Just back from Cruise from Seattle

[meh56]

We just returned for sailing the Golden Princess. Before we sailed I was trying to locate information on transportation and hotels, so I thought I would tell you about our Seattle portion of our trip. I had prearranged our transportation from SeaTac to Marriott hotel Waterfront with Already There Limo. We had used them before and I can highly recommend them. We used our point for rooms at the Marriott. It was a good hotel and good location. You can walk around the corner of the building and take an elevator up to the street about and walk about 3 blocks to Pike Place Market. The Marriott works with a shuttle company for transportation to Pier 91 and the rate was $8 per person. The hotel is right across the street from the pier where NCL departs. On arrival back in Seattle we grabbed a cab from the pier to the Warwick hotel and it was under $20 including a tip. The Warwick is a good hotel, the lobby is a little plain, but the rooms were good. It is a three block walk to the Monorail to the space needle and about a 6 block walk to Pike Place Market. We walked to Pike Place and took a cab back for $5. There is a Ralph's market across the street that has soups, sandwiches, coffee and some breakfast items. If you want to purchase wine before your cruise, you can get that at Pike Place or at Ralph's. Also on 4th Ave there are a few small places for Coffee and Pastries. You are also with walking distance of restaurants. We took the Boeing Plant Tour and it was very good. Picked us up at the Warwick with a small 24 psgr bus. The last day we stored our luggage at the hotel and took the ferry to Bremerton. Beautiful ferry ride and we toured the Navy boat, the Turner Joy, had lunch at Anthony's and returned to Seattle. We spent 2 nights at the Warwick and the last night at Embassy Suites at the airport, again using our points. We arranged for Already There to pick us up at the Ferry and swing by the Warwick to get our luggage. I am glad we did not use a cab to the airport as the traffic was terrible and the meter would have been running. We enjoyed our time in Seattle.

[dharmapath]

$8.00 per person for the shuttle from the marriott to pier 91 seems high for 2 or more people as a taxi is about $10 from that location. there are always taxis at the hotel.

[CruisinMama7]

I had prearranged our transportation from SeaTac to Marriott hotel Waterfront with Already There Limo. We had used them before and I can highly recommend them. I am glad we did not use a cab to the airport as the traffic was terrible and the meter would have been running. We enjoyed our time in Seattle.

 

Thanks so much for your Seattle review. I'm in the planning stages for our Alaskan cruise next summer. I've made all Seattle reservations, except for the ground transportation portion. I was looking at the Already There Limo website and found little information other than their telephone number.

 

I was looking for a total package price for my Seattle needs...SeaTac to downtown hotel, next morning hotel to Pier 91, then from the pier to SeaTac a week later. Do you know if they provide such a service? I received a total price of only $52/pp from Shuttle Express, but I don't want to lug my luggage over a cross bridge then down a flight of stairs to the Parking Garage. I prefer to be picked up curbside outside Baggage Claim. If I have to pay more for this service, so be it. Once I get the ground transportation arranged, then I can sit back & wait for the months to go by!

 

How did you like your Princess cruise? I've sailed to Alaska twice with Princess, but out of Vancouver or Anchorage. This time we're going with a different line, just to change it up a bit.

 

Thanks again for the Seattle info!

[meh56]

We took the Marriott shuttle because there was a big festival in town on Sat. and they said it would be almost impossible to find a cab. We found that cabs are very difficult to get in Seattle. We wanted a cab to take us to a restaurant that we had a 730p dinner reservation and we could not get one. On the way back we walked and found many hotel and restaurant staff out in the street trying to flag down cabs. We went to the Inn at the Market by Pike Place to get a return cab and we only got one because they were dropping someone off. The cabbie first refused to take us but the door man was able to help. The cabbie said the hotels only want to use car services so the cabbie are refusing to work with the hotels. We prebooked Already There from SeaTac to Marriott , just call the phone number, Charlotte is great to work with. I think they charge the same as everyone else. We needed an SUV because there were 4 of us and we were worried about luggage, but on the return we fit it all in the town car. Maybe a little more than cabs but worth it for a stress free vacation. After you get your luggage you call them and tell them the door number you are at and they are there within 5 mins. We have sailed with Princess before and found them to be good. Service on board was great and food good in dining rooms. Did not care for food at buffet. Great naturalist on board with interesting lectures during the week. They also have good docking space in port. Saw other lines had to tender or take shuttle to town.

[mapleleaves]

but I don't want to lug my luggage over a cross bridge then down a flight of stairs to the Parking Garage. I prefer to be picked up curbside outside Baggage Claim. If I have to pay more for this service' date=' so be it. [/quote']

 

All reserved cars/taxis pick you up at the curb by baggage claim. They will usually ask you for the airline or exit door # to determine your location.

 

You only need to go to the garage for shuttles or the regular taxi line.

 

(a taxi from downtown to pier 91 is about $15-$20. The hotel will call for one whenever you're ready to go)

[Dan G]

if you use STILA ;towncars they are based at Seatac regulated by the Port of Seattle. You just call them and they pick you up doorside in baggage claim. Taxi to Pier is the easiest and I'd simply arrange a towncar from pier back to SEatac and you should be all set. Have fun

[dharmapath]

Interesting about the taxi situation because anytime we needed a taxi they were available. We also used Uber which is a good taxi alternative and priced about the same. Uber is nice because you can use the smartphone app to see how far away a ride is. For us it was les than 5 min to get picked up. It certainly is nice to have options between shuttle, car service, taxi and Uber.

[frogsgirl]

Thanks for the info, we have booked Already There for pick up at Seatac to our hotel & the on our return 2weeks later picking up from Kings St to Seatac, it's reassuring (when in a new city) to hear they provided you with a reliable service

[slickriptide]

From the original post, I gather that @meh56 returned to Seattle on August 28 or 29th?

 

That would, indeed, be a crazy time to get a cab in Seattle. Labor Day weekend is host to not one but two big "festivals". On the one hand, there's Bumbershoot, a four-day arts and music festival at the Seattle Center that is a huge draw for those four days. On the other hand, there's Pax, which is the biggest video game convention in the country and for which thousands of people travel to Seattle every year on Labor Day weekend. Think San Diego Comic Con but for games instead of comics/movies.

 

Basically, that Fri-Mon the city is chock full of way more tourists AND locals than normal.

 

The rest of the year should be relatively normal but that particular weekend it would be completely unsurprising to find it difficult to get a cab in the city or a hotel room near the trade center or the Seattle Center.

[Luckysll]

From the original post, I gather that @meh56 returned to Seattle on August 28 or 29th?

 

That would, indeed, be a crazy time to get a cab in Seattle. Labor Day weekend is host to not one but two big "festivals". On the one hand, there's Bumbershoot, a four-day arts and music festival at the Seattle Center that is a huge draw for those four days. On the other hand, there's Pax, which is the biggest video game convention in the country and for which thousands of people travel to Seattle every year on Labor Day weekend. Think San Diego Comic Con but for games instead of comics/movies.

 

Basically, that Fri-Mon the city is chock full of way more tourists AND locals than normal.

 

The rest of the year should be relatively normal but that particular weekend it would be completely unsurprising to find it difficult to get a cab in the city or a hotel room near the trade center or the Seattle Center.

 

I have to go back to Bumbershoot again, maybe next year. I was there a few years ago and had a great time!