Official Seattle information thread Updated 5/28/2014-Oso update

[midwestpat]

Hoping someone on here can guide me.

We leave in just over a month, and all our reservations were made months ago.... except for a rental car. Our plan has been to get a car after we leave the ship and drive to Mt Rainier for two days before flying home. I never guessed the rental car would be a problem, and yet here I am explaining this to you all.

Our plan to pick up a car at the port and drop at the airport is one (of a few) reason why the prices quoted to me today are so high.

I just got off the phone with a rep for Enterprise, who told me there is one taxi company that has an agreement to offer taxi service from the port to the Seattle airport for a flat rate $32 (not a per person rate - for the group). Thing is - she was unable/unwilling to reveal the name of THE cab company with this agreement.

Does anyone know?
This is a workable solution - ship to airport by cab, rental car to Mt. Rainier, etc. I just need to know what cab company we're looking for when we get off the ship.

 

[mellers]

Hoping someone on here can guide me.

We leave in just over a month, and all our reservations were made months ago.... except for a rental car. Our plan has been to get a car after we leave the ship and drive to Mt Rainier for two days before flying home. I never guessed the rental car would be a problem, and yet here I am explaining this to you all.

Our plan to pick up a car at the port and drop at the airport is one (of a few) reason why the prices quoted to me today are so high.

I just got off the phone with a rep for Enterprise, who told me there is one taxi company that has an agreement to offer taxi service from the port to the Seattle airport for a flat rate $32 (not a per person rate - for the group). Thing is - she was unable/unwilling to reveal the name of THE cab company with this agreement.

Does anyone know?
This is a workable solution - ship to airport by cab, rental car to Mt. Rainier, etc. I just need to know what cab company we're looking for when we get off the ship.

It's probably Eastside for Hire. I can't be absolutely sure, but that would be my guess.

 

[midwestpat]

It's probably Eastside for Hire. I can't be absolutely sure, but that would be my guess.

OMG! Such a quick answer! Thank you so much

Digging around now trying to figure out which car rental places have cars on-site at the airport (so we don't wind up taking cab to airport and shuttle to on off-site, before we finally get a car).

Discovered they have a new "consolidated" building they plan to open for car rentals, and it's not at all within walking distance of the airport. Looks like we're doomed to either pay higher rates somewhere just to get to Mt Rainier, or ride multiple forms of transportation in order to get that car.

Can you tell me if/when the new building opens, and are the five car agencies that currently have on-site cars (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz and National) all moving to that consolidated building, eliminating the possibility of getting a car at the actual airport?

 

[Nicolepa]

OMG! Such a quick answer! Thank you so much

Digging around now trying to figure out which car rental places have cars on-site at the airport (so we don't wind up taking cab to airport and shuttle to on off-site, before we finally get a car).

Discovered they have a new "consolidated" building they plan to open for car rentals, and it's not at all within walking distance of the airport. Looks like we're doomed to either pay higher rates somewhere just to get to Mt Rainier, or ride multiple forms of transportation in order to get that car.

Can you tell me if/when the new building opens, and are the five car agencies that currently have on-site cars (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz and National) all moving to that consolidated building, eliminating the possibility of getting a car at the actual airport?

I don't know about the new rental car garage. But you could take a taxi to the Westlake lightrail station and take the lightrail to the airport. It's like $2 a person. A taxi would be faster, but the lightrail is an adventure. ;-)

Also if you are taking a cab, just have them drop you off at the rental car station. That would save you the shuttle.

 

[midwestpat]

I don't know about the new rental car garage. But you could take a taxi to the Westlake lightrail station and take the lightrail to the airport. It's like $2 a person. A taxi would be faster, but the lightrail is an adventure. ;-)

Also if you are taking a cab, just have them drop you off at the rental car station. That would save you the shuttle.

That could be, but I don't know if the flat rate $32 to the airport also applies to the rental building. One would think it should, but I've been in enough big cities and dealt with the bureaucracies to know that the flat rate may only apply if we have them drop us at the ticketing area.

 

[algae]

It's probably Eastside for Hire. I can't be absolutely sure, but that would be my guess.

Looks interesting. A quick Yelp search shows that this company is a hit or miss kind of outfit. Any DisBoarder's have experience with this company? I'll need to get from SeaTac to the pier at the end of June...

 

[mellers]

Looks interesting. A quick Yelp search shows that this company is a hit or miss kind of outfit. Any DisBoarder's have experience with this company? I'll need to get from SeaTac to the pier at the end of June...

I use them all the time and haven't had a problem.

