ALASKA Planning Issues

[Ric-Flair]

Nearing our cruise to Alaska aboard The Legend on July 5th.Taking a cruise which leaves across country (from Florida) takes a lot of planning. Never had to do this before. We live on Florida's East Coast, so if we want to cruise its not a big deal. Just drive to the port and get on the boat. After all this planning headaches, I will be ready for the cruise.

 

We are arriving in Seattle on July 1st at noon or so. We have rented a condo for a few days before the cruise do we can see the city before we leave. Everything from airfare out to Seattle, the rental car, the shuttle buses, Uber, Taxi's etc....has been a real pain....and to top it all off, NOTHING in Seattle is inexpensive it seems. Oh well, I will get through all this.

 

Can someone answer a simple question for me? What the most cost-effective way to rent a car in Seattle for a few days?

[brutusmom]

We never rented a car there. The city is very easy to get around. Very walkable and great public transportation.

Pike market, a Space Needle and the Underground Tour should not be missed. And simple to get around. Airport taxis are set rates to your hotel and easy to get. Seattle is very friendly. You are going to love it.

[klfrodo]

You'll get no sympathy from me regarding the travel logistics. I've cruise 10 times out of South Florida. Love every minute of it. :D

 

Rental car? What is your question? You fly into the airport, you get a rental car,,,, what's the issue?

[422Melissa]

I'm in Virginia and will be going to Seattle and AK for the first time in August. I don't have much advice, but I'm very interested to hear about your trip when you return. These flights from the East Coast are really something...

 

We're staying at the Hotel Maxwell near the Space Needle and plan on taking public transportation to see the sights for three days prior to our cruise. I'm buying the Seattle City Pass which includes tickets for 5 popular attractions for $74.

 

I just need to figure out transportation from the airport area to the hotel, and the fastest method to get to the airport after debarkation because we have an 11:10 flight. We'll carry our own luggage off the ship.

[klfrodo]

I just need to figure out transportation from the airport area to the hotel, and the fastest method to get to the airport after debarkation because we have an 11:10 flight. We'll carry our own luggage off the ship.

 

http://www.shuttleexpress.com

 

I use these guys for town car service. They also have ride share service which is less expensive.

I wouldn't count on a taxi. Most cabs in Seattle are Prius ( thinking luggage space or lack thereof). Trying to go as green as possible up here.

[422Melissa]

Thanks for the info.! Good to know since my 3 folks will not fit in a Prius with all of our bags.

[solongshakespeare]

I fly into Seattle every now and then. Rental cars are typically outrageous, but there are ways to minimize the overall cost. I book through Costco Travel for the best deal- but sometimes you can find a steal through the rental agencies. Parking and driving in downtown is no easy feat. Last trip I spent 45 minutes to go a mile and a half. I could have walked there quicker.

Edited May 15, 2016 by solongshakespeare

[SadieN]

What do you want to see? The city is very compact. We've rented a car on a as needed, daily basis.

 

 

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[sjn911]

Check out the Seattle underground too..if you can manage your luggage you can go to a central Hotel and grab a cab or Maxwell may be close to a stop....it does run from airport and keeps expanding every year.

[sharkaymon]

Nearing our cruise to Alaska aboard The Legend on July 5th.Taking a cruise which leaves across country (from Florida) takes a lot of planning. Never had to do this before. We live on Florida's East Coast, so if we want to cruise its not a big deal. Just drive to the port and get on the boat. After all this planning headaches, I will be ready for the cruise.

 

We are arriving in Seattle on July 1st at noon or so. We have rented a condo for a few days before the cruise do we can see the city before we leave. Everything from airfare out to Seattle, the rental car, the shuttle buses, Uber, Taxi's etc....has been a real pain....and to top it all off, NOTHING in Seattle is inexpensive it seems. Oh well, I will get through all this.

 

Can someone answer a simple question for me? What the most cost-effective way to rent a car in Seattle for a few days?

 

 

Ric-Flair. You will be disembarking from Carnival Legend as we are embarking! My suggestion is to consider using the Light Rail system. This is our third Alaskan cruise and the first time we have a hotel, Embassy Suites @ Sea-Tac, that is not in the big middle of most of the attractions. I've spoken with them and they highly suggest using the light rail. The hotel has a shuttle that will take us and pick us up from the light rail station. A day pass is $6. I've ridden the BART when we visited SanFran and would use the BART over the hassle of a rental car any day.:p When you have a car you have to worry about parking.

