Seattle airport

[ChristyS]

We plan to fly in Friday night before our cruise on s Saturday. We won't get in until probably 1am Seattle time. My DH thinks we should just plan to stay in the airport instead of getting a hotel as we hopefully will board around 1100. I think he's crazy and remembering his youthful travels Any thoughts and if hotel any recommendations

Thanks

[CruiserBruce]

Seattle is not in Alaska. It is covered extensively, with all sorts of recommendations, on the West Coast Departures board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=413

 

With a 1am arrival, I would definitely stay at the airport.

[donaldsc]

You are only there to sleep and not even for a long night. Stay at the airport.

 

DON

[Coral]

Seattle is not in Alaska. It is covered extensively, with all sorts of recommendations, on the West Coast Departures board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=413

 

With a 1am arrival, I would definitely stay at the airport.

 

It seems to be covered here also, along with Vancouver suggestions.

 

I also would stay at airport hotel.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Coral

[mapleleaves]

So he wants to hang around the airport from 1am to 11am ? You'll be starting your vacation tired and grouchy. No way !

I can understand not paying downtown Seattle prices, but you can find a reasonably priced room near the airport. All the major chains are there. Just do a search on expedia or whatever and post again when you have narrowed down your choices. (Sleep Inn is easy on the budget and well reviewed on this forum).

[bottom-dragger]

SEATAC has gone out of their way to supply armrests between the seats on many of their benches making them unusable for sleeping. The alternative is the floor. Ever looked at an airport floor?

 

You have time for a solid 6 hrs in a hotel bed with a shower and private bath.

 

Unless being in a crappy mood and arguing with a spouse with their crappy mood (what a wonderful way to start a holiday) is part of your relationship, get a room.

 

When I used to think I was poor I spent many nights in SEATAC and paid it back by sleeping away the next day or wearing size 34" long cranky pants.

Edited September 4, 2016 by bottom-dragger

[Coral]

So he wants to hang around the airport from 1am to 11am ? You'll be starting your vacation tired and grouchy. No way !

I can understand not paying downtown Seattle prices, but you can find a reasonably priced room near the airport. All the major chains are there. Just do a search on expedia or whatever and post again when you have narrowed down your choices. (Sleep Inn is easy on the budget and well reviewed on this forum).

 

Wow - I misread that. I thought it was a difference between airport hotel and downtown hotel! Not airport!!

 

I would definitely get a hotel room. Sleep in and be rested when one gets to the ship.

[Glaciers]

The Radisson is the closest hotel to SeaTac, directly across the street. They also provide a shuttle to the pier for $14. Very handy. And, why board so early, if you even can board at 11am? On most lines your cabin won’t be ready.

[ChristyS]

Thanks everyone for the input. And thanks for directing me to the proper forum. Lots of good info on cruise critic

[TheCalicoCat]

If I were not traveling with an 8 year old, I'd consider hanging out in the airport until about 6, then moving on to the city & then I remembered all of the luggage...

 

We are probably going to arrive a day early so that we can go to Mt. Rainier pre-cruise & stay at hotel near the park.

[Rosy1013]

We stayed at the Red Roof Inn, just a few miles from airport. I think it was $150, not a super nice place tho. They had a shuttle come pick us up at the airport, but it can take a while for them to get you at that time. I can see my husband wanting to tough it out in the airport, but it's probably better to find a place where you can get some sleep.

[Heather1972]

Why be miserable right before vacation? It's not worth the hassle. Just fork it over. ;)

[zqvol]

Unless you are in your 20's get a hotel. Remember that you are dealing with a 3 hour time change and his 1AM estimate is really 4AM. You can sleep in until close to check out time, or even get a late check out. Grab some breakfast and leisurely head to the ship shortly after noon. There is no point in startng your vacation exhausted.

[TruckerDave]

There is a Hilton in walking distance. I have never understood the whole spending the night at the airport thing anyway. (this is from someone who has landed at EWR at 11pm and had a 6am flight out the next morning and still got a hotel for a few hours.)

[K.T.B.]

Yeah, get a hotel. There are plenty of reasonable places near downtown (i.e. near the port). Better to grab a cab and hit the sack by about 1:00am and be able to sleep a few hours there, rather than be near the airport, meaning you'll need to get up earlier and then grabbing a cab to the port.

 

As an example, you can get into the the Belltown Inn for about $225 for the night.

