Royal Caribbean Honors Alaskan Small Business With Port Partners Award

Royal Caribbean is making a real difference in Alaska — and it goes way beyond the cruise ships docking in port.

Royal Caribbean Awards First-Ever Port Partners Small Business Grant

Royal Caribbean Group has named Exit Glacier Greenhouses as the winner of its first-ever Port Partners Small Business Accelerator Award. The Seward, Alaska-based business was founded by Sydney Singer. The award comes with $20,000 in funding and a package of support to help the business grow.

What Is Exit Glacier Greenhouses?

Exit Glacier Greenhouses has a simple but important mission. It aims to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for the people of Seward, Alaska — year-round. The goal is to produce food locally with the smallest possible environmental footprint.

Seward is a small town of about 2,900 residents. Access to fresh, healthy produce can be a real challenge in remote Alaskan communities. Singer’s greenhouse project is working to change that.

How the $20,000 Grant Will Be Used

With the grant money, Singer plans to build six solar-powered greenhouse modules. Each module will be designed for specific crops. The upgraded setup is expected to dramatically boost food production.

Right now, the project is on track to produce around 700 pounds of food per season by 2026. With the new infrastructure in place, that number could jump to 4,000 pounds within a year. That’s nearly six times the output.

Singer’s Own Words

The impact of this program clearly means a lot to Singer personally.

“I look forward to growing my business to ensure that all 2,900 Seward residents can have access to much-needed fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet, made possible through the Port Partners grant,” said Sydney Singer, founder of Exit Glacier Greenhouses.

Singer also spoke about the value of the program itself. “The critical business skills and connections with fellow business owners and mentors I have gained through the program have been invaluable, and I am grateful for the joyful opportunity this has brought to me, my cohort participants, and our community.”

About the Port Partners Small Business Accelerator Program

This award came at the end of the 2026 Port Partners Small Business Accelerator program. The program pulled together 15 small business owners from across South Central Alaska. They took part in workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions.

Topics covered included business planning, financial management, marketing, and sustainable growth. Each participant was paired with a local entrepreneur or industry professional as a mentor. Graduates earned three college credits through the University of Alaska system.

The program wrapped up with a live community event. Participants pitched their business plans to a panel of local community leaders acting as judges. It’s a great example of how a cruise line can invest in the ports it visits.

Who Helped Make It Happen

Royal Caribbean didn’t do this alone. Several local partners supported the program, including:

– Alaska Vocational Technical Center – University of Alaska – Alaska Small Business Development Center – Seward Chamber of Commerce – City of Seward

Why This Matters for Cruise Travelers

When you sail into Seward on a Royal Caribbean ship, you’re visiting a community the cruise line is actively investing in. Programs like Port Partners help local businesses grow and thrive. That means a healthier, more vibrant port town for everyone — including travelers passing through.

It’s a reminder that cruise lines can have a positive impact on the places their ships call home.