Cruising out of Seattle

[cjml]

We dock at 6 a.m. returning from our Alaska cruise. How much time should I allow before booking my return flight home?

[TicTac#2]

IMHO book a afternoon flight. The cruise line will help you with early disembarkation if you have an AM flight but it should be late AM to be safe.

[cjml]

Thank you for your advice.

[4x4bob]

Cjmj

Since you are arriving at 0600 AM make your flight reservations in the afternoon, then try to schedule a ship sponsored tour of Seattle with drop off at the airport in time for your flight.

Bob

[Sailaways_]

The airport is pretty far from the piers used by the cruiselines, and you have to go through downtown traffic to get there...I would book a later flight.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Definitely book a flight after NooN.

If you are scheduled to be at Pier 91 -- you are even futher from the airport.

Last year we were at Pier 30 (now gone) and we arrived early -- but the ship didn't get clearance until after 8:30 for passengers to disembark.

[cruiserbryce]

I would wait until at least after 12...the Seattle airport is a bit further from the terminal than most ports/airports are and just b/c you dock at 6am (if you are on time) doesnt mean that you will be able to get off near that point. Overall there are far too many things that are out of your control to risk booking the early flight. Seattle is an easy aiport to wait a little bit in...

[cjml]

Thank all of you for your suggestions. We will definitely book a middle afternoon flight.

[cjml]

Our flight leaves at 1:30 p.m. Should we book ship transportation with Celebrity or just depend upon a taxi to get us to the airport?

[wrp96]

Our flight leaves at 1:30 p.m. Should we book ship transportation with Celebrity or just depend upon a taxi to get us to the airport?

 

 

A taxi will be fine - and less expensive.

[Krazy Kruizers]

From pier 91 -- people have been paying around $45 to take a taxi to the airport.

We used a limo srvice -- Already There Town Car -- and paid $50.

[etoile]

Pier 30 is gone?! Wow, I sailed out of there twice, didn't know it was gone.

 

Personally we found the ship transportation much better, I think it was only $15pp. Depending on the size of your group this could be cost-effective.

[cjml]

My travel agent's assistant told me that the transfer for Celebrity from ship to airport was $59. There are four in our group so this is outrageous if correct. Any experience with Celebrity's transfers only and not the transfers with city tours. We would not object to the $59 rate if it included a city tour however our plane leaves at 1:30 and we think we might be pushing it.

[Sheffie]

Also, Seattle has a FABULOUS bus system that can drop you off at the airport. I was on the bus this summer and saw people taking their suitcases w/ them for the airport drop off. I don't know the schedule, but the price was about $2.75 one way.

[Bill S]

We arrived back in Seattle last Saturday on the Amsterdam. The Golden Princess was disembarking, too. We were at Pier 91.

We were called off the ship at 8:50am and we had a 2pm flight booked. We used a cab to get to the airport--there is not a direct route from what we could tell. The fare was $45. We arrived at the airport at about 9:30.

 

We checked in at Southwest and learned that they had a 10:50am flight back home, so we paid a bit more and got home 3 hours earlier than planned.

 

Even though last Saturday, an earlier flight was certainly do-able, I would have to agree with the other posters that the safe bet is to plan for a flight departing after 12 noon.