SEA airport after Alaskan cruise

[racepoint]

I'm searching airfares/airlines and need some help. We're sailing STAR to Alaska in Mid-July. What's the earliest time I should book at the Seattle airport for our flight home? There's alot of 10:30 a.m. flights being offered, but that seems early to me. Do-able???

[electricron]

Doable only if you get in the Freestyle disembarkation line before breakfast, carry all your own bags, get one of the first taxis, and nothing goes wrong. SeaTac is one of the worse airports in the country, imho, and it's worse on cruise ships arrival days.

 

Instead, I recommend eating a luxurious breakfast, let the crew handle most of your bags, and take a later flight. You could even spend some time touring Seattle, or at least visit the Space Needle, before heading to the crowded SeaTac airport.

[Don Haynes]

Not really doable. SeaTac Airport has only a handful of security gates at one main gate with very long walks to the airport gates. If you are not the first off the ship, and one of the firsts to grab a cab, you will end up in the middle of three ship's passengers arriving at the airport. Not the 500th but more like the 3,000 passenger. Imagine the lines at security. Way to long to catch a 10:30 flight. I barely made a 1:00 flight.

 

The problem is Seattle's location. Its too far to drive across the United States from the east coast or midwest, much less the south where most of the population of America is. While its drivable from the Pacific Northwest, I would not drive much further. Even the passengers from LA to Allbuquerque and Denver and Salt Lake City fly, much less California. Seattle is one of the most detached cities in the United States, almost as much as Honolulu.

 

Since 90 percent or more of the passengers will fly to Seattle, the airport gets crowded fast. Then add the citizens of Seattle. Its a mess. While Miami is also detached geographically, many passengers come from Florida, Florida has 20 million citizens, up to 40 million just in the southeast within a day's drive. The Pacific Northwest is much more like 8 million.

 

I would plan from SeaTac at least a flight no earlier than 1 PM.

[DAGVBSB]

We did the Star in 2005. Don and Electricron are right...SeaTac is the worst airport! It is also extemely crowded in the mornings....be prepared to wait no matter when you fly out.

 

We had a 1:30 p.m. flight and made it to the gate at 1:00 p.m. after waiting in line at the ticket counter (skycap service just as long) and then the security checkpoints and the long walk to the gate.

 

1:00 p.m. is doable with express disembarkation, but that is a pain. Try for a 1:30 or later flight.

[racepoint]

Thanks for all your input. Just as I suspected . . . 10:30 would be pushing it Okay. Scenario #2: does anyone have experience booking a hotel for Saturday and getting checked in before the customary 3:00 check-in time? I'm tossing that idea around, and then get a flight out on Sunday a.m.:rolleyes:

[Don Haynes]

No problem. Well I flew from the DFW airport and arrived after noon in Seattle and was on the ship by 1:30 in time to eat lunch before the restaurant closed. Of course, being in July, there was no chance of snow messing up the flights. Left on time and arrived on time. SeaTac is only about 40 or so minutes away from the pier. I'm sure you will easily arrive before 3 PM if you don't over sleep all day. If you are flying in a day earlier I highly recommend a ferry trip across the Sound in the mornings as a passenger. The best way to see beautiful Puget Sound is on it.

[DAGVBSB]

Thanks for all your input. Just as I suspected . . . 10:30 would be pushing it Okay. Scenario #2: does anyone have experience booking a hotel for Saturday and getting checked in before the customary 3:00 check-in time? I'm tossing that idea around, and then get a flight out on Sunday a.m.:rolleyes:

 

How about Scenerio #3... We stayed at a hotel at the airport one time when we had to fly in a day early for our cruise.

 

Why not take NCL's Seattle City Tour after you get off the Star. The Tour drops you off at the Airport in the afternoon. Then just have the airport hotel that you are staying at, pick you up at the airport. Then you can have the hotel's airport shuttle take you back the next morning for your flight? (and then you can have as early a flight as you want!)

[USC93]

Scenario #2: does anyone have experience booking a hotel for Saturday and getting checked in before the customary 3:00 check-in time? I'm tossing that idea around, and then get a flight out on Sunday a.m.:rolleyes:

 

We did this in Summer '06. Stayed at the Hotel Vintage Park. We didn't check in but they did let us drop off our luggage. I think most hotels would do this.

[yakdaddy42]

hi

 

take it from a washington resdent seatac has problems. it is easer for me to fly in from eastern washington than to drive and park.

 

seattle has a great waterfront i would fly in a day early get a room at the edgewater hotel (free bus in downtown area) there is pike place within walking and a ton of seafood places along the water front.

 

besides the ship docks are all close to the edgewater hotel. with in walking distance for some ships.

[SeattleCruiselover]

1:30 pm bare minimum. There is a ton of construction going on at Sea-Tac every day of the week what with the new runway and the installation of light rail.

 

Edgewater Hotel is very nice, and right next door to Pier 66. Rooms for two are going for $389.00 to $724.00 per night for the second week of July. Unless you want to make like John, Paul, George and Ringo and fish out the back window, you can likely find something at least slightly more economical elsewhere.