Debarkation in Seattle, WA

[bjgill17]

This is my first Alaskan cruise. We chose Holland America Eurodum in June 2019. I am trying to book air flights to fly round trip into and out of Seattle main airport. Please,  Does anyone know or recently done this :  how long it would/will take, as a best guess,  to do the regular debarkation into Seattle , use a HOLLAND AMERICA pre-paid  transfer from PORT TO AIRPORT,  get to Seattle -Tacoma International Airport. I need to know when to book my flight home .

[Himself]

19 minutes ago, bjgill17 said:

This is my first Alaskan cruise. We chose Holland America Eurodum in June 2019. I am trying to book air flights to fly round trip into and out of Seattle main airport. Please,  Does anyone know or recently done this :  how long it would/will take, as a best guess,  to do the regular debarkation into Seattle , use a HOLLAND AMERICA pre-paid  transfer from PORT TO AIRPORT,  get to Seattle -Tacoma International Airport. I need to know when to book my flight home .

In Traffic SEATAC is an hour away and maybe with non traffic it will be 25 minutes or so away.

[RuthC]

I wouldn't want to book a flight out before 1:00 PM. You might be ok with 12:30, but I would get nervous with that time.

[Kunjaqueen]

What weekend in June?  The Seattle Rock n roll marathon happens in June and that will significantly impact traffic that is already gnarly.

It's 35 minutes to SEATAC with zero traffic.  THere's likely to be some so plan on at least an hour of travel time.  Then our TSA isn't the fastest so you really do need at least 2 hours to get through (unless you are Pre-Checked or first etc.).  I wouldn't take a flight any earlier than 12:30.

*** I live in WA 😄 ***

Edited April 9, 2019 by Kunjaqueen

[Jammu2]

Day of the week? Do you have TSA precheck? 

 

We live here and it really varies. We just booked flights for relatives for our upcoming Alaska cruise. We chose 1pm to be on the safe side. Ship transfer.

[bjgill17]

We are leaving Seattle on June 22 to return to Seattle on June 29, is that the Rock and Roll festival ?

[bjgill17]

14 minutes ago, Kunjaqueen said:

What weekend in June?  The Seattle Rock n roll marathon happens in June and that will significantly impact traffic that is already gnarly.

It's 35 minutes to SEATAC with zero traffic.  THere's likely to be some so plan on at least an hour of travel time.  Then our TSA isn't the fastest so you really do need at least 2 hours to get through (unless you are Pre-Checked or first etc.).  I wouldn't take a flight any earlier than 12:30.

*** I live in WA 😄 ***

 

[bjgill17]

Cruise June 22, 2019 to June 29 

[bjgill17]

1 minute ago, bjgill17 said:

 

 

16 minutes ago, Kunjaqueen said:

What weekend in June?  The Seattle Rock n roll marathon happens in June and that will significantly impact traffic that is already gnarly.

It's 35 minutes to SEATAC with zero traffic.  THere's likely to be some so plan on at least an hour of travel time.  Then our TSA isn't the fastest so you really do need at least 2 hours to get through (unless you are Pre-Checked or first etc.).  I wouldn't take a flight any earlier than 12:30.

*** I live in WA 😄 ***

Is June 29 th rock and roll festival weekend. ?

[Kunjaqueen]

3 minutes ago, bjgill17 said:

 

Is June 29 th rock and roll festival weekend. ?

No - there's a pride parade downtown that weekend though that may snarl traffic around 11.

 

https://www.events12.com/seattle/june/

[CruiserBruce]

The limiting factor here is the HAL transfer. They will not take you if you have a flight before noon, I think. That is your key defining point. If you carry your bags off, and either have a private transfer arranged, or grab a cab, you can catch a flight before noon.

 

There is also the Seattle Luggage Valet, where you put your bags outside your cabin the night before, and you next see them at your home airport,  unless flying internationally. They also provide your airlines boarding pass. It is a free service. They will get your bags to a flight after 11:30.

 

All of these options are regularly discussed on the West Coast Departures board. 

 

Booking a flight at this late a date is not creating lots of options. 

[Copper10-8]

Any flt after 12:00 Noon, especially with a HAL bus transfer to Sea-Tac

[san diego spartan]

44 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The limiting factor here is the HAL transfer. They will not take you if you have a flight before noon, I think. That is your key defining point. If you carry your bags off, and either have a private transfer arranged, or grab a cab, you can catch a flight before noon.

