Seattle Sees More than a Million Cruise Passengers

By Karen Robes Meeks

For the second straight year, the Port of Seattle has surpassed the 1 million mark for cruise passengers.

The port, which began serving the cruise industry two decades ago, saw more than 1.1 million revenue passengers enter its cruise terminals this year. It beats last year’s number of 1.07 million revenue passengers.

The number of passengers is expected to swell in 2019 with the arrival of the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas, which carries 4,180 passengers.

“This year, Port of Seattle is proud to celebrate our 20 years of serving the cruise industry, while also handling over one-million passengers for the second year in a row,” said Commission President Courtney Gregoire. “This continued growth points to a bright future for cruise in Seattle, and we are proud that each homeported cruise vessel brings approximately $2.7 million for our local economy. Through innovation and collaboration, we continue to work with our partners to make this the greenest port in the nation.”