Cruise Season Opens in Seattle as Thousands of Passengers Explore the Newly Renovated Waterfront

For many of the Norwegian Jade’s passengers, Friday was their first time walking Seattle’s waterfront, and the reaction was largely positive. “There’s a lot to do, and you feel like you’re in the city rather than just the port area,” said Olivia Raley. Other passengers praised the cleanliness of the piers and the quality of shopping and dining options along the water. “I’ve not seen one piece of litter anywhere, unlike England,” laughed Diane Hughesdon. Tony Perna, visiting from San Diego, said the experience shifted his expectations. “I had heard some stories that things weren’t so great in Seattle, just like San Diego has some problems,” Perna said. “But it looks like you guys are cleaning it up pretty good.”

The Port of Seattle is projecting a record-breaking season, with more than 2 million passengers anticipated by the time the season closes in October. Last year, cruise season generated $1.2 billion in local economic impact, a figure port officials expect to grow as visitor numbers climb alongside the FIFA World Cup bringing additional international traffic to the city this summer.