Mrs.Gosse

Whittier. I can't remember, I think Denali princess.

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Hi friends,

Our itinerary says that on our journey by bus to the ship from the lodge we will have a 2 hour lunch break on our own before getting back on and heading to the ship.

We will need to get water and wine to carry on. Is there somewhere to do that near where the ship will let us off or should we get it in Anchorage before we start on our land portion and carry it with us the entire time? And is it really about 2 hours?

I haven't read a single thing thing about the lunch break in any of the forums.

Thanks for any help.

One route i looked at used a different crossing.

Our last cruise we were there fot the Seahawks home opener following their superbowl win. It was fine.

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Here's something like the "ultimate" map showing this route - https://goo.gl/maps/DWX2wApHeA12 . Note some of the points on the route are optional but added if you have enough time.

 

Steveston: This is Vancouver's fishing port, noteworthy for (a) being where the "Once Upon a Time" TV series is filmed (you'll see Vancouver in many, many TV shows, often masquerading as Seattle - filming is cheaper in Canada) and (b) where the little girl was grabbed by the sea lion in the recent video that went viral. Steveston is pretty cute, and has some good waterfront restaurants.

 

Fairhaven, Bellingham: Fairhaven is Bellingham's historic waterfront area, with numerous fine old buildings, cafes, galleries etc. Note Fairhaven is where the Alaska State ferry arrives and departs - file for future use.

 

Chuckanut Drive, aka WA SR 11: Chuckanut is fairly scenic but quite short, and with limited places to pull off. If you're oyster people, Taylor Shellfish Farms is partway down the road; they have retail and sit-down outlets in Seattle if you don't want to stop on the drive.

 

La Conner: This is an optional slight detour. La Conner is a very picturesque waterfront village with more galleries etc. This is ground zero in the spring during the tulip season in the Skagit Valley, but you'll find plenty of other visitors in the summer.

 

Deception Pass: This is one of the jewels of the Puget Sound region. The pass - the gap between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands - is very scenic, with hiking trails, beaches, etc. - and if you're there at tide change, the water rushing through the channel under the bridges can be downright scary - VERY fast flowing.

 

 

 

 

Coupeville and Fort Casey: Coupeville is another picturesque waterfront town, and Fort Casey is another terrific state park, with a pretty lighthouse and fascinating coastal defense guns overlooking the Sound and out toward the Olympic mountains.

 

Langley: Yet another cute waterfront village (the nicest IMO) with more galleries, cafes, etc.

 

Mukilteo: A final cute town with a pretty lighthouse. The ferry from Whidbey lands in Mukilteo.

 

 

Five minutes down the road from Mukilteo is the Future of Flight Center and Boeing tour base. The Everett Boeing facility is the home of the big jets and the plant is the biggest building in the world. https://www.futureofflight.org/

 

From there you're roughly thirty minutes from downtown Seattle, depending on traffic.

 

This is an all-day itinerary, but an immensely rewarding one, highly recommended.

Wow thank you so much!!

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Thanks, I know some ships were switching to a different brand.

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We booked a flight for 1130. Delta changed it to 1:15. We were able to cancel it for free and we have now rented an SUV for $160 American after taxes and insurance. We are currently working on a route that is more Scenic than taking the I-5 straight down to Seattle.

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Ok. I don't like using Truck Crossing or Lynden because it's out of the way and you marinate in diesel fumes at Truck Crossing. Saturday mid morning in September is likely to be a pretty average experience at Peace Arch. It's also a nice parklike setting not a truck stop.

 

If it were me, then, I would take 99 out of Vancouver, cross at Peace Arch, and then take the immediate roundabout after US CBP into downtown Blaine. I would stop for ice cream at Edaleen Dairy regardless of the hour of the day, because it's That Good. From there I would follow SR548 (Peace Portal Drive) down to Drayton Harbor Road, and veer out towards Semi-Ah-Moo. At some point on the Spit the name of the road will change to Semiahmoo Dr, then Birch Point Rd then Birch Bay Drive.

 

Once you see this on a map, you'll then see how to wind around through the Lummi River delta to Red River Road and Marine Drive which will take you into downtown Bellingham, avoiding I-5. State Street will take you from there to scenic Fairhaven and the Chuckanut Drive.

 

If you elect the skip the Whidbey-and-Ferry option I offered above, you can triddle down through Conway to Stanwood via the rest of Highway 237 and Pioneer Road, which will hook up with a *different* Marine Drive to get you to Marysville, where you can then elect to take 99 via Everett or get on I-5.

 

Traffic on a Saturday on this entire stretch of I-5 is likely to involve no more than a 30 minute delay from posted speed limits unless something *really* out of the ordinary happens, like a construction closure - ball games and concerts aren't likely to have much more than the usual impact. The scenic route will definitely add two hours to your trip time without the island-and-ferry option, and at least three and a half if you opt for the island and boat. Whidbey Island is a nice taste of the San Juans, though and if the weather is typical, it's a delight. I like various roads on the island just for the sheer pleasure of driving a German executive sedan, but I'm odd that way.

