Alaska Railroad to buy new $137m Seward cruise port, opening 2026

Upon completion of the facility in spring 2026, the Alaska Railroad will acquire the renewed cruise port at the fixed price of $137m, including the associated debt, secured by a 30-year pier usage agreement with anchor tenant Royal Caribbean Group. Royal Caribbean will have preferential berthing rights.

Alaska Railroad will continue to own and operate the facility as an open dock with multiple brands calling.

'Large developments are never easy. Today’s green-light approval was two years in the making. The Alaska Railroad Board’s decision to purchase the new facility shows the value of the certainty of the partnership between Royal Caribbean Group, Turnagain, Seward Company and the executive team at the Alaska Railroad created,' said Mickey Richardson, CEO of the Port of Tomorrow, representing the Seward Company.

He said this 'guarantees cruise ships will continue to serve Seward for the next 30 years and beyond.'

The new facility includes a 68,000-square-foot turn port terminal building. Cruisers will connect directly to an Alaska Railroad train or other ground transportation

Two berth floating dock, new terminal

The new facility includes a 68,000-square-foot turn port terminal building. The 750-foot, two berth floating dock is engineered to accommodate Alaska's modern cruise ships. Its center-point connections allow the two-part structure to be maintained by Seward’s shipyards.

Turnagain, the port's designer/builder, highlighted the pier's built-in support for provisioning fresh water, fuel from a local vendor and shore power. A 150-foot transfer span connects disembarking travelers directly to an Alaska Railroad train or other ground transportation.

Alaska's largest floating pier

'It will be the largest floating pier in the state,' according to Jason Davis, president of Turnagain. 'Alaska’s infrastructure growth, and for that matter, the growth of the tourism industry, depends heavily on projects supported by the cruise industry, global travel partners and Alaskans,' he added.

According to the Alaska Travel Industry Association, the visitor industry is the second largest private-sector employer, accounting for one in every 10 Alaska jobs (52,000) with an economic impact of $5.6b.

'The Alaskan experience is at the heart of our decades-long agreement with the Alaska Railroad and the city of Seward,' said Preston Carnahan, AVP West Coast destinations, Royal Caribbean Group. 'This new facility supports our commitment to deliver incredible experiences to our guests while also developing a state-of-the-art facility and community hub. This reinforces our commitment to the Seward community who has graciously welcomed us to their beautiful home.'

Construction to start at 2024 season's end

Terminal construction is scheduled to begin when the 2024 Alaska cruise season ends. Turnagain aims to have the foundation for the new terminal in the ground before winter sets in. Pier construction is planned for fall 2025 to ensure an uninterrupted summer 2025 cruise season, with grand opening planned in spring 2026.

'The existing passenger dock has brought incredible economic opportunities to Seward over its lifetime, but after 60 years of service it’s imperative that we replace this aging infrastructure,' said Bill O'Leary, CEO of the Alaska Railroad.

'We’re glad to have partners that recognize that fact as well, as this project would not be possible without Royal Caribbean’s 30-year commitment. The new dock represents a great investment in Seward as well as Alaska’s travel industry across the state, and we’re excited to help support the next 60 years of industry growth and opportunity in our state.'