Flight home from Seattle

[jwags99]

I am trying to book a flight home back from Seattle to Milwaukee and I'm wondering if it is reasonable to book a flight home at 11:50 on the day of arrival. We are going on the Carnival Legend to Alaska 7/17-7/24/2018. I am cashing in points on Southwest and they only have one direct flight per day. The airport looks like it's only 30 minutes from the pier by taxi.

[1025cruise]

During cruise season, the airport can get extremely busy.

You might wish to ask on the West Coast Departures board. There are experts there that know SEATAC better than I do. Personally, I think your cutting it close.

[smm0218]

One thing that might make it a little easier. Is the Cruise Luggage Valet Program they have in Seattle. You sign up for the program (I think it was about the middle of the week.) You get the tags and boarding pass the last day, put your bags out with tags, they pick them up and you'll see them when you arrive at your home airport. FYI, do one for each passenger, instead of by cabin, even though it looks like they can be combined. Worked great, especially since we had long layovers. I wouldn't have done it going to the ship but coming home if my bags didn't arrive until later, I didn't really care. There were brochuires in the NCL terminal at embarkation.

[voyager70]

One thing that might make it a little easier. Is the Cruise Luggage Valet Program they have in Seattle. You sign up for the program (I think it was about the middle of the week.) You get the tags and boarding pass the last day, put your bags out with tags, they pick them up and you'll see them when you arrive at your home airport. FYI, do one for each passenger, instead of by cabin, even though it looks like they can be combined. Worked great, especially since we had long layovers. I wouldn't have done it going to the ship but coming home if my bags didn't arrive until later, I didn't really care. There were brochuires in the NCL terminal at embarkation.

 

11:50 may be too early for the Luggage Valet Program. We sailed on Explorer of the Seas out of Seattle in September and tried to sign up for the program (had a 1:30 PM flight) and were told they would only accept flights after 2:00. Nonetheless I think an 11:50 flight is very doable, as long as you are one of the first groups off the ship and arrange a private driver or take one of the cabs/limos available at the port.

[Hlitner]

If you are booking Southwest (which you cannot even do until much closer to your cruise date) we would take the risk. Here is our thinking. Your cruise is scheduled to dock at 7am...and the odds are it will dock on time (or even somewhat earlier). If you are prepared to do the express walk off option (this is where you must take all your own luggage with you) you should be off the ship by 8. Even if you are not off until 8:30 you should be fine. But we would recommend using a taxi (or pre booking a transfer service) to the airport. Thirty minutes from the port might be a little optimistic, but it should take no more then 45 min (even in traffic) to get out to the airport. The nice thing about Southwest is if the worst happens and your ship is delayed (which means you would miss your flight) you can rebook your Southwest flight for a later time or another day (and stay in Seattle) without paying penalties (although you would have to pay the going rate for that later flight).

 

Hank

[easyboy]

Unless there is extreme delay on ship’s arrival, your flight seems doable with self disembarkation and getting your own transportation, not the ship’s transfer.

 

 

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[6rugrats]

I don't know what time you should book. But SEA is my home airport and it can be an absolute zoo during Alaska cruise season. Southwest counters are especially crowded. Agree that 30 minutes to get to the airport may be optimistic.

If you book this flight, you need to prebook transportation and you may find curb checking your bags to be a lot faster than the line inside.

If you miss your flight, you may find a long wait to get on another Southwest flight.

[Keith1010]

We often recommend Noon so 11:50 AM would be fine.

 

Keith

[smm0218]

We had a 1:00 flight. We were at Airport by 8:45 using the princess Shuttle. We carried our bags off and shuttle left fairly quickly, don't believe it waited until full YMMV.

 

Program is called Port Valet, you might check with Carnival and find out what their time frame is for using service.

[1025cruise]

Another thing with port valet, this was the first year doing it. Not all cruise lines participated (I know Carnival did not). I also heard that some cruise lines only offered it to specific groups of people (either by loyalty or by type of cabin) when it should have been open to all.

[pms4104]

If you are booking Southwest (which you cannot even do until much closer to your cruise date) we would take the risk. Here is our thinking. Your cruise is scheduled to dock at 7am...and the odds are it will dock on time (or even somewhat earlier). If you are prepared to do the express walk off option (this is where you must take all your own luggage with you) you should be off the ship by 8. Even if you are not off until 8:30 you should be fine. But we would recommend using a taxi (or pre booking a transfer service) to the airport. Thirty minutes from the port might be a little optimistic, but it should take no more then 45 min (even in traffic) to get out to the airport. The nice thing about Southwest is if the worst happens and your ship is delayed (which means you would miss your flight) you can rebook your Southwest flight for a later time or another day (and stay in Seattle) without paying penalties (although you would have to pay the going rate for that later flight).

 

Hank

Interestingly, WN schedule currently open thru Aug 6, 2018. I know, it seems way earlier than usual for them

[smm0218]

Carnival is listed on the Port Valet page but not a lot of other info there.

[RandallFlagg]

We are returning from the Inside Passage trip on August 11, 18. We booked our flight for a tad after 7PM. Wife's friends are picking us up at the pier - having a day with them and then heading to the airport. Personally, a flight THAT early might be cutting it pretty close. The airports get a little crazy during the summer months with cruises and all. Good Luck!

[ronrick1943]

It's taking a small risk, but I think you could make it. But if you don't-just relax and make the best out of it.

[Hlitner]

Interestingly, WN schedule currently open thru Aug 6, 2018. I know, it seems way earlier than usual for them

WOW! I will admit that we have not looked out that far and it would be very unusual for them to be open more then a few months out. But hope that is a new trend, since we love the airline and sometimes find it difficult to pass up other airlines to wait for WN to open their schedules.

 

If anyone is puzzled by Southwest's unusual times that it releases schedules and prices you might be more puzzled by how an airline called "Southwest" gets an IATA designator of "WN." Look it up. Suffice it to say but they did want to get a SW designator....but it was not in the cards.

 

Hank

[Flatbush Flyer]

I am trying to book a flight home back from Seattle to Milwaukee and I'm wondering if it is reasonable to book a flight home at 11:50 on the day of arrival. We are going on the Carnival Legend to Alaska 7/17-7/24/2018. I am cashing in points on Southwest and they only have one direct flight per day. The airport looks like it's only 30 minutes from the pier by taxi.

 

 

 

"30 minutes" would be at 3 AM on Sunday morning.

 

 

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[GMRPHRN]

I cruised in late May and we did self-assist and took a cab right outside the terminal. Made it in plenty of time for our 10:15 flight. They were not running the valet service at that time.