Flight After Cruise

[CLM0928]

I have been looking at flights for our Aug cruise Seattle/Alaska and United had a 2p flight but it now shows 12:58p.  If we handle our own luggage at disembarkation and use a taxi will we make a 1 pm flight?  There are very few direct to Houston that day and not wanting layovers.  I currently have transfers booked with Princess but will cancel if a taxi better option.  We are in Club Mini which I think possibly gives us early departure times but not definite on that.  Thanks for any advice.

[Rick&Jeannie]

We have done Seattle departures 3 times now.  Assuming you dock at about 7:00am (typical) you should have no trouble making a 1:00pm flight.  The airport is 20-25 minutes from the port.

[Sea Hag]

6 minutes ago, CLM0928 said:

I have been looking at flights for our Aug cruise Seattle/Alaska and United had a 2p flight but it now shows 12:58p.  If we handle our own luggage at disembarkation and use a taxi will we make a 1 pm flight?  There are very few direct to Houston that day and not wanting layovers.  I currently have transfers booked with Princess but will cancel if a taxi better option.  We are in Club Mini which I think possibly gives us early departure times but not definite on that.  Thanks for any advice.

We have made a flight from Seattle that was somewhat earlier than that. But last August when we flew out of Seattle, the airport was a jam-packed madhouse. We were in the security line forever. Do you have TSA PRE or global entry? That would help a lot. After that experience, we got PRE. Haven't tried that out yet, but we're hoping it will help. As for your departure time from the ship, you should be able to get as early as possible. It may involve going to customer service and being very firm.

[cr8tiv1]

11 minutes ago, CLM0928 said:

I have been looking at flights for our Aug cruise Seattle/Alaska and United had a 2p flight but it now shows 12:58p.  If we handle our own luggage at disembarkation and use a taxi will we make a 1 pm flight?  There are very few direct to Houston that day and not wanting layovers.  I currently have transfers booked with Princess but will cancel if a taxi better option.  We are in Club Mini which I think possibly gives us early departure times but not definite on that.  Thanks for any advice.

 

Club Class mini isn't necessary.  You can request an early walk off or first off after self disembark.  I believe SEA has EZ luggage service (don't know required flight times).  Traffic to SEA can be horrible early in the morning.  It recently took us over an hour to get from Olympia to SEA for a morning flight.  Once inside the terminal, it wasn't as bad as I thought, but I have TSA pre-check.  

[Sea Hag]

3 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Club Class mini isn't necessary.  You can request an early walk off or first off after self disembark.  I believe SEA has EZ luggage service (don't know required flight times).  Traffic to SEA can be horrible early in the morning.  It recently took us over an hour to get from Olympia to SEA for a morning flight.  Once inside the terminal, it wasn't as bad as I thought, but I have TSA pre-check.  

The luggage service, Port Valet, is available for flights between 12:00 and 4:00. So, the OP should be able to do that. I forgot about this.

[JudithLynne]

Did you book your flights through Princess?

Port Valet is a good option and well worth the money.  They take your luggage to the airport; you will get your boarding passes the evening before departure.  This cuts off a lot of time at SeaTac.

We always use Seattle Express for airport transfer; they are quick and dependable.

We have taken many cruises out of Seattle, some with 1pm return flights and never had a problem.

Try not to worry and enjoy your cruise!

[MissP22]

21 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Assuming you dock at about 7:00am (typical) you should have no trouble making a 1:00pm flight. 

With 4 + hours to spare. 

[EDDY0827]

The luggage service from the ship to SEA is a free service provided by the city of Seattle.

We used it in 8/20 and it worked great!

[nini]

If you booked through EZ Air, then it is supposed to be fine. The port is not far from the airport.

[Sailaway617]

Would purchasing Princess transfers be an option?

[Sailaway617]

Would purchasing Princess transfers be an option? I’m sorry I see you have Princess transfers already. Why would a taxi be a better option if you are worried about making it to the airport on time?

