SEATTLE — Royal Caribbean International's Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seattle Tuesday morning, becoming the first cruise ship to make its way back to Seattle’s Pier 91 for the upcoming cruise season.
It was a welcome sign of the city's return to normal and an even more welcome sign for an industry that supports more than 5,000 jobs.
Around a dozen spectators made their way to Pier 91 just before 6 a.m. to watch the 1,138-foot-long, nearly 5,000-person capacity ship dock. The Ovation of the Seas is 136 feet wide, has 16 total decks, a surf simulator, casino, music hall and has a 22-knot cruising speed.
According to the Port of Seattle, cruise lines needed to submit an application to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for what's called a Conditional Sailing Certification, which includes a plan to both prevent the spread of COVID-19 and how to handle a possible outbreak.
Pending approval of the certification, the first cruise expected to depart Seattle is Royal Caribbean International's Serenade of the Seas on July 19, with Ovation of the Seas following later in August.
Stephanie Jones Stebbins, managing director of the Port of Seattle's maritime division, said the ship's arrival signals an important economic driver for the city, although she acknowledged the cruise season would be shorter than normal, and the vessels will be operating at reduced capacity.
"I've heard a lot of excitement from not only folks who run hotels but people who have shops and who provision the vessels," Jones Stebbins said. "So it's a really important start to the economy. It's going to be a different season."