Seattle

We will be cruising out of Seattle next August and I am trying to make some plans as to which hotel to stay and what are some of the must sees. I will be traveling with a 15 year old. If anyone could share their experiences.

I sailed out of Seattle last year and stayed at Hampton Inn and Suites Seattle-Airport/28th Ave and was beyond impressed. They have a shuttle that will pick you up at the airport, you will just have to call the hotel upon your arrival. They also have a shuttle to the cruise port that is not advertised, but if you ask the front desk about it, they should be able to get you on the list. They also do a complimentary breakfast.

As far as things to do, I booked a post cruise tour with airport drop off that hit all of the main tourist attractions and got me to the airport in plenty of time for my flight.

Your 15 yo may be interested in the Museum of Pop Culture or MoPop (formerly the Experience Music Project or EMP). Their web site has been experiencing some issues recently. Lots of pop culture music type exhibits as well as a science fiction museum all in one. Near the Space Needle at Seattle Center. If staying in airport area Link lightrail can get you downtown to all the things to see and do there and the Monorail can get you from downtown (at Westlake Center) to Seattle Center. Other attractions for that age might be the Seattle Great Wheel and Wings Over Washington at Miners Landing on the waterfront. Also on the waterfront is Ye Olde Curiosity Shop which most kids find fascinating. Especially Sylvester the mummy.

Pike Place Market

The underground

Ferry ride

water front

Seattle Art Museum

Chinatown/International District

Museum of Flight

Center for Wooden Boats

Aquarium

Childrens museum

Great wheel

Central Library

chocolate tour

The Future of Flight

zoo

water taxi

tour safeco or century link

pinball museum

Ballard Locks fish ladder

childrens theater

the beach at low tide

indoor climbing

REI

Gameworks

living computer museum

circus school

Bike ride

Traxx indoor cart racing

ifly indoor skydiving

zip line

We will be cruising out of Seattle next August and I am trying to make some plans as to which hotel to stay and what are some of the must sees. I will be traveling with a 15 year old. If anyone could share their experiences.

Look into AirBNB. Last year my wife and I found a great place that was reasonably priced by Pike Place Market. Super convenient, you're able to walk almost anywhere. from there. You're literally across the street from the ferris wheel and the aquarium.

Here's the place where we stayed if you're interested: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/938785

As far a MUST sees: Pike Place Market, Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass. underground tour, aquarium and MoPop.

Pike Place Market

The underground

Ferry ride

water front

Seattle Art Museum

Chinatown/International District

Museum of Flight

Center for Wooden Boats

Aquarium

Childrens museum

Great wheel

Central Library

chocolate tour

The Future of Flight

zoo

water taxi

tour safeco or century link

pinball museum

Ballard Locks fish ladder

childrens theater

the beach at low tide

indoor climbing

REI

Gameworks

living computer museum

circus school

Bike ride

Traxx indoor cart racing

ifly indoor skydiving

zip line

Tell me more about this Chocolate Tour and the Living Computer Museum please.

This suggestion is a little iffy given scheduling but your kid would enjoy it if a gamer. Game test at microsoft, they pay you in software. Nintendo america is also over there but has no visitor center. The Nintendo sign may be worth a pic if your kid cares. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/playtest/default.aspx

There is also a railroad museum out at Snoqualmie with the Snoqualmie Falls about a mile away.

This suggestion is a little iffy given scheduling but your kid would enjoy it if a gamer. Game test at microsoft, they pay you in software. Nintendo america is also over there but has no visitor center. The Nintendo sign may be worth a pic if your kid cares. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/playtest/default.aspx

Thank you. My kid would probably love it.

Thank you. My kid would probably love it.

I added to this post after you quoted it.

We will be cruising out of Seattle next August and I am trying to make some plans as to which hotel to stay and what are some of the must sees. I will be traveling with a 15 year old. If anyone could share their experiences.

We just returned from Alaska cruise with 13 and 17 y.o.. kids. We stayed in Seattle for three days prior to cruise. My children liked Seattle very much. They were most impressed with street musicians and other performers at Pike Place Market, as well as by the market itself. Also, both really enjoyed Chihuly Glass museum while neither one liked MoPop, go figure. They liked Duck tour, while harbor cruise didn't impress them that much (the highlight was seeing group of Orcas right in the harbor, but other then that...) ABC Art (the Gum Wall) by the Pike Market was interesting as well. We also did Aquarium and Needle Tower as well as Waterfront with Ye Ol Curiosity shop which kids found somewhat entertaining. As far as i am concerned, I loved all of the above and had a great time, but we are talking teens / pre-teens here.

We stayed in Silver Cloud Inn at Lake Union, which is on the outskirts of Downtown and we would stay there again if in Seattle. Free shuttle with various central drop-offs was very convenient (they pick you up too from same drop-offs areas and bring you back to the hotel, just call for pick up). The walk from city center to the hotel is about 20 to 30 minutes. Free (and very good) breakfast was extremely convenient when travelling with teens. The hotel itself is in a very nice area, right across the street from the lake with multiple restaurants on the marina. Again, very convenient if one doesn't want to venture back to Downtown or Waterfront after day of sightseeing. The accommodations were good, staff friendly and professional. Kids did like the hotel.

When we will come back to Seattle, hopefully, we will try to see the Zoo and Arboretum and some other parks. We would,t do either Aquarium or Harbor cruise again. Not that they are not good, but one time was enough. Pike Market, however and Chihuli Glass museum and gardens we would visit again. You and your teen will like Seattle, I am sure. We did.

if you arent taking the online price and not calling the hotel and asking them to split the price you arent doing your due diligence.