NCLH Extends Seattle Homeport Lease Through 2035
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will base Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Joy and Oceania Riviera at Pier 66 in 2026 for more than 70 calls.
The Port of Seattle Commission approved a long-term lease amendment with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings that keeps NCLH homeporting in Seattle through 2035 and requires at least 325,000 revenue passengers annually. The agreement includes extension options through 2045 tied to continued decarbonization progress and sustainability performance.
For Seattle, the amendment secures a longtime Alaska cruise partner as the port enters its busiest cruise season. The 10-year term is estimated to generate $116 million for the port, with potential revenue of up to $316 million if the optional extensions are exercised.
“The Port of Seattle's cruise sector is a particularly bright spot in our business lines, with growing passenger numbers, revenues, and benefit for the community,” said Commissioner Sam Cho. “Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has been an outstanding partner to the Port of Seattle for more than a quarter of a century.”
Dan Farkas, executive vice president, general counsel and chief development officer at NCLH, welcomed the agreement. “This agreement allows us to continue to invest in Seattle as a homeport,” Farkas said, adding that it also allows the company to work with the port on “practical sustainability initiatives through our Sail & Sustain program.”
Lease adds fuel, shoreside-emission and community commitments
The amended lease calls for NCLH to contribute to cruise infrastructure, environmental programs, workforce efforts and community partnerships. NCLH’s portfolio includes Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and its 2026 Seattle schedule includes ships from both Norwegian and Oceania.
A central environmental component is a Seattle demonstration project for sustainable, non-fossil maritime fuels. The project is intended to identify what port infrastructure, ship technology and fuel-supply conditions would be needed before wider fleet transitions could occur.
The lease also continues NCLH participation in ECHO and Quiet Sound, voluntary underwater-noise programs in the Salish Sea region focused on commercial-vessel impacts on Southern Resident killer whales. ECHO is led by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, while Quiet Sound is a Washington State coalition involving ports, agencies, tribes, scientists and maritime partners.
NCLH also agreed to encourage stevedores to adopt low- and zero-emission equipment, with a target of 100% zero-emission shoreside operations by 2030. The agreement also includes incentives for ground handlers using lower-greenhouse-gas transportation.
On the community side, the lease includes commitments to expand local provisioning with small, diverse and disadvantaged suppliers. It also contemplates maritime education efforts such as ship tours and panel discussions for Maritime High School students, local event sponsorships and participation in the port’s Allies Against Human Trafficking Pledge.
Pier 66 schedule sits inside Seattle’s record 2026 season
NCLH will homeport four ships at Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 for the 2026 season: Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Joy and Oceania Riviera. Together, they are scheduled for more than 70 calls.
The Seattle relationship dates to 2000, when Norwegian Cruise Line became the first major operator to homeport in the city for Alaska cruises. NCLH was also an early participant in Seattle shore-power infrastructure investments, and its ships connect to shore power while in port.
Seattle opened its 2026 cruise season April 17 and expects 330 calls and 2.1 million revenue passengers, the highest totals in the port’s history. MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages are new to the season, bringing the total homeport fleet to 16 ships.
The port’s cruise berths at Pier 66 and Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91 are equipped for shore power. In 2025, 87% of shore-power-capable vessels connected to Seattle City Light power while docked, avoiding an estimated 6,444 metric tons of CO2.
The next sustainability deadline in the lease comes Dec. 31, 2026, when NCLH and the port are due to agree on the methodology for reviewing decarbonization progress.
