Alaska cruise - Seattle

[KrazyKat24]

First time going on a cruise, so first time on Princess.  My question - our cruise returns on Sunday September 15th - I am trying to book my flight and was wondering if I booked our return flight at 1:30pm is that enough time to get off cruise ship and get to the airport?  Based on the schedule it looks the ship is returning back at port by 7am.  I don't want to miss my return flight back home.

 

Thank you

 

[Potstech]

Should be doable. Figure 45 minutes for the ride to the airport.

[TM]

You should be fine with a 1:30 flight.  However plan to get to the airport as soon as you can as security at SeaTac can be extremely slow much of the time.

[cruisingrob21]

Yup, should be no problem to get to seatac in that amount of time.  By september, the big cruise crowds and families are less and less, so that should make it somewhat easier at seatac.

[TheRabbit]

13 hours ago, KrazyKat24 said:

First time going on a cruise, so first time on Princess.  My question - our cruise returns on Sunday September 15th - I am trying to book my flight and was wondering if I booked our return flight at 1:30pm is that enough time to get off cruise ship and get to the airport?  Based on the schedule it looks the ship is returning back at port by 7am.  I don't want to miss my return flight back home.

 

Thank you

 

Have you looked at Ezair from princess. Booking that way takes all the stress off as Princess is on the hook to get you to your flight on time. Every once in a while there has been an immigration snafu that has delayed disembarkation by hours. EZair's rates are also pretty good. The only way I can beat them is using miles.

Edited November 28, 2018 by TheRabbit

[Pierlesscruisers]

23 hours ago, Potstech said:

Should be doable. Figure 45 minutes for the ride to the airport.

 

While I agree that they should have no problem getting to SeaTac for a 1:30 flight, I would hesitate to suggest that 45 minutes be a planning time for travel from Pier 91 to SeaTac. The reason I say that is because the viaduct that is presently used very often on that route will not be usable after Jan., 2019 and nobody is really sure what it's going to be like getting through the downtown area after that change is made. 45 minutes might be doable but then again, it might not.

 

Tom

[Cruiserkenn]

On several cruises, I have easily made flites in the 12:30-2:00pm time range at Seatac, using Princess transfers.  

 

 

[AF-1]

We were off Emerald Princess by 0830 and 45 min drive to airport is fine.  you should be good to go with 1:30pm flight

[cruisingrob21]

On 11/28/2018 at 11:18 AM, Pierlesscruisers said:

 

While I agree that they should have no problem getting to SeaTac for a 1:30 flight, I would hesitate to suggest that 45 minutes be a planning time for travel from Pier 91 to SeaTac. The reason I say that is because the viaduct that is presently used very often on that route will not be usable after Jan., 2019 and nobody is really sure what it's going to be like getting through the downtown area after that change is made. 45 minutes might be doable but then again, it might not.

 

Tom

A very valid point.  Sat/Sun departures shouldnt be too much worse, but weekday departures (mostly RCL/X) could be a whole different story.

[JasmineB]

I sure hope it's okay, I just booked last night using EZ Air and Princess selected an 11:00 flight for me which I thought was pushing it so I chose a 12:05 flight instead.  

[Pierlesscruisers]

9 minutes ago, JasmineB said:

I sure hope it's okay, I just booked last night using EZ Air and Princess selected an 11:00 flight for me which I thought was pushing it so I chose a 12:05 flight instead.  

 

I think that that was a very smart move on your part! We should know how much of a change the change in the streets in downtown Seattle is going to make on the trips between Pier 91 and SeaTac way before your cruise in September. Keep an eye on the Roll Calls for the May & June Princess Alaska cruises out of Seattle as I'll be posting info there that should provide good info on that situation.

 

Tom

[Flafun888]

Wish I had a noon or 1pm choice. The only decent flight back we have for our May cruise is 11:20am, which is cutting it close, but I'll have to chance it. The only other choices are stay an extra night, which I'd definitely rather not do or choose a ridiculous multi-stop flight that takes double the time and arrives a full day later - for a 6-7 hour flight! 

 

We're a Saturday departure, so hoping that might help. I'm keeping an eye out for updates to see if anything major changes as a result of the road changes, but since we're an early AK sailing, won't have much to go on.

