Seattle's Booming Cruise Ship Business
Seattle’s Alaska cruise business has climbed steadily since its first homeport ship arrived in 2000, serving 900,000 passengers in 291 sailings last year. But despite striking financial success, Seattle’s relationship with the industry has been showing signs of strain, as environmental critics assailed the big ships for polluting the Salish Sea, accelerating global warming and mistreating its workers.
The most recent Port Commission election appeared to signal a more critical shift in the Port’s attitude toward the Alaska cruise business.
Toshiko Hasegawa, during her successful campaign in 2021 against incumbent Peter Steinbrueck, called cruise ships “disgusting gas guzzlers,” and cited allegations of poor working conditions aboard ships.
She and fellow Commissioner Hamdi Mohamed cheered the Port’s decision to shelve a plan for a third cruise terminal at Terminal 46 as the pandemic crippled the business. “I don’t believe expanding cruise is the future of our region’s economy,” Hasegawa said.
https://www.postalley.org/2024/07/14/seattles-booming-cruise-ship-business/