[CLM0928]

On 2/16/2023 at 10:05 PM, Sailaway617 said:

Would purchasing Princess transfers be an option? I’m sorry I see you have Princess transfers already. Why would a taxi be a better option if you are worried about making it to the airport on time?

We are new to ship transfers and not sure if we would have a long wait before leaving for the airport.  Do they wait til full before departing port?  I figured if we did a taxi we could get a head start on the cruise transfer.

[mowogo]

3 minutes ago, CLM0928 said:

We are new to ship transfers and not sure if we would have a long wait before leaving for the airport.  Do they wait til full before departing port?  I figured if we did a taxi we could get a head start on the cruise transfer.

Until full, or another bus is there and they send the first bus on with a decent but not full number of passengers.  

[Sailaway617]

.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Sailaway617
Didn’t quote correctly

[Sailaway617]

1 hour ago, CLM0928 said:

We are new to ship transfers and not sure if we would have a long wait before leaving for the airport.  Do they wait til full before departing port?  I figured if we did a taxi we could get a head start on the cruise transfer.

You have me worried now, lol. I thought purchasing the transfers helped ensure you make your flight if you are in the window of time Princess recommends. We actually have a flight leaving at noon from SeaTac and the Princess recommendation is for a flight after 11:30 am. So I thought we’d be good. Our flight out was offered through ez air but we booked it independently.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Sailaway617

[mowogo]

3 minutes ago, Sailaway617 said:

You have me worried now, lol. I thought purchasing the transfers helped ensure you make your flight if you are in the window of time Princess recommends. We actually have a flight leaving at noon from SeaTac and the Princess recommendation is for a flight after 11:30 am. So I thought we’d be good. Our flight out was offered through ez air but we booked it independently.

If you book the transfer through Princess, you will be one of the first off the ship behind the walk offs.  

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, CLM0928 said:

We are new to ship transfers and not sure if we would have a long wait before leaving for the airport.  Do they wait til full before departing port?  I figured if we did a taxi we could get a head start on the cruise transfer.

We’ve cruised out of Seattle many times and people on this site really taught be the best of the best … so, here are our suggestions:  

You should be fine with any flight that is after noon.  Booking your air via EZ air would give you that extra assurance on catching a flight if there is some delay in disembarkation.  
 

The SeaTac airport is not really far from the airport, but there can be horrendous traffic.  The security lines can also be very long once in the airport but there are a couple of tricks to use to help you navigate your way and make your trip back home less stressful …

 

if you have TSA pre check, that will make your life easier.  Even better, if you book first or business class, you will have a much shorter line going through security. 

Lastly, you can ‘save a spot’ for the security line ahead of time by using the following link:  

https://www.portseattle.org/SEAspotsaver

 

next, if you check your luggage using EZ check while onboard, the City of Seattle will pick up the tab.  They will check your larger bags for you on the last night of the cruise and you won’t have to see them again until you hit your home airport.  You won’t even have to weight them to make sure they aren’t that dreaded 51 pounds.  Here’s a link to some info on that service:
https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free

 

lastly, I love Seattle Express for taking you for your return trip to the airport.  They have a dedicated spot at the cruise terminal and their shuttle leaves every 15 minutes or so to take you directly to the airport.  You can just sign up for a ride without having to choose a specific time.  
It is much cheaper than the transfers and you won’t have to wait for the bus to fill up before they depart from the cruise terminal. This service is invaluable when traveling to the airport.  
https://seattleexpress.com/cruise-ship-transfers/

PS .. their service has been so good that even though I had to cancel my transfer beyond the deadline, due to getting CoVid, they still refunded my money to me.  
 

happy travels and hope this info helps!  

 

 

 

 

[deliver42]

With a 12:58 flight, you won't have any problem. That's about the same time we use going home to the Charlotte, NC airport  on American. I think it was 1:05.

