Alaska Cruise on Bliss out of Seattle

RE: Viator

Viator is not a tour company but a company that contracts with tour companies. In other words, a middle man. You can probably find the same tour for less money.

Having said that, I've used Viator for European tours a couple of times and was pleased.

RE: Viator

Viator is not a tour company but a company that contracts with tour companies. In other words, a middle man. You can probably find the same tour for less money.

Having said that, I've used Viator for European tours a couple of times and was pleased.

Seattle has several tours companies that are good: Grayline Tours, Argosy and Show Me Seattle. I do NOT recommend Ride The Ducks.

Seattle has several tours companies that are good: Grayline Tours, Argosy and Show Me Seattle. I do NOT recommend Ride The Ducks.

It is also a very walkable city from the port if you want to explore on your own.

I agree on the Ducks comment. Not worth it in any sense.

If you are into wine Woodinville has 150 wineries.

Yes, thanks, I plan on booking 12:55 nonstop back to Miami - if we self-disembark, we can be off ship early enough, grab an Uber to airport. I think we should be fine with that flight. Frankly, once cruise is over, I want to get home and it's pretty darn far! Thanks, I was looking forward to the responses from the locals!

You should be fine walking off early and doing Uber. So many flights back to the East coast are in the evenings so if you get a chance to leave same day take it. If not then stay over and do a tour to Whistler Mountain which was where they had the Olympics in 2010. I agree that Seattle is a great place to walk around and see the sights. Might want to look into doing the tour at Boeing Plant as well. I am on the Bliss for the Panama Canal before your cruise. Yea:p

It is not an NCL program, but the Port of Seattle has a complimentary Luggage valet service that will take you bags directly from the ship to SeaTac. You have to sign up on board the ship, You are responsible for paying any airline luggage fees. The night before you will get luggage tags and boarding passes. Next time you see bags are when you arrive at home airport.

It is only for certain airlines.

portseattle.org/Cruise/Pages/Port-Valet.aspx

Thanks for posting your questions - I had some of the same! I hope you don't mind me asking a quick side-question - our plan was to head from the airport to downtown on the light rail prior to the cruise and then after we get off the ship, same thing - head back to the airport on the light rail. Will this be challenging if we only have carry ons and backpacks?

Thanks so much!

Thanks for posting your questions - I had some of the same! I hope you don't mind me asking a quick side-question - our plan was to head from the airport to downtown on the light rail prior to the cruise and then after we get off the ship, same thing - head back to the airport on the light rail. Will this be challenging if we only have carry ons and backpacks?

 

Thanks so much!

You won't have any issues at all. The biggest challenge will be getting to the nearest light rail station from the port (which won't be that much of a challenge).

Thanks, just cancelled W and booked the Marriott Waterfront. Went with Marriott because of rewards account!

We stayed at the Marriott back in 2010 when we went to Alaska..Was up at 3am..had a sorta ocean front view..so saw the ship come in sitting on the balcony. Our room was very nice and if we were able to go again for a cruise I would definitly do Marriott again. very convienient.. We had scheduled a ride from the ship to the airport..did early depart and I believe our plane was around 1pm...we had no problem.

For those thinking of using Light Rail from the airport, keep in mind that the downtown final stop is at 5th and Pine. It will be at least 9 block walk down hill or up depending on your direction. Once you reach the Waterfront, it will be another 6 or 7 block walk to the Bell Street Terminal.

For those of you who have never been to Seattle, think San Francisco and the hills there. Seattle is built on a number of hills (very steep toward the Waterfront).

For those thinking of using Light Rail from the airport, keep in mind that the downtown final stop is at 5th and Pine. It will be at least 9 block walk down hill or up depending on your direction. Once you reach the Waterfront, it will be another 6 or 7 block walk to the Bell Street Terminal.

 

For those of you who have never been to Seattle, think San Francisco and the hills there. Seattle is built on a number of hills (very steep toward the Waterfront).

Yeah...it is a 1/2 mile or so walk to Westlake Station (down hill arriving and up hill leaving). If the weather was nice I would probably walk to the ship from Westlake and Uber/Lyft to the station on the return. It isn't a more difficult walk than from the port of Venice to the train station.

