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Pre-cruise hotel Seattle


bigchid
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We stayed at The Maxwell hotel for 2 nights pre cruise and really liked it. It was easy walking distance to the Space Needle and they have a shuttle that will take you to other sites. It is a short cab ride to the pier. I would stay there again if we go back to Seattle.

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Any recommendations for pre cruise stay in Seattle?

Thanks!

 

It would help if you let us know the cruise line you're sailing on. There are two different cruise terminals in Seattle and that would make a difference on hotel suggestions.

 

If you're cruising from Pier 66 (NCL) there are two hotels right at the pier. The Edgewater is on the pier next to Pier 66 - the cruise ship will be right next to the hotel. The Seattle Marriott Waterfront is just a short walk from Pier 66, easy to do with luggage the morning of the cruise. This pier is also right in front of downtown Seattle, so you can also use almost any hotel in the downtown area.

 

The Smith Cove cruise terminal or Pier 91 (other cruise lines) is more of a problem. There are no hotels in the immediate area, which if mostly industrial. Your best bet if cruising from this pier is to find a hotel in downtown Seattle that's convenient for sightseeing - assuming you have the time for that. Then taxi or Uber to the pier on the morning of your cruise.

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OP - If you are sailing on Princess or HAL or any other line out of Pier 91 think the Homewood Suites, Downtown Seattle (206 Western Ave W) is closest (1.5 miles). We stayed there the night before and the night after our cruise this summer. A taxi to/from Pier 91 was less than $10. We easily walked to the Space Needle and Chihuly Gardens (maybe 1/2 mile away) and to/from the Pikes Place Market area (1 mile) plus there are some casual restaurants within a couple of blocks. Actually one - Queen Anne Beerhall - is in the same block and Buckley's on Queen Anne is a block away. The hotel itself was great and modern and includes a hot breakfast buffet and a manager's reception on weeknights (I think - we were there on a Friday and Saturday night). I thought the suites were larger than those of Embassy Suites we have stayed in.

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We stayed at the Four Points Sheraton near Seattle Center. It was a good price, and easy to get to other things. We did many things by the Space Needle, and then used the monorail to get into the downtown area. They had a shuttle bus to the pier, but we had a rental car for our last day there, so we dropped that off and used the rental car's shuttle.

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There will be major construction (demolition of the viaduct) in 2019, so keep this in mind for next summer in Seattle. Allow extra time coming in same day, especially Pier 66, won't affect Pier 91. We won't know until Feb. or Mar. how it will affect downtown traffic. Don't rent a car. We have great bus, light rail and Uber/Lyft service.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/28/2018 at 7:36 PM, Cruise4Sunshine said:

There will be major construction (demolition of the viaduct) in 2019, so keep this in mind for next summer in Seattle. Allow extra time coming in same day, especially Pier 66, won't affect Pier 91. We won't know until Feb. or Mar. how it will affect downtown traffic. Don't rent a car. We have great bus, light rail and Uber/Lyft service.

I'm not too familiar with Seattle - could you tell me if this viaduct demo may affect traffic/transport back to airport the day we disembark (a Saturday, from pier 91)? Looking at a 11:20am return flight which my past research confirmed would be okay normally but now wondering if this will make that too dicey. Thanks for any insight you or others here can share!

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23 hours ago, Flafun888 said:

I'm not too familiar with Seattle - could you tell me if this viaduct demo may affect traffic/transport back to airport the day we disembark (a Saturday, from pier 91)? Looking at a 11:20am return flight which my past research confirmed would be okay normally but now wondering if this will make that too dicey. Thanks for any insight you or others here can share!

 

The Alaskan Way Viaduct (SR 99) is an old elevated freeway that was deemed to be potentially unsafe in the event of an earthquake, plus it was decided that it created a barrier between the downtown and central waterfront areas, so it's being replaced with a tunnel that runs (basically) underneath the old viaduct.  The tunnel is now finished, and once it's opened the elevated roadway will be demolished.   Meanwhile, Alaskan Way itself - which runs the length of the waterfront at ground level, including past the Pier 66 cruise terminal, will be reduced in width and made into something of a parkway, making it more pedestrian-friendly but still allowing vehicle access to the waterfront businesses including the cruise terminal.

 

Access to and from Pier 91 won't be changed, although some drivers might want to change their routes.  As it currently is, heading to the airport from Pier 91 doesn't have easy access to the (existing) elevated roadway; you need to take a more inland route to get to the nearest southbound access ramp to SR 99.  It won't be much different in accessing the southbound tunnel (close to the same location) so I wouldn't imagine it will pose major difficulties, at least once the cab, van and Uber drivers have figured it out.  The tunnel will be tolled (I believe something like $1.50 tops) which will be added to cab fares, but hardly a deal killer.

 

The current plan is for the viaduct to be closed permanently on January 11, 2019, so by next cruise season everything will be humming along.  Or so we're told.

 

 

Edited by Gardyloo
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I still think you'll want to hustle right along after disembarking to make an 11:20 flight (if the departure time doesn't change, which it might well do.)  The big problem with flying out of SEA on cruise days is the length of the security lines, so getting Pre-check or Global Entry status ahead of time can be well worthwhile.

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Thanks, Gardyloo: will keep that in mind. We never fly, as 100% of our vacations are either driving trips or cruises (we're near the port), so I know zilch about pre-check or global entry - or what it requires. Just have to figure out if it's worth the research time, cost and effort to obtain for one return flight - or if we're feelin' lucky and want to give it a shot without it.  I'm leaning towards latter. Worst case, we miss the flight home & catch another later that day or next.  Annoying yes, but not a crisis. I always take an extra 1-2 days off after a trip ends, before I'm due back at work. :classic_biggrin:

 

Thank you again for chiming in!

Edited by Flafun888
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Here's the latest on the viaduct, completion of demo slated for Sept. 2019, but the tunnel is 18 or more months behind schedule. Transportation services will know the way around, but if you have the option to walk off early with your own luggage, I would do so to gain those extra minutes. Save the anxiety that undoes your vacation.

https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/8/3/16092162/alaskan-way-viaduct-demolition

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12 hours ago, Cruise4Sunshine said:

Transportation services will know the way around, but if you have the option to walk off early with your own luggage, I would do so to gain those extra minutes. Save the anxiety that undoes your vacation.

Thanks for posting this. Was planning to take advantage of the airport luggage transfer that the Seattle Port offers, since my flight is after 11am. So I could just walk off first thing, right?

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15 hours ago, Cruise4Sunshine said:

Here's the latest on the viaduct, completion of demo slated for Sept. 2019, but the tunnel is 18 or more months behind schedule. Transportation services will know the way around, but if you have the option to walk off early with your own luggage, I would do so to gain those extra minutes. Save the anxiety that undoes your vacation.

https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/8/3/16092162/alaskan-way-viaduct-demolition

That article is seriously out of date.  The Viaduct will close permanently on January 11, 2019.  There will be a period of time during which neither the Viaduct nor the tunnel will be available, estimated at three weeks while the roadway is realigned.    Here's the current plan:  http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/realign99

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