1st time cruising - leaving from seattle

[qwert]

This will be my 1st time cruising. There are about a dozen of us going on a 7 day Alaskan cruise leaving from Seattle. My cruise leaves on 6/16 at 4pm (NCL). Is it safe to leave LAX at 8am to arrive in Seattle at 10:30am that morning or should we arrive a day early to be on the safe side? If we arrive a day early, what's the best/convenient/not overly expensive hotel to stay at? Also, the ship arrives back in Seattle at 7:00am on 6/23, will we have enough time to hop on a 3:30pm flight back to LAX or should we take much later flight? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

[firefly333]

Sounds fun, have you asked on the West Coast departures thread? I wish I was going with you, maybe next year.

 

You shouldnt have any trouble making a 3:30 pm flight imo from other ports Iv been out of.

[fatcat04]

I asked this same question for my mom and dad who are flying into SeaTac for their first cruise.

 

All the advice I got said arrive a day early. The reason they gave is IF your flight was canceled for any number of reasons, you would be stuck. You might not be able to get another flight into SeaTac in time for your ship. Just don't want to risk it.

 

Plus, you can not get back on the boat from any US port due to US laws that state no non-US flagged ship may transport folks from one US port to another US port without visiting "distant" foreign shores (or some such wording). I hope someone more learned can explain this better but the gist of it was if you miss the boat, you miss the boat period. No getting on later.

 

By scheduling the flight the day before, you give yourself lots of options out of LAX just in case the worst happens.

 

As for leaving SeaTac.. I think 3:30 pm would be fine.

 

There are lots of hotel choices near the airport, seem less expensive to me and they have free shuttles. There are several downtown hotels closer to the docks as well.

 

I got mom and dad a towncar service to pick them up at their airport hotel and then come back for them when they disembark and need to get back to the airport.

 

Hope this helps :)

[fatcat04]

Here is the link to my posting on the very same subject over on the HAL board. Some good responses from experienced cruisers and Seattle locals. :)

[Travelight]

We took a 7 day on NCL out of Seattle last September. Went through Priceline and bid for a 1/2 price hotel since we arrived the day before (a lot less stress that way) and stayed the night we returned. We used SeattleExpress.com to take us to the pier early the next morning and to take us back to the hotel after spending some time in Seattle upon returning. Seattle is so great! We spent the day we returned from the cruise going to the Space Needle and to Pike Place Market. You are going to have a wonderful time! I loved the relaxed atmosphere of NCL. The scenery is beautiful both going and coming. I hope you have the cruise of a lifetime!!!:)

 

Take your passport in case you want to go into the Yukon out of Skagway. It's a wonderful drive. We took a bus tour up to Emerald Lake.

 

Definitely try to arrive the day before and leave the day following your cruise. It's just too stressful and exhausting otherwise.

[Travelight]

http://cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=21898

 

A link to my review of our cruise on NCL Sun 9/06. Linda S.:)

[mollyeilis]

Time from SeaTac to the cruiseships is pretty short. The main issue is if there is a delay with the plane. Plane worries are what cause people to come in the day before.

 

Well, that and I hear some major construction is going to be starting on I5, which then causes people to use the "back way", Hwy 99, which is the route a normal cab or shuttle would take from airport to cruiseships...so traffic could be a concern as well.

 

Then again, it's only something like 9 or 11 miles (I checked one day, but have forgotten...I made a post about it but it got buried and I didn't subscribe) from the airport (not the main entrance, but driving by the airport on 99) to the further south terminal, number 30. The piers further north are only a matter of a couple, if that, miles more (though it's on busy streets).

 

 

If I were doing a cruise and didn't live here, I'd stay at a hotel like Super8 near the airport. Unless I wanted to deal with priceline and whatnot, then I'd shoot for a downtown hotel. Or if it were a major splurge, then I'd go with the Westin. But most likely I'd just stick with something simple near the airport.

 

 

As for getting back, I would imagine that timing would work. And if you're at the airport early, no worries. There is a GORGEOUS area right past security with enormous windows that overlook the runways, and the food is decently priced b/c the city and airport bargained to get 'street prices' for the food (and coffee, can't forget the coffee ;)) when they updated the airport.

[Toyz711]

we went from memphis, they had computer troubles...all computers were down. we just barely got out of there, landed in dallas for our next flight with 10 mins to spare. any time we fly out of memphis and it's important we are flying out the day before.

flying from LA to seattle, i don't know if i would worry about it. it's nice to not worry about it and get there early. hard to do with my hubby's work.

getting from sea-tac to the docks is a breeze. about $30 taxi and 20/30 mins drive.

coming home, everyone was off the ship by 10am..and we were late. our ship had a late start to getting everyone off. even with the long lines (for checking in at sea-tac) a 3pm flight should be no problem.