Toting your luggage up and down hills and thru back alleys pass the Pike Place Market to the port and back is

manageable if your luggage has wheels and can trolley the rest of your gear on top.

But seriously if you don't want to arrive at the dock like a sweating stevedore take surface transportation -

Uber - Cab - Taxi - your luggage will thank you for not running the wheels on their rims or getting jammed

into sewer drain grates. You don't need to make a donkey out of your efforts to do this frugally.

Consider the weather factor also.

FYI - the NCL airport-port transfer fee is $29 pp *

you stay at a hotel near the airport with free shuttle service to and from the airport -

* the day of sailing go back to the airport and locate the NCL Rep in the Bag Claim area for this service

which you will want to reserve in advance. This transfer service takes you right from the airport bag claim to the port.

With planning you can do better than this - but consider it as a back-up plan.

From Westlake isn't that big of a deal. It is all down hill and you are not going to walk through any alleys unless you somehow get lost. It is not a bad walk in nice weather. I agree on the way back though...I would take a $5 uber to the station.

You will have plenty of time barring a highly unusual event. We left ship at 8:30 and made an 11AM flight comfortably.

IMO you'll have a 99.99999% chance of making your flight with time to spare.

Doing an Alaska cruise for first time in 2018 on the new Bliss. Getting ready soon to start booking airline and hotel, just a few questions:

 

1. SeaTac is the airport?

2. Cruise port?

3. How far is cruise port from airport?

4. How far is airport from Downtown Seattle (looking at W Seattle for night before embarkation).

 

And finally, the one direct flight option returning from Seattle to Miami leaves at 12:55pm. I'm hoping to leave on same day as disembarkation, but want to make sure that I can make that flight?

Please please take lots of pics of Bliss and do us a full review on your return!

We took a trip to Seattle and Alaska on Celebrity Solstice (May 2016) for our 20th wedding anniversary. Every five years we celebrate our anniversary with something special. We thought Alaska would be a one off. Wrong! We loved Seattle so much - cannot tell you how special that city was for us - but for sure we want to return. We had four days there pre cruise. With NCL now having Bliss there - we would for sure be going on her. This time though we would book Seattle before and after the cruise - making a total of two weeks out.

In Seattle we took an Orange cab the first day, and the driver was very friendly - He was Nigerian and we kind of took to him. His English was not great but his smiles went a long way! We took his cell number and he became our direct driver for our trip. He was even waiting on us in one chaotic port, after the cruise to get us to a location in the city where we were picking up our glass art we had made (from our late dogs remains - long story) and then on to the airport. (It was so busy I literally climbed up on one of the bollards to wave to him and he saw me haha!) He was brilliant. We would text him from wherever we were - and he would make us his next call - what a star he was.

We stayed at the Warwick Hotel - it was super friendly - great wee bistro too. Our first time there - and yet they had a bottle of bubbly and some hand made truffles in the room for us to wish us a happy anniversary - big wow - they didnt know us...

I have yet to decide on what our 25th anniversary will be - but I cannot help think it may well be a return to Seattle & Alaska trip.

Would be great to see some pics and review of your trip!

Have a fab time!

I'm a Seattle native and fly to/from SeaTac every couple weeks. Personally, I would book the nonstop departing at 12:55.

So.... I did book the 12:55pm return flight to Miami from Seattle, only to find an email this morning in my inbox from American Airlines saying that flight has been cancelled and the only non-stop is now at 10:20pm, red-eye! YIKES.

I suppose I can change to a connecting flight that leaves at 1:35pm and arrives Miami at 12:49am, through Dallas.

Or check in my bags at airport and go back into town?

Suggestions welcomed.

I noticed NCL does not have any post-cruise Seattle tours available. Was hoping they would and perhaps burn some of those hours away. Still going to be a long a$$ day.

So.... I did book the 12:55pm return flight to Miami from Seattle, only to find an email this morning in my inbox from American Airlines saying that flight has been cancelled and the only non-stop is now at 10:20pm, red-eye! YIKES.

 

I suppose I can change to a connecting flight that leaves at 1:35pm and arrives Miami at 12:49am, through Dallas.

