Seattle Q&A/FAQ

[she-muff]

It is in town. Though I live in Federal Way, just south of the airport, I'm not familiar with any near the airport proper. I would go in town, were it me.

 

Thanks! Will take your advice and shop in town!

[RCS2cruise]

Even if you get up in the high 300-level, there aren't any really bad seats at Safeco Field. But try for View Box seats--they're the last five or six rows at the bottom of the 300 level. You have a great view from anyplace in that section, and if you can get anywhere close to home plate, I think they're among the best seats in the park. View Box seats cost far less than anything on the 100 level, but I'd rather sit there than in the back of the spendy seats down below. In June, if it's sunny and you're out toward right field, you'll get some late-afternoon sun in your face for the first couple of innings, so be sure to bring sunglasses and a hat.

 

Getting to the park by public transportation (you could take the monorail from Seattle Center to Westlake, and then switch to the light rail to the Stadium stop) shouldn't be difficult.

 

Have some garlic fries and a Shiskaberry for me!

 

 

This is a very belated thank you to Casagordita and Gardyloo for the advice re ballgames at Safeco field. We did go to the game on the night before our cruise. Our hotel (Quality Inn) had a shuttle package ($6 pp return) and did a great job on the transportation issue. We did buy seats at the gate, view box 300 level by 1st base. While the Mariners ended up losing, we had a great time, especially enjoying the Shiskaberries. They were so gooood, we're still having cravings for them. I think we're going to have to get some melting chocolate and strawberries to make them ourselves:D. Thanks again for all your advice.

Mary Anne

[Ready4cruisin]

Hello everyone! Has anyone used "Lets Tour Seattle" for a precruise tour? I wanted something to do the morning of the cruise and found them. But, I can't find any reviews on them. Any help would be appreciated:)

Thanks

[Casagordita]

This is a very belated thank you to Casagordita and Gardyloo for the advice re ballgames at Safeco field. We did go to the game on the night before our cruise. Our hotel (Quality Inn) had a shuttle package ($6 pp return) and did a great job on the transportation issue. We did buy seats at the gate, view box 300 level by 1st base. While the Mariners ended up losing, we had a great time, especially enjoying the Shiskaberries. They were so gooood, we're still having cravings for them. I think we're going to have to get some melting chocolate and strawberries to make them ourselves:D. Thanks again for all your advice.

Mary Anne

 

 

I'm so glad!! And thank you for coming back and telling us how it went--I always do wonder what people end up doing after they post their questions here.

 

We're going to a game in a couple of weeks--I'll be sure to have a Shiskaberry in your honor!

[RoupMom]

This may have been asked earlier, but I can't find it in a search --- our DS is taking us to Pier 91 on Friday morning. We have the directions to the pier, but once you get there, how does it work? From google maps it appears that the cruise terminal is at the end of the pier, but it doesn't appear that there's any traffic there. Where do you get dropped off? Thanks in advance.

[dustyroad]

the road takes you right up too the terminal entrance. they will direct you too the turn around where you can stop and get out with your luggage. it is easily walkable too the ternimal entrance. just know ahead of time it is a busy place with cabs and towncars coming and going. but the walk is in the middle and safe. they will stop traffic for you too cross over. when we were there in may there was a lady outside that sold soda, water, chips and things. you might want too take advantage of that because as i recall there is nothing in the terminal too buy anything. have a great time.

[vbmom87]

Just returned from my visit to Seattle and the 14 day Alaskan cruise. I want to thank everyone who provided me with great information.

 

We started our stay at Mt. Rainier and were disappointed we didn't book two nights there. We really like to be amidst nature far more than we enjoy cities. We stayed at the Paradise Inn and would return there in a heartbeat!!

 

In Seattle we stayed at the Quality Inn on John Street and were VERY HAPPY with our choice. We loved the location. It was much calmer than the downtown area, which suited us perfectly. I did request a room away from the highway and they did provide us with one. We booked the cheapest room and it ended up being larger than I expected. With the updates they recently completed, we found the hotel to be lovely and in good shape. The free parking was a real plus!!! The continental breakfast was adequate.

