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LauraS
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Thanks Gardyloo! When the SeaFirst building was being built I spent several days in Doctor's Hospital downtown (now Virginia Mason I think) recovering from Giardia (yes, from a Boy Scout trip) and watched them hauling up steel beams as they were building it. I think I was about 13 at the time. Since it was built around the time of "2001: A Space Odyssey" it also got called "The Black Monolith".

 

For the out of towners the Smith Tower is the white building with the pointy top to the right of "the box" and reigned as the tallest actual building in Seattle from 1914 until the SeaFirst bldg. passed it (Space Needle notwithstanding).

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  • 1 month later...

Twin Peaks Ultimate Road Trip

 

A recently posted blog to coincide with the new Twin Peaks series that started last Sunday on Showtime. Since many visitors to the Seattle area are TP fans this is a good guide to places featured in the story.

 

http://www.seattlemag.com/northwest-travel-and-outdoors/ultimate-twin-peaks-road-trip

 

 

The premier was pretty darned good too. Posting here in case a fan searches on "Twin Peaks".

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2 people were shot in Pioneer Square on Sunday. I almost stepped on a needle (still in syringe) getting off link today @ Pioneer Square station. The Seattle Mayor does not care about cruise visitors (he does like your teenage sons tho).

 

Until the Pioneer Square area gets cleaned up I'd stick with the Space Needle/Chihouly Gardens for my excursions. Pike is fine too.

 

Or just take the 11 bus from Westlake to Madison Park, and enjoy Lake Washington from one of the best neighborhoods in Seattle ;)

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I am traveling with a group of friends to Seattle for a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska in May, 2018. I'd appreciate suggestions for hotels that are convenient to the pier. And if it's convenient to the pier, does that mean that it would be convenient to downtown -- Pike Street (Place?) Market? I haven't done my research into Seattle yet, but I thought maybe somebody on this site could start me in the right direction. Many thanks in advance for your advice!

 

Regards,

Sam

 

 

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I am traveling with a group of friends to Seattle for a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska in May, 2018. I'd appreciate suggestions for hotels that are convenient to the pier. And if it's convenient to the pier, does that mean that it would be convenient to downtown -- Pike Street (Place?) Market? I haven't done my research into Seattle yet, but I thought maybe somebody on this site could start me in the right direction. Many thanks in advance for your advice!

 

Regards,

Sam

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

We are leaving from Pier 91 on July 17, and that pier isn't convenient to downtown , not sure what Pier Royal uses. As far as hotels we are using VRBO.com staying fairly close to everything. About a 10 minute walk to most attractions. It is a condo, so we would have more room, and though we plan to eat out for a meals while there, it is nice to have a kitchen option for late snacks etc. We found hotels rather pricey that is why we went this option, and when we booked we were 4 people and would have needed a junior suite or two rooms. Enjoy!

 

Augie's mom

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I am traveling with a group of friends to Seattle for a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska in May, 2018. I'd appreciate suggestions for hotels that are convenient to the pier. And if it's convenient to the pier, does that mean that it would be convenient to downtown -- Pike Street (Place?) Market? I haven't done my research into Seattle yet, but I thought maybe somebody on this site could start me in the right direction. Many thanks in advance for your advice!

Royal Caribbean uses Pier 91, which has no hotels nearby and isn't convenient to any downtown attractions. It's around a $15 cab ride from most downtown-area hotels.
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We are sailing from Pier 91 later this month and have a relatively early flight after (11:15).

 

Ship is scheduled to arrive at 6:00 a.m. and we plan to keep our luggage and walk off first thing.

 

I am looking for recommendations for transfers to the airport that are reliable and would be on the faster side. Are we best to book a private car ahead (and if so, please suggest with whom)? Walk of to a taxi? other?

 

Thanks

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  • 3 weeks later...

There were taxis right outside the terminal, so I think they would be easy to use. We used Uber, the driver was there, but you have to walk a decent way down the pier to get to the Uber/Lyft pick up area. I'm sure there are private shuttle/car services too. I think first call to disembark from the Eurodam was a little after 7.

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We are sailing from Pier 91 later this month and have a relatively early flight after (11:15).

 

Ship is scheduled to arrive at 6:00 a.m. and we plan to keep our luggage and walk off first thing.

 

I am looking for recommendations for transfers to the airport that are reliable and would be on the faster side. Are we best to book a private car ahead (and if so, please suggest with whom)? Walk of to a taxi? other?