[sharkaymon]

I'm in Virginia and will be going to Seattle and AK for the first time in August. I don't have much advice, but I'm very interested to hear about your trip when you return. These flights from the East Coast are really something...

 

We're staying at the Hotel Maxwell near the Space Needle and plan on taking public transportation to see the sights for three days prior to our cruise. I'm buying the Seattle City Pass which includes tickets for 5 popular attractions for $74.

 

I just need to figure out transportation from the airport area to the hotel, and the fastest method to get to the airport after debarkation because we have an 11:10 flight. We'll carry our own luggage off the ship.

 

. . .read your post! I didn't know about the Seattle City Pass. What a great bargain!

[Tapi]

Relax [emoji41]. If you can find your way around Miami, Seattle is going to be a walk in the park.

 

Seattle is a very easy city to explore. I know that you may be feeling some "fear of the unknown", going across the country and going to a city that you haven't visited before, but rest assured that once you're there and see for yourself, you'll realize that you had nothing to worry about.

 

We took Shuttle Express from the airport to our downtown hotel and then we moved around by foot. As others mentioned, many of the main attractions are centrally located and, unless you're planning on going somewhere farther away or if you have mobility issues, having a car is really not necessary. It's a very friendly city.

 

Upon our return from the cruise, we took taxi cabs. Yes, if you have a larger group you'll need to get multiple cabs (there were 14 people in our group so we had to get 3!) but it was very quick and efficient.

 

Personally, we didn't find Seattle to be more expensive than staying in Miami, New York City, or other major city that we've sailed from.

[Tapi]

I just need to figure out transportation from the airport area to the hotel, and the fastest method to get to the airport after debarkation because we have an 11:10 flight. We'll carry our own luggage off the ship.

 

 

As mentioned above, you may need to get multiple cabs if you're a larger group with lots of bags, but that's what we did. There were 14 of us so we needed 3 cabs, but it was the quickest, most effective way to get going. We stepped outside the cruise terminal, walked a few feet and a man was holding a taxi door open for us. Within 2 minutes we were on our way!

[sjn911]

Check out the Seattle underground too..if you can manage your luggage you can go to a central Hotel and grab a cab or Maxwell may be close to a stop....it does run from airport and keeps expanding every year.

 

I should have maybe used "lightrail"..think it is underground from the airport to city center. There is the monorail from World's Fair too..anyway good public transit. Lots to do right around Pike's market. And space needle.

[Anyislandwilldo]

I've been doing research for our 2017 Alaska cruise for the last 2 years. From what I've read over multiple posts on CC, we are NOT renting a car. Our hotel will be around SEA TAC and has a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. The hotel offers a shuttle to a near by mall for dining. The shuttle will also take us to the light rail which we will use to get down to Pike's Market and other attractions. I could not justify spending money on a car when all the other transportations options are available. Plus I want to be able to see the city without having to worry about keeping my eye on the road.

[Gardyloo]

As a local, I'll make a few comments that you can take or leave.

 

Hotels, sightseeing, cars and parking: It's all about tradeoffs, with money, time and convenience being the variables.

 

Rental cars are expensive, but so are downtown hotels. Downtown hotels plus cars are even more expensive, since most charge an arm and a leg for parking.

 

Downtown hotels are convenient for seeing downtown attractions. You can walk to the Pike Place market (please, no "s" as in "Pike's") or ride the monorail to Seattle Center for the Space Needle etc., or walk down the bluff from the market to the central waterfront for the aquarium, Ferris wheel, ferry terminal etc., or down the hill to Pioneer Square.

 

Downtown hotels are NOT convenient, however, for the Ballard Locks, nor the University, nor for excursions to any of the area's marvelous day-trip destinations, both within the city and outside - the Boeing factory, or Mount Rainier, or Whidbey or Vashon Islands, or Snoqualmie Falls, or the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, or...

 

Hotels in other areas than downtown have free or inexpensive parking, and the nightly rates in those hotels might well be so much less than downtown that they'll offset the cost of the car, even if you add back the cost to park the car while touring downtown - call it $20 for a day while you ride the monorail or walk around the Pike Place Market, whatever.