 

I have to say that we expected Seattle to have much steeper hills after reading the comments of many posters. My husband and I decided that those who commented on the hilly nature of downtown Seattle have not been to downtown Pittsburgh.;) We are in our early sixties and not physically active. We had no problems in downtown Seattle. It is only the first block up from the waterfront that is steep. The rest of the blocks we found quite manageable.

 

We used Seattle Express to get us from pier 91 to the airport and couldn't have been more pleased. For $12 a person it is a great deal for a party of two. http://www.seattleexpress.com/21501.html

 

Thanks again to all you Seattle experts for sharing information. It helped make our trip go smoothly!!!

[mapleleaves]

yeah, vbmom, you're back. You must have just landed !

Glad you enjoyed Mt Rainier. I wondered if there was still too much snow for wandering around. And relieved that you enjoyed the hotel! Hope you had a great cruise and wonderful excursions. cheers.

[vbmom87]

yeah, vbmom, you're back. You must have just landed !

Glad you enjoyed Mt Rainier. I wondered if there was still too much snow for wandering around. And relieved that you enjoyed the hotel! Hope you had a great cruise and wonderful excursions. cheers.

 

We could not hike at Paradise as the snow had not yet melted on the trails there, but we did take other hikes in the park...Sunrise, Grove of the Patriarchs, etc. We were told they had 900+ inches of snow at Paradise this winter. A normal winter is 600+ inches. We were told they could not remember when the trails were closed in August.

 

The cruise was fantastic!!! Great weather...just a few drizzly mornings, but nothing to ruin a day. We had a great experience at Pack Creek to watch bears catching salmon and some cubs just playing in the water and in the fields. It was awesome. We also witnessed some great bubblenet feeding in Icy Strait. In Homer we had a great nature hike with Alaska Coastal Studies. Every port offered us something wonderful. It was truly a wonderful time in Alaska.

[CupKayke]

Looks like we need the best way (taxi?) to get from Pike Place Market to the Lake Union Argosy Cruise Harbor (for the 2 hour Lakes cruise). We'll need to walk as little as possible (sprained my knee Sunday :().

 

I'm thinking (after a little research here and there) we should just taxi there and taxi back? If so, anyone have any idea how much this will cost the two of us?

 

Also... should we have Lupper (late lunch/early supper) while we are over there ~ any good waterfront/waterview restaurants in the Lake Union area??

 

We've got the first half of our day in Seattle booked... now trying to wrap-up what we'll do the remainder of the day... Thanks ahead of time to anyone willing to give some good advice! :)

[Casagordita]

Looks like we need the best way (taxi?) to get from Pike Place Market to the Lake Union Argosy Cruise Harbor (for the 2 hour Lakes cruise). We'll need to walk as little as possible (sprained my knee Sunday :().

 

I'm thinking (after a little research here and there) we should just taxi there and taxi back? If so, anyone have any idea how much this will cost the two of us?

 

Also... should we have Lupper (late lunch/early supper) while we are over there ~ any good waterfront/waterview restaurants in the Lake Union area??

 

We've got the first half of our day in Seattle booked... now trying to wrap-up what we'll do the remainder of the day... Thanks ahead of time to anyone willing to give some good advice! :)

 

 

With your mobility difficulties, I'd say the taxi is your best option. You'll probably be looking at around $10 - $12 each way.

 

I believe the Argosy dock is right next to McCormick & Schmick's Harborside, which would have been a great choice for a meal...but I just looked, and they've closed for a few months for renovations, dang it! Other good places nearby (probably not walkable with a bad knee, but they would be, otherwise) are Chandler's Crabhouse http://www.schwartzbros.com/pr_restaurants_chandlers.cfm and Duke's Chowderhouse http://www.dukeschowderhouse.com/. They're both on the lake, but if I remember right, Chandlers has a better view. Duke's is less expensive--or at least, you can get off cheaper there if you try!

[CupKayke]

Thank you!

[gbcruise]

I'm so glad!! And thank you for coming back and telling us how it went--I always do wonder what people end up doing after they post their questions here.

