Seattle Hotel for Alaska Cruise

[EmieT]

Planning to take the Alaska cruise. Would like to fly in the day before. Where is a Seattle hotel that will provide shuttle from airport to hotel and hotel to cruise??  

[Ourusualbeach]

31 minutes ago, EmieT said:

Planning to take the Alaska cruise. Would like to fly in the day before. Where is a Seattle hotel that will provide shuttle from airport to hotel and hotel to cruise??  

There are none that will provide both because of how far the airport is from the cruise terminal.  You will need to Uber or Lyft one of the legs.

 

If your flight is getting in late just stay at a cheaper hotel by the Airport.  If you arrive early enough to see some sights then look for a hotel downtown

Edited February 13, 2023 by Ourusualbeach

[Newcruiser2012]

Downtown Seattle is about a half hour ride from the airport. We took a taxi and I think it was around $40 + tip. We stayed at the Hyatt Olive 8 for two nights pre-cruise and one night post. An Uber to the cruise terminal was around $15-$20. There are two Hyatt’s right across the street from one another. Both are great and perfect location for exploring, walking distance to the fish market, original Starbucks and other tourist attractions. There is a monorail station nearby that will take you to the space needle, glass museum etc. 

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, EmieT said:

Planning to take the Alaska cruise. Would like to fly in the day before. Where is a Seattle hotel that will provide shuttle from airport to hotel and hotel to cruise??  

We have stayed at Renaissance Hotel Seattle.  We used Lyft from the airport to the hotel.

I read online that ride share drop off and pick up for the ship was a couple of blocks from the cruise terminal so we took a taxi from the hotel to the terminal and a taxi to the airport on our return. 
 

[home-mom]

We stayed at the Hilton SeaTac and it had a free shuttle to the hotel and they offered a bus you could reserve for a fee to the cruise terminal. 

[DonnaK]

We stayed at the Mayflower Park Hotel, which is in the city center, and convenient to all the main sights.  The monorail to Seattle Center (Space Needle and Chilully Gardens) is right around the corner, and it's only a few blocks walk to Pike Market and the Waterfront.  I am amazed at how much we could see in one day!

 

We took the Light Rail from the airport to Westgate Station, which is right by the hotel, and it was so easy and very inexpensive.   There are other hotels in the Westgate area, but the Mayflower Park was the most reasonably priced - it is older, but still very nice, clean, safe and very friendly staff.  The hotel offers a shuttle (for a fee) to the pier.

Edited February 13, 2023 by DonnaK

[taglovestocruise]

Like post number 5 we also stayed at Hilton Seatac, free shuttle for a 5 minute ride. Booked the Seattle Express transfer for $25 each. Picked up at the lobby and dropped off at cruise line baggage drop.  Be sure to let them know you are going to PIER 91, not 66 

[Weluv2cruise2gether]

We stayed at Hilton Garden Inn Seattle Airport. Free airport shuttle and as others stated there is a shuttle to cruise port that you can arrange and pay $20-30 per person. Very nice hotel also.

[neverbeenhere]

When are you flying into Seattle? If early in the day, you want to stay in one of many downtown neighborhood locations. If late in the day the airport hotels are fine. 

[LadyZolt]

If you're fairly mobile and don't have too much luggage, you can take the light rail from SeaTac to the hotels down by the cruise ship area.  It's really inexpensive and very easy to do. I had one suitcase, a carry-on bag and my purse, and we had to walk a few blocks from the light rail station to the hotel, but it was entirely doable.  We stayed at the Sound Hotel Belltown (it's a Hilton property).  Our friends stayed at the Marriott and they liked it as well.  There seem to be lots of good hotel choices there.

[jeromep]

On 2/12/2023 at 3:29 PM, EmieT said:

Where is a Seattle hotel that will provide shuttle from airport to hotel and hotel to cruise??

They don't.  As others have said, it is a fairly long drive from the airport to downtown Seattle.  My usual experience with that ride is 35-45 minutes, but that usually occurs for me in the middle of the day when traffic is at its highest.

 

I'd avoid group shuttles entirely.  I don't use group shuttles to get from the airport to hotels when I'm on business trips anymore because I got tired of the long travel time, all the stops and unloads, dealing with other travelers that are not organized and ready to go, dealing with shuttle drivers that are not organized and ready to go and who don't pay attention to where they are supposed to be going and make the trip longer by hitting hotels nobody is staying at, or not taking you to the right hotel to begin with.  If you can name a foible of taking a group shuttle from an airport or hotel, I've experienced it.

 

I've moved all my ground transport activities when traveling to Uber/Lyft or public transit.  Occasionally I'll get a taxi, but that is my last choice.

 

The ride share services in Seattle are very reliable.  The cars are much cleaner than taxis and in the Uber app you can specify a larger vehicle or a luxury vehicle (car service or SUV service), which associated increase in cost, to handle more baggage or a larger travel group.  Travel cost from SeaTac to downtown Seattle will run you somewhere between $45 and $75 depending on time of day and vehicle type you book.

 

Other threads here have good reviews of the Mediterranean Inn, located in the lower Queen Ann neighborhood.  It is a pretty good location for getting out and seeing Seattle.  It is clean and fairly modern.  But just about any 3 star or better hotel in Seattle proper will be good.  My wife usually gets a room at the Mediterranean when she is visiting her home office because it is within walking distance of the office.  She especially enjoys the rooftop deck of the Mediterranean.  It has very good views of a great deal of downtown and the port.

 

On embarkation day, just get yourself another Uber or Lyft to the port.  There are two piers that service cruise ships.  Smith Cove Pier 91, which is way up north on Elliot Bay and is only accessible by vehicle.  It is a fairly short drive from downtown, but you are not walking there.  The other is the Bell St. pier 66.  You could, in theory, walk to the pier from a lot of downtown locations, but not all that realistic with luggage in tow.  Uber/Lyft will run you about $20 from a downtown hotel to either of the piers.

 

The Mediterranean Inn is about equidistant to either Pier 66 or Pier 91.  Different cruise lines use different piers.  Princess, HAL, Carnival, RCI and Celebrity use 91.  NCL, uses 66.  66 is also used when a ship is visiting Seattle as a port of call.  Every time I've been in Seattle and down near the docks during cruise season it is NCL that is tied up at Pier 66.

 

If you are departing on a cruise from Pier 66, you could stay at the Edgewater.  It is a higher end property, but the rooms facing the bay are nice.  And you can walk to the pier because the Edgewater is right next door.  You can also stay at the Edgewater for a cruise departing out of Pier 91, the ride up there is not any longer than a ride from downtown.

 

I hope this helps with your decision.

Edited February 14, 2023 by jeromep
Added details.

[Northern Aurora]

4 hours ago, jeromep said:

.......

 

If you are departing on a cruise from Pier 66, you could stay at the Edgewater.  It is a higher end property, but the rooms facing the bay are nice.  And you can walk to the pier because the Edgewater is right next door.  You can also stay at the Edgewater for a cruise departing out of Pier 91, the ride up there is not any longer than a ride from downtown.

 

I hope this helps with your decision.

 

Just a quick comment -- for folks departing from Pier 66 the Marriott Waterfront is across the street from Pier 66.  Also very convenient for Pier 66 departures.  The Marriott Waterfront concierge also arranges shuttle transfers to Pier 91; last June the cost was $11 per person (each way -- not RT).