 

So it comes down to your preferences. Pay more for a hotel and rely on limos, taxis, Ubers, trains, buses, and feet, and understand that you're pretty limited on what you can see in the city; OR pay less for a hotel, add the car rental and parking cost, and - if you want - expand your horizons beyond downtown.

 

There's no right answer here, it's all about personal choices.

[peety3]

We are arriving in Seattle on July 1st at noon or so. We have rented a condo for a few days before the cruise do we can see the city before we leave. Everything from airfare out to Seattle, the rental car, the shuttle buses, Uber, Taxi's etc....has been a real pain....and to top it all off, NOTHING in Seattle is inexpensive it seems. Oh well, I will get through all this.

 

Can someone answer a simple question for me? What the most cost-effective way to rent a car in Seattle for a few days?

How is renting a car a real pain? The only obstacle is that the airport is not in or adjacent to Seattle downtown, so you have to figure out how to return the car and get back to your group. Otherwise, rental cars are in a convenient off-airport consolidated garage, so everyone rides common shuttles and follows common signage.

 

Or take the light rail into downtown, and rent a car (or take an Uber) from there. However, you hit the nail on the head when you referred to prices - things are expensive here, particularly parking. Factor that into your plans, and you may find Uber or taxi better than a car.

 

Another heads-up: be ready for dreary weather July 1-4 and great weather July 5. June is known as "June-uary" as it has a dreary January feel to it, and that habitually continues through July 4th. Many people bump their July 4th parties to July 5th, as they get better weather. Strange, I agree, but it works.

[jdemps]

We allow ourselves one bag each for every cruise vacation up to 10 days and we always take a cab to avoid the hassle of rental cars. The time spent shuttling and waiting to get one is a real bummer not to mention having to park and fight traffic on vacation. As long as you don't have 7 or 8 bags, you're bags will fit fine in a taxi/uber for 3 people.

[Ric-Flair]

I guess we are spoiled. Normally when we cruise (out of any of the Florida ports) we just have someone drive us to the port and say "See Ya later" and get on the boat. No hotels or car rentals, or public transportation to worry about.

 

We are flying into SEA-TAC on Friday the 1st and arrive around noon. We have rented a condo for a couple days right in town. We plan on just taking the public tram (train service or whatever they call it) and get off at a station close to the condo. We will do the normal touristy stuff for a couple days. On Sunday morning, we will pick up a rental car at AVIS downtown, and drive to the other condo we have rented on Pugent Sound until Tuesday when the cruise leaves. We found that renting a car AWAY from the airport is much less expensive and more convenient to the cruise ports.

 

Airline tickets....this was the real challenge. Getting from Orlando to Seattle is not exactly inexpensive. The low-ball travel sites are a challenge for sure...and by the time you add it the checked luggage fees, the "discounted tickets" are just as much as usual. We found the perfect flight times with Southwest Airlines (2 bags fly free per ticket) and finished booking all that today. Lucky we did...because I later found out the flight is now sold-out.

 

So....things are smoothing out. We just have to deal with getting off the boat on Tuesday and how we get back to the SEA-TAC. Any suggestions?

 

I am curious though. Will our regular cell phone plans work in Alaska, or will it be all roaming charges?

[Ric-Flair]

As a local, I'll make a few comments that you can take or leave.

 

Hotels, sightseeing, cars and parking: It's all about tradeoffs, with money, time and convenience being the variables.

 

Rental cars are expensive, but so are downtown hotels. Downtown hotels plus cars are even more expensive, since most charge an arm and a leg for parking.

 

Downtown hotels are convenient for seeing downtown attractions. You can walk to the Pike Place market (please, no "s" as in "Pike's") or ride the monorail to Seattle Center for the Space Needle etc., or walk down the bluff from the market to the central waterfront for the aquarium, Ferris wheel, ferry terminal etc., or down the hill to Pioneer Square.

 

Downtown hotels are NOT convenient, however, for the Ballard Locks, nor the University, nor for excursions to any of the area's marvelous day-trip destinations, both within the city and outside - the Boeing factory, or Mount Rainier, or Whidbey or Vashon Islands, or Snoqualmie Falls, or the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, or...

 

Hotels in other areas than downtown have free or inexpensive parking, and the nightly rates in those hotels might well be so much less than downtown that they'll offset the cost of the car, even if you add back the cost to park the car while touring downtown - call it $20 for a day while you ride the monorail or walk around the Pike Place Market, whatever.

