Cruise season 2024 opens in Seattle

Saturday kicks off the long-awaited summer cruise season in Seattle.

“We’re going to Alaska!” shouted one passenger.

Passengers were eager to be on their way. For some, it was the trip of a lifetime.

“We’re really excited—beyond excited,” says Tina. She and her husband have been planning their first cruise for more than a year.

Even those without a ticket say they’re excited, too.

“Right now it’s especially important as we work to get more feet on the street in Seattle,” says Howard Wright with Seattle Hospitality Group. He says cruises bring thousands of people and pocketbooks to the region.

“Restaurants, stores, the vendors- they will all see upticks in their business, in their customer counts, effective today through the end of October,” says Wright.

Local business owner Dave Riddile, agrees. “Not only do we have the benefit of more tourists down here, we also have the benefit of workers who work at the port there come in and get lunch. We have a few of them that are regulars from last season that we haven’t seen all winter. So they’ll be back soon and we’re excited for that too.” He is the co-owner of ‘Here Today Brewery and Kitchen.’

But not everyone was on board with today’s kickoff.

“The labor exploitation is appalling. The damage to the climate is massive. The dumping of the 4 billion gallons of water pollution each year is massive,” says activist Stacy Oaks.

The group ‘Seattle Cruise Control’ organized a protest outside Pier 66, demanding that the port re-evaluate the toll a thriving cruise season takes on the Puget Sound.

Meanwhile, the Port of Seattle expects 800,000 passengers to take advantage of the 2024 season. It will be their longest cruise season on record, starting earlier and ending later than ever before. The Port of Seattle projects an economic impact of nearly $900 million to the region.

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