Key Aspects:
- Royal Caribbean and its partners are celebrating the grand opening of the Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal in Seward.
- The new facility is now the biggest and most innovative cruise terminal in Alaska.
- Ovation of the Seas is homeporting in Seward for the first time and is the first Royal Caribbean ship to take advantage of the new facilities.
After years in the making and a last-minute delay, Royal Caribbean’s new state-of-the-art cruise terminal in Seward, Alaska, has finally opened its doors to the cruise industry.
The opening of the Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal, which is the largest and most innovative cruise terminal in Alaska, was commemorated on June 10, 2026.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate the culmination of nearly a decade of efforts to unlock this world-class travel destination, bringing long-term economic opportunities to Seward and beyond,” said Josh Carroll, senior vice president, Deployment, Destination Development and Port Operations, at Royal Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean teamed up with The Alaska Railroad, The Seward Company, and Turnagain Marine Construction to complete the project, with these companies coming together to celebrate the terminal’s official opening.
A ribbon ceremony was held to commemorate the port’s next chapter, with the family of Dale and Carol Ann Lindsey (who the facility is named for) present to cut the ribbon and to celebrate their relatives’ impact on Seward.
“The journey to open the Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal as a portal to premier travel destinations would not have been possible without our supporting partners, government official stakeholders, and the local community,” Carroll added.
It cost around $137 million to build the new cruise terminal, which was financed via revenue bonds from the Alaska Railroad Corporation.
Royal Caribbean will pay off the bonds over the next 30 years via a usage agreement, which guarantees that the cruise line will bring a minimum of 140,000 guests to Seward annually during the Alaska cruise season.
Seward Positioned as Premier Cruise Destination
Royal Caribbean, and its partners, don’t make such a massive investment lightly. They pursued the new terminal because they saw potential for Seward to become a premier cruise destination and homeport in Alaska.
The new and improved terminal replaced aging dock facilities that date back to the mid-1960s, with Royal Caribbean getting the greenlight to bring the new facility and its double-berth floating pier to life in 2024.
Seward is now home to the largest and most innovative cruise terminal in Alaska. It’s designed to promote the efficient flow of passengers throughout the facility and during passenger processing while embarking and debarking.
Digging into the nitty-gritty, the terminal has 41,500 square feet of enclosed space and 27,000 square feet of open space on the outside for transfers and handling luggage.
“We know how important the terminal is not just to Seward, but to communities across Southcentral and Interior Alaska as these cross-gulf cruise guests take the opportunity to explore Alaska by land as well,” said Bill O’Leary, President and CEO of the Alaska Railroad and the owner and operator of the Seward passenger dock and terminal.
As an additional upgrade, Seward’s new pier now also has shore power capabilities, which is a greener fuel alternative for cruise lines to power their ships while docked.
This puts Seward on par with ports like Juneau, which is also actively putting the pieces in place to adopt and prioritize shore power.
Which Cruise Ships Call to Seward?
Typically, Seward welcomes 190,000 to 220,000 cruise guests annually, which is a number local authorities hope will only grow.
Royal Caribbean kicked off the 2026 homeporting operations by sending the 168,666-gross ton Ovation of the Seas to homeport in Seward for the first time.
After delays related to ongoing construction forced the ship to pivot, the Quantum-class ship will now spend the rest of the season sailing back and forth between Seward and Vancouver.
Additionally, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Summit and multiple ships from Silversea Cruises will homeport in Seward this year. For context, these companies are also owned by Royal Caribbean Group.
Other major cruise lines, including Princess Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises, Windstar Cruises, and American Cruise Lines, will also get a chance to try out the new facilities before the season concludes.
