Facts
2012
Through April 2012, our ship visitor was able to visit 92 container ships, with a total crew of 2,112. Of those, 298 crew members visited our Center and 242 were taken shopping to area stores.
The cruise ship season starts on Sunday, May 6, and we will once again be providing shuttle service for the crew from the cruise terminal at Pier 91 to downtown. We are always looking for volunteer drivers to provide this service in our vans so if you think this is something that might interest you, please call us at 206-935-3439 or email us at seafarers-center@mts-seattle.org.
2011
In 2011 our ship visitor made 212 visits to container ships, with a total crew of 5,000. He took 520 crew members shopping while 802 crew members visited our Center to use our phones, computers and use our free Wi-Fi service.
The cruise ship season started on May 7th and ended on September 27th. Our very dedicated group of volunteer drivers was able to provide regular shuttle service for the crew from the cruise terminal to downtown Seattle four days a week. Altogether, they were able to provide round trip transportation to 5,698 cruise ship crew members from 129 ships.
2010
In 2010, we visited 314 container ships with a total crew of 7,142 from 25 different countries. Twenty three of these ships had crew with no visas or shore leave, while on 14 ships several crew members had no visas. The crew of five ships were denied any shore leave.
The 2010 cruise season in Seattle was busier than ever and our dedicated team of volunteer drivers was able to offer regular weekend shuttle service for the members of the crew throughout the season. From mid-May through the first weekend of October, we served 111 cruise ships and transported 7,671 crew members.
2009
In 2009, the Mission to Seafarers staff and volunteers visited 353 ships with a total crew of 8,259 representing 32 different countries. Over 1,000 crew members visited our Center and 860 were taken shopping in Seattle in our vans. The stores visited include Costco, Best Buy, Target, Sears, Goodwill and the downtown area. In addition, we also served 61 cruise ships and transported a total of 6,825 of their crew for shopping and sightseeing in downtown Seattle.
On sixteen of the ships we called on the crew had no visas or were denied shore leave; on those occasions we were able to bring cell phones and phone cards on board so that they could contact their families and loved ones. Our ship visitor also did any shopping they required.