Seattle & Alaskan Cruise Tips!

[Blondie58]

Hi all!

We have put a deposit down on an Alaskan sailing for this September and are super excited to have another chance to go this year! *I know DCL has cancelled their Alaska sailings-we are booked on another cruise line*

I honestly really trust these boards for cruising info, so just some questions I would love some advice and input on:

1) Planning on flying in the day before. Does anyone have any recommendations on hotels convenient to the Seattle airport or port? Transportation for one or the other would be great, but it's just DH & I sailing, so Uber/Lyft is a perfectly viable option.

2) Does anyone has any experience or suggestions with third party tour operators? Two adults and ports are Juneau/Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway, Icy Strait Point & Ketchikan.

3) Any experience with Alaskan Airlines? Normally book SW, but I'm open to just about any airline - flights aren't so cheap anymore!

Actually, please feel free to chime in with any Alaskan suggestions, experiences, tips, etc!

Stayed near Pike's Market when we sailed on American Cruise Lines. Went three days early to enjoy the city. (Pike's Mkt, Filson, Duck Boats, Underground Seattle, shopping, Food and Drink Tour, Space Needle, Boeing etc. We did a LOT of walking all over the city. Loved it!) Got a driver to the boat. Easy drive was not expensive. All our excursions were a part of our boat trip. But I think Alaska AAA could give you great info on the ports you name. All are great. A different trip flew Alaska Air to Barrow via Dead Horse. Fantastic!! Once in a lifetime. This was prior to Adventures by Disney on land in Alaska. (Note: All our trips to Seattle were pre-2020 riots. Felt fully safe even when I was out shopping alone. I have not been there since 2020 and can not comment on safety. Have not been since Covid to commoent on what is open.)

 

[antmaril]

I have cruised twice to Alaska from Seattle. From my experience (Princess and HAL) there are no hotels near the port. It is in a secluded, industrial area. We stayed downtown - once at the Hotel Sorrento and once at the Sheraton, which was an easy walk to Pike Place Market. Both hotels were very nice. We took a cab to the port. Easy, peasy. We had dinner at Elliott’s Oyster House. Yummy.

in Skagway, we took a ship excursion to The Yukon. We took a bus up and the train back to Skagway. It was wonderful. We chose to use a ship sponsored excursion because we were going to be gone for almost eight hours. It made me feel better about being so far from the ship.

In Juneau, we took a bus to the Mendenhall Glacier and then had lunch at the Red Dog Saloon.

Ketchikan was just walking around the town.

Alaska is spectacular and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Enjoy!

 

[auntlynne]

I have cruised twice to Alaska from Seattle. From my experience (Princess and HAL) there are no hotels near the port. It is in a secluded, industrial area. We stayed downtown - once at the Hotel Sorrento and once at the Sheraton, which was an easy walk to Pike Place Market. Both hotels were very nice. We took a cab to the port. Easy, peasy. We had dinner at Elliott’s Oyster House. Yummy.

in Skagway, we took a ship excursion to The Yukon. We took a bus up and the train back to Skagway. It was wonderful. We chose to use a ship sponsored excursion because we were going to be gone for almost eight hours. It made me feel better about being so far from the ship.

In Juneau, we took a bus to the Mendenhall Glacier and then had lunch at the Red Dog Saloon.

Ketchikan was just walking around the town.

Alaska is spectacular and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Enjoy!

The Seattle pier for Princess is in the middle of nowhere, tourism-wise!

But NCL is usually at Pier 66, further south, nearer the Hotels, etc. My thought is it’s downhill from everything. We also arrived via hydrofoil from Victoria, BC, in this area.

The Marriott Waterfront, Aquarium, Elliott’s Oyster House, Ivar’s Acres of Clams... are all within walking distance to Pier 66.