[OR_Cowboy_1952]

On 11/27/2018 at 9:27 AM, KrazyKat24 said:

First time going on a cruise, so first time on Princess.  My question - our cruise returns on Sunday September 15th - I am trying to book my flight and was wondering if I booked our return flight at 1:30pm is that enough time to get off cruise ship and get to the airport?  Based on the schedule it looks the ship is returning back at port by 7am.  I don't want to miss my return flight back home.

 

Thank you

 

 

You should be fine for a 1:30PM flight time.  it’s a Sunday so traffic will be OK unless there is a Seahawks home game.  The Cruise Ship terminal is north of downtown with SEATAC well to the south.  You have to get through downtown but the Rte 99 tunnel will be open by next year.  Even then you should be early enough.  Consider taking the Princess ship to airport shuttle service.  For one thing they handle your luggage all the way to the airport.

[Pierlesscruisers]

1 hour ago, OR_Cowboy_1952 said:

 

You should be fine for a 1:30PM flight time.  it’s a Sunday so traffic will be OK unless there is a Seahawks home game.  The Cruise Ship terminal is north of downtown with SEATAC well to the south.  You have to get through downtown but the Rte 99 tunnel will be open by next year.  Even then you should be early enough.  Consider taking the Princess ship to airport shuttle service.  For one thing they handle your luggage all the way to the airport.

 

The tunnel actually goes from just south of downtown and then takes off to the NE and Pier 91 is to the NW.  As to the luggage, the Seattle Port Authority's Port Valet program will be back next year and it is basically the exact same as Princess'  EZ-Check program except that it's free so it's a better deal.

 

Tom

[rockdoctor]

Be aware that SeaTac is one of those air ports that don’t let you check in till 2 hours before flight time.

[OR_Cowboy_1952]

8 minutes ago, rockdoctor said:

Be aware that SeaTac is one of those air ports that don’t let you check in till 2 hours before flight time.

 

I completely disagree with that comment.  SeaTac does not control check in times, the individual airline does.  A smaller or low cost carrier may limit checkin time but not larger airlines.  I have checked in hours before a flight.  Call your airline and ask the question.  As a rule always arrive at least 2 hours early.  

[rockdoctor]

5 minutes ago, OR_Cowboy_1952 said:

 

I completely disagree with that comment.  SeaTac does not control check in times, the individual airline does.  A smaller or low cost carrier may limit checkin time but not larger airlines.  I have checked in hours before a flight.  Call your airline and ask the question.  As a rule always arrive at least 2 hours early.  

American Airlines is a smaller carrier?

[OR_Cowboy_1952]

14 minutes ago, rockdoctor said:

American Airlines is a smaller carrier?

 

No, AA is not a small airline.  And AA’s website does not support your claim.  The following information is available on line.  If you were prevented from checking-in or given other information it’s samply not true.  

 

FROM AMERICAN AIRLINES WEBSITE

 

Check-in

To speed up the process, you can use curbside check-in or self-service kiosks at most airports. You can use curbside check-in if you have an electronic ticket (can scan it from your phone).

 

Check-in times

You can check-in online or from the app starting 24 hours before and up to 45 minutes before departure (90 for international).

        Check-in online

        American Airlines app

To check-in and check bags at the airport, you must be there a certain amount of time before scheduled departure:

        Within the U.S. - 45 minutes

        To or from destinations outside the U.S. - 60 minutes

 

FROM SEATGURU WEBSITE

 

Does American Airlines (AA) offer self-service kiosk check-in?

Yes, you may check-in for your American Airlines (AA) flight at the airport self-service kiosk from 45 minutes to 24 hours (5 hours for Miami) before the scheduled departure time.

 

Does American Airlines (AA) offer ticket counter check-in?

Yes, you may check-in for your American Airlines (AA) flight at the airport ticket counter from 45 minutes to 4 hours before the scheduled departure time.

[JasmineB]

14 hours ago, OR_Cowboy_1952 said:

 

  Consider taking the Princess ship to airport shuttle service.  For one thing they handle your luggage all the way to the airport.

