The Seward Company recently released plans to design and build a new cruise terminal and pier at the Port of Seward in Alaska.

According to the company’s website, design and construction for the new facility is scheduled to start immediately, with completion expected by Spring 2026.

The Seward Company is working with the Royal Caribbean Group and Turnagain Marine on the public-private project, which aims to develop a new world-class cruise port in Seward.

Designed to welcome the largest ships currently cruising in the region, the new facility will replace the current Alaska Railroad cruise port facility, the Seward Company said.

According to the Alaska-based real estate development group, the 1965-built pier is now outdated and does not meet today’s cruise industry operational or safety standards.

A 2023 study showed that the port is on borrowed time, the Seward Company added, with its supporting piles degrading from unsafe towards complete structural failure.

The centerpiece of the project is a state-of-the-art floating double berth pier that measures 100 feet wide and 748 feet long, the development company added, noting that the facility will feature a portable shore-power system.

The pier will be able to operate with two ships docked simultaneously and was designed to host Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class.

The facility will also be equipped with a 200-foot-long split transfer span, ensuring safe and efficient embarkation and disembarkation of cruise visitors and provisioning vehicles.

Additionally, there will be a 41,500-square-foot cruise terminal providing indoor shelter for passengers and crew.

Designed for year-round functionality, the cruise terminal will be transformed into storage and community event space when not being used by cruise ships during winter months.

The new facility secures future economic impacts for the Seward community and the state of Alaska, the company said, while also assuring the long-term sustainability of the Alaska Railroad.