Saturday, April 13, 2024

Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91

pier 91 seattle cruise terminal

Cruise passengers arriving in Seattle for the day need a shuttle to reach downtown. The buses usually drop guests at The State Hotel at 2nd Avenue and Pike Street. Located at 2001 West Garfield Street, the Smith Cove port sits on the Seattle waterfront but not within walking distance of downtown. This port sees the lion’s share of Seattle’s cruise ship traffic and can simultaneously accommodate a couple of ships. However, most travelers from the United States or Canada usually have cell phone coverage.

Hotel Andra Seattle MGallery Hotel Collection

Starting May 2016, TSA staff was trained locally to increase the number of processed cruisers at the airport. Port Seattle's cruise passenger shipping business started in 1999 and is currently ranked first among all West Coast USA homeports (departure seaports). Each homeported ship's visit generates USD 4+ million for Washington State's economy, with annual regional revenue USD 0,9+ billion.

Crowne Plaza Seattle, an IHG Hotel with no Resort Fee

There are fewer hotels around Pier 91 but it is only about three miles from downtown. A good tip is to stay in a hotel close to Pier 66 and enjoy the shops, restaurants and downtown attractions during your stay. When it’s time to depart on your cruise, it is a short taxi or Uber drive to Pier 91.

Carnival Spirit 7-day Alaska

On May 23, 2017, representatives from Port Seattle and NCLH-Norwegian celebrated the opening of the newly renovated Pier 66 Terminal. Upgrades included a mobile gangway (passenger boarding bridge), renovated check-in area and VIP lounge. In 2023 (April-October) the Port received 291 ship calls and 1,778 million passengers. Since 2024, Pier 66's dock provides shore power connectivity/cold ironing. Port Seattle operates Terminal 66's facilities outside the Alaskan season. The 15-year lease deal was estimated to generate USD 2+ billion in business revenue, ~900 new jobs, USD 65+ million in local and state taxes.

Hotels Near Seattle With Shuttles To Port:

Passengers heading to the Smith Cove Terminal at Pier 91 should shop for necessities downtown prior to arrival. This terminal is about a 15-minute drive from the downtown waterfront and lacks services in the way of food, shopping and more. Seattle proudly serves eight major cruise lines offering multiple premier ships for your Alaska adventure. In a tech-hub like Seattle, it’s only right that the best way to get to the cruise port is using a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft. It’s what we’ve used personally, however, in recent years the price has risen dramatically.

Hotels Near Seattle With Free Shuttles To Pier 91 and 66:

Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market combines a mix of fresh seafood and ingredients with a myriad of unique shops. Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) departs from Pier 66 (Bell Street Terminal) in Seattle, close to downtown. Once booked, this equipment will be delivered directly to your stateroom for use throughout your cruise. Reservations should be made online for special needs right here. Neither terminal has complimentary Wi-Fi, but cell phone reception is generally sufficient.

Independent Shuttles & Private Car Services

The secure lot offers 1,000 spaces and is conveniently located on-site. Friends and family who pick up or drop off passengers also are encouraged to use the lot or the free cell phone lot. There is a Sky Bridge connecting the cruise ship with the covered parking garage making it very easy to walk across to the garage from the cruise terminal. There is also a complimentary shuttle between the parking lot and the cruise terminal. The same system also makes this the ideal place to drop off cruisers who are checking in. Flat rate and metered taxi services are readily available from SEA, along with rideshare services including Uber and Lyft.

pier 91 seattle cruise terminal

The city's best-known landmark is The Space Needle observation tower in downtown (height 184 m / 604 ft), having 6 floors (top floor heigth 158 m / 518 ft) and 3 lifts. In general, those starting a cruise in the Pacific Northwest will find the Seattle Cruise Port Terminal to be a convenient and well-equipped terminal. The terminal is a great option for individuals eager to begin their cruise trips because it provides convenient access to amenities, services, and sightseeing opportunities. You will exit the terminal after removing your luggage from the baggage claim area and leaving the ship. The disembarkation procedure should be given plenty of time because, due to the greater number of passengers, it can take longer than embarking. Map and directions to the the cruise terminals can be found on the Port of Seattle's website.

Ship Spotting at Terminal 91

From here, you can see the ships docked at Pier 91, further north (see image above). If you’ve chosen to begin your journey at the port of Seattle, learn how to reach the ports, which cruise lines dock where, and the options for a pre-cruise stay. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry.

Must-Know Things About Each Seattle Cruise Terminal - Cruise Hive

Must-Know Things About Each Seattle Cruise Terminal.

Posted: Mon, 20 Jun 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Fishermen's Terminal (on Salmon Bay) is the homeport (dock) for Washington state's North Pacific Fishing Fleet (commercial fishing vessels). The cruise port of Seattle was established on September 5, 1911, with the votes of King County, WA, confirmed by Port District Act and run by an elected 5-member commission. This port district runs both the airport and the seaport of Seattle. In late-November 2018, Port Seattle's Terminal 18 (operated by SSA Marine Inc) surpassed the 1 million TEU-container volume. This was Washington state's first time when a single cargo terminal handled 1 million containers in a year.

Follow the signs to Madison Street and Garfield Street to reach Pier 91 Smith Cove cruise terminal. On the final night of your cruise, your airline boarding pass and luggage tags will be delivered to your stateroom. Once labeled, put your bags outside your cabin during the evening and the crew will arrange for them to be transported to the airport and checked in with your airline. One service that is unique to cruisers at the Port of Seattle is the complimentary Port Valet. The port provides a luggage transfer service direct from the ship to the airport at the end of your cruise as part of their streamlined disembarkation process. This service is possible as Sea-Tac Airport and the Port of Seattle are run by the same authority.

Any money saved on parking will likely be eaten up by the cost of commuting to your ship. For reference, a tax ride from the airport to the cruise port runs about $40-$55 each way. During season 2019 (April-October), the cruise port handled 211 ship calls and ~1,2 million passengers (1,114 million were handled in 2018). For 2020 was forecasted a record year with scheduled 225 ship calls and estimated ~1,4 million passengers. In May 2017 was opened the renovated Pier 66 cruise terminal facility (see in the "terminal" section below) where are homeported NCL ships. The 15-year lease to NCL (until 2032) is estimated to generate over USD 2,3 billion in total revenue, nearly 900 jobs and over USD 65 million in taxes.

If arriving with an RV, you must reserve online ahead of time to guarantee your space. NCL's USD 30 million investment into Pier 66 allowed in Seattle to be homeported the ever-largest Alaskan ship - Norwegian Bliss. The liner started turnaround (roundtrip itinerary) operations in June 2018 with 7-day Inside Passage cruises. To handle new ship's capacity (5200 passengers, 1730 crew), Terminal 66 was expanded from 44,000 ft2 (4090 m2) to 151,000 ft2 (14030 m2).

The Port of Seattle offers two separate Seattle cruise terminals a few miles from one another. We’d suggest using public transportation from the airport as a great option to Pier 66 for those able to walk a few minutes with luggage. For passengers heading to Pier 91, we suggest using Uber/Lyft instead as it’s more difficult to reach and takes longer. A few shuttle services have popped up in recent years to help you get from the airport to the cruise port. Oversize vehicles cost $60 per day, but will have to park at the Pier 91 parking lot (you will get a taxi voucher back to Pier 66 if sailing from there).

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