How many passengers set sail in Seattle’s 2024 cruise season?

Seattle is sunsetting its robust cruise season for 2024, with the last ship disembarking from Pier 66 Tuesday.

According to a news release from the Port of Seattle on Monday, the 2024 Alaska cruise season saw 276 vessel calls and 1.75 million revenue passengers.

Liz Johnson, Senior Director of Tourism Development at Visit Seattle, told MyNorthwest she was not surprised by the number of passengers.

“We know that Alaska is a popular cruise destination, and these initial numbers are in line with pre-season projections provided by the Port of Seattle,” Johnson said via email. “We’ve seen a trend of growth in visitors cruising out of Seattle; the cruise lines recognize what a desirable port we have here in the city and I expect those numbers to remain elevated for coming seasons as well.”

Previous cruise coverage: Seattle expecting record-breaking cruise year as first ship sets sail

She added that the transformed Seattle Waterfront definitely contributed to the city’s tourism and significantly impacted the Seattle cruise passenger experience. Johnson cited the opening of the Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion and widened green spaces along Alaskan Way.

“Making that connection between the Waterfront and Pike Place Market, two of the city’s iconic visitor attractions, is a huge boon to visitors and locals alike,” she said.

Johnson added that the cruise season is “incredibly important to our 780+ plus members and the entire visitor economy.”

She spoke with Liz Philpot, the founder of Eat Seattle Tours, who noted that cruise ship visitors are vital for her local food tour business and that she notices a drop when cruise season is over. Johnson said during cruise season, businesses hire extra employees to deal with the increase in customers.

“This, in turn, supports our larger economy as those extra paychecks are, in turn, put back into the region,” she explained.

Travis Mayfield: Downtown Seattle showing signs of life, is it making a comeback?

MyNorthwest asked how much tourism growth Johnson thinks Seattle can withstand as the number of cruise passengers grows.

“We trust the Port of Seattle to balance the needs of the community and the environment, something they’ve done admirably so far with their participation in the Green Corridor and the introduction of shore power at each of the cruise berths,” she responded.

She said that Visit Seattle works with BIAs and community leaders outside of downtown to send visitors to different neighborhoods they might not otherwise experience.

“Especially in support of small and minority-owned businesses throughout the city,” she added.

Johnson shared that she’s excited for next year when visitors will get to see the completed overlook, a new playground at Pier 58 and better pedestrian access into Pioneer Square.

The Port of Seattle said it expects 299 vessel calls and 1.9 million revenue passengers during the 2025 cruise season.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.