Cruise passengers

Flying in or out of SEA around a cruise puts two timetables against each other: the ship sails whether your flight was late or not. These guides cover how early to arrive, where to leave bags, how to reach the port and how to get back to the airport in time for a flight on disembarkation day.

• Cruise Charter Buses at SEA: Where They Leave From

  Charter and cruise buses at SEA load from the North East Charter Bus Lot on garage Floor 1. Walk from Carousel 16, cross the skybridge, take the blue elevator.

  • Walk there from baggage claim
  • Check which ride you booked
  • Sources
• Flying home from Seattle after a cruise: the earliest flight to book

  Plan for the ride from the cruise pier to SEA, plus airport arrival time. Check Port Valet eligibility before booking.

  • Before your last night aboard
  • Port Valet gets your bags to the airline
  • From the pier to your flight
• How Early to Fly Into Seattle Before an Alaska Cruise

  Fly in the day before. A same-day landing has no cushion for a delayed flight or a late bag. Ways from SEA to the piers and hotel shuttles compared.

  • How long is the drive from SEA to the piers?
  • What does your cruise line require?
  • Make the airport arrival easy
  • If you are already flying in on sailing day
  • Sources
• SEA to Pier 66 (Bell Street cruise terminal)

  Link light rail from SEA to Westlake is $3 and 39 minutes, then a 20-minute walk to Pier 66. Taxi, rideshare and shuttles compared, with the last leg.

  • Check your pier first
  • The options side by side
  • Link light rail to Pier 66, step by step
  • When are the first and last trains from SEA?
  • Taxi or rideshare from SEA
  • Driving and parking at Pier 66
  • Shuttles and cruise line transfers
  • What to expect when you reach Pier 66
  • How do you get back to SEA after the cruise?
  • Sources
• SEA to Pier 91 (Smith Cove Cruise Terminal)

  Light rail reaches Westlake in 39 minutes for $3, then it's 15 minutes by car to Pier 91. Compare rideshare, taxi, shuttles and cruise-line buses.

  • Which way fits your day
  • The cruise-line bus, if you bought one
  • Driving yourself
  • Rideshare or taxi from Level 3
  • Light rail to Westlake, then a car
  • Which lines sail from Pier 91
  • What happens at the terminal
  • If you fly in the night before
  • Sources
• Seattle Airport to the Cruise Terminals: Every Way to Get There

  Link light rail reaches Westlake for $3, then a car covers Pier 66 or Pier 91. Cruise buses, taxis, rideshare and shuttles compared, with pickup points.

  • Every way at a glance
  • Find your pier before you pick a ride
  • Driving and parking at the piers
  • The cruise-line bus, if you booked one
  • Taxi and rideshare from garage Level 3
  • No official source sets a taxi or Uber price from SEA to the cruise piers
  • Where each ride drops you at the pier
  • Shared shuttles
  • Link light rail plus a car
  • If your flight lands late, or you’d rather not rush
  • Going back to the airport after the cruise
  • Sources
• Staying near SEA or downtown before a cruise: Pier 66 or Pier 91

  Sleep downtown for Pier 66, a 20-minute walk from Westlake. Pier 91 has no train, so an airport hotel stays in play. Shuttle and ride costs compared.

  • Which pier changes the answer
  • Sleep downtown for Pier 66
  • With no train to Pier 91, the gap narrows
  • The Port lists no hotel with a cruise shuttle
  • Landing late? Check the last train
  • The area around the airport hotels
  • Sources
• Where to store luggage before or after a Seattle cruise

  Port Valet is free after a cruise if you fly out that day. Before boarding, pier storage, SEA's Smarte Carte desk and downtown apps each have a catch.

  • Pick the option that fits your day
  • Every option side by side
  • Before you board
  • After the cruise: Port Valet
  • Sources