No RCL airport to port transfers in Seattle?

[Machta]

We are booked on the October 8 sailing of the Ovation.  This will be our first RCL cruise, but we have been to Alaska on HAL several times.  I called RCL yesterday and was surprised when the agent said they are not offering airport-to-port transfers on this cruise.  She didn't say they were sold out, she said they weren't offering them at all.  This seems very odd to me.  Is this how RCL normally operates in Seattle?  I'm not being critical, just wondering.  Uber is fine with us, but this is . . . a surprise.

 

 

[sixbirches]

17 minutes ago, Machta said:

We are booked on the October 8 sailing of the Ovation.  This will be our first RCL cruise, but we have been to Alaska on HAL several times.  I called RCL yesterday and was surprised when the agent said they are not offering airport-to-port transfers on this cruise.  She didn't say they were sold out, she said they weren't offering them at all.  This seems very odd to me.  Is this how RCL normally operates in Seattle?  I'm not being critical, just wondering.  Uber is fine with us, but this is . . . a surprise.

 

 

We were offered the Port Valet service on our August 20 Ovation sailing. We used it and it could not have been better! 

[grandgeezer]

25 minutes ago, sixbirches said:

We were offered the Port Valet service on our August 20 Ovation sailing. We used it and it could not have been better! 

Port Valet is just a luggage service, it has nothing to do we transportation to the airport.

[sixbirches]

17 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

Port Valet is just a luggage service, it has nothing to do we transportation to the airport.

We booked that with Seattle Express before our cruise. Good price and service.

[elleluv]

I think you just got some bad information....     I'm seeing transfers available for that sailing; cost is $34 per person each way.     

 

Someone else on the thread mentioned Port Valet in Seattle.     We took advantage of that option on our cruise a couple of weeks ago, I highly recommend it.     You check your bags through to your home airport from the ship.   They aren't charging anything for that service in Seattle.

 

The airport was an absolute zoo flying home...    really long lines to check bags and for TSA, so be sure to allow plenty of time on your return.

[Sailing12Away]

We were just in Seattle on 8/27 for an NCL sailing. There were RCC folks at the airport picking up guests for a RCC sailing - so last week, it was certainly available. 

 

Port Valet was available to us on NCL as well - just a word of caution, you may not get your bag. Leaving the ship and getting to the airport was a breeze without having to worry about checking luggage or schlepping it anywhere. But when we landed in JFK we were one suitcase short. 

 

Alaska airlines blamed TSA, but when we finally got our bag back to us a day later the tags told a different story. Alaska airlines somehow shipped the bag to San Diego instead of New York. Then the bag took a flight from SAN to JFK the following morning, and a courier service had to deliver it to our home at 10pm the following night. 

 

So just make sure you don't have anything in that suitcase that you need anytime soon...

[Italy52]

I was on the 8/9 Serenade of the Seas sailing to Alaska out of Seattle.  I called Royal to see if I could get round trip bus transfers to the pier/airport.  I was told that since I did not use their air service, I could not book airport to pier.  I could, however, book pier to airport and that is what I did.  We were staying at an airport hotel one day prior to embarkation so we had Seattle Express pick us up at the hotel and transport us to the pier --- wonderful experience and on time.  From here on out, whenever in Seattle, I will use Seattle Express.

[Machta]

All very interesting replies!  Thank you for the input!  I've just booked Port Valet.  We are not using RCL's air service (I had a TON of unused miles after no travel during covid), so maybe that's why we can't access the transfers.