seattle hotels alaska may 2011

[rakrak]

My wife and I have booked the amsterdam 14 day alaska cruise. we will be going may 13 2011. This will be our first trip to alaska and seattle. any advise as to hotels in seattle weather conditions in alaska in may or any other comments with regard to the amsterdam alaska and seattle would be greatly appreciated.

[Bill S]

Welcome rakrak!

We have sailed to Alaska out of Seattle 3 times, each time in May. IMO, you have chosen well

We have also sailed to Alaska in August and September, and May is our favorite month due to reduced chance of rain, at least in our experience, still a lot of snow low on the mountains, and except for salmon and the occasional bear, the other wildlife abounds.

We have also cruised on the Amsterdam several times and she is one of favorite HAL ships. As a co-flagship of the HAL fleet, she is a beauty and provides a very comfortable ride, IMO.

As far as hotels go, we have stayed in the Seattle Sheraton twice and the Silver Cloud-Stadium hotel once. Both hotels are very nice. The Sheraton is downtown and has had a HAL desk in the lobby--this is a plus if you have purchased or will purchase a HAL transfer. The Sheraton is a bit closer to the new Pier 91 in Seattle than the Silver Cloud Stadium. Pike's Market is within easy walking distance of the Sheraton.

 

The Silver Cloud-Stadium is between the baseball and football stadiums, south of downtown. They provide a free shuttle to downtown, and it is about a 20-30 minute walk to downtown, if you prefer that mode. When we stayed at the Silver Cloud, they had complimentary shuttles to Pier 30, and I do not know if they still offer complimentary shuttles to Pier 91. The rooms at the Silver Cloud are pretty cool and there is a good restaurant adjacent to the hotel.

I hope this helps and that you have a great cruise! :)

[kjw869]

I have to agree with Bill S. We have sailed to Alaska in May of 2009 and this year and the weather was wonderful. In 2009, I had to buy short sleeve shirts because it was so warm.

 

For the past two years we have stayed at the Comfort Suites on Roy Street about a mile and a half north of downtown. We were about four blocks or so from the Monorail which which takes about two minutes to get downtown.

 

The reason we have stayed at that hotel is we come in to Seattle three days early and rent a car. It's much easier to get around and not mess with downtown traffic. Plus, it's next to a large 24-hour grocery store where we buy wine and soda for our cruise.

[Assateague Island Princes]

We did this exact itinerary on the lovely Amsterdam this May 31st - it was perfect! Loved the extra hours of daylight, the "new" ports of Homer, Anchorage and Kodiak! You won't be disappointed! We went later in May then you will be going, but I think you'll find the temps. in the mid to high 50's, with maybe a day or two in the 60's if you're lucky.

 

Excursions: Went whale watching with Harv and Marv in Juneau (our 2nd time with them) and it was awesome! Highly recommend them. Afterwards, had lunch at Tracy's Crab Shack near the cruiseship docks - expensive, but THE best crab legs and crab soup I've ever eaten! Yum!

 

In Skagway, we rented a car and drove up to the Yukon - saw two bears on the side of the road - one black and one a lovely cinnamon color. This was my DH's favorite "excursion." Scenery is spectacular, Emerald Lake is unbelievably gorgeous and it was a lovely ride, stopping when and where we wished. Had lunch at Spirit Lake and got back in plenty of time to stroll thru Skagway and do a bit of shopping.

 

Went with Capt. Davey on the Esther G in Sitka for a marine wildlife excursion - saw our first gray whale - what a thrill! And several bald eagles teaching a chick to feed - so amazing! Afterwards, we walked ot the Totem Park along the shoreline, visited the free aquarium near the college, and enjoyed the serenity of the Totem Park. LOVE Sitka, but its now sharing first place for our fav Alaska port with Homer.

 

Homer is spectacular! We rented electric bikes and zipped up and down the Spit, then took Hal's Taste of Homer tour, which was fun and interesting, but wish we had more time with the bikes. Got to see the "Time Bandit" in port (from the TV show - Deadliest Catch) and even got my picture taken with one of the crew members with the boat in the background. So cool!:D

 

In Anchorage, we rented a car and drove north to Independence Mine (saw our first moose up close and personal!), Hatcher Pass, and then on to Big Lake to visit Martin Buser's Happy Trails Iditarod Kennel - that was MY favorite excursion! Just us and another couple for three glorious hours with Martin and all his dogs. What an amazing, charming, and interesting man! Cute to boot!;) Got to cuddle sled dog puppies, and learn all about the Iditarod race and life on the trail.