 

We're going to a game in a couple of weeks--I'll be sure to have a Shiskaberry in your honor!

 

Just booked the game for the night of Sept 1st. Will land at Seatac and in a couple hours be at the ballfield. We will really enjoy trying the Shiskaberries! Thanks for all of the info, it has helped us fill our pre/post cruise days!

[Casagordita]

Just booked the game for the night of Sept 1st. Will land at Seatac and in a couple hours be at the ballfield. We will really enjoy trying the Shiskaberries! Thanks for all of the info, it has helped us fill our pre/post cruise days!

 

Have fun! (and who knows...maybe the Mariners will even win. The did tonight! :D )

[TravelWise101]

I wasn't sure if I already thanked those on here for the wonderful advise given. So, thank you all so very much!

 

Our recent trip to Alaska was enhanced by the information we gained through the lovely CC members.

 

We recommend saving the free-ride-zone area to your lap-top for reference which we did and frequently visited it at night while planning our next days adventure. Even though we used the free-bus often, it seems we really walked a lot in the downtown area.

 

$19/person seemed high for the aquarium but that's just our opinion. Didn't take much time at all for us to cover the whole area. Screaming children (fussy babies) makes it a bit difficult to watch the fish and go to your happy place, if you know what I mean. But, there was a huge line out the door to get in when we left so it's a popular attraction that if you go you'll want to hit the door right when they open.

[JJ2sail]

Hi all!

 

We will be taking the evening Amtrak train from Vancouver to Seattle after disembarking from our Cruise. We will be arriving in Seattle around 10:00 pm. Will we be able to find transportation from the train station to an airport hotel?

 

Thanks so much! :)

 

Hi Martha!

 

I didn't see your question answered, so.....

 

Yes, there are taxi's at the train station.

[BDL]

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience with Cameo Limo? They were recommended by the Residence Inn Lake Union. They said it would be $35 + tip from the airport to the hotel.

 

I did a search on this thread but the only mention of them was from 2008. It was a positive post but I was hoping for any more recent experiences with them.

 

Thanks,

Barb

[ron1946]

You have been a wealth of information for so many of us! Thank you for all your help.... I do have a question though -

 

We will fly in from Florida the day before our Carnival Cruise (5/14/12). I am presently investigating hotels for my wife and I. Some one recommended the Holiday Inn Express downtown. We don't know when our flight gets in yet (too early yet and we will be coming from Florida), but would like to at least see Pikes Market. Any thoughts on the H/I Express and it's location in regard to the Market and the pier (91 I believe). Thanks again for your help.

[mapleleaves]

We will fly in from Florida the day before our Carnival Cruise (5/14/12). I am presently investigating hotels for my wife and I. Some one recommended the Holiday Inn Express downtown. We don't know when our flight gets in yet (too early yet and we will be coming from Florida), but would like to at least see Pikes Market. Any thoughts on the H/I Express and it's location in regard to the Market and the pier (91 I believe). Thanks again for your help.

 

Which location? The Seattle Center location on Aurora Ave?

If so, it's 3-4 blocks from the Seattle Center and about a mile from the Market. I've driven by; it looks nice enough. Newer than the Comfort inn and Travel Lodge nearby. Aurora is a busy street (also known as Hwy 99 so get a room away from the road).

If you can walk a few blocks, you can take the monorail from the Seattle Center to downtown, then walk downhill 4 blocks to the Market. Catch a cab back for about $15. And a cab to Pier 91 will be about $15.

http://www.seattlemonorail.com/information.php

(Check the roll call for a recent sailing of your ship and see what passengers said about where they stayed )

[Casagordita]

You have been a wealth of information for so many of us! Thank you for all your help.... I do have a question though -

 

We will fly in from Florida the day before our Carnival Cruise (5/14/12). I am presently investigating hotels for my wife and I. Some one recommended the Holiday Inn Express downtown. We don't know when our flight gets in yet (too early yet and we will be coming from Florida), but would like to at least see Pikes Market. Any thoughts on the H/I Express and it's location in regard to the Market and the pier (91 I believe). Thanks again for your help.