[VibeGuy]

Local here.  1:00 is totally fine.  Do Port Valet for the luggage and you even have time to do something fun before the airport.  I twitch at anything earlier than 10:50 on cruise days 

[caribill]

On 2/15/2023 at 3:12 PM, JudithLynne said:

 

Port Valet is a good option and well worth the money. 

 

At a cost of $0.00 it certainly is.

[CLM0928]

Thank you all for the advice.  I will definitely be looking into Port Valet.  Definitely sounds like a win win situation!

[red4u2]

We have an early flight home after our cruise, 11 am. we have a mobility impaired person traveling with us. We are flying home on Southwest. Does anyone know if they have a dedicated mobility impaired outside counter to check in at so our traveling companion doesn't have to wait in a huge line ?  or a dedicated inside counter?  After check -in they will be using be using wheelchair assistance to our gate, so we will be going though TSA wheelchair assistance with them, or using the lane holder service.

 

 Also what do you think would be quicker, Uber, Lyft, Taxi or Seattle express to the airport?

 

Thank you in advance!

[VibeGuy]

There are usually pretty substantial queues for a taxi at the cruise terminal, but there’s now a shuttle to a Uber/Lyft pickup area about four city blocks away (see graphic) , so I think total net time door to door they’re all about the same.  A point to ponder is that there are generally more Lyft and Uber and cabs available around the city than there is demand, but Seattle Express is booked to capacity on cruise days.  If something goes wrong (traffic getting to the pier, mechanical failure, meteor strike), I think Uber/Lyft/cab has a better chance of getting you to the airport on time.   

 

 

Southwest does not have curbside here.  There is a dedicated area to meet wheelchair assistance just inside the terminal, closer to the doors than the counter.  
 

Strong Opinion:  An 11:00 flight has about ten minutes of cushion from my earliest recommendation, and I’m generally pretty optimistic in my predictions.  One big risk is that you’re really limited to using the Departures drive at SEA, which is the first place that gets gridlocked on a cruise day.  You don’t really have the option of diverting to Arrivals (less jammed at that hour) or the garage (free parking if the ticket clears within 15 minutes) because of the mobility impairment and the need to get wheelchair assistance.  Combine this with the possibility of delay getting off the ship with wheelchair assist, and it’s honestly tighter than I would personally feel comfortable with.  My 10:50 guidance is based on being able to rapidly switch TSA queues, vamp the specific location the car drops at, etc.  I think odds are decent you’ll make the flight, but they’re definitely lower than 90%.  

[red4u2]

20 hours ago, VibeGuy said:

There are usually pretty substantial queues for a taxi at the cruise terminal, but there’s now a shuttle to a Uber/Lyft pickup area about four city blocks away (see graphic) , so I think total net time door to door they’re all about the same.  A point to ponder is that there are generally more Lyft and Uber and cabs available around the city than there is demand, but Seattle Express is booked to capacity on cruise days.  If something goes wrong (traffic getting to the pier, mechanical failure, meteor strike), I think Uber/Lyft/cab has a better chance of getting you to the airport on time.   

 

 

Southwest does not have curbside here.  There is a dedicated area to meet wheelchair assistance just inside the terminal, closer to the doors than the counter.  
 

Strong Opinion:  An 11:00 flight has about ten minutes of cushion from my earliest recommendation, and I’m generally pretty optimistic in my predictions.  One big risk is that you’re really limited to using the Departures drive at SEA, which is the first place that gets gridlocked on a cruise day.  You don’t really have the option of diverting to Arrivals (less jammed at that hour) or the garage (free parking if the ticket clears within 15 minutes) because of the mobility impairment and the need to get wheelchair assistance.  Combine this with the possibility of delay getting off the ship with wheelchair assist, and it’s honestly tighter than I would personally feel comfortable with.  My 10:50 guidance is based on being able to rapidly switch TSA queues, vamp the specific location the car drops at, etc.  I think odds are decent you’ll make the flight, but they’re definitely lower than 90%.  

I can't thank you enough Vibe guy!! All that info was tremendously helpful!! 😊😊