Seattle postnight : what to do ?? Help needed

[New KAJO]

Hi guys,

 

We are cruising to Alaska out of seattle.

We have booked 2 prenights in Seattle to discover the city ( we are from Europe )

 

Because the flight home is leaving at 8 o'clock in the morning, we had to also book a postnight.

 

We are now wondering what the best thing is we could do for that last day. Hotels in town are extremely expensive ( august 31 th ). We could sleep in a hotel on the airport, but what can we do there than the whole day after the cruise ? Is there anything to do in the neighboroughood of the Seattle Airport ?

 

Is there maybe something to do on the road between Seattle and the airport ?

 

Any help and advice is more than welcome !!

 

Thanks a lot,

 

Kajo

[journeysseattle]

Check the Panama Hotel for rates:

http://www.panamahotelseattle.com/default.htm

 

It is in the heart of the International District - and you can easily get downtown to The Serattle Art Museum, Olympic Sculpture Park and the rest of Seattle. Once you head toward the airport there is nothing to do.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We also always have to stay an extra night in Seattle at the end of the cruise because of 6:30 AM flights.

 

We stay at the Airport Hilton -- they have a nice pool and we just use the day to get some sun and rest knowing that we have to be up very early the next morning.

[Got2Cruise]

If you go to the West Coast Boards, there are many wonderful suggestions from people.

[Budget Queen]

No there isn't really any "touring" at the airport or on the way, except for the Museum of Flight. Are you receptive to renting a car?? Thrifty has nearby dock pick up with usually the ability to drop at the airport. I would drive north and tour the Boeing factory, if of interest, and continue on the Whidbey ferry, and drive the island, over Deception Pass, and make a loop back.

[Assateague Island Princes]

In early June, we did exactly what Budget Queen just suggested (minus the Boeing tour) - rented a car and drove up to Whidbey Island - spent the day just driving from the upper end to the lower, then took the ferry back and ended up at our hotel near the airport for an early (yawn!) flight out on Sun. morning. Whidbey Island had stunning views and the driving was nice and liesurely. Stopped in a small town (can't for the life of me think of its name right now!) for a wonderful fish and chips lunch (the best ever!) right on a clamming beach. Delicious meal! We hit several farmers markets, and a great winery/cheese shop/farmers market that is family owned (with a small llama farm and everything!) for the BEST loganberry pie ever! Taking the ferry back was a novelty for us, and lots of fun. The drive back to the airport hotel was relatively short and not too challenging. Once we got back to our hotel, we all but collapsed into bed by 8:30PM. It was a thoroughly enjoyable post-cruise day and we got to continue our "vacation" without feeling hurried and rushed. Enjoy your trip!

[Gardyloo]

I would book a hotel at the airport, take a taxi there from the ship and drop your luggage. Then I would use the hotel's free shuttle to the airport, and take the city bus or the "airporter" bus to one of the major hotels in the Seattle city center. http://www.graylineseattle.com/airportexpress1.cfm

 

Then I would take the Seattle monorail to Seattle Center, and spend the day enjoying the Bumbershoot arts festival going on all that weekend (which is a national holiday weekend, Labor Day.) Bumbershoot is an amazing collection of music, visual and dramatic arts performances, a fun food circus, lots of interesting things on sale, and a very lively place, perfect as a counter-point to an Alaska cruise. http://www.bumbershoot.org

 

When it's over, just take a taxi or the bus back to the airport and your hotel, and then get up early the next morning for your flights.

[jaspersmycat]

We are also staying one night before our August 22nd cruise. We are going to go see a Seattle Mariners baseball game on the 21st.

 

This may not be your cup of tea but should be easy to get tickets because both the Mariners and the Oakland A's (my hometown team) are doing badly this year.

[Gardyloo]

This may not be your cup of tea but should be easy to get tickets because both the Mariners and the Oakland A's (my hometown team) are doing badly this year.

On the other hand, the plane ticket to Cleveland, where they're playing that weekend, might be a little expensive.

[sunvalley cruisers]

I agree with Gardyloo, stay near the airport and then hop on the bus into Seattle. Very easy to do and then you can enjoy many things downtown inlcuding the Pike Place Market, Seattle Center, take a duck tour, Underground Seattle, REI, see a ballgame, Seattle Art Museum (Impressionist Show right now), etc.

 

As far as the airport area, it's just not worth hanging out there. There is the Art Glass Museum in Tacoma (go by bus) but there just isn't much else.

 

You could also hop on the ferry in Seattle and go to Winslow which is a quaint town and a much easier trip than going to Whidby Island. You would still have time to PPM in Seattle.

 

Good luck!

[Suzanne123]

We took a tour that picked up and dropped off at our airport hotel:

 

http://www.seattletours.us/tours/tourDetail.cfm?tour_id=204

[VJA]

I'm not trying to divert from the OP's topic, but I have a similar situation, however, our flight out on Monday after the cruise isn't until 6:30 pm, so we have all day Sunday (after disembarkation) until Monday night, with luggage to deal with.

 

I'm thinking the best thing to do is rent a car, stay somewhere downtown and just leave the luggage in the trunk while we tool around, but I'd love some suggestions on the best logistics for this:

 

1. Rent car at port and drop off at airport? (which companies allow this? just Thrifty?)

2. Cab to hotel, drop off luggage and rent car in the morning?

3. Cab to hotel, find things to busy ourselves without a car in downtown Seattle, then cab/shuttle to airport?

 

I think I'm being an idiot with the Google, but I can't figure out what the closest part of downtown is to the NCL port. Would love any advice. We have a gazillion Marriott Rewards points, so I'd also like to book this night for free, if possible.

[Gardyloo]

I'm not trying to divert from the OP's topic, but I have a similar situation, however, our flight out on Monday after the cruise isn't until 6:30 pm, so we have all day Sunday (after disembarkation) until Monday night, with luggage to deal with.

 

I'm thinking the best thing to do is rent a car, stay somewhere downtown and just leave the luggage in the trunk while we tool around, but I'd love some suggestions on the best logistics for this:

 

1. Rent car at port and drop off at airport? (which companies allow this? just Thrifty?)

2. Cab to hotel, drop off luggage and rent car in the morning?

3. Cab to hotel, find things to busy ourselves without a car in downtown Seattle, then cab/shuttle to airport?

 

I think I'm being an idiot with the Google, but I can't figure out what the closest part of downtown is to the NCL port. Would love any advice. We have a gazillion Marriott Rewards points, so I'd also like to book this night for free, if possible.

I like option 2 - spend Sunday walking around downtown (or taking buses/monorail/ferries/trolleys etc.) with your bags stowed, then Monday morning get a car at one of the downtown locations, stow your bags in the back, drive around, then turn the car in at the airport when you leave.

 

NCL docks at Pier 66, more or less directly across the street from the Marriott Waterfront. As you'd be arriving on a Sunday, it's likely the hotel would have space for awards, as the outgoing cruise pax staying at the Marriott wouldn't be replaced by "new" cruise pax until later in the week, before the next weekend's sailings.

 

For the rental car day, you could do a day trip to Mt. Rainier, or to the Olympic Peninsula (but watch time on the return) or to Snoqualmie Falls, or if you're museum people to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, or the Museum of Flight in Seattle, or the Boeing factory tour in Everett, or.... In other words, lots to do.