"It's a lot more fun to be president of a cruise line when cruise ships are actually operating."
It's tough to argue with those words spoken by NCL President & CEO Harry Sommer just before Norwegian Bliss set sail as the first ship of the season to depart Seattle for Alaska. All of us who work in the travel biz can relate.
After the 2020 season was completely lost and 2021 severely cut short, Norwegian expects to carry some 300,000 passengers north to Alaska this year, with three ships operating from Seattle and two from Vancouver.
TravelPulse Canada is aboard Norwegian Bliss for the first Alaska sailing of the season. So is Canada's Derek Lloyd, Norwegian's VP Sales, North America, along with 200 North American travel advisors enjoying a Seminar at Sea.
An event at Pier 66 celebrating the first sailing underlined the importance of the cruise industry to Seattle, a place nicknamed 'the Emerald City' for the lush forests that surround it.
"The cruise season is back. We're happy. We're on the right track," said Mayor Bruce Harrell.
While several cruise lines will make more than 300 calls on the city from now through October, Harrell singled out NCL for praise, as the first cruise company to recognize the potential of Seattle as a gateway to the scenic beauty and wondrous wildlife of Alaska.
"Norwegian has been our partner for a couple of decades," Harrell said. "They saw an opportunity that others did not."
The first NCL Alaska cruise from Seattle was back in 2000, the same year Sommer joined NCL. In fact, he was aboard Norwegian Sky when it inaugurated the route. NCL carried 30,000 guests to the last frontier that year, and prior to the pandemic saw steady growth.
Cruising represents about a billion dollars in economic impact for the city, and directly supports some 5,500 jobs. NCL was a partner in a public/private investment that built Pier 66, a single-berth cruise terminal that can efficiently handle ships as big as Bliss, which carries just over 4,000 passengers and 1,750 crew at double occupancy.
Ryan Calkins, Commission President for Port Seattle, says the cruise industry played a big role in redeveloping the city's central waterfront. He expects it will now contribute to the city's recovery from the COVID pandemic, while also demonstrating that the industry can deliver a sustainable product.
"This market can and should lead the world in sustainable cruising. We can work to preserve the pristine places these ships go, while also addressing economic inequality by creating opportunities across our region."
Seattle council member Sara Nelson, who called herself "a pro-cruise convert" after taking her own cruise vacation, offered a colourful analogy in celebration of the season's debut.
"Opening day is joyous every year, but this year feels like the first day of spring break after two years of final exams."
Travel with us over the next week for further information on developments in Alaska's ports, as well as the experience guests can expect travelling aboard Norwegian Bliss.
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