Seattle shore excursion at disembarkation. Has anyone taken it

[edmusic]

DW and I are going to have about 8 hours to kill until our late afternoon flight on the date of our disembarkation. We were thinking of taking one of the Seattle city tours that are offered by HAL. My main question is this: the 'Best of Seattle' tour specifically states that it "goes to Pike Market Place so you can browse the many shops there" whereas the Seattle by Land & Sea states "You’ll pass through the shopping district that includes Pike Place Market, and your driver/guide will show you the historic Pioneer Square district of Seattle." Does this mean you can't get out of the bus and browse around Pike Market Place like the other tour does? This is a deal killer for me so I'd like to find out for sure one way or the other. Thanks in advance for your help.

PS - there is no info on it on the Ports section of CC that's why I'm asking it here.

[Amuse Bouche]

Pike Place Market is my favorite place in the whole world. If I could have a house next door, I'd sell my soul to buy it.

 

You can spend HOURS just wandering around Pike Place market and surrounding streets. There's so much downtown.

[Cruising-along]

DW and I are going to have about 8 hours to kill until our late afternoon flight on the date of our disembarkation. We were thinking of taking one of the Seattle city tours that are offered by HAL. My main question is this: the 'Best of Seattle' tour specifically states that it "goes to Pike Market Place so you can browse the many shops there" whereas the Seattle by Land & Sea states "You’ll pass through the shopping district that includes Pike Place Market, and your driver/guide will show you the historic Pioneer Square district of Seattle." Does this mean you can't get out of the bus and browse around Pike Market Place like the other tour does? This is a deal killer for me so I'd like to find out for sure one way or the other. Thanks in advance for your help.

PS - there is no info on it on the Ports section of CC that's why I'm asking it here.

 

I would take it just the way it's worded. "Best of Seattle" states you can browse the shops at Pike Place, whereas the "Land & Sea" states you will pass through. It sounds to me that the second one you listed just drives by, with the driver pointing things out.

 

If it's that important to you, you could call Shore Excursions at HAL and ask them, but I would take it just the way it's worded.

[Northshorecruisers]

I don't see where there would be enough time to allow people to walk through and explore Pike Place Market and to do Pioneer Square. I agree with Cruising-along that you should take it as it's worded.

[Cruising-along]

I don't see where there would be enough time to allow people to walk through and explore Pike Place Market and to do Pioneer Square. I agree with Cruising-along that you should take it as it's worded.

 

I was thinking the same thing. Especially with the area being so crowded most of the time. I'm guessing the only way they could do this would be to drop them off and pick them up a few hours later at a specific place and time. But it would be difficult....although not impossible.

[dpump]

Have you considered letting Holland handle your luggage to the airport, etc and you doing Seattle on your own? Very, very walkable city and easy to navigate. With the light rail at Westlake taking you to the airport, easy to do. Pike Place is wonderful, but there is so much around there too. I actually have a friend who lives in a condo across the street from Pike Place, am so jealous. The 'ducks' are fun to do also. You can also walk to Pioneer Square, nice long walk, but interesting. The light rail has a station there also.

[philbob84]

Have you considered letting Holland handle your luggage to the airport, etc and you doing Seattle on your own? Very, very walkable city and easy to navigate. With the light rail at Westlake taking you to the airport, easy to do. Pike Place is wonderful, but there is so much around there too. I actually have a friend who lives in a condo across the street from Pike Place, am so jealous. The 'ducks' are fun to do also. You can also walk to Pioneer Square, nice long walk, but interesting. The light rail has a station there also.

 

unforntatly the rail station is limited in stops. I would avoid the south end (and im from it!) If you want to take it stop at china town and then turn around.

[Jemima]

The HAL debarkation combo excursion/transfers usually get you to the airport between 12 and 1. That's possibly based on the earliest earliest allowable flight time for that excursion. That can result in your arriving at the airport hours before a four or five o'clock flight. We find that we've had an early breakfast, have no or little time for even a snack on the excursion, and are very hungry by the time we've gone through airport security. The excursion/transfers do have the advantages of not having to lug your carryons around at stops and knowing you'll get to the airport in time.

[edmusic]

I took your advice and called a HAL representative who specializes in shore excursions. (Although I didn't ask, I got the impression from talking with him that they must make these reps actually take the various excursions in order to competently answer questions. Sounds like a pretty good gig to me!) He clarified for me just what I wanted to know. My main concern was being able to stop and shop at Pike Market Place and that is exactly what one of the excursions does, the other doesn't. Drops you off for a bit of time and picks you up later. Should get to the airport around 1pm in plenty of time for our 4pm flight home.

[jayisgerman]

Hello EdMusic-

Would you mind sharing some details? We are looking at these post-cruise excursions in Seattle also. Which tour allows for the shopping at Pike Place? Also, did they tell you how much time they allow at the market?

Thank you. :o

 

I took your advice and called a HAL representative who specializes in shore excursions. (Although I didn't ask, I got the impression from talking with him that they must make these reps actually take the various excursions in order to competently answer questions. Sounds like a pretty good gig to me!) He clarified for me just what I wanted to know. My main concern was being able to stop and shop at Pike Market Place and that is exactly what one of the excursions does, the other doesn't. Drops you off for a bit of time and picks you up later. Should get to the airport around 1pm in plenty of time for our 4pm flight home.

[Cruising-along]

I took your advice and called a HAL representative who specializes in shore excursions. (Although I didn't ask, I got the impression from talking with him that they must make these reps actually take the various excursions in order to competently answer questions. Sounds like a pretty good gig to me!) He clarified for me just what I wanted to know. My main concern was being able to stop and shop at Pike Market Place and that is exactly what one of the excursions does, the other doesn't. Drops you off for a bit of time and picks you up later. Should get to the airport around 1pm in plenty of time for our 4pm flight home.

 

Good! So glad you'll get what you want. It pays to ask. :D

[edmusic]

jayisgerman wrote: Would you mind sharing some details? We are looking at these post-cruise excursions in Seattle also. Which tour allows for the shopping at Pike Place? Also, did they tell you how much time they allow at the market?

Here is the information direct from the HAL website:

 

""Best of Seattle & Airport Transfer (without prepaid transfer voucher)

 

Past and present thrive side-by-side in Seattle, and you’ll see many of the Emerald City’s best highlights on this panoramic tour. View Seattle’s new sports stadiums, then discover the historic flavor of Pioneer Square, Seattle’s birthplace dating back to 1852. Pass the International District and tour through the downtown core and shopping district. Circle the Seattle Center campus on your way to the Space Needle, where you’ll soar to the top by elevator for an unforgettable vista of the skyline and Elliott Bay. From here, you’ll head through the gentrifying Belltown area and to Pike Place Market, the West Coast’s largest and oldest open-air farmers’ market. Browse the hundreds of curio shops and local artisan stalls. Don’t forget to check out Flying Fish—one of the more famous vendors at the Market. Your tour ends with a transfer to SeaTac International Airport.

Notes: This tour is available to guests with flights departing after 2:30 pm.

Departure Times: 8:30 AM

 

Duration: Approximately 4 Hours""

 

I got the impression from the rep that the passengers can pretty much decide how much time to spend at each place as you travel in one of the small commuter type shuttle buses; not the big Greyhound type. There may be some flexibility allowed. It looks like a trip to the top of the Space Needle is also included! And, he said you get off the ship right away as the tour leaves at 8:30am. You can also purchase the transfer to the airport with the excursion if you didn't purchase it ahead of time with HAL. Hope this helps!