 

There is also the Seattle Luggage Valet, where you put your bags outside your cabin the night before, and you next see them at your home airport,  unless flying internationally. They also provide your airlines boarding pass. It is a free service. They will get your bags to a flight after 11:30.

 

All of these options are regularly discussed on the West Coast Departures board. 

 

Booking a flight at this late a date is not creating lots of options. 

The luggage valet is a free service? I believe I paid $25 for the luggage valet and a Celebrity Cruise last year. Can you even confirm this. I thought that this was a fee service which I actually find worthwhile and something I was planning to do on our Alaskan cruise that's coming up.

[Sue from Canada]

I've booked Already There Town Car more than once.  It's about the same price as taking a taxi but so much nicer.

 

https://alreadytheretowncar.com/

[CruiserBruce]

7 hours ago, san diego spartan said:

The luggage valet is a free service? I believe I paid $25 for the luggage valet and a Celebrity Cruise last year. Can you even confirm this. I thought that this was a fee service which I actually find worthwhile and something I was planning to do on our Alaskan cruise that's coming up.

Straight from the horse's mouth:

 

https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free

 

Discussed frequently on the West Coast Departures board.

[midwest 852]

The past 3 years we have used the free luggage service & took a taxi because there’re faster (hal transport must wait until bus is full) for weekends flights out of SEA for a 11:35 am flights with no problem always at the gate by 10:00.       One problem we did have is when using the luggage service they print your boarding pass for you when we got to the TSA they wouldnt scan so i had to go back to the kiosk and reprint them. Now i just reprint them before getting in line.

 

[kennystwin]

You may want to consider using the Port Valet and taking a later flight flight out so you can spend some time in Seattle. Using Port Valet, you will be among the first off the ship (they have to clear everyone with checked bags through customs in order to release all the checked luggage). You can take a taxi downtown (sans luggage) and spend some time at Pike Place Market, have a nice brunch,  and see the sights downtown. If the weather is nice (and it is far more often than the locals will admit), it can be spectacular here with sunshine, green spaces, mountains, water, etc. Great people watching, too. You can taxi on to the airport later or there is a train to the airport from downtown as well. There are other sights as well in Seattle if you want to make a day of it before flying home. We did this a few years ago and had a great time. We'll be on the Eurodam next month and are planning to do it again. We have a 2:30 flight and I figure we'll leave downtown around noon which will still give us several hours to enjoy Seattle and still make our flight easily.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have also used AlreadyThereTownCar many times over the years.

 

Great service and comfortable riding.

 

Don't book a flight until after 1 PM.

[Peckishpixie]

Our airport is the worst for lines! You  need at least 2 hours at the airport even if you check in on line. Depending on the time of day the traffic from the port to the airport can take up to 90 minutes. It is always a time saver to take light rail from down town. 

[Himself]

46 minutes ago, Peckishpixie said:

Our airport is the worst for lines! You  need at least 2 hours at the airport even if you check in on line. Depending on the time of day the traffic from the port to the airport can take up to 90 minutes. It is always a time saver to take light rail from down town. 

One cannot get the rail from pier 95 can you?

[Peckishpixie]

37 minutes ago, Himself said:

One cannot get the rail from pier 95 can you?

No, you take it from down town. Its easy to get downtown via the bus, taxi or lyft

[Himself]

19 minutes ago, Peckishpixie said:

No, you take it from down town. Its easy to get downtown via the bus, taxi or lyft

Thanks for the information.

[joekerstef]

3 hours ago, Peckishpixie said:

Our airport is the worst for lines! You  need at least 2 hours at the airport even if you check in on line. Depending on the time of day the traffic from the port to the airport can take up to 90 minutes. It is always a time saver to take light rail from down town. 

The Seattle folks are not kidding here. SEATAC has the absolute worst TSA lines I've ever seen, just twisting all over the place. We had Pre-Check and I'm not sure we would've even found our line if we didn't have an employee pushing my mother in a wheelchair to get us around everyone. I would not even try to cut it remotely close at this airport.

[Classiccruiser777]

Read and heed, SeaTac is a mess and Seattle traffic can be wicked.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I personally would not book a flight before 1pm. I’d rather have some extra time, not stress, and grab a bite to eat than miss my flight or spend the last day of vacation stressed and frazzled. Also a later flight means you can relax over your morning coffee and take disembarking a little easier.