The Seward Company - Port of Tomorrow - cover view-2

The Port of Tomorrow

The Seward Company is a public-private project formed to revive, reimagine, and rebuild cruise port infrastructure in Seward, Alaska. This public-private project, made up of the Alaska Railroad, Royal Caribbean Group and Turnagain Marine, will replace the outdated pier and completely modernize the cruise infrastructure. This new development users in a new era of cruise passenger hospitality excellence and economic growth for Seward, Southcentral, and other communities served by the Railbelt.

The Seward Company was formed with the sole intent to revive, reimagine and rebuild the Alaska Railroad’s failing Cruise Port infrastructure in Seward.

With Royal Caribbean Group and Turnagain Marine, The Seward Company is eager to redevelop a world-class cruise port, securing future economic benefits for the Seward community, our state of Alaska and the long-term sustainability of the Alaska Railroad.

Grand Opening Spring 2026

Initially funded by the U.S. Congress in 1914, the Port of Seward secured freight and passenger transfers from the Gulf of Alaska to Fairbanks. Since its update in 1965, the port has welcomed millions of travelers, thousands of cargo vessels, and moved tons of ore with minimal improvements. It’s time to return the Port of Seward to a world-class facility and reestablish itself as the gateway to Alaska’s future.

TODAY

At almost 60 years old, the port is showing its age. As the H-piles supporting the dock continue to deteriorate, the dock and passenger terminal do not meet today’s cruise industry operational or safety standards and, as the PND Engineering 2023 study demonstrates, the port is on borrowed time.

TOMORROW

After removing the current fixed dock, a state-of-the-art, floating pier will welcome the largest cruise vessels coming to Alaska. Designed to rise and lower with Alaska’s extreme tides while mooring ships along both sides, the floating structure also elevates the Port of Seward to Alaska’s most desired and functional cruise berth.

Maximizing the 13 acres of upland space, the integrated transportation hub, terminal building and double-berth pier are curated to streamline the boarding experience while simplifying the operational requirements of a full-service port. The parking lot features 32 bus stalls and 48 car spaces. The outside bus lane utilizes dispatch-style loading, forward movement with no reversing required, and minimizes passengers crossing an active parking area.

The largest community building in Seward, the Cruise Terminal is designed for year-round functionality. Under one roof, the terminal is divided into 41,500 square feet of enclosed space and 27,000 square feet of open, pass-through luggage transfer layout. During the cruise season, the terminal’s layout accommodates embarking and debarking travelers. In the winter, the flex space transforms into winter storage and community event space.

The floating double berth is 100 feet wide and 748 feet long. The 200-foot long split transfer span safely ushers cruise passengers and provisioning vehicles on and off the floating berth. For maintenance and to extend the life of the barge platform, the float is built in two sections specifically to be serviced in Seward’s dry-dock facilities. The modernization of the pier includes a portable shore-power system.