 

In Ketchikan, we took an unusual excursion with Ketchikan Outdoors - they took us to a deserted island (Blank Island) off the coast of Ketchikan, dropped us off with a tent, chairs, table, picnic lunch, chocolates, coffee, hot chocolate, and even a six pack of Alaskan Ale for DH (he was a happy camper!). We had a marine radio to stay in contact with the captain who would come back to pick us up in the event of poor weather or an emergency. We beachcombed and hiked the island, had a campfire, saw some whales offshore, and got to hold these gorgeous pastel colored starfish that littered the beach - pale yellow, lavender, baby blue - Amazing! He came back to pick us up a few minutes early due to reports of Orcas nearby - we flew to the spot they'd been seen, and sure enough! Orca sightings! Then we got another hour personalized tour on the water with the captain, telling us about life in Ketchikan and its interesting history - NOT part of the package we signed up for and did not cost us one cent more. Just an enthusiastic captain who wanted to show us a good time. Despite the pouring rain all day (they outfitted us in rain suits and boots), it was an exceptional excursion.

 

In Kodiak, we rented a taxi from Bonnie's Cabs for a couple of hours with some other CC members from our Roll Call. Wasn't such a great excursion, our driver was new and didn't really know where to take us or what to see - but it was ....um....interesting! He took us up to the top of the mountain with the three windmills that power the town - straight up the mountain on a dirt road that was rutted with potholes and straight down drop offs on either side:eek::eek:. DH was up front with him, and found himself wanting to grab the wheel several times because the guy just wasn't paying attention. It was exciting though, and we made the best of it, having fun with our newly found friends (Hi ladies!:p). Would have liked to have more time there, and would go with Dake from Memory Makers next time, as it was reported by other friends on our cruise that their excusion was wonderful! Kodiak sure is gorgeous though!

 

Both Glacier Bay, which we hadn't had the pleasure sailing to on our previous 2 AK cruises, was lovely, and the mighty Hubbard Glacier did not disappoint, despite it being our third time there!

 

Our favorite evening was sailing thru Kachemak Bay towards the Cook Inlet to Anchorage - it was midnight, the sun was still out, the mountains behind us bathed in an eerie pink light, the ship was surrounded, literally, but a huge pod of whales, with Mt. St. Augustine in the forefront of the setting sun. Magical!

 

We stayed both pre-and post cruise at the Comfot Inn near the airport. Loved it - reasonable rates, lovely large rooms, laundry room, free shuttle to and from the airport and to restaurants and attractions within 3 miles, as well as free shuttle to the port on sailing day, free computers for the guests use in the lobby, free continental breakfast in the morning, and accomodating staff.

 

You're gonna love the Amsterdam. Check out the "secret" deck on the aft of Deck 7, the Navigation Deck. We had cabin 7056 it had a large window overlooking this deck and was just steps out our cabin door to a large, private "balcony" that we spent many, many hours on - all for less cost than a verandah, which we had always had for Alaska before. We loved it and would book this cabin or its immediate neighbor (7055) again in a heartbeat! Just one flight of steps up to the Lido aft pool, SeaView Bar and buffet for snacks and drinks whenever we wanted. Also took advantage of the unlimited laundry package for two weeks - $99.00 for 14 days - can't beat it! Only took one week's worth of clothes, so it kept our luggage lighter for all the gifts and souveniers we brought home.

 

Enjoy your trip, hope this long, detailed explanation I provided didn't bore you to tears. I'm so envious of your upcoming cruise - weould do it again if finances permitted it in 2011....who knows? Maybe 2012 will be the year we sail on the Amsterdam again - here's hoping!;)

[janjac]

My wife and I have booked the amsterdam 14 day alaska cruise. we will be going may 13 2011. This will be our first trip to alaska and seattle. any advise as to hotels in seattle weather conditions in alaska in may or any other comments with regard to the amsterdam alaska and seattle would be greatly appreciated.

We are on the same cruise as you in May 2011. How wonderful - perhaps we can meet and have a drink or two and plan some happenings together.

 

Also we have added "Suite Amenties" to our cruise - has anyone also done this? Is the money worth it - it would appear to be a great deal. What hotel is the closest to the pier where the ship is docked?

