Seattle Pier 91 Uber/Lyft Q&A

[cruises42]

22 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Luckily, Mondays are very quiet - the Amsterdam is the only ship disembarking on Mondays in Seattle.  And as you know, it carries less than 1,400 passengers.  The Amsterdam tends to have a more leisurely disembarkation (no mass exodus at 7:30 am).    

That being said, SeaTac is a very busy airport especially in the summer.  Your family members really need to be there at least two hours before their flight.  Not sure if their 11:30 am flight qualifies for Port Valet, but if it does I would recommend it.  If not, and if they are physically able, it might be best to carry their bags off and take a taxi or Uber. 

Hope this helps.

Thanks. We're hoping they can use Port Valet. Do you know if you can get off the ship anytime if you are able to use Port Valet?

[Ferry_Watcher]

11 hours ago, cruises42 said:

Thanks. We're hoping they can use Port Valet. Do you know if you can get off the ship anytime if you are able to use Port Valet?

 

That I don't know.  I do know that many of the Port Valet participants are early walk off's, either going to the airport, or heading out to explore Seattle.

[va9276]

On 6/4/2019 at 6:48 PM, 2pbears said:

 

Can you explain how the airline baggage fees are assessed when you using this Port Valet service?   We are allowed two free bags as we are Alaska Airlines cardholders.   Will we still be able to use this benefit or will we have to pay luggage fees?

The form indicated that normal baggage fees applied. I asked Guest Relations if I could use obc and they indicated whatever fee was charged would  appear on my account on the last day. What they charged was the same as if I had checked bags in at the airport. There was no additional upcharge.

Since your dilemma is with your card there may be a different issue.

You might check with your airline as well as well Guest Relations on board the ship.

Hope you can use the service since it is so convenient.

Wish I could be of further help.

 

[lovecruzin]

19 hours ago, cruises42 said:

Thanks. We're hoping they can use Port Valet. Do you know if you can get off the ship anytime if you are able to use Port Valet?

 

We used port valet on Celebrity, we were told our disembarkation time would be 8-8:30.

we actually left around 9. My thinking is they dont want you off and away from the pier before your bags...

 

 

On 6/4/2019 at 3:48 PM, 2pbears said:

 

Can you explain how the airline baggage fees are assessed when you using this Port Valet service?   We are allowed two free bags as we are Alaska Airlines cardholders.   Will we still be able to use this benefit or will we have to pay luggage fees?

 

On the form we filled in on Celebrity there was a space to wrote why you would be exempt from baggage fees. We were also advised that weight limits did not apply.

[cruises42]

4 hours ago, lovecruzin said:

 

We used port valet on Celebrity, we were told our disembarkation time would be 8-8:30.

we actually left around 9. My thinking is they dont want you off and away from the pier before your bags...

 

 

 

 

12 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

That I don't know.  I do know that many of the Port Valet participants are early walk off's, either going to the airport, or heading out to explore Seattle.

Thanks. I was hoping to be able to get off early. Family has an 11:30 flight and even if they couldn't use Port Valet we should be able to (our flight is at 1). We wanted to travel to the airport together so we wanted to get off early with them.

[thera]

On ‎6‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 9:35 PM, cruises42 said:

Thanks. We're hoping they can use Port Valet. Do you know if you can get off the ship anytime if you are able to use Port Valet?

I recall on our form there were four times they would call for Port Valet people to disembark (believe in 30 minute increments), the last one was at 9:30am and the one we chose since our flight was at 1:30pm.  The service was great, we didn't have to do anything but find our airport shuttle and stand in the very long security line at the airport.  :)  The bag status was updated through our airline's app and made it to our destination.  The baggage fees were added to our stateroom account, but I do recall (like mentioned above) that there was an area on the form if you were exempt from baggage fees.

Edited June 7, 2019 by thera

[cruises42]

5 hours ago, thera said:

I recall on our form there were four times they would call for Port Valet people to disembark (believe in 30 minute increments), the last one was at 9:30am and the one we chose since our flight was at 1:30pm.  The service was great, we didn't have to do anything but find our airport shuttle and stand in the very long security line at the airport.  🙂 The bag status was updated through our airline's app and made it to our destination.  The baggage fees were added to our stateroom account, but I do recall (like mentioned above) that there was an area on the form if you were exempt from baggage fees.

Thanks!

[AlanF65]

On 6/4/2019 at 3:48 PM, 2pbears said:

 

Can you explain how the airline baggage fees are assessed when you using this Port Valet service?   We are allowed two free bags as we are Alaska Airlines cardholders.   Will we still be able to use this benefit or will we have to pay luggage fees?

I believe the back of the form has a place where you can state free bags or no charges for luggage. If you check / state that then its no charge, otherwise they assume you are on a flight where you pay for bags and the limit is 50 lbs so you get charged.

[2pbears]

21 hours ago, AlanF65 said:

I believe the back of the form has a place where you can state free bags or no charges for luggage. If you check / state that then its no charge, otherwise they assume you are on a flight where you pay for bags and the limit is 50 lbs so you get charged.

