Port of Seattle 2006 cruise season begins tomorrow

Five different cruise lines will bring 740,000 passengers, nine homeported ships and 200 sailings to town for the Port of Seattle's 2006 cruise season.

"This year's cruise season is a milestone in several ways," said Port of Seattle Commission President Patricia Davis. "We'll see a record number of passengers and sailings, the return of all four cruise lines that called Seattle last year, plus the return of Royal Caribbean, which had been out of the Seattle market since 2002."

The first ship of the season, Holland America Line's Volendam, arrives at Terminal 30 tomorrow (Sat., April 22). The next ship arrives May 5 and the last ship of the season departs Oct. 13. All three of the Port's cruise ship berths will be occupied Friday through Sunday.

"Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the most popular departure days for the seven-day Alaska cruises that are the mainstay of our cruise business," Davis said.

In addition to the seven-day cruises offered by all five lines calling Seattle this year, Celebrity will offer a three-day, a four-day and a five-day Pacific Northwest Cruise out of Seattle. The departure dates are October 2, 6, and 9.

"We're very excited about the shorter cruises because we see potential for growth in that market," Davis said. "Vessel berths are available Monday through Thursday and the shorter cruises make it easier for passengers to combine their cruise with a visit to Seattle and other locations in our state."

The Port's cruise business has grown from a mere six ships and 7,000 passenger in 1999 to a projected 200 ship calls and 740,000 passengers this year. An economic impact study conducted in 2003, when the port had less than half the current number of cruise ship calls and passengers, showed that the industry is responsible for 1,732 local jobs, $208 million in local business revenue, and $5.8 million in state and local taxes.

"The strong growth we've seen in our cruise business, combined with a 40 percent increase in container shipping volumes over the past two years make this a very dynamic time for us," said Port of Seattle CEO Mic Dinsmore.