 

Or check in my bags at airport and go back into town?

 

Suggestions welcomed.

 

I noticed NCL does not have any post-cruise Seattle tours available. Was hoping they would and perhaps burn some of those hours away. Still going to be a long a$$ day.

We would switch to a connecting flight around 11.

So.... I did book the 12:55pm return flight to Miami from Seattle, only to find an email this morning in my inbox from American Airlines saying that flight has been cancelled and the only non-stop is now at 10:20pm, red-eye! YIKES.

 

I suppose I can change to a connecting flight that leaves at 1:35pm and arrives Miami at 12:49am, through Dallas.

 

Or check in my bags at airport and go back into town?

 

Suggestions welcomed.

 

I noticed NCL does not have any post-cruise Seattle tours available. Was hoping they would and perhaps burn some of those hours away. Still going to be a long a$$ day.

Someone mentioned in the West Coast forum that the port of Seattle might have a free baggage check-in service that you can use. And you can definitely do a proper tour of Seattle without NCL's help :) .

Tough decision...I am not a fan of red eyes but I don't like landing at 1am either (and the red eye probably lands about 6 hours later). I would probably opt for the later flight and catch a Mariner day game before heading to the airport.

So.... I did book the 12:55pm return flight to Miami from Seattle, only to find an email this morning in my inbox from American Airlines saying that flight has been cancelled and the only non-stop is now at 10:20pm, red-eye! YIKES.

I suppose I can change to a connecting flight that leaves at 1:35pm and arrives Miami at 12:49am, through Dallas.

Or check in my bags at airport and go back into town?

Suggestions welcomed.

I noticed NCL does not have any post-cruise Seattle tours available. Was hoping they would and perhaps burn some of those hours away. Still going to be a long a$$ day.

Are your travel plans concentrated strictly with the affinity loyalty relationship with American Airlines ?

There are other airlines perhaps with less expensive fares and while maybe not non-stop can get you home

in a reasonable time frame. Other airlines Alaska Delta United Southwest. Connection cities Los Angeles -

Chicago - Atlanta - Phoenix - Denver - (Dallas) - Minneapolis/St. Paul***the Best.

Yes I am aware of the 3 hour time zone factor and a 5+ hour non-stop flight.

Getting from the Port of Seattle to SEA-TAC airport (SEA) is not mission impossible - walking off with luggage

taking most immediate mode of transportation one should be able to get a 11am departure eastbound to

somewhere to make this happen.

Your mission Mr. Cruise should you decide to accept it is defy the odds and make it happen so you can come

back and write about it here at CC !

Doing an Alaska cruise for first time in 2018 on the new Bliss. Getting ready soon to start booking airline and hotel, just a few questions:

 

 

 

1. SeaTac is the airport?

 

2. Cruise port?

 

3. How far is cruise port from airport?

 

4. How far is airport from Downtown Seattle (looking at W Seattle for night before embarkation).

 

 

 

And finally, the one direct flight option returning from Seattle to Miami leaves at 12:55pm. I'm hoping to leave on same day as disembarkation, but want to make sure that I can make that flight?

There is another flight out of seatac to Mia intl @ 10:23PM. Thats the one we took.

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So.... I did book the 12:55pm return flight to Miami from Seattle, only to find an email this morning in my inbox from American Airlines saying that flight has been cancelled and the only non-stop is now at 10:20pm, red-eye! YIKES.

 

I suppose I can change to a connecting flight that leaves at 1:35pm and arrives Miami at 12:49am, through Dallas.

 

Or check in my bags at airport and go back into town?

 

Suggestions welcomed.

 

I noticed NCL does not have any post-cruise Seattle tours available. Was hoping they would and perhaps burn some of those hours away. Still going to be a long a$$ day.

Our Sept 1 cruise has a Seattle city tour through the ship. However, if you have never been, stay another day and walk around. It is a very walkable downtown area. The space needle area has a lot to see (don't miss the Chihuly garden) or walk along the water front to Pikes Place, the aquarium down at that end of the city is nice too. Lots of places to eat. The Seattle Citipass is very worth it if you are there both before and after the cruise and have time to sight see, it is good for 9 consecutive days!