 

Thank you.  We are onboard now and that is indeed the case.

[CruiszBug]

On 5/25/2019 at 10:32 AM, Ferry_Watcher said:

What a challenging morning it must have been waiting for the taxis.  It may have been the perfect storm converging all at once. 

 

It was the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and there may have been a higher demand for taxis all across the Seattle area as the locals also headed out to SeaTac.   It was the Ovation of the Sea first visit to Pier 91, and the additional 1,100 people she carries (over last years Explorer of the Sea) probably had an impact.  There may have been fewer taxis available because the Seattle school district does contract with the taxi companies to transport students through the school year (which will end mid June).  Finally, there is the traffic choke point of the single lane that is available to enter the Pier 91 area, although it does widen the closer you get to the ship (3 lanes: private vehicles, taxis, buses).  I am guessing that all the parties involved at 91 (Port of Seattle, Cruise Terminals of America, and the folks who run the traffic support staff) will all be looking at what happened Friday, and will make improvements.

Deja vu all over again! Hi, @Ferry_Watcher! Glad I saw this thread (albeit almost 4 years later, lol!) That was our cruise on Ovation where they forgot to order an accessible airport transfer and had to shove us into two taxis in the cold misty rain! But WHAT a cruise! Great experience! *I just got reimbursed for our transfer charges this year....🙂

Edited February 10, 2023 by CruiszBug

[techteach]

@Ferry_Watcher I’m trying to avoid the crazy pick-up line. The port says there is a cell phone waiting area. If DH pulled in there is it a long walk for me to meet him? Would we be able to avoid the long line or would we still have to go through the terminal loading area? I looked this weekend at the parking lot by the soccer fields, but it looks like there is a gate so I couldn’t walk there from the ship. Would he be allowed in the Uber/Lyft lot?

Edited August 27, 2023 by techteach
Edit

[Ferry_Watcher]

@techteachThe cell phone waiting area is in a no-mans land of the complex.  It is located pass the B Lot, but before the D Lot (where the paid  long-term/cruise week parking is). There are walking paths to the Uber/Lyft pick up area, but the cell phone waiting area is well beyond that, and there are no pedestrian walkways going out there.  There are Motorcoaches / buses and the black Suburban Town-Cars that use that road, and some of those Town-Cars drivers drive way too fast on the curvy somewhat narrow roads back there.  It's not a safe place to walk.

 

  I wouldn't recommend trying to use the Uber/Lyft area either as there are only 33/34 parking slots, and they are fairly busy loading passengers.

Can you remind me which day of the week you will be returning?

 

[techteach]

@Ferry_Watcher Monday, Sept. 4.

[techteach]

@Ferry_Watcher We are the only ship at pier 91 that day so maybe it won’t be too bad. I looked down from the Magnolia Bridge on Saturday as we headed to the market and then returned. It was mess. (Norwegian Sun is in port on the 4th but I think she’ll be downtown)

[Ferry_Watcher]

The Quantum has ben a bit slow disembarking - the joke at the morning meetings is that the passengers are sleeping in.

The passenger count has been dropping a bit (by 200 or so passengers), so that will help.  As usual, it best to carry off your own luggage early in the  morning, or wait until after 9 AM, but don't push it as late as 9;30, as you don't want to be 'that person' - last off the ship LOL.

 

[techteach]

@Ferry_Watcher Thanks for your response. We should be able to self-disembark as early as possible. What time do the first people usually walk through the front door at disembarkation? We’ll eat breakfast at home!

[Ferry_Watcher]

@techteach, the Quantum begins their disembarkation just after 6:30 AM.  On the 28th (the day you were leaving Seattle), there were still 600 passengers on board at 9 AM, then at 9:15 there were still 400 remaining on board.  The final two passengers were escorted off at 9:41.

 

Traffic congestion at 91 on Mondays isn't too bad (unlike our 2 ship Fridays).  Here are some photos from the disembarkation the morning of your cruise.

 

The full Uber lot.

 

The approach to the pick-up area at Pier 91 - not very congested at 8:30 AM

 

Two Views of the personal car / Town Car pick up area

[techteach]

@Ferry_Watcher Thanks again for the information. We left our house, on the 28th, at 1:45, got to the pier at 1:55, I was on board at 2:10. It was the best embarkation I’ve ever been through. No lines, anywhere. I received multiple text reminders from RCI saying don’t show up early or you’ll just to wait. Perhaps people listened! Great Job to the workers at the pier!

[jc foster]

  We have never used LYFT . How soon before a ride from Pier 91 to Airport should we schedule a ride?   THANKS, this post is very informative.

[Meander Ingwa]

Call a Lyft ride when you are at your pick up point unless you are talking about an advance booking for a site pick up like the port. Go to the Lyft web  site for directions to advance book

[jc foster]

25 minutes ago, Meander Ingwa said:

Call a Lyft ride when you are at your pick up point unless you are talking about an advance booking for a site pick up like the port. Go to the Lyft web  site for directions to advance book

thank you