 

[Keurigirl]

We use these guys all the time to take us to the airport and back (we travel frequently): http://www.allstatelimos.com/


They are great! We're about 45 minutes from the airport and they come out to our little town to get us, so I'm sure they service all over the Puget Sound.

 

[midwestpat]

I don't know about the new rental car garage. But you could take a taxi to the Westlake lightrail station and take the lightrail to the airport. It's like $2 a person. A taxi would be faster, but the lightrail is an adventure. ;-)

Also if you are taking a cab, just have them drop you off at the rental car station. That would save you the shuttle.

I sent a question to Shuttle Express asking what they would charge to take us from Pier 91 to the car rental building. The answer I received this morning is, "Since the Car Rental Facility has not yet opened, we do not have a rate. We are also unsure if we will be permitted to drop off at that location, since they will have their own courtesy shuttles running from the airport", which is another wrinkle in the possible issues with having a cab drop us at the rental building.

Sounds like I better just find the best rate I can, picking it up at the pier and dropping at the airport, and just be satisifed with it.

 

[LdyMags]

We are renting a car from Alamo from the Downtown Seattle Hilton which is much closer to the port... I think National also rents from there too.

 

[midwestpat]

We are renting a car from Alamo from the Downtown Seattle Hilton which is much closer to the port... I think National also rents from there too.

Yeah, the port's web site says Alamo, National, and Enterprise all offer locations downtown and will be available on the pier when a ship disembarks. They still want to charge a fairly hefty fee for us to drop the car at the airport when we're done though. But like I said before, we may just bite the bullet and book with one of these three out of sheer convenience.

 

[Tehanna]

Does anyone know the best area for non-cruisers to view the ship in Seattle? We're going to be in the area on May 28th, and we'd love to see her off, or at least take a peek at her while she's in port.

 

[trimix]

Tehanna, I can think of two spots. Smith Cove Park is just west of the pier, and easy to find on Google Maps. To the east is the north end of Myrtle Edwards Park, and the Elliott Bay Trail. In Google Maps search for 1200 16th Ave W, the best parking would be just south of there; go west on Galer St to where the road turns south and find a spot.

Whatever you do, be sure to get a glimpse from one of the Washington Dtate Ferries!

 

[Caropooh]

The new Car Rental facility opens on Thursday! Hopefully people will report on how it works out for them!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018176783_rentalcar10m.html

 

[midwestpat]

The new Car Rental facility opens on Thursday! Hopefully people will report on how it works out for them!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018176783_rentalcar10m.html

I agree! Will be anxious to hear.
I didn't feel we could wait to book a car though. Wound up booking with Alamo. I think we got a good price, in spite of the added fee for picking up and dropping off at different locations.

 

[Nicolepa]

The new Car Rental facility opens on Thursday! Hopefully people will report on how it works out for them!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018176783_rentalcar10m.html

Looking at the 4th photo it looks like you could hop off light rail and Be right at the rental center.

 

[calmpets]

Just a quick question for the Seattle locals - is anyone familiar with Shorty's? It's basically a 21 and over pinball arcade/bar that serves hot dogs & nachos and is decorated like a carnival. I tripped across it in my research and it sounds really neat. http://www.shortydog.com/

 

[mommyto3princesses]

The Edgewater is a lovely hotel, from what I've heard (I haven't stayed there) and right on the waterfront. It's near the ferries to the islands and the fast ferry to Victoria, a great restaurant called Anthony's, the Seattle Aquarium, and, if you take the elevator through the parking garage, Pike Place Market. It's also close to the Olympic Sculpture Garden

Also, a short walk from Pike Place Market is Westlake Center, where you can take the monorail to Seattle Center, and go to the Space Needle, Ride The Ducks, the Pacific Science Center, the EMP, the Children's Museum, and the Chihuly Gardens and Glass.

The Edgewater is very nice! Enjoy!

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/arti...elped-mark-its-place-1305857.php#photo-739385

 

[mellers]

Just a quick question for the Seattle locals - is anyone familiar with Shorty's? It's basically a 21 and over pinball arcade/bar that serves hot dogs & nachos and is decorated like a carnival. I tripped across it in my research and it sounds really neat. http://www.shortydog.com/

The place we always hit (has adults-only areas) is Gameworks:

http://www.gameworks.com/

 

[Caropooh]

Looking at the 4th photo it looks like you could hop off light rail and Be right at the rental center.

I don't think that map really gives a true picture of the relationship of the station and the rental car facility. They are close, but it would be difficult to manage with luggage, IMO. I've driven by the rental car facility and risen the light rail numerous times. The light rail station is not at street level, you would have to either walk down the corner, cross the street and then walk down the street to the rental car facility or go up a HUGE flight of stairs and then cross the street and down to the facility.