QE out of Seattle next year… a question

[buchanan101]

Booked an Alaska cruise in Sept 25, and from next year they are out of Seattle. 
 

Tried searching this on these boards; how quick is it from ship to airport (not that we don’t want to see Seattle - are spending a couple of days there before the cruise)

 

Two BA flights back to UK.  About 1:30 and 7:30. Is there plenty of time to get the earlier one? Victoria is penultimate stop so QE shouldn’t be late. Also can self disembark. Is the 1:30 flight easy without any stress? 7:30 is a long time to hang around somewhere in Seattle with suitcases.  Thanks. 

[BEAV]

I’ve disembarked Seattle a number of times. If you can self-disembark in the 8:00am hour, I’d have no hesitancy booking a 1:30pm flight out of SeaTac. About a 30 minute taxi/Uber/Lyft drive. 

[tacticalbanjo]

I don’t know but I can tell you that I’ve booked the later flight just in case. Absolutely hate rushing. I can always get a day hotel if I need to. 

[buchanan101]

Just now, tacticalbanjo said:

I don’t know but I can tell you that I’ve booked the later flight just in case. Absolutely hate rushing. I can always get a day hotel if I need to. 

Can't book mine just yet...I assume you are on an earlier Alaska cruise. 355 days not there yet. And with later flight can go for a later disembarkation time. As PG can pick and chose a bit.

 

Day hotel... didn't know that they were a thing. May ask the hotel that we are using before the cruise to hold our bags for a few hours when we get back and we can have a wander round Seattle? Given I'm Hilton Gold they may be fairly conducive to this 

[2BACRUISER]

We are going on Q517 out of Seattle in June 25 and just booked our flights with Virgin homeward bound leaving SEATAC at approx 16.00hrs, here in the UK you have to be at the airport 3hrs before a US bound flight so i factored in being at SEATAC for 1pm latest to account for this. Possibly looking at doing a morning tour of Seattle to include transfer to airport after exiting QE at 9ish?. hth 

[buchanan101]

4 minutes ago, 2BACRUISER said:

We are going on Q517 out of Seattle in June 25 and just booked our flights with Virgin homeward bound leaving SEATAC at approx 16.00hrs, here in the UK you have to be at the airport 3hrs before a US bound flight so i factored in being at SEATAC for 1pm latest to account for this. Possibly looking at doing a morning tour of Seattle to include transfer to airport after exiting QE at 9ish?. hth 

Didn’t realise Virgin flew that route! Don’t have enough of their points though - will be looking to use Avios on BA.  I guess their Premium flight at about $1100pp is a fall back if I can’t get the BA flights! 

[2BACRUISER]

2 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Didn’t realise Virgin flew that route! 

First thing I checked as BA was 1 expensive and 2 from past experience not impressed by them but if you points to use.....................🤔 i also saved a grand by booking independently rather than thro Cunard Air. 

[buchanan101]

1 minute ago, 2BACRUISER said:

First thing I checked as BA was 1 expensive and 2 from past experience not impressed by them but if you points to use.....................🤔 i also saved a grand by booking independently rather than thro Cunard Air. 

Booking myself. I have an AMEX 241 voucher so can do LHR/SEA and return for 200,000 Avios and £900 in Club. Just got to be quick with the booking when the flight becomes available. Premium Economy BA and Virgin Premium (I have enough points for that) are back up returns. OH is working the day after we get back so she needs a reasonably comfortable flight

[jollyjones]

2 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

 

Day hotel... didn't know that they were a thing. May ask the hotel that we are using before the cruise to hold our bags for a few hours when we get back and we can have a wander round Seattle? Given I'm Hilton Gold they may be fairly conducive to this 

 

You can check for day room availability, and make a booking if you want, on the Hilton website or app by inputting the same date for checkin and checkout and you will see if any hotels offer a day rate.

 

For Seattle specifically, if you got a day room (or got a hotel to hold your luggage) in the downtown area, then you can use the light rail system to get to the airport later, it is quick and efficient. You can tap in and out with a debit card.

The Link Light Rail:

https://www.soundtransit.org

https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/stations/link-light-rail-stations

 

[buchanan101]

2 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

 

You can check for day room availability, and make a booking if you want, on the Hilton website or app by inputting the same date for checkin and checkout and you will see if any hotels offer a day rate.

