach 1.9 million on 298 sailings, up from 2024’s roughly 1.75 million passengers and 276 ship calls.
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In 2025, the economic impact from cruise-tourism is expected to approach $900 million, including pre- and post-cruise stays in the region and supporting some 5,500 jobs tied to the industry.
“Seattle is an incredible city to enjoy as part of the Alaska cruise experience, and 2025 promises to be another exciting cruise season,” said Sally Andrews, vice president of communications and public affairs at Cruise Lines International Association.
“With some of the most technologically advanced ships sailing in the region, the cruise industry is leading the way in helping to protect beautiful destinations like the Pacific Northwest,” added Andrews.
While virtually all of the major cruise lines have a presence in Seattle for the Alaska season, the brands owned by Carnival Corporation are especially welcome thanks to a 10-year berthing agreement the company reached with the port in 2024.
It provides preferential berthing privileges at two dedicated cruise terminals — Pier 91 (Smith Cove Terminal) and Pier 66 (Bell Street Terminal) — for all of the company’s brands, including Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Cunard.
Cunard, in fact, will homeport its Queen Elizabeth at Seattle for the first time, starting in June 2025. The ship will sail 11 voyages ranging from 7 to 11 nights.
“We’re so excited to be homeporting in Seattle from June 2025 for our incredible Alaska itineraries on Queen Elizabeth,” said Liz Fettes, senior vice president, commercial North America at Cunard.
“We really look forward to working with our new partners and welcoming guests that are new to Cunard — and bringing loyal Cunarders to Seattle,” Fettes added.
The 2,100-guest ship’s 11-night sailings will call at Ketchikan, Haines, Tracy Arm, Juneau, and Sitka, Alaska, and Victoria, British Columbia.
Seattle Continues Leadership Role in Environmental Policy
While gearing up for its 2025 summer season, the Port of Seattle continues to expand the environmental leadership role it achieved since installing shore power at two new cruise berths in its Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91 back in 2009.
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In October 2024, it completed shore power infrastructure at its third berth, the Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66, making all cruise berths shore-power enabled.
The technology allows cruise ships with plug-in capability to access the local power grid and turn off their engines while in port, thereby significantly cutting emissions.
Moreover, Seattle is the first port in the US to have a shore power mandate, requiring that 100% of all cruise vessels homeported in Seattle be shore-power capable and utilize shore power by 2027.
“The 2025 cruise season marks a major milestone as the first full season of clean energy shore power available at all three berths making our home port an international leader in shoreside decarbonization,” said Steve Metruck, executive director of the Port of Seattle.
Additionally, in 2025, Carnival Corporation is slated to conduct a biofuel pilot in the Seattle region in a bid to further reduce carbon emissions, according to Metruck.