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Cruise Season officially underway in Seattle

Cruise season is officially underway in the Emerald City, as the first ship of the season took off from the Bell Street Cruise Terminal on Saturday.

Peter McGraw, a spokesperson with Port of Seattle, said cruise season is expected to bring in 1.26 million passengers to Seattle.

“We’re almost back to 2019 levels,” McGraw said. “(There’s also the) 5,500 jobs across our region, (bringing) in nearly a billion dollars. Each of these vessels, when they homeport here, brings in about $4 million each to the local economy.”

Before the Norwegian Bliss departed from Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell said Norwegian Cruise Line was “leading with their safety protocols.”

“They have the filtration systems in, the protocols in place. And this brings in a lot of money to our region. This is a billion-dollar industry for us, and we bring a lot of state and local taxes. About $14.5 million. And this money goes right into our economy for jobs, for educational opportunities,” Harrell said. “There’s been some people, of course, who have gotten sick while on a cruise. And that’s why I’m very proud that Norwegian Cruise Line has taken such precautions to keep everyone safe.”

Norwegian Cruise Line has several COVID-19 protocols in place. Passengers 12 years and older are required to be fully vaccinated. A negative test result within two days of departure is also required. Masks are recommended, but not required.

The Norwegian Bliss, the vessel that took off on Saturday, is also part of the CDC’s COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships. The CDC previously reported it “started an investigation” on the vessel after it reported enough COVID-19 Cases to meet a CDC threshold, which means 0.3% or more of total passengers and/or crew tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the CDC, 51 other cruise ships also met the same threshold as the Norwegian Bliss.

“We’re going to follow the data, work very closely with the port commissioners and the cruise line representatives to make sure people are safe,” Harrell said.

Passengers like Adam Terrazas and Kristen Engel didn’t bring any concerns with them before boarding their cruise. The couple planned their cruise four years ago and traveled from Albuquerque, New Mexico, for their Saturday sendoff.

“We’re all just doing the best we can do and I think it’s time,” Engel said. “We’ve waited long enough and it’s time to get out there. … I think they’ve taken all the necessary precautions from everything I’ve read online. So I really trust that everything is fine and we’re really excited to go.”

Nearby businesses are also preparing for the influx of customers. Colleen Wilkie, who runs Shug’s Soda Fountain & Ice Cream in Pike Place Market, said her primary point of concern was making sure she had enough supplies.

“We had a difficult time through the pandemic, not that it’s necessarily over,” Wilkie said. “But I feel with the cruises coming back and the protocols they’re doing with the passengers, we can welcome them to the city and my business. … Being a small business at the Pike Place Market, it is extremely night-and-day for my business having the cruise ships here at port.”