Staying near SEA or downtown before a cruise: Pier 66 or Pier 91

Pier 66 sits on the downtown waterfront, so a downtown room turns the morning into a walk or a short car ride. Pier 91 has no light rail stop. There, an airport hotel and a downtown hotel both end in a car, so price, landing time and how much of Seattle you want decide it.

Which pier changes the answer

Your cruise documents name your pier. The Port lists Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America, MSC, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Virgin Voyages at Pier 91. Professor Melissa’s video says Pier 66 is mainly Norwegian, with some Oceania.

Sleep downtown for Pier 66

A downtown room wins on time here. Link reaches Westlake in 39 minutes for a $3 adult fare, and our airport-to-downtown guide prices the other rides into the city. Mr Traveler’s video took Link straight to the Westin and argued that a central hotel costs more per night but saves money on transportation. Hotel Theodore says it is about 25 minutes from the airport by car, or by Link to Westlake Station.

Our neighborhood guide covers which neighborhoods sit on the Link line.

An airport hotel adds legs to the Pier 66 morning: a hotel shuttle, Link, then a walk. Choose it when you land after the last train or the room is much cheaper.

With no train to Pier 91, the gap narrows

Our Pier 91 guide compares the cruise-line bus, rideshare, taxi and shuttles for the last leg.

What the Pier 91 morning costs

Professor Melissa’s advice on the Marriott’s partner transfer is to book an Uber unless you’re traveling solo.

Royal Shenanigans warned that a rideshare drops you at a lot, where you take a shuttle or walk an estimated half a mile, and chose the hotel shuttle that stops at the doors. The Port lists a dedicated rideshare drop-off lot at Pier 91.

The Port lists no hotel with a cruise shuttle

The Port of Seattle doesn’t name hotels that shuttle to the piers. Its cruise FAQ sends you to three visitor bureaus instead: Visit Seattle for downtown options near the cruise terminals, Seattle Southside for hotels near SEA and Visit Bellevue for the Eastside. Its cruise guide says to check with your hotel about shuttle options if you stay near the airport, or to use rideshare, a taxi or light rail.

The Port does list the Bellevue Airport and Cruise Shuttle, which runs hourly from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. from SEA to Bellevue hotels, from $30 for one passenger. For other hotels you have to ask whether the shuttle runs to your pier and what it charges. Our airport hotel list shows each hotel’s own shuttle, and our budget hotel guide compares airport hotels by distance and shuttle.

Landing late? Check the last train

Link stops for the night, so a late landing favors an airport hotel. These are the last trains leaving SEA toward downtown.

The Night Bus, route 597, starts about 15 minutes after the last train and then runs about every 30 minutes. It boards on International Boulevard near the Link station. The Port says the pedestrian bridge to International Boulevard is open around the clock, and the elevator and stairs on the west side of the station reach street level on International Boulevard. Our Sound Transit Express page lists its stops.

Airport shuttles are easier at that hour. Days Inn, Coast Gateway and Country Inn & Suites list shuttles that run around the clock. Red Roof Inn’s shuttle runs from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to midnight, so a midnight landing doesn’t fit it. Our courtesy shuttle page shows where hotel vans board on Level 3.

Travelers split on the tired-arrival call. Kruisin’ Kincaids picked an airport hotel to skip travel time after the flight, called the hotel after landing and was asleep by 5:30 p.m. from jet lag. The narrator said that in hindsight the $3 Link fare would have been worth it to reach a different hotel. Mr Traveler had been traveling 18 hours and still took Link to the Westin. Professor Melissa says never to fly in on cruise day, even with a time zone in your favor.

The area around the airport hotels

Travelers describe the area around SEA differently. Professor Melissa calls the area around SEA a wasteland with little within walking distance, and recommends paying more to stay closer to downtown if you want to see sights. Kruisin’ Kincaids counted 16 restaurants within a mile of its airport hotel and ate at a casino restaurant a shuttle driver recommended.

Kruisin’ Kincaids paid about $300 for two nights at an airport-area Courtyard by Marriott and said the hotel ran a shuttle to the train station.

Royal Shenanigans reported that the Hampton Inn & Suites holds bags in a locked area if you arrive before check-in.

Sources

This site’s pages:

• Link light rail, taxis, app-based rideshare, Sound Transit Express buses, hotel and off-site courtesy shuttles
• SEA to Pier 91, airport to downtown, Link light rail from SEA, where to stay by neighborhood, cheapest places to stay near the airport

Official pages:

• Our Pier 91 (Smith Cove) cruise parking page
• Sound Transit, 1 Line page, schedule and timetable
• Sound Transit, fares
• Mayflower Park Hotel, cruising from Seattle page, for its own shuttle fare

Traveler videos:

• Professor Melissa, “Is Seattle the Best Cruise Port in America?”
• Kruisin’ Kincaids, “ALASKA Cruise from Seattle: COMPLETE Pre-Cruise Guide”
• Royal Shenanigans, “Seattle Pre-Cruise Hotel With Cruise Port Shuttle!”
• Mr Traveler, “Westin Seattle Tour for Cruisers: Stay Before Your Alaska Cruise”
• Let’s Get Wanderlost, “Seattle Cruise Port | Our Favorite Hotel, Things to do, & Places to eat in Seattle”