Seattle’s Shore-Power Record Looks Modest Against Its 2028 Goal

Seattle has shore-power equipment at all three cruise berths, yet shore-power use rose just one percentage point in 2026, from 65% to a record 66% of cruise ships. That is progress, but modest progress for a port targeting full utilization by homeported ships in 2028.

I’d put that gap ahead of the season’s record ship calls. Installing equipment is essential. Getting ships to use it is what delivers the benefit, and Seattle still has substantial work ahead on that measure.

The Port of Seattle closed its cruise season on October 18 with 330 ship calls and nearly 2 million revenue passengers. Its Alaska business expanded again, including first homeport seasons for MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages. There is plenty of activity to celebrate. The shore-power numbers deserve a less celebratory reading.

More calls, but passengers fell short of the forecast

The 2026 season surpassed the previous year’s records of 298 calls and 1.9 million revenue passengers. Passenger volume nevertheless finished below the 2.1 million forecast when sailings began in April.

The port estimates that cruise activity generated $1.2 billion in regional economic benefits and supported more than 5,120 direct and indirect jobs. Both estimates were unchanged from 2025, despite the record traffic.

For 2027, Seattle anticipates 326 cruise calls, slightly fewer than in 2026, and approximately 2 million revenue passengers.

MSC and Virgin broaden the Alaska lineup

Seattle’s homeport program grew to 16 ships across 10 cruise brands, up from 14 ships and eight brands a year earlier. Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line were among the operators sailing from the port.

MSC Cruises completed its first Seattle homeport season with the 2,550-passenger MSC Poesia. The ship sailed seven-night Alaska itineraries from Pier 91, departing on Mondays throughout the season.

Virgin Voyages began its Seattle program on May 21 aboard the 2,770-guest Brilliant Lady, offering Alaska voyages ranging from seven to 12 nights.

The shore-power benefit is measurable. So is the remaining work.

The port estimates that shore-power use during the season avoided 6,189 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions and 1.52 metric tons of diesel particulate matter. Those are concrete benefits, and a good reason to press for greater use.

Equipment at the three berths at Pier 91 and Pier 66 does not mean the infrastructure work is finished. Dredging and electrification work will continue at Pier 91 this fall to expand shore-power capability.

The season also brought Elliott Bay’s first LNG bunkering operation for a cruise ship. Princess Cruises’ Star Princess received the fuel, with 3% of the LNG supplied from renewable sources. That renewable share matters when describing what the milestone actually delivered.

Seattle can reasonably point to cleaner operations alongside a larger cruise program. But I’d reserve the strongest praise for a bigger increase in shore-power use. A one-point gain is unfinished work, not the headline achievement.

See cruises departing Seattle on Cruise Lookup.