[alpal1993]

Congrats on picking an amazing cruise,We staid at the Sheraton and thought it was great Within walking distance to Pike Market,the Monorail for the Space Needle and many Starbucks and Seattles best coffee.LOL

 

The cruise was wonderful.Loved the ship.scenery service and food.

[mikey55]

My wife and I have booked the amsterdam 14 day alaska cruise. we will be going may 13 2011. This will be our first trip to alaska and seattle. any advise as to hotels in seattle weather conditions in alaska in may or any other comments with regard to the amsterdam alaska and seattle would be greatly appreciated.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. It was just an ok hotel. The reason we chose it was location and amenities. We could walk to the Needle and lots of restaurants and they had a free shuttle to the pier at a time of our choosing. Excellent staff and cruise.

[califgary]

My wife and I have booked the amsterdam 14 day alaska cruise. we will be going may 13 2011. This will be our first trip to alaska and seattle. any advise as to hotels in seattle weather conditions in alaska in may or any other comments with regard to the amsterdam alaska and seattle would be greatly appreciated.

 

We are on this cruise june 23, 2011 and have booked our pre and post hotel with HAL got an awesome deal which includes transfers from/to airport coming and going - all for about 400 bucks - we will be staying at the the Fairmont Olympic which I hear is a nice hotel.

[rakrak]

Thanks everybody for all your great imput. My wife and I and my brother and his wife are re ally looking forward to this cruise. Hopefully there is a roll call started where all those going on this cruise can meet. If there isn't any started I will start one. we have been to Norway the artic cirle the fjord's but never to alaska It will be interesting to see the difference again thanks for [your imput and advise.

[sfels]

The Amsterdam is indeed a wonderful ship. We sailed to Alaska ***** her in May of this year and it was a spectacular journey. We've booked another May sailing from Vancouver. The waether was perfect and we only saw a little rain one day. Other nice things about May sailings is that the people in the ports are happy to see visitors after a long winter plus the absence of bugs.

 

As for Seattle, we have always stayed at the Fairmont Olympic, whether for business or pleasure. It is a grand, elegant hotel. The rooms are very nice and it's in the heart of downtown. Another nice thing about staying there is having a HAL representative there. The moring of your cruise you simply have the bellman deliver your bags to the HAL desk and you don't see them again until you're in your cabin on the ship. This makes check-in at the terminal much easier too. HAL also provides transportation form the hotel to the ship; very convenient.

 

If you're in a deluxe verandah suite you aare in for a treat. The lounge is a great amenity and is staffed by wonderful people. Daphne is a real treasure. On departure day, the lounge is a great place to enjoy a light lunch without the hassle of the crowds on the Lido deck or the Mariner's Luncheon in the MDR.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I'm sure you will find it memorable.

[alpal1993]

I agree Sfels having luggage taken care of is great.We also did it post cruise for 19 pp well worth it as we did the Land and sea tour in Seattle post cruise and didn't see our luggage until we landed in FLL

[Hawaiidan]

Expect May to be very wet in Seattle and Alaska. August is the dryest month.

This year May was extemely wet like 170% of normal rain and the proffessional forcast are calling for a wetter and colder 2011.

I work in the area as a naturalist and it is my business to know the climate. There is still lots to do in the rain...it is not a hard rain like thunder storms but a slow steady one.

Alaska will still be very snow covered and at her best if you wnat to see places like Glacier bay. The melt dosent start till june... but again it is a winter wonderland in May.

Ocean can be rough.. storms still coming in.

Not a lot of green as in August and September

Dont expect a lot of sun shine sitting in deck chairs...

 

Bring good footware and all weather rain gear... polypropylene under ware not a bad idea to keep warn. Gloves and a good hat Forget umbrellas, get a rain parka.

End of August is best..... Check NOAA zone forcast

 

I would plan to arrive 3 days earily and visit some of the national parks like Rainier and Olympic prior to the cruise.... way more than Seattle

 

Good luck

[AlanAllyn]

We were on that cruise last June. We booked one day hotel pre-cruise and one post-cruise through HAL at the Sheraton Seattle. It was about $220 for the two of us each stay, including transfers to/from airport and ship. It was particularly nice pre-cruise, because we gave our luggage to the bellman at the hotel and didn't have to handle it until it reached our cabin.

 

The hotel is downtown, an easy walk to Pike Market, with lots of restaurants and shopping nearby.

[kjw869]

Expect May to be very wet in Seattle and Alaska. August is the dryest month.

This year May was extemely wet like 170% of normal rain and the proffessional forcast are calling for a wetter and colder 2011.

