Catching a taxi at the pier in Seattle

[tlm]

Our flight home from Seattle after our Sun Alaskan cruise is at 12:30pm. We will be asking for an early disembarkation.

 

How easy will it be to catch a Taxi to take us to the airport? Should we maybe book a shuttle to be on the safe side?

 

Thanks

 

Toni

[Lobo11]

I live in Ca now but Seattle is "HOME"....you will not have a problem getting a cab at all, they are everywhere.

[electricron]

At 12:30 pm you're cutting it very close.

 

You'll find plenty of taxis, or you could use a private shuttle that you will have to reserve in advance, or use the bus service NCL provides which you can reserve in advance.

 

It only takes 30 to 45 minutes to get to the Seatac airport from pier 66.

So, one would think setting aside 3 hours would be enough. But it's not!

 

There will probably be at least two other cruise ships disembarking passengers on the same day, and everyone arrives at Seatac at about the same time. And that's the major rub, as Seatac has to be the worse airport in the USA to get into.

 

Everyone is unloading in front of the terminal, and there just isn't enough room for everyone to do it at one location, which is all they have. You could easily see a half hour to an hour delay just getting to the unloading zone and checking in your bags at the curb side service. Then another hour to two hour delay getting through security, because they bunch everyone into one location to enter. Then you could have up to a mile to walk to get to the remote terminals, if you are so lucky to have to catch a flight from them.

 

So, basically, I'm saying you could easily lose three hours just getting to your gate once you have reached Seatac. It could take an hour for disembarkation to start once your ship docks, and US Customs may cause further delays.

 

To make that 12:30 pm flight, you'll need at least 3 hours at the airport, plan on another hour to get there from the pier, and another hour or two to disembark. Adding that all up, it's 5 to 6 hours. Your ship will have to arrive at the dock between 6:30 am to 7:30 am to make that flight.

 

This year, the Sun is scheduled to arrive at the pier at 7:00 am. On May 15, it is scheduled to arrive at 9:00 am. You're definately cutting it really close.

 

I wouldn't book a flight before 2 pm unless there wasn't another flight I could take later. Then I wouldn't book before 1 pm unless I had someone I trusted to pick me up at the pier.

[tlm]

At 12:30 pm you're cutting it very close.

 

You'll find plenty of taxis, or you could use a private shuttle that you will have to reserve in advance, or use the bus service NCL provides which you can reserve in advance.

 

It only takes 30 to 45 minutes to get to the Seatac airport from pier 66.

So, one would think setting aside 3 hours would be enough. But it's not!

 

There will probably be at least two other cruise ships disembarking passengers on the same day, and everyone arrives at Seatac at about the same time. And that's the major rub, as Seatac has to be the worse airport in the USA to get into.

 

Everyone is unloading in front of the terminal, and there just isn't enough room for everyone to do it at one location, which is all they have. You could easily see a half hour to an hour delay just getting to the unloading zone and checking in your bags at the curb side service. Then another hour to two hour delay getting through security, because they bunch everyone into one location to enter. Then you could have up to a mile to walk to get to the remote terminals, if you are so lucky to have to catch a flight from them.

 

So, basically, I'm saying you could easily lose three hours just getting to your gate once you have reached Seatac. It could take an hour for disembarkation to start once your ship docks, and US Customs may cause further delays.

 

To make that 12:30 pm flight, you'll need at least 3 hours at the airport, plan on another hour to get there from the pier, and another hour or two to disembark. Adding that all up, it's 5 to 6 hours. Your ship will have to arrive at the dock between 6:30 am to 7:30 am to make that flight.

 

This year, the Sun is scheduled to arrive at the pier at 7:00 am. On May 15, it is scheduled to arrive at 9:00 am. You're definately cutting it really close.

 

I wouldn't book a flight before 2 pm unless there wasn't another flight I could take later. Then I wouldn't book before 1 pm unless I had someone I trusted to pick me up at the pier.

 

Yipes! I guess we better look at a private shuttle picking us up as we can't get a later flight.

 

Thanks for your information.

 

Toni

[love2cruiseseattle]

Just do curb side check in at the SeaTac and then you can go through any security gate, they all go to the same area. I would just catch a taxi out in front of the cruise terminal, have them take 99 out to the airport, you should be there in about 20 minutes max.

[tlm]

Just do curb side check in at the SeaTac and then you can go through any security gate, they all go to the same area. I would just catch a taxi out in front of the cruise terminal, have them take 99 out to the airport, you should be there in about 20 minutes max.

 

I have my scooter to check so I'm not sure I can do curb side. I'll check with the airline. I may be able to take it right to the gate and check it there.

 

Thanks for your help.

Toni

[chewap]

If you get off the ship by 8:30 AM and out by the taxis you should be Ok. Only 20 minutes to Airport. Secuity lines are no more than 10 minutes. 3 seperate locations to go through security. The southern line is usually has no wiat.

[calikak]

I agree with mukluk, as long as you're off relatively early you should be fine. There are usually tons of taxis out there at disembarkation along with a bunch of shuttles. Ask the taxi driver to take 99 rather than I-5, and if s/he says no, then pick a different cab because your driver is a moron. :D More likely, the driver will say "duh, of course that's the way we'll go." It's about a $30 cab ride from Pier 66 to the airport.

 

If you decide to do a shuttle instead, the big company here is Shuttle Express. You can book right on their website.

[tlm]

Thank you all for your help. I think, to be safe, we'll take a shuttle. I've checked out Shuttle Express and we'll book with them.

 

Toni

[mj5739]

This information has been a great help. I, too, just checked out Shuttle Express. We will be in a penthouse suite on NCL Sun and I understand we will be able to get priority debarkation. What would be the absolute earliest we should schedule our pickup?

Thanks,

Mike

[love2cruiseseattle]

Not sure it you save a bunch, but you may want to consider just catching a taxi. There will be lots of them waiting once you come out of the terminal. That way you won't have to schedule a thing. You just never know how early you get off of the ship.