Seattle oversized pier parking a mess

[challada]

Having just returned from a sailing from our home port of Seattle, I wanted to let everyone know about port parking. We thought it would be easiest to drive ourselves to the port and then use oversized parking since I drive an SUV w/a rocketbox on top. We've cruised from other cities before where we fly in so I though home might be easiest....now I see that flying in is actually a better choice.

 

Seattle just built and opened a new cruise port but also uses the port within the city waterfront since many cruises come in and out of our port (we provide free power to cruiseboats as incentive). The new port also has the new overheight parking.

 

We got to the port plenty early to drop off everyone and bags....to find that you must stop in the street at the waterfront downtown to do that. My DH went on to park at the new lot and return to us. An hour and a half later, I was still waiting with my kids for his return. The garage is prepaid and includes a taxi voucher, but they insisted my husband take the shuttle which only goes to it's new pier and not the downtown one....so he had to take the shuttle BACK to the lot to then call and wait for taxi. Traffic downtown was a nightmare so taxi had trouble getting him to pier. We were both frustrated and tired before even getting to the cruise check in.

 

When we returned, we planned on the reverse process taking a while too.

We were told to wait at the curb by the parking shuttle while DH took taxi to other lot. We were not the first or last family to get told by the taxi's that they would not take anyone to the lot since they want to take people to the airport (more money for them). Finally when DH did get one to take him, the guy didn't know where it was, so got lost. When dropping off DH finally at garage, taxi would not wait for his voucher from the garage and called the police to have my husband arrested for skipping the fare. With police on hand, DH was able to point out the voucher and the process that everyone there is supposed to know and use. He finally got our vehicle and then had to fight the traffic downtown to us. This process took another hour.

 

 

So, my recommendation is....get a towncar.....

[deepnite10]

why did nt the family go with him in the cab to the pick-up your

vehicle?..then there would be no need to return to the nightmare..

[laplaya29]

What Pier is this that you are talking about. We are driving to Pier 91 soon.

[DrKoob]

Sounds like it is Pier 66 downtown. If they had not had an oversized SUV with a box on top, there is a parking structure across the street from the Pier. But it has a low ceiling so you can't park anything at all oversized. But from that structure, you can walk to the pier. It's a very short distance.

 

At Pier 91, there is a big lot that only serves the port and you have to take a shuttle to the pier but it shouldn't be that big a nightmare.