 

Thanks

 

There were taxis right outside the terminal, so I think they would be easy to use. We used Uber, the driver was there, but you have to walk a decent way down the pier to get to the Uber/Lyft pick up area. I'm sure there are private shuttle/car services too. I think first call to disembark from the Eurodam was a little after 7.

 

The ship may arrive at 6am, but you will not be getting off the ship until 7am at the absolute earliest and it will probably be 7;15 or so when you get off. The first shuttle bus to the airport will probably leave the pier by 7:30am at the latest and you can expect a 30-40 minute trip to SeaTac airport so you should have absolutely no problem making an 11:15 flight. HOWEVER, that being said, realize that that first bus will be a Port Valet bus so if you have bags that are larger than carry-ons, you will not be on that bus! Port Valet buses will let their passengers off right in front of the terminal and other buses are not allowed to debark passengers at the terminal building but will debark their passengers across the street in the parking garage. That is because it takes those buses longer to disembark their pasengers because they have to unload baggage from the buse and that ties up the space in driveway. Thus, I would very highly recommend that you utilize the free Port Valet program on the ship if at all possible. That allows you to set your bags outside your cabin the night before you arrive back in Seattle and not see them again until you arrive at your destination airport. No muss, no fuss, and no cost. An additional benefit is that if your bags are over-weight, there is no oveweight bag fee charged to you.

 

You can, of course, take a taxi (flat fee of $40 from Pier 91 to Seatac) or an Uber/Lyft. If you use Uber or Lyft, there is no need to "walk a decent way down the pier" as their is a shuttle bus that departs from the first two bus slots (Slot A and Slot B) just across the street from the front of the terminal building. You can, of course, walk to the Uber/Lyft ick-up location should you so desire. That area is directly on the other side of the large gray building about 100 meters or so in front of the terminal building. If you want to walk and not take the small shuttle, I would recommend that when you come out the front door of the terminal building that you angle off to the left side of the bus lot where you will see all of the privately owned vehicles located and when you reach that covered area you go straight toward the large gray building I mentioned and pass it on the left side. The Uber/Lyft area is a long white tent which will be on your right just past the end of that gray building.

 

Hope you have a great cruise.

 

Tom

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You don’t say which cruise line you are sailing on, but I will tell you a bit about your options on Royal Caribbean. We sailed on the Explorer of the Seas in May, and debarkation was the easiest of any cruise we’ve ever been on.

 

It is possible with several airlines (we were on Southwest) to have boarding passes printed and have your luggage transferred from the ship to the airport without you having to lift a finger. BP’s and luggage check tags are delivered to your cabin by your cabin steward on the evening before debarkation. You put your checked bags in the hallway the night before, and the next time you see it is on the luggage carousel at your home airport. We walked off the ship at 6:30 AM with our carry-ons, caught a cab (lined up right outside the terminal), and we were at the airport by 7:30 for an 11:25 AM flight.

 

Pier 91 in Seattle was possibly the most well-organized of any we’ve experienced, including Miami. There was no tipping, either ... you just dropped off luggage and went into the terminal. And debarkation was a breeze. I hope you also find this to be true!

 

Bon voyage!

Sam

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  • 2 weeks later...
You don’t say which cruise line you are sailing on, but I will tell you a bit about your options on Royal Caribbean. We sailed on the Explorer of the Seas in May, and debarkation was the easiest of any cruise we’ve ever been on.

 

It is possible with several airlines (we were on Southwest) to have boarding passes printed and have your luggage transferred from the ship to the airport without you having to lift a finger. BP’s and luggage check tags are delivered to your cabin by your cabin steward on the evening before debarkation. You put your checked bags in the hallway the night before, and the next time you see it is on the luggage carousel at your home airport. We walked off the ship at 6:30 AM with our carry-ons, caught a cab (lined up right outside the terminal), and we were at the airport by 7:30 for an 11:25 AM flight.

 

Pier 91 in Seattle was possibly the most well-organized of any we’ve experienced, including Miami. There was no tipping, either ... you just dropped off luggage and went into the terminal. And debarkation was a breeze. I hope you also find this to be true!

 

Bon voyage!

