Solstice disemabarkation in Seattle

[LF2C]

We are doing an Alaska cruise next June fro Seattle.

Post cruise, we are flying from Seattle to Calgary.

Please can anyone answer the following

a) what's the earliest time X will allow us to disembark

b) how long is it by cab from Seattle cruise port to Airport on a Friday morning in June, and

c) are there any known problems with immigration for Brits at Seattle cruise port

Thanks

[mapleleaves]

My standard advice on transfer time is:

Its a 30 minute drive from pier 91 to Seatac Airport, but give it an hr to allow for road consruction, city events, sports events, and the usual congestion. You should be at the airport 2 hrs prior to departure. So .....to be safe, allow 3 hrs from the time you disembark to flight time.

 

As a Brit i've never had any problems with immigration in seattle . Plus you would have provided the neceassary docs to board the ship, so there will be no surprises.

 

p.s. seatac recommends arriving 3 hrs prior for int'l flights.

Edited August 31, 2016 by mapleleaves
ps

[CruiserBruce]

Seattle is covered on the West Coast Departures board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=413

 

as it is not in Alaska.

 

Celebrity, like every other cruise line, will allow you to disembark when everything is ready ashore. This is usually by 7:30am, sometimes a little earlier.

 

Can't answer about Immigration for a Brit...

 

Mapleleaves has given their excellent advice, as always.

[LF2C]

My standard advice on transfer time is:

Its a 30 minute drive from pier 91 to Seatac Airport, but give it an hr to allow for road consruction, city events, sports events, and the usual congestion. You should be at the airport 2 hrs prior to departure. So .....to be safe, allow 3 hrs from the time you disembark to flight time.

 

As a Brit i've never had any problems with immigration in seattle . Plus you would have provided the neceassary docs to board the ship, so there will be no surprises.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Not been to Seattle yet but had horrendous problems with US immigration in SD a couple of years ago, they were just awful, and that wasn't just because we are British.

[peety3]

Note that June in Seattle is known as "Junuary", as the winter/spring rainy days return in June so that "summer" can be summery. However, with warmer temperatures and kids out of school (a good thing for traffic), construction resumes with a vengeance. Realize that you're traveling from essentially a waterfront spot that's northwest of downtown to an airport located well south of downtown. Any sort of wreck or construction will mess up traffic in a BAD way. Just yesterday, a stalled bus on 520 made the usually 14-minute drive from Seattle to Bellevue an hour and five minutes, and the multi-mile backup made its way all the way back to I-5 north and south, adding 20 minutes on the drive from Lynnwood to Seattle (which doesn't touch 520 whatsoever). Your taxi/shuttle driver will know what tools to use to find the best route, but it could still get messy since you're traveling on a work day.

[Langley Cruisers]

OP, what time is your flight out of SEA TAC and where are you going? If it is domestic (with an international connection later), that will be less stress but if you are flying direct to the UK you will need to allow extra time.

[LF2C]

OP, what time is your flight out of SEA TAC and where are you going? If it is domestic (with an international connection later), that will be less stress but if you are flying direct to the UK you will need to allow extra time.

 

 

We are going to a Calgary with some friends and doing a Rockies road trip. Not returning to UK till a few days later so that's not important re this question

Flight is either 10.30 or 3.00

 

 

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[sherryf]

We are going to a Calgary with some friends and doing a Rockies road trip. Not returning to UK till a few days later so that's not important re this question

Flight is either 10.30 or 3.00

 

If those are your only two options, then you NEED to go with 3:00. The 10:30 flight is way too early, especially for an international flight!

[LF2C]

If those are your only two options, then you NEED to go with 3:00. The 10:30 flight is way too early, especially for an international flight!

 

 

Thanks

 

 

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[mapleleaves]

I agree with sherryf.

You could probably make the 10:30am flight, but you don't have any wiggle room at all. Any delay with disembarking, or an accident on the freeway, and you've missed your flight. Besides the anxiety of missing the plane, last minute fares are very costly, and there's no guarantee a seat will even be available.

 

Would it be easier to do a Vancouver sailing ?? then you're not looking at an int'l flight. YVR is also about 30 minutes from the pier.

[Sequim88]

Any sort of wreck or construction will mess up traffic in a BAD way

 

The the fire last evening in "the Jungle" (locals will know where) under the elevated part of I-5. The northbound and southbound lanes have a gap between them and flames were shooting up and over the lanes like a volcano. Once the firetrucks parked there traffic backed up really fast. Weird stuff can happen any time - somehow especially in Seattle.

 

From pier 91 in the morning most of the cabs are likely to take Alaska Way (the road, not the viaduct) to East Marginal Way and connect to SR-509 (Burien Freeway) and then SR-518. Usually MUCH faster than I-5 even with stop lights. 30 minutes is usual but an hour should be plenty. Security should be reasonable at SeaTac on a Friday morning - afternoon might get long. Worst case if gate is at a satellite terminal a little extra time for the train might be needed. I agree 3pm is way better.

[LF2C]

Thanks for all your replies and information. There are a number of reasons why we are taking the sailing from Seattle and not Vancouver. All of that is booked including all our flights (except the one I'm asking about), so whilst all suggestions are welcome, I really just wanted some insight into the question.

Thanks again to all who have replied. I think we are agreed that the morning flight is a non starter.

 

 

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