CCL Seattle Cruise Terminal

[euroguy]

In 20 days I'm headed to Alaska out of Seattle, which is my 1st cruise out of that terminal. 

Has anyone cruised out of Seattle and can tell me what the set up is like?

Thanks so much

[RoadTravelled]

7 hours ago, euroguy said:

In 20 days I'm headed to Alaska out of Seattle, which is my 1st cruise out of that terminal. 

Has anyone cruised out of Seattle and can tell me what the set up is like?

Thanks so much

@euroguy We did that cruise last May.  The cruise terminal is actually north of Seattle proper at Pier 91, Smith Cove.  It's kind of an industrial area that's not that easy to reach if you are driving due to how it's wedged into the space between railroads and highways (easy to miss exits, etc.).  Once at the port though it's pretty straightforward with various lanes marked for different types of transportation.  And, the flow seems to be pretty good to get people where they need to be.  The terminal itself is pretty standard stuff — nothing fancy but gets the job done.  We actually decided to take the Carnival shuttle from the airport to make it easier rather than having my relatives try to drive there.  That worked out great and was well organized and hassle free.

Have a great trip.  We had a fantastic voyage with just spectacular scenery and of course the Carnival crew on the Splendor was exceptional as always.  I will also tell you, if you don't already know, that the route takes you into the Pacific after you leave Seattle area instead of the Inside Passage (Vancouver departures as I understand it take the Inside Passage route).  And, thus, can be a bit rough that first Sea Day.  But, from there it's really smooth sailing!

[euroguy]

@RoadTravelled thanks for the run down. I'm flying into Seattle and was thinking to take an uber to terminal. 

Do people have to line up outside like they do in long beach for your deignated entey time?

[euroguy]

Oh and thought it was confusing why the ship stops in Victoria at night for on a few short hours. Was anything open at the pier ??

[RoadTravelled]

8 hours ago, euroguy said:

@RoadTravelled thanks for the run down. I'm flying into Seattle and was thinking to take an uber to terminal. 

Do people have to line up outside like they do in long beach for your deignated entey time?

Oh and thought it was confusing why the ship stops in Victoria at night for on a few short hours. Was anything open at the pier ??

@euroguy Yes, as I recall, we did line up outside under a long canopy affair.  We gave our bags to the porters while standing there (and tipped them of course) so at least we didn't have to drag them around much.

SEA-TAC airport is about a 30-45 min. trip to the pier, depending on traffic.  I'm not sure how a cost of an Uber compares, but the Carnival shuttle is $34.99 one way which seems reasonable, if that is an option you'd consider.

The stop in Victoria is done in order to meet US Maritime law requirements (Passenger Vessel Services Act).  The PVSA requires that cruises on foreign-flagged ships (which of course is all of Carnival ships) can not start and end in US ports without stopping during the itinerary in a foreign country.  The ocean cruise port is not near anything to do in Victoria.  We took a taxi to the downtown area and walked around the lovely harbor, explored the Empress Hotel a bit, then popped into the Irish Times Pub which was delightful.  Then took a taxi back to the cruise port.  All in all we spent just a few hours and reboarded the ship in plenty of time for departure.

[euroguy]

@RoadTravelled i thought i was in the know after being on 9 CCL cruises but obviously not...lol thank you very much for the additional info and recommendations for Victoria.  I had no idea about the must stop at a foreign country...but I've always in past cruises been to foreign lands so guess thats why. 

I know that at the Victoria pier they have some shops and restaurants about 10 min walk from cruise ship. Was anything open when you docked?

Again thank you so much for the detailed information. It's always nice to have some idea what to expect when embarking at a new port.

[euroguy]

Oh another question I heard but have not been able to verify, that cruise passengers can have your bags taken directly to air port and will see them at your flight end destination.  Do you know anything about this?

[RoadTravelled]

3 hours ago, euroguy said:

@RoadTravelled i thought i was in the know after being on 9 CCL cruises but obviously not...lol thank you very much for the additional info and recommendations for Victoria.  I had no idea about the must stop at a foreign country...but I've always in past cruises been to foreign lands so guess thats why. 

I know that at the Victoria pier they have some shops and restaurants about 10 min walk from cruise ship. Was anything open when you docked?

Again thank you so much for the detailed information. It's always nice to have some idea what to expect when embarking at a new port.

@euroguy  Victoria is a lovely city with much to explore IF you are there for some time.  We've really enjoyed our vacations there. The issue with this port on the Alaska itinerary is that you arrive late at night and are only there a couple of hours really.  So, little is happening or open, and you have no time to waste if you get off the ship (many people on our ship just stayed on the ship).  For example, I found this nice website that outlines a great day in Victoria, including walking from the cruise port to the inner Harbor.  But, again, that's just not possible with this stop.  In other words, lower your expectations here and just realize this is a perfunctory stop to meet maritime law.  Go back to Victoria when you can explore for several days.

[RoadTravelled]

3 hours ago, euroguy said:

Oh another question I heard but have not been able to verify, that cruise passengers can have your bags taken directly to air port and will see them at your flight end destination.  Do you know anything about this?

@euroguy  Yes, the port of Seattle provides this complimentary service — called Port Valet.  Click here for more details.  We didn't use it because we were staying in Seattle for another couple of days.  But, it looks like a great service to not have to deal with hauling your bags around.  If you use it, would love to hear about your experience.  Notice that Carnival requires you sign-up on the ship at guest services rather than using the online form.

[euroguy]

Wow that is amazing. I always dislike having to lug my luggage at the end of a cruise. I wish more ports offered this service. I also wish that CCL would have made this option/information more accessible prior to booking my flight, I certainly would have booked a later flight so I had more time in Seattle. 

Thank you for link and information

[3Sisters]

@euroguy I agree! I would totally use this service if it was offered at more ports of call. Please give us a review of the overall Port Valet experience and how it all works. I'm curious about what type of options this service provides. There are times when I want to explore a city without my bulky luggage/car seats for a day and take public transit to get the city experience! 

@RoadTravelled Thanks for confirming this service. I would totally give it a go if I cruise out of this port. Lugging around car seats and extra suitcases filled with laundry is just an extra burden while trying to explore post-cruise.

[euroguy]

I will give it a try and let everyone know how it works out. Fingers crossed they don't lose my luggage lol