The Carnival Luminosa docked at Pier 91 in Seattle during last year’s cruise season.
Anthony Bolante | PSBJ
By Nick Pasion – Reporter, Puget Sound Business Journal
Apr 8, 2026
Updated Apr 9, 2026 1:24pm PDT
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What’s This?
- The Port of Seattle expects 330 cruise calls this year.
- Cruise ships will drive $1.2 billion in local revenue.
- MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages joined the Seattle market.
The Port of Seattle is once again predicting a record number of cruise calls in Seattle this year.
With the cruise season set between April and October, officials are expecting 330 cruise calls this year, a 10% jump compared with last year and a 42% jump from 2019.
This year, the jump in calls is fueled by two new cruise lines coming to Seattle: MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages.
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“We think that both of the brands coming in, MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages, are going to bring in slightly more international guests, and international guests tend to stay longer pre- and post-(cruise), so that should have a good impact on the local economy,” said Linda Springmann, the director of cruise for the port.
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Most cruises come to Seattle as a takeoff point to ferry passengers up the coast to Alaska, and MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages are no exception. Both their ships are heading to the Last Frontier.
Springmann forecasts cruise ships to drive about $1.2 billion in local revenue this year — up from the $900 million it projected last year.
It’s difficult to gauge how the World Cup, which comes to Seattle for three weeks starting in mid-June, will impact cruise season. Springmann is concerned about what the influx of people downtown will mean for passengers and supplies getting in and out of the terminal, especially with more limited access to Alaskan Way.
“We’re flagging everybody that they need to go over I-5 to get to the airport,” she said, adding, “We’re going to have to reroute things.”
Cruise lines, which also pre-book a set amount of hotel rooms, may also be in competition with FIFA for rooms in hotels downtown. The port is also forecasting about 2 million visitors to come through Seattle for cruises, with about 60% of passengers staying two nights.
Ships docking at the port will also plug into shore power. The port currently operates three shore power docking stations, and plans to install another next year ahead of the agency’s mandate that all ships plug into shore power in 2027.
“At this point, the plan is that it will be completed at the beginning of the 2027 season,” Springmann said. “Now that’s a year away, so ask me in six months when they’ve started.”