 

I "think" as Princess Elite, I can be first off the ship if I choose.  And while it's been a few years since I've cruised, last time I did, if I kept and carried my own luggage, I could walk off the ship without having to find my luggage in the warehouse.  I'd think I could catch a taxi more quickly than waiting for the Princess shuttle to fill.  Do you think these assumptions are correct?  My flight is 12:05 on a Sunday morning in June.

[Pierlesscruisers]

39 minutes ago, JasmineB said:

 

I "think" as Princess Elite, I can be first off the ship if I choose.  And while it's been a few years since I've cruised, last time I did, if I kept and carried my own luggage, I could walk off the ship without having to find my luggage in the warehouse.  I'd think I could catch a taxi more quickly than waiting for the Princess shuttle to fill.  Do you think these assumptions are correct?  My flight is 12:05 on a Sunday morning in June.

 

Yes, you could be among the first to get off the ship and you could take care of your own bags and catch a taxi, but I don't see why anybody would do that for a cruise out of Seattle and here's why.

 

For the past 2 years, the Seattle Port Authority has funded a free service (Port Valet) which allows you to place your bags outside your room on the ship the night before your arrival in Seattle and they are taken to the airport for you and the next time you see them is at your destination airport. No muss, no fuss, no hassle at all and all completely free! Now, that said, there are a couple of restrictions that might impact a cruisers ability to use that program (e.g. a couple of minor restrictions on destinations (no international flights), airlines (not all airlines are covered), and departure times (your departure time is a good one for the program as it was last year) but most flights meet the requirements. In the end, of course, the choice is yours and whatever fits your needs and desires. Whichever way you choose, I hope you have a safe trip to/from Seattle and a great cruise!

 

Tom

[JasmineB]

Wow, Tom, that's some new info for me, thank you.  I'm flying to Pittsburgh on American, so not intl and not a small airline.  But even if I do use this Port Valet, that just takes care of the baggage, right?  I can still take an early taxi (rather than the Princess transfer)?  Is that correct?   Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[labcoat99]

We did a Princess Alaska Cruise from Seattle this past September. We used the free Port Valet service to SEATAC. Loved it! Our American Airlines flight left for the east coast at 11:50 am. We met up with our luggage at our final destination. Got off the ship around 8am. Took a cab from the pier to the airport. The ride was about 45 minutes with very little traffic until we got close to the airport. We did have TSA PreCheck but would have been ok without it. The regular security lines at SEATAC can be very long. Consider looking into getting TSA PreCheck if you’re concerned about cutting it close. 

Have fun, Seattle is a great city and we really enjoyed our cruise. 

[Pierlesscruisers]

8 minutes ago, JasmineB said:

Wow, Tom, that's some new info for me, thank you.  I'm flying to Pittsburgh on American, so not intl and not a small airline.  But even if I do use this Port Valet, that just takes care of the baggage, right?  I can still take an early taxi (rather than the Princess transfer)?  Is that correct?   Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

 

Oops, I forgot to mention the taxi vs transfer point.  Sorry 'bout that. The transfer is $24 while the taxi fare is $40 (flat rate) from Pier 91 to SeaTac so if you are traveling by yourself, the transfer is the more economical way to get to SeaTac. There are, however 2 other methods of making that trip, Seattle Express and Shuttle Express. These are smaller motor coaches that can provide transportation from the pier to the airport. Both Seattle and Shuttle Express load at the far end of the bus lot so upon exiting the terminal building, you should proceed down the middle of the covered walkway directly across from the exit from the building to the far end of the bus lot. Seattle Express rate to the airport is $18 and Shuttle Express is $22. (All rates expressed here are as of last season, don't know what the rates will be this coming season but suspect the same or within a dollar or two of these.)

 

Seattle Express Info: http://www.seattleexpress.com/21501.html or
EMAIL: mattseattleexpress@yahoo.com
Phone: (206) 793-8430

 

Shuttle Express Info:
http://shuttleexpress.com/seattle/cruise-transfers/
Phone: (425) 981-7000  or (888) 787-8598
Email: sales@shuttleexpress.net

 

Keep an eye on the Roll Call for your cruise as I'll have more info posted there a week out from your cruise date. Any more questions go ahead and ask now though.

 

Tom

[voljeep]

7.0 earthquake near Anchorage today ... property damage only so far reported

[DrivesLikeMario]

Has anyone used Uber from the ship to SEA?  Were they able to come into the port area?