[CruiserBruce]

Yeah, get a hotel. There are plenty of reasonable places near downtown (i.e. near the port). Better to grab a cab and hit the sack by about 1:00am and be able to sleep a few hours there, rather than be near the airport, meaning you'll need to get up earlier and then grabbing a cab to the port.

 

As an example, you can get into the the Belltown Inn for about $225 for the night.

 

This sort of doesn't make sense. You will have to check out of any hotel at 11am, no matter the location. So the sooner you get in bed ( at the airport, for example,) the more sleep you get. Leaving the airport at 11ish for your ship still gets you there in plenty of time, with an hour or more sleep.

[sherryf]

This sort of doesn't make sense. You will have to check out of any hotel at 11am, no matter the location. So the sooner you get in bed ( at the airport, for example,) the more sleep you get. Leaving the airport at 11ish for your ship still gets you there in plenty of time, with an hour or more sleep.

 

It also doesn't make sense to spend $225 to sleep a few hours when you can stay somewhere near the airport for half the cost!

[Sequim88]

The Radisson is the closest hotel to SeaTac

 

I think the La Quinta is technically closer - adjacent to the runway almost but very quiet. We've used it even as locals for very early morning flights. They have a shuttle. About $120 a night and might allow extended check-out time. Good sleep goes a long ways toward making all the other little travel hassles tolerable.

Edited September 6, 2016 by Sequim88
typo

[Glaciers]

I think the La Quinta is technically closer - adjacent to the runway almost but very quiet. We've used it even as locals for very early morning flights. They have a shuttle. About $120 a night and might allow extended check-out time. Good sleep goes a long ways toward making all the other little travel hassles tolerable.

 

We’ve stayed at La Quinta and would again. Good value. We enjoy the Radisson as it’s nice to get a late night meal at 13 Coins next door. The Coast Gateway is technically the closest and although La Quinta is just down the street from the airport exit, both the Radisson and the Coast are closer to the airport exit.

[cruiseonthebrain]

SEATAC has gone out of their way to supply armrests between the seats on many of their benches making them unusable for sleeping. The alternative is the floor. Ever looked at an airport floor?

 

 

Agree!

[K.T.B.]

This sort of doesn't make sense. You will have to check out of any hotel at 11am, no matter the location. So the sooner you get in bed ( at the airport, for example,) the more sleep you get. Leaving the airport at 11ish for your ship still gets you there in plenty of time, with an hour or more sleep.

 

It also doesn't make sense to spend $225 to sleep a few hours when you can stay somewhere near the airport for half the cost!

 

You're looking at, minimum, an hour's drive from the airport to the port, especially at that time in the day. The later it gets, the more traffic backs up by the port and out of the airport.

 

For me, it's worth paying a bit extra to save time and frustration to be close to the port. And you can always request a later checkout. MOST hotels will consent to an hour more.

[Sea Hag]

Hotel. Definitely hotel. No way would I spend the night in the airport, no matter how short that night was.

[Langley Cruisers]

Yeah... it hurts to pay the bill for a short stay but we would never try to sleep in the airport. Our shortest hotel stay ever was 3 hours. We were already zombies and trying to sleep knowing we had to get up at 4 am just made it worse. BUT, we were safe, warm, and dry. And too early for the free breakfast in the lobby. FAIL!

 

:D:D:D

[sherryf]

You're looking at, minimum, an hour's drive from the airport to the port, especially at that time in the day. The later it gets, the more traffic backs up by the port and out of the airport.

 

For me, it's worth paying a bit extra to save time and frustration to be close to the port. And you can always request a later checkout. MOST hotels will consent to an hour more.

 

It's not a minimum of an hour from airport to port on a Saturday morning. You could potentially make it in less than half an hour. Could be an hour if there's a festival or something going on, but not an hour minimum!

 

Also, $100 is not "a bit extra". Spending $100 more to save maybe half an hour in the morning is not worth it to many people, especially ones frugal enough to consider just sleeping at the airport instead of getting a hotel.

[twins_to_alaska]

Friday August 26 leaving Solstice Pier 91 to Sea-Tac.

 

Friend picked us up at 8:33a and by 9:25a had arrived at Sea-Tac, checked the 25" bag inside with self label machine (Southwest), and gotten through security with TSA pre-check.

 

I had budgeted an hour for each of those events so got there early, but I'd rather be early then stressed or late.

Edited September 14, 2016 by twins_to_alaska