 

So it comes down to your preferences. Pay more for a hotel and rely on limos, taxis, Ubers, trains, buses, and feet, and understand that you're pretty limited on what you can see in the city; OR pay less for a hotel, add the car rental and parking cost, and - if you want - expand your horizons beyond downtown.

 

There's no right answer here, it's all about personal choices.

 

As a Florida Local, I certainly appreciate your input ...and you know what? I listen to what you have to say. I have learned that lesson long ago. We do our very best and try to blend in to the local flare the best we can. Try not to look too touristy. No braided hair, Jimmy Buffet Shirts, Hawaiian Flower Shirts, or shark tooth necklaces for us. I wont ask you stupid questions or drive slow on your highways either.

[VibeGuy]

Costco can usually cough up a decent deal for Seattle downtown rentals. I however tend to rent from Sixt, as they have stuff I actually want to drive and their rates can be competitive with the majors. I also use a service called ReachNow - think of it like Car2Go but with better cars. Pick up a BMW or Mini from a nearby parking, drive it where you want to for .40/minute, park it in any legal street parking, and walk away. Kinda handy on days I don't have the car downtown and need to get somewhere transit-inconvenient.

 

I'm a big fan of an app called BestParking - it can save you a surprising amount of money in Seattle. Two adjacent garages can be $20 different for a three-hour stay.

[Wanna_Cruize]

I believe in Seattle that Carnival offers Luggage Express, where they get you your boarding passes and pick up you luggage the night before, and you get on one of the first busses out of the port. Seems like it would be the easiest way, and the fastest to be sure you can be off the ship first. That way, you don't have to shlep your bags off the ship. We would be doing that for our trip in June, except we're staying in Seattle for a few days on the back end.

[Gardyloo]

So....things are smoothing out. We just have to deal with getting off the boat on Tuesday and how we get back to the SEA-TAC. Any suggestions?

 

I am curious though. Will our regular cell phone plans work in Alaska, or will it be all roaming charges?

Take a cab or limo from the cruise terminal to the airport. Be mindful that security lines can be quite long (unless you have pre-check or are traveling in first class - not an option on Southwest) so don't plan on a departure before 11:30 or noon. That can make things tough for east coast destinations due to the time change.

 

Your phone plan will make a difference; check with them. Not all carriers have terrific coverage in SE Alaska, and of course you'll be in Canadian waters for part of the trip.

 

I wont ask you stupid questions or drive slow on your highways either.

Driving fast on many of our highways really isn't an option, if you get my meaning. Edited May 16, 2016 by Gardyloo

[stargate fan]

I'm in Virginia and will be going to Seattle and AK for the first time in August. I don't have much advice, but I'm very interested to hear about your trip when you return. These flights from the East Coast are really something...

 

We're staying at the Hotel Maxwell near the Space Needle and plan on taking public transportation to see the sights for three days prior to our cruise. I'm buying the Seattle City Pass which includes tickets for 5 popular attractions for $74.

 

I just need to figure out transportation from the airport area to the hotel, and the fastest method to get to the airport after debarkation because we have an 11:10 flight. We'll carry our own luggage off the ship.

 

We stayed at the Hotel Maxwell before our Alaska cruise last July. What a great hotel! Service was amazing, the room was wonderful. The mini pineapple cupcakes in the afternoon were delicious. :D We'll definitely stay there again the next time we go to Seattle.

 

If you like Vietnamese food, or are willing to try it, the concierge directed us to a place right down the street, to the left when we exited the lobby. It's called Pho Viet Anh. We had the best meal there. I could have eaten there again and again. Prices were so reasonable too.

 

We used taxis to get from SEA to the hotel and again from the hotel to the port. I don't remember the cost. Maybe Uber is more cost effective.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Take a cab or limo from the cruise terminal to the airport. Be mindful that security lines can be quite long (unless you have pre-check or are traveling in first class - not an option on Southwest) so don't plan on a departure before 11:30 or noon. That can make things tough for east coast destinations due to the time change.

 

Your phone plan will make a difference; check with them. Not all carriers have terrific coverage in SE Alaska, and of course you'll be in Canadian waters for part of the trip.

 

Driving fast on many of our highways really isn't an option, if you get my meaning.

 

I was wondering about the wisdom of having a flight out of Seatac before noon. What if there's a delay for customs/immigration that delays disembarkation from starting on time? And what is there's a lot of traffic (special events, sporting events, accidents)?