Seattle (Pier 66) Pearl Embarkation ?

On NCL Pearl (Pier 66) Alaska mid August. Is it possible to check our bags with the porter (how early?) leave, browse the Market then return and do check-in / security stuff with carry on bag 2-3 hours later? DH does not have a lot of patience with lines so think late boarding would be better and since we will only have 1/2 day Sat (if we are really lucky and no travel delays) I was hoping to be able to explore Seattle Center area Sat and Market on Sunday.

Thanks

I'm almost 100% certain that things run the same way at 66 as they do at 91 in terms of timing. Even if you drop bags as early as possible, you'll be hitting busy time at the market. And a busy market IMO is much worse than a cruise queue since everyone is going different directions rather than all following along in organized lines!

Much better to go straight to Pike Place as soon as you arrive, even it means wheeling your suitcases around it. Wheeling bags around at 8am will be much easier than walking around without bags at 11am. As soon as it hits 10am the market just gets busier and busier - and that's the time you'd be arriving if you dropped bags with porters and then hoofed it up the hill. For me, Pike is somewhere to go early doors (7-8am) for a looksee, then grab breakfast in or outside.

Best idea though, since it sounds like you'll already have a Seattle hotel for Saturday night, is to get down to the market ASAP Sunday, 7am-ish, leaving bags in hotel. Then go do something else downtown/have a leisurely brunch or lunch 11am-1pm-ish, back to hotel to collect bags and finally head to the pier. If you're out at the airport this might not be possible - but I would happily pay for cab-fare to any downtown/Seattle Center hotel twice in order to avoid busy times at both market and pier!

I would drop checked bags with the porters, carry on luggage with the left luggage office and then head to the market. Another COMPLETELY viable option if your husband doesn't do well with these things would be to have the cab leave him at the corner of Western and Virginia, say, send you with the cab and bags to the pier, and then you walk back the six or seven blocks (about a quarter of a mile) utterly unencumbered. Use the skybridge from the terminal to Bell and Western and it's a breeze. If he's a people watcher, this works well. There's also options for coffee, a Bloody Mary or a very early beer.

Note that the alternative is viable but not chivalrous. But chivalry is dead anyway.

Thanks for the advice.

Depending on whether we arrive on time we may decide to do the market Sat afternoon and since Chihuly garden is open Sun morning and by hotel, may walk there on Sun and then get shuttle from hotel to pier. I do like the dropping him at market and do the bags myself option so we'll have to see how it goes.

Do the market in the morning, even if it means having to stow the checked baggage with the left luggage office because the porters aren't taking it directly. The market in the afternoon isn't as fun and Sundays are small-producer days which makes getting there early even more rewarding.

Is the "left luggage office" an easy thng to locate. First time crusing.

Thanks

I haven't been at 66 since the last flow changes, but if you ask one of the volunteers (recognizable by their attire) they can direct you to the concierge desk that runs the luggage storage. I believe it's near the entry but I would hate for you to wander aimlessly with baggage.

"I haven't been at 66 since the last flow changes, but if you ask one of the volunteers (recognizable by their attire) they can direct you to the concierge desk that runs the luggage storage. I believe it's near the entry but I would hate for you to wander aimlessly with baggage."

Thanks I just hope the airline cooperates and gets us there when expected so I have the extra day and can do both Market & Chihuly