Port of Seattle plans for record cruise season, promising jobs and big economic impact

Seattle’s cruise season is here, and it’s expected to be busier than ever.

The Port of Seattle is anticipating 298 calls, with almost 2 million passengers on board.

Linda Springmann, the Director of Cruise Business for the Port of Seattle, told KIRO Newsradio that this will be “the most calls we’ve seen in a cruise season,” creating a new record for the port.

This cruise season is said to create more than 5,000 jobs and nearly $900 million in economic impact. In Seattle, the cruise line is expected to drive significant tourism and create millions of dollars for the local economy.

Bracing for tariffs

Despite many cruise lines utilizing international goods and workers, Springmann said that at this time, they do anticipate many tariff-related issues.

“We’re not hearing of any changes at this point, it’s on everyone’s radar,”  Springman said, “We’re just watching things.”

Springman does note that the one thing tariffs could affect is the cost of provisions, but it won’t be very different from what people may experience day-to-day.

“It’s just like when you and I go do our grocery shopping,” Springman said. “If we start seeing an impact in local availability of things, it’s probably impacting the cruise lines as well.”

Environmental advancements

The port is also making environmental strides this season, continuing its mission to be “one of the most environmentally progressive cruise homeports in North America.” 

This will be the first full season that Seattle’s cruise berths will have “shore power,” meaning that cruises can shut off their engines while at anchor, which is expected to, on average, reduce diesel emissions by 80% and CO2 by 66%. 

The 2025 cruise season will run from April through October.