 

For Seattle specifically, if you got a day room (or got a hotel to hold your luggage) in the downtown area, then you can use the light rail system to get to the airport later, it is quick and efficient. You can tap in and out with a debit card.

The Link Light Rail:

https://www.soundtransit.org

https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/stations/link-light-rail-stations

 

Excellent thanks!

[Megabear2]

I have a travel agent package booked for this cruise and will most likely be on one of the BA flights.  I had assumed the 1.30pm would not be an option time wise but perhaps I may be wrong. I will be making my own way to the airport from QE (travelling solo) and had hoped Cunard may offer some sort of paid for transfer, how likely do we think this is? Thank you.

[buchanan101]

10 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I have a travel agent package booked for this cruise and will most likely be on one of the BA flights.  I had assumed the 1.30pm would not be an option time wise but perhaps I may be wrong. I will be making my own way to the airport from QE (travelling solo) and had hoped Cunard may offer some sort of paid for transfer, how likely do we think this is? Thank you.

They do transfers in NYC to JFK, so pretty likely they'll do transfers in Seattle - especially as they'll be able to put a nice big mark up on it...

 

[Victoria2]

4 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

Can't book mine just yet...I assume you are on an earlier Alaska cruise. 355 days not there yet. And with later flight can go for a later disembarkation time. As PG can pick and chose a bit.

 

Day hotel... didn't know that they were a thing. May ask the hotel that we are using before the cruise to hold our bags for a few hours when we get back and we can have a wander round Seattle? Given I'm Hilton Gold they may be fairly conducive to this 

Most major hotel chains have the availability of day rooms. They aren't specifically 'day', just regular rooms to book on a temporary basis. We have utilised a few over the years.

Edited Monday at 12:47 PM by Victoria2

[bluemarble]

6 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I have a travel agent package booked for this cruise and will most likely be on one of the BA flights.  I had assumed the 1.30pm would not be an option time wise but perhaps I may be wrong. I will be making my own way to the airport from QE (travelling solo) and had hoped Cunard may offer some sort of paid for transfer, how likely do we think this is? Thank you.

 

On the Cunard US website, they offer transfers on their 2025 cruises from Seattle. Here are the prices per person quoted for their various transfer options on those Seattle cruises.

 

Group Transfer Port To Airport: $50

Executive Car Port To Airport: $80

Mini-Van Port To Airport: $110

[2BACRUISER]

7 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I have a travel agent package booked for this cruise and will most likely be on one of the BA flights.  I had assumed the 1.30pm would not be an option time wise but perhaps I may be wrong. I will be making my own way to the airport from QE (travelling solo) and had hoped Cunard may offer some sort of paid for transfer, how likely do we think this is? Thank you.

I booked a private transfer thro booking.com when I booked our hotel it cost £56 for 2 of us airport to hotel hth 

[Megabear2]

My agent tried to book when I confirmed the package and I'm out of range for a private transfer so I'll revisit it later in October.

 

Thanks for the information.

[buchanan101]

1 hour ago, bluemarble said:

 

On the Cunard US website, they offer transfers on their 2025 cruises from Seattle. Here are the prices per person quoted for their various transfer options on those Seattle cruises.

 

Group Transfer Port To Airport: $50

Executive Car Port To Airport: $80

Mini-Van Port To Airport: $110

So - this should work trying to get to the airport 10:30/11 for a 1:30 flight? 
 

As the last stop is Victoria before Seattle do you have to go through immigration or is it like a Norway cruise where there is no immigration at Southampton? 

 

 

[bluemarble]

Just now, buchanan101 said:

So - this should work trying to get to the airport 10:30/11 for a 1:30 flight? ...

 

Unfortunately I don't know what earliest departure time constraints Cunard might put on the Seattle transfers. I have Southampton transfer booking forms for Heathrow and Gatwick which specify they are only for flights departing 2:00pm or later. The transfer booking forms I have for the New York airports (La Guardia, JFK and Newark) specify they are only for flights departing 1:00pm or later.

