The Port of Seattle and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) showcased the new Bell Street Cruise Terminal, at the Port’s Pier 66 building, in a celebration, on May 23. The newly renovated terminal is designed to handle the 4,000 passenger Norwegian Bliss, which will be the largest cruise vessel on the West Coast, arriving in time for the 2018 cruise season.
As part of a joint agreement between the two parties, an estimated $30 million dollars in improvements were made to the Bell Street Cruise Terminal, that features three times the square footage within the same walls of the prior facility.
The 15-year lease deal, signed in 2015, secures berth space for NCLH ships in Seattle, for the full term of the lease and provides passenger volume guarantees estimated to bring $73 million dollars of revenue to the Port. Under the new lease Norwegian will manage the cruise operations at Pier 66 and will have priority rights to the cruise vessel berth during the cruise season. The Port will operate the facilities outside the cruise season.
“Together, we have increased usage capacity by more than 300 percent, created a plush new lounge for suites guests, enlarged the space for all guests awaiting embarkation and much more, allowing for the vacation experience to begin as soon as our guests step foot inside the terminal by providing a seamless, comfortable and stylish ship-to-shore experience” said Howard Sherman, executive vice-president of Onboard Revenue and Destination Development for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
Except for enhancing the passenger experience, the 15-year investment is estimated to generate $2.3 billion in total business revenue for the region, nearly 900 jobs, and over $65 million in state and local taxes.