Thank you so much ! I think we are stuck somewhere between being extremely relaxed about the time and wanting to get downtown in time to spend some time at Pike's Place. So we will make a decision and alter our route that way. Thank you for all the excellent details!

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Is there still an Effy store?

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How scenic would you like it?

 

There are any number of good options to follow along the water in Whatcom County (from the border to roughly Burlington) including the Chuckanut Drive. From there, I don't think off-I-5 routes are particularly scenic.

 

Unless.

 

When you come off the waterside at the south end of Chuckanut Drive, take Hwy 237 to Hwy 20 westbound, and drive over to Whidbey Island via Deception Pass. Continue south to Clinton and take the ferry back to the mainland at Mukilteo. It's one of my favorite drives in the area. Check a tide table to see when the currents at Deception Pass will be more impressive.

Very scenic is fine with me. I found a route that goes through an alternative customs stop and never really gets on I5 and goes down the coast through the islands. We've legitimately could not be into downtown Seattle until 4:30 or later with the flight that delta made us take. So with a self disembark at 7:30 I feel like we would be better off no matter how long it takes us. I'm definitely open to all routes.

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Also commuter traffic in Seattle can be bad. Especially if there is a sporting event in town or the Seafair week end.

 

 

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Saturday September 23rd

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HI friends. We were flying from Vancouver to Seattle and they changed our flight from 1125 to 115! Soooo. We called and were able to cancel our Delta flight for free because it was changed by more than 90 minutes! It was only 100 minutes so we just squeaked by!

We "one way" rented an SUV right from the pier for $160 USD after taxes and insurance and we are driving! I'm so excited! I think with an early self disembark ( we should only have 1 bag each) i think we will be in Seattle before our flight would have landed. And defenitly before we got out of the airport, went to customs, baggage claim, rental car shuttle, rental desk and back downtown!

I found a scenic route on trip advisor that stays off US I-5 but I'm open for any tips on a scenic drive. I know it will add time but it's worth it!!

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^Willing to abandon her kids for you? Definitely promoted back to Bestie!!! ;-)

Soooo. An update on my situation! We called and were able to cancel our Delta flight for free because it was changed by more than 90 minutes! It was only 100 minutes so we just squeaked by!

We "one way" rented an SUV right from the pier for $160 USD after taxes and insurance and we are driving! I'm so excited! I think with an early self disembark ( we should only have 1 bag each) i think we will be in Seattle before our flight would have landed. And defenitly before we got out of the airport, went to customs, baggage claim, rental car shuttle, rental desk and back downtown!

I found a scenic route that stays off US I-5 but I'm open for any tips on a scenic drive. I knkw it will add time but it's worth it!!

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Okay, here's exactly what I said (below). I think I included quite a bit of info relevant to your questions rather than just a single sentence reply.

 

But, I've been trying to talk myself out of responding to posts here so I will take your advice.

 

AE_Collector

The need to post exactly what you just posted is unnecessary. I read it. And I read it correctly. If you can read it with zero attitude, zero condescending tone and an absolutely no way thank you for trying to make me feel stupid? Then you probably should seek therapy. Everyone on here always has to be a jerk all the time. A sufficient answer would have been along the lines of "she's going into a 12-day drydock in Victoria but not until December. I've never had any problems with the staff myself. And they won't be ending with your tour so you should be fine." Like I said, I worked in Hospitality for 20 years, that is how people act. That is how restaurants and places that are about to close behave. I'm sorry you don't understand that. There's no reason to try and make me feel stupid for feeling that way. Typical Cruise Critic fashion. A perfect example would be implying that I am worried about the engine room or Barnacles. If you read the responses on here people are comparing it to a Shabby Motel. Does that sound like I'm concerned about the engine room?

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AE-COLLECTOR: Well like I said, that's what I was told and I wasn't sure it was still right. So excuse the hell out of me for thinking that could happen. And since I have been working in a restaurant for 20 years I know how people get when they get towards the end of the week, the end of the holiday season, close to a restaurant closing, close to being shut down for a few days with product and I feel that none of the things that I said were unreasonable. I don't think that your response was very kind or informative just hateful. So excuse the hell out of me for being concerned. I guess I'm just a blithering idiot. You probably could have just not responded.

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Thank you for starting this thread. As I understand she might be going for a facelift after her final Alaska cruise this season. Which I believe is mine LOL so I've been very nervous about her condition. We were on the golden at the end of the Alaska season a few years ago and they were doing regular maintenance but she was about to go right into another season . I'm worried they're going to let things go very badly knowing she's about to go into drydock. I could be wrong she could be rescheduled, haven't looked up with that's what I was told in the past. I'm also concerned about the staff's attitude at the end of the season. I know they are probably about to have a lot of work to close up the ship. And I'm a little concerned about food. Are they going to be out of a lot of things or not serve some of the things they were supposed to because they don't want a bunch of stuff on hand. The staff on the coral princess just out of dry dock was definitely not the best. So I feel like that could be the same problem this time.