[buchanan101]

21 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

Unfortunately I don't know what earliest departure time constraints Cunard might put on the Seattle transfers. I have Southampton transfer booking forms for Heathrow and Gatwick which specify they are only for flights departing 2:00pm or later. The transfer booking forms I have for the New York airports (La Guardia, JFK and Newark) specify they are only for flights departing 1:00pm or later.

Ok, sounds like a 1:30 flight is close… but New York may be taking in to account immigration which may not exist for an Alaska cruise? 

[BEAV]

Unfortunately, you’ll have to go through Immigration in Seattle. 
 

As a US resident and someone who’s disembarked a number of times in Seattle, here’s my advice for booking a 1:30pm flight IF you utilize self-disembarkation:

 

* Leave the ship not later than 8:30am. 
 

* Use taxi, Uber or Lyft

 

* Do not use the Cunard transfer. IMO this only delays the process. 
 

Comments:

 

I’ve experienced self-disembarkation as early as 7:00am in Seattle. As you said, the ship sailing from nearby Victoria leaves little concern for late arrival in Seattle. 
 

I completely understand unfamiliarity being in a foreign country causes one to plan cautiously. I would have the same concerns in the UK or any other foreign country. As to Seattle, my comments are from a US citizen, and being familiar  with the process. 

 

 

[buchanan101]

Strange you have to go through immigration. Different system applies than in Europe (at least in Norway - haven’t experienced other countries).  In Norway we never showed passports off and on ship - just used key cards to check out of the ship and back in - so we were only on loan to Norway whilst still “in the U.K.from a passport aspect” presumably then passports are needed in Victoria? 
 

thanks for advice. May try for the later flight when the seats become available but the earlier flight seems to work as a fall back. Only a certain number of seats are released for Avios  purchases. 
 

Airport in Seattle is a lot closer to the port than Heathrow to Southampton. 
 

 

[BEAV]

You won’t be subject to any type of formal immigration for the port stop in Victoria. 
 

On the other hand, the US does require immigration procedures returning to Seattle because of the fact you’ve been in Victoria the day prior. 

[buchanan101]

2 hours ago, BEAV said:

You won’t be subject to any type of formal immigration for the port stop in Victoria. 
 

On the other hand, the US does require immigration procedures returning to Seattle because of the fact you’ve been in Victoria the day prior. 

All I was saying is that Europe is different - no immigration at all after returning from Norway. I was surprised that passports weren’t needed going ashore - seems that Cunard guarantee everyone going ashore is coming back through the key card system. Difficult for tiny Norwegian ports to man immigration at every stop. Only been to Norwegian cruise ports so may be different at Hamburg etc…
 

Thought you and Canada had the biggest open border in the world?! 

I assume we need Canadian ETAs? Are these checked at Seattle at the start of the cruise? Do US citizens need them? 

[TouchstoneFeste]

10 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Thought you and Canada had the biggest open border in the world?! 

Well, if you don't mind hiking a couple miles away from the official border crossings ...

[Megabear2]

11 hours ago, BEAV said:

Unfortunately, you’ll have to go through Immigration in Seattle. 
 

As a US resident and someone who’s disembarked a number of times in Seattle, here’s my advice for booking a 1:30pm flight IF you utilize self-disembarkation:

 

* Leave the ship not later than 8:30am. 
 

* Use taxi, Uber or Lyft

 

* Do not use the Cunard transfer. IMO this only delays the process. 
 

Comments:

 

I’ve experienced self-disembarkation as early as 7:00am in Seattle. As you said, the ship sailing from nearby Victoria leaves little concern for late arrival in Seattle. 
 

I completely understand unfamiliarity being in a foreign country causes one to plan cautiously. I would have the same concerns in the UK or any other foreign country. As to Seattle, my comments are from a US citizen, and being familiar  with the process. 

 

 

Is Seattle immigration well handled or a bit of a bunfight like Miami/FLL for non US citizens? As a solo traveller I had a nightmare in Miami, even being taken to one side and questioned as to why I was travelling alone which led to my booked transfer to Palm Beach departing stating I was a no show!

 

I doubt I can do self disembarkation due to health issues.  As I have little control over the flight choice I may end up with the 1.30 flight, that being the case how long does the trip from port to airport take approximately.  As this will be the first Seattle Cunard season it's quite difficult to guess now long it will take to clear the ship completely, anyone care to hazard a guess?