Seattle Mid-June 2017

[hertz4319]

Hi all,

 

My husband and I are going on an Alaskan cruise and will be in Seattle mid June 2017. The prices of hotels are incredible to say the least. I am thinking of using AIRbnb. Has anyone used them? My issue is what part of town to stay in. We want to be close to some attractions and close to mass transit. We will be coming in a day early and then staying three days after the cruise. Thank you for any ideas you may have. I appreciate them all. Stewart

Edited November 14, 2016 by hertz4319

[Gardyloo]

There are lots of AirB&B providers in the city. In terms of location, I'd try to stay someplace close to the downtown area. Look at the Capitol Hill, Belltown, Denny Regrade or Lower Queen Anne neighborhoods. (Use the google to see where these are.)

 

Public transport in Seattle includes a limited light rail line, a couple of ("vanity") streetcars, and a lot of buses. With cruise luggage these are often inconvenient; there are problems with stowing luggage on the trains or buses, and if your accommodation isn't right next to a stop, the "last mile" - the distance from the transit stop to your destination - can be a big hassle. Remember Seattle is a very hilly city, and a very trafficky one too.

 

There are lots and lots of threads on this board regarding accommodation in Seattle. You have plenty of time to do some research.

[Sequim88]

There are a lot of hotel options in the Sea-Tac airport area that are less outrageous than downtown and connected to downtown tourist sites by the Link Light-rail from the airport station. If you have a car and want to venture further out the Sea-Tac area give you a bit of a jump towards Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens but both (individually) are a full day trip.

 

Another AirB&B area might be West Seattle using the water taxi to downtown.

Edited November 14, 2016 by Sequim88

[dojobirder]

Will be Hal Alaska cruising with 2 grandchildren in June. Would love to find affordable hotel and transportation options from airport to hotel to port and to airport.

[Roz]

This past May we stayed at the Doubletree at SeaTac. They have a shuttle that runs every 20 min. and will take you from the airport to the hotel. I made reservations with Seattle Express to take us to the port. The Doubletree is one of the hotels they service. We were picked up in the back of the hotel and taken directly to the port. Cost was $12 per person and we each gave the driver a $3 tip.

 

Roz

[Husky61]

We have stayed at the Hyatt because it includes the Ruth's Chris steak house without going outside.:):)

[Overpacker]

Hello,

 

If you're looking for an economical hotel with close proximity to the Seattle attractions, then check out the Moore Hotel. We are booked to stay there next July for our pre- and post- stay in Seattle for our Alaskan cruise. We have never stayed there before, but it is a great value. It is not a fancy hotel, but an older, quirky, iconic piece of history. There is also The Moore Coffee Shop right next door. They serve waffles for breakfast with an assortment of fruits and other snack items and sandwiches for lunch.

 

It's walking distance to Pike Place Market, the original Starbucks, the Seattle Great Wheel, and easy access to public transportation, which can take you to Seattle Center and Chihuly Garden and Glass.

 

Check it out for yourself. Hope you have a great cruise!! :)

 

http://http://www.moorehotel.com/

[Herfnerd]

We are also staying at the Moore next September post-cruise.

 

For the price, it looks like a decent hotel - but do your due diligence. We think it'll be serviceable......

[Urban trekker]

I stayed at the Moore last September pre-cruise for one night - For the price I was presently surprise at how good the hotel was - it's location is fine - the staff very friendly - yes it is an older property but it has been well maintained. I will stay there again when cruising out of Seattle.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

[dojobirder]

Has anyone started a search for affordable land tours?

[Husky61]

Has anyone started a search for affordable land tours?

 

What is your definition of "affordable"?:)

[dojobirder]

We prefer smaller groups and prices lower than cruise offerings. We will be traveling with grandsons 15 and 13 and on the lookout for family type land tours such as panning for gold, whale watching etc. We are open to suggestions but helicopter and plane excursions will stretch our budget too far.

[Eaglecw]

We prefer smaller groups and prices lower than cruise offerings. We will be traveling with grandsons 15 and 13 and on the lookout for family type land tours such as panning for gold, whale watching etc. We are open to suggestions but helicopter and plane excursions will stretch our budget too far.

 

You’re in the wrong section if you want information about excursions in Alaska. I looked at your itinerary and it looks like you’ll be going to Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Ketchikan, Victoria B.C and back to Seattle. Juneau is the place to go Whale watching. This is a great whale watching tour http://jayleensalaska.com/ Heres a link to Gold panning in Juneau https://www.bestofalaskatravel.com/alaska_day_tours/pages/j_gold_mining_panning.htm or http://ajgastineauminetour.com/ If you’re on a budget you can rent a car and drive out to Mendenhall Glacier, Shrine of St. Therese http://www.shrineofsainttherese.org/. Sitka is a great place to see the Bald Eagles and the Russian Church. http://www.sitka.org/ Be sure to bring along your National Parks Senior pass, it’ll save you on the admission into the visitor center at Mendenhall Glacier and at the Discovery center in Ketchikan. In Ketchikan be sure to go over to Creek Street and take in sight there. You also catch the city bus out to Totem Bright State park, I think it was a $1 per person to take the bus out there. http://www.borough.ketchikan.ak.us/145/Transit. In Victoria B.C we walk down the sea wall and then cut over into the inner harbor area and take in the area.

[Sequim88]

For pre/post cruise Puget Sound area tour operators check out:

 

https://www.viator.com/Seattle/d704 (a TripAdvisor.com affiliate).

[Eaglecw]

One of the best kept secrets in Seattle is the Sky view observatory http://www.skyviewobservatory.com/on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center. Everyone seems to want to go the Space Needle, the experience at the Sky view observatory is much better than the Space Needle.

[Sequim88]

Sky view observatory is much better than the Space Needle.

 

And not just for structure height but also the Space Needle sort of sits on the edge of a hole created about 100 years ago with the Denny Regrade where they washed away a hill to level the area. The Columbia Center sits on the slope of First Hill a lot higher above the level the Needle is at. So it gets a 50 foot head start.

 

Observation deck of Space Needle: about 650 feet ASL

Observation deck of Columbia Center: about 1,000 feet ASL

[Glaciers]

Another option besides the Needle and Sky View is the Smith Tower. Not as tall although it really gives an intimate view of downtown. There’s quite a bit of history involved with the tower. http://www.smithtower.com/?gclid=CLuqy8SfgdECFQ5qfgodCQkE1w