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When we were in Alaska last time I don't believe we even the picking up a roaming signal. But that seems pretty impossible. Everyone who had AT&T was using their phones. I do like to be able to get away but at the same time with the way life is today. It's unreasonable to not be able to use your phone. I previously looked at the Sprint coverage map and I had no idea what I was even looking at LOL it looks like maybe you can Roam in all those towns. I didn't know there was such a thing as a data roaming included in your plan. We also have the unlimited everything. I know I've been hit with roaming charges. We're going to be gone for 14 days since we are doing Anchorage first and then lamd portion. So by the time I get to Ketchikan or Skagway I'm probably going to want to check in back home.

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This was going to be a problem for us as well. Our flight is at the same time. We looked into storing it at the airport. We are flying in from Vancouver, spending the day and Seattle and then taking the red-eye back to Nashville.

Based on the cost of store bags it was just as affordable for us to rent a car and just keep our bags in the trunk instead of paying for that and 2 Ubers or cabs into downtown.

When it looked at checking in our luggage early it was going to be way way too early for the 10:30 p.m. flight. I looked at general information and then our Airline directly. I would be nervous to leave my bags at the airport for about 10 hours or more before my flight . I would be certain that's how they would get lost. Sitting on some trolley somewhere in the back of the baggage handling facility.

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Hi friends, we are thinking about doing the glacier float trip at 730 that gets back at 1100. We were hoping to take the shuttle and tasting at the Alaskan Brewery. I was wondering if anyone has done this after and excursion and how long they spent there.

So basically how long was the entire experience between waiting on the shuttle, travel time, time at the brewery. We depart at 4 pm.

Thanks in advance. I have tried to search but I can never find anything on here.

Thanks guys!

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Well I booked the 11:20 flight and now they cancelled it and changed me to the 115 flight. I'm so irritated! But I guess I need to find something to do for a few hours in Vancouver. This does totally ruin our day in Seattle though.

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Well she offered actually, but they have 2 kids so it we can't get all of us in there unless she left the kids with someone.

I booked the 1120 flight.

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It's doable - but you really have to be ready to go, with self-disembarkation, as soon as the ship's cleared. My wife always heads to the office - about 10mins walk from Canada Place - and is always at her desk and working by 8am. So add 30mins to that for a cab (with no queue, because you're one of the first folks off the ship!) or SkyTrain and you're at YVR for 8:30am. While officially 3 hours is the recommended time, 2 hours is more than enough in our experience.

 

Have you looked at flights via a Canadian airport instead of Seattle? By offloading US immigration to the layover, you avoid needing to do it in Vancouver - which is a great comfort if you're trying to make an early flight. There are direct flights from YYZ (Toronto) to MEM and BNA.

I feel like we could definitely be off the ship and at the airport by 8:30. We did one of the first disembark groups the first time we cruised and it was easy peasy. Plus we're Elite so we are in the Platinum lounge and it's a little easier to get off.

That's very great information about The Layover Airport Customs. Unfortunately we adore Seattle and my best friend lives in Olympia and so we are going that route. I did look at one flight that connected through Toronto and also Alberta I think, and it was going to take us 14 hours to get home. So we decided we'd rather spend a lot of those hours in Seattle. We're going to take a red-eye which will be our first one so that will be rough lol

Thank you so much for those good tips and information!

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Not trying to hijack This Thread. I was looking at a 10:30 a.m. flight to Seattle from Vancouver as we are trying to get home the same day. I guess everyone say that is completely undoable right? To me I just don't think about Canada as being international flights with a three hour requirement LOL. It didn't even cross my mind. Glad I read this thread.

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Shawn O'Donnell's Irish Pub is located at the bottom of Smith Tower on the street. We ate there are last time in Seattle and it was great! They have several around the city so it's not completely original by any means but I thought the food was fantastic. Our server was very friendly. And you get to see some of Pioneer Square from there.

We did walk there from the market. If you want seafood and touristy I recommend the Crab Pot, it was on Food Network and it's down on the pier area. The food we had there was very good. We were lucky enough to be able to sit outside.

There are lots of small cafes and walk up to the window, take out kind of places along the market that are very good. Especially for small bites. Lots of pastry and bread shops and excellent bubble tea. My favorite place is right on the corner facing the market. She blends fresh fruit right before your eyes so you know it's all natural. They do smoothies as well so you don't have to get the tapioca pearls . But I love them haha.

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Hi friends. DH and I are seriously considering taking an extremely early flight into Seattle, and spending the entire day before taking an evening flight to Anchorage. Seattle is one of our most favorite cities and we normally spend the night. Since we are doing a 7 day cruise followed by a 5 day land for sure we aren't really loving the idea of an extra hotel room.

My question is what can we do with our luggage from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.? I have read that you can only check your bag 4 hours before your flight. Is there somewhere to store my luggage at Sea-Tac? Or does someone know of a service, like a courier that could do this for me? I plan on doing research but I thought I would check here first.

I tried to do a straight connect flight with Alaska Airlines that leaves at 6 a.m. and eventually gets into Anchorage at 11 p.m. and it was going to be $1,200 per person , with a unnecessarily long layover in LAX. So that option is already out.

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