 

Good luck

 

We must have been very lucky for two years. This past May, we were in Seattle and Alaska for aa total of 12 days on the Oosterdam and saw zero rain. The year before, it was in the high 70s in Seattle and saw warm weather on our Westerdam Alaska cruise and only rained a couple of hours in our 11 days in the Northwest.

 

The forecasts were off on both the years, as we bought plenty of layering clothing for the "cooler" weather forecasted, only to have to buy some short sleeve shirts on our cruise in 2009.

[Cinder Again]

It's been a few years, but I stayed at the Edgewater Hotel. Great "rustic" styling, and walking distance to Pike's Market, and restaurants, and right on the water, so you get a feel for the Seattle flavor...every "native" I saw was carrying a Starbucks coffee, and smoking! I bought a bunch of flowers and took them aboard. Our Steward found me a nice vase to put them in, and they lasted the whole trip.

[jankn]

We have booked three cruises out of Seattle on the Inside Passage, each time with our booking there was a bonus offered if we booked a suite, which we did.....there was a free night at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, and that included free transfers from the airport to the hotel and also the ship in the morning... it was offered on the cruise we had booked this past May (but cancelled due to illness) so hopefully it will still be available this year for you.....its something we knew about and had to ask for .....not advertised....good luck on this still being available as the hotel is a wonderful place to stay and close to the port.....

[califgary]

WE have a suite but the deal they offerred us was free hotel/transfers but we had to pay the taxes still a good deal to me! This was only offerred on the pre cruise not the post cruise.

[peaches from georgia]

It's been a few years, but I stayed at the Edgewater Hotel. Great "rustic" styling, and walking distance to Pike's Market, and restaurants, and right on the water, so you get a feel for the Seattle flavor...every "native" I saw was carrying a Starbucks coffee, and smoking! I bought a bunch of flowers and took them aboard. Our Steward found me a nice vase to put them in, and they lasted the whole trip.

Couldn't agree more. When you're at the Edgewater you are staying at a wonderful hotel that is unique to Seattle and unlike any other you have enjoyed elsewhere. On the water (in fact it is in the water) with a great view and birds and handgliders floating right past your window. You know for sure you are not in Cleveland or Milwaukee like at a chain hotel; you're in Seattle! Pricey, but worth it.

[Zyzygy]

at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, because they had booked a suite with HAL. We paid for the pre-cruise night through HAL, and the HAL rate (appr. $240) was 2/3 of the published rack rate.

 

The Fairmont Olympic is a beautiful, historic five-star hotel. I recommend it highly.

 

We stayed for a night post-cruise at the downtown Sheraton (appr. $180), and it is a nice, large commercial hotel.

 

But it's not the Fairmont.

[schoolinmy3]

As for Seattle, we have always stayed at the Fairmont Olympic, whether for business or pleasure. It is a grand, elegant hotel. The rooms are very nice and it's in the heart of downtown. Another nice thing about staying there is having a HAL representative there. The moring of your cruise you simply have the bellman deliver your bags to the HAL desk and you don't see them again until you're in your cabin on the ship. This makes check-in at the terminal much easier too. HAL also provides transportation form the hotel to the ship; very convenient.

 

We stayed at the Fairmont Olympic as well for our Alaskan cruise in 2008. We had initially booked a VD category stateroom and wanted to upgrade. WE called for a price and it was reasonable - I believe $199 pp - and we moved up to a SZ guarantee plus the hotel and transfers included. We couldn't beat that deal. The hotel was very convenient and so was having the rep there. After our cruise we had our bags taken by HAL to the airport so that we could spend some time in the city before taking HAL's bus back to catch our flight. They just gave us a time to be at the hotel to catch the bus. It worked out great and we didn't have to lug suitcases around all afternoon.

Diane

[bob brown]

I was on that cruise in May, terrific!

We spent the first night at the airport Sleep Inn, due to our very late arrival time. Very nice, clean, and modern. Courtesy van, and free continental breakfast. The next morning, the van driver dropped us off right at the light rail station where we took the light rail to the Westlake Center. We walked a block and a half to the Red Lion Inn on Fifth.

Fabulous location, easy walk to Pike Market, and the Monorail to Seattle Center, plus shopping. We got a great deal on Priceline, and spent two nights there. Hotel itself was considered a 3 star. Nothing great, but okay. Took a taxi from there to Pier 91 for the cruise.