 

 

If you're talking about the Holiday Inn Express that the Holiday Inn website refers to as "City Center"...it's not, really. It's definitely not downtown, at any rate. It's nearer Seattle Center, and not in walking distance of Pike Place Market unless you like a good hike. It wouldn't be a bad cab ride (I'm guessing $10 or $15 each way), but if proximity to the Market and other downtown and waterfront sights, there are lot of hotels that are closer.

[ron1946]

...but if proximity to the Market and other downtown and waterfront sights, there are lot of hotels that are closer.

 

Suggestions? Never been to Seattle, so any help appreciated.

[Casagordita]

Suggestions? Never been to Seattle, so any help appreciated.

 

Being a local, I'm probably not the best one to recommend--I don't stay in downtown Seattle hotels very often! You can probably find a lot of good recommendations already posted here. Or, if you're looking for a bargain and feeling adventurous, try bidding low on something in the "Seattle Downtown - Pike Place" zone on Priceline. You have lots of time to experiment with that and see what comes up, but sometimes you don't get the real deals there until closer to your date.

 

I did stay in the Westin once, LONG ago, and it was quite nice. I also spent a night in the Hotel Monaco more recently, and it was lovely--and I got that at a heck of a good rate from Priceline.

[mapleleaves]

Ron,

it all depends on your budget....

Lodging is cheaper by the Seattle Center because it's further from the downtown core. If you go back a page you'll see a message from vbmom who just ret'd from a cruise; they stayed at Comfort Inn and liked being away from downtown. It all depends on where you want to be and what you want to spend. You can stay at the Inn at the Market or right on the waterfront or stay at the airport. Lots of options.

You only mentioned wanting to see the Market BTW, it closes around 5pm. If you arrive late afternoon you could easily visit in the morning, before the cruise.

[vbmom87]

Ron,

it all depends on your budget....

Lodging is cheaper by the Seattle Center because it's further from the downtown core. If you go back a page you'll see a message from vbmom who just ret'd from a cruise; they stayed at Comfort Inn and liked being away from downtown. It all depends on where you want to be and what you want to spend. You can stay at the Inn at the Market or right on the waterfront or stay at the airport. Lots of options.

You only mentioned wanting to see the Market BTW, it closes around 5pm. If you arrive late afternoon you could easily visit in the morning, before the cruise.

 

This is VBmom and yes I liked the Seattle Center area very much. However, I stayed at the Quality Inn on John Street not the Comfort Inn. The Comfort Inn is now the Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Seattle Center.

I loved this area. It was not so busy as the downtown area and most of the hotels in this area include free parking. The only "problem" with the Holiday Inn is you have to walk a ways to cross over the highway. Not really a biggie though. If the price was right, I would consider it. One day we walked from downtown back to the Seattle Center area and it was not a bad walk for us, but we like to walk.

[CupKayke]

Suggestions? Never been to Seattle, so any help appreciated.

 

We aren't staying there for another 20-some days but we have reservations at the WARWICK Seattle. We did a pre-pay online rate and got it for like $120/130. I think the pre-booking rate online is $150. The reviews on Trip Advisor are fantastic. I have read over and over that it is an easy breezy walk to the Pike Place Market AND to the Space Needle ~ it is apparently somewhere about 10/15 min walk near both places. Our rate is for a King Deluxe room ~ Upgraded so we get a higher floor and a juliet balcony. From everything I've read the upper floors are renovated. You can actually get a better rate than we got if you don't want to pay for the Deluxe room. In my research I have found there is a Starbucks 2 minutes away (across the street it seems), a fantastic restaurant and bar in the bottom floor of the hotel, an 8 minute walk to the free bus which will take you everywhere you want to go that might not be super-close (like the pier 55/waterfront restaurants/etc). There is a movie theater and a Ralph's Grocery Store directly across from the hotel. You can google all this but I thought I'd share my knowledge. I can't give a recommendation until we return however... thought I would share what I know for now.... :)