Sam

Current Yellow Cab rates, the only company allowed into Pier 91, it is $55- 60 one way to/from SeaTac. That rate may change next season with the new Hwy 99 tunnel under the city and the toll added. Uber and Lyft rates will change next season as well because of the same. Holland America and RCCL use Pier 91, Pier 66 is a shorter distance but will probably take longer due to removal of the viaduct next summer. Come in a day ahead if you can if you're cruising other lines.

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Forums mobile app

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Current Yellow Cab rates, the only company allowed into Pier 91, it is $55- 60 one way to/from SeaTac. That rate may change next season with the new Hwy 99 tunnel under the city and the toll added. Uber and Lyft rates will change next season as well because of the same. Holland America and RCCL use Pier 91, Pier 66 is a shorter distance but will probably take longer due to removal of the viaduct next summer. Come in a day ahead if you can if you're cruising other lines.

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Forums mobile app

 

I'm a bit late with this info since the Alaska cruise season out of Seattle is, for all practical purposes, over now, but the current yellow cab rate from Pier 91 to SeaTac Airport is $40 flat rate and has been for at least the past 2 years. I would upload a file showing a picture of the sign at the pier so stating but it is too large a file to upload here so I'll have to pass on that. Anyway, it very well may change next year having been unchanged for a couple of years now.

 

Tom

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  • 8 months later...

Reminder from Page One: (This FAQ section is not a forum).

"The Rules Are Very Simple:

 

Please feel free to add content, making sure you are leaving your OPINIONS at the door, so to speak. In other words, back up your contribution with facts -- by linking to appropriate information.

NO discussion/questions are allowed in this thread.

Post your contribution as a REPLY to this posting.

 

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On 9/30/2018 at 1:44 PM, Pierlesscruisers said:

 

I'm a bit late with this info since the Alaska cruise season out of Seattle is, for all practical purposes, over now, but the current yellow cab rate from Pier 91 to SeaTac Airport is $40 flat rate and has been for at least the past 2 years. I would upload a file showing a picture of the sign at the pier so stating but it is too large a file to upload here so I'll have to pass on that. Anyway, it very well may change next year having been unchanged for a couple of years now.

 

Tom

 

For the 2019 Alaska cruise season, th flat rate for the Pier 91 to SeaTac cab fare is now $47 flat rate. Please note that since the SeaTac to Pier 91 rate originates in SeaTac not Seattle, there is no flat rate for that direction.

 

Tom

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6 hours ago, yankedog said:

I'm sure someone has mentioned this somewhere... but has anyone tried the free luggage back to the airport deal with the city of seattle?

https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free

 

Sounds so great!  Please let me know if it worked! 

It is GREAT!!  You are given your airline docs (we were flying Southwest) and baggage checks on the night before docking.  We attached them to our bags, put them in the hallway, and the next time we saw them was on the baggage carousel in Tucson.  We walked off the ship with our carry-one in Seattle at 6:30, hailed a cab, and we were checked in and at our gate at the airport by 7:30.  We were WAY early for our 11:30 AM flight, but that was fine.  I had been concerned that 11:30 was too early, but everything worked out as well as we could have ever wanted.  Seattle really had its act together, both for check-in at the pier and for disembarkation.  I highly recommend the service!

 

Happy travels!

Sam

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9 hours ago, yankedog said:

I'm sure someone has mentioned this somewhere... but has anyone tried the free luggage back to the airport deal with the city of seattle?

https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free

 

Sounds so great!  Please let me know if it worked! 

 

Another nice feature of the Port Valet program in Seattle is that if your bag is overweight, you don't get charged the overweight fee by the airline.  You will be charged any baggage fees charged by the airlines so you will find that charge but you'd be charged that fee in any event so it still turns out that the Port Valet program is free.

 

Tom

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  • 7 months later...

Decent hotel option at 1/2 the going rates downtown with shuttle options:

 

Hotel Nexus (a Best Western Hotel) at 2140 N Northgate Way, Seatlle WA 98133. Recently remodeled. 

 

Will arrange private car from airport to hotel or from hotel to pier - car is $55 total for 4 people, $75 for 5+ because need SUV. 

 

Hotel has complimentary shuttle to the downtown and other sightseeing locations that departs the hotel 4 times a day. Complimentary full breakfast (incl. eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, etc).

 

You can join the Best Western rewards program online from the hotel website to get even more discounted fee. Rate for regular room with 1 or 2 queens is $155.65.  A suite with 2 queens, sofa bed and full kitchenette is $189.65.  No extra tourist tax like the other downtown hotels.

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