Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas left Seattle on Monday evening for the first big-ship cruise in Alaska in over two years.

The Serenade left from the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal on one of her seven-night itineraries and the first revenue cruise of the lineup of 83 scheduled voyages this year, which will each bring an estimated $4.2 million to the local economy, according to the port.

Guest, crew and community safety is paramount, with touchless features to limit crowding throughout the terminal and cruise ships, and vaccinations required of eligible travellers.

“The return of passenger cruise to Alaska marks a major milestone in our effort to reopen the regional economy,” said Steve Metruck, executive director of the Port of Seattle. “A year of work by national, state, and local officials and health authorities, cruise lines, and the Port established safety protocols throughout the traveller experience—from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to each of our cruise terminals. These safety measures will begin restoring the economic benefit from a cruise in Seattle, responsible for creating 5,500 jobs and nearly $900 million to our region.”

“It’s exciting to see hundreds of travellers with their families back in Seattle to cruise to Alaska again. As Serenade of the Seas embarks on the first Alaska sailing since September 2019, it also marks another key milestone for Royal Caribbean and the industry – the return of cruising on the west coast,” said Mark Tamis, senior vice president, Hotel Operations, Royal Caribbean International. “Thanks to the collaboration with our partners in this great city and the region, including the Port of Seattle and Alaska, the benefits of cruise tourism will be felt across the local communities once again. We are back, and there’s more to come when our second ship, Ovation of the Seas, returns to Seattle in August.”

“Cruise season introduces new customers to local small businesses in downtown Seattle and across our city. So many of our local businesses — who have endured a gruelling 16 months — rely on cruise season and the visitors it brings to ensure they can survive and thrive,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “Seattle is excited to welcome visitors from across our country and world back to our great city, and we hope they enjoy everything our small businesses, arts and cultural organizations, and neighbourhoods have to offer.”

“We are thrilled to see the return of Alaska cruises from the Port of Seattle and welcome the opportunity to provide passengers with high-quality dairy products from our Northwest co-op’s farmer-owners,” said Duane Naluai, President Consumer Products at Darigold. “That industry partners like Royal Caribbean International are resuming operations after such a challenging pandemic year signals our region’s resilience in the face of adversity and comprises an encouraging boost to our local economy.”