The night before a Seattle cruise: Pier 66, Pier 91 and staying downtown
Most Alaska cruises from Seattle sail in the afternoon, and almost every cruise line gives the same advice: arrive in the city the day before. A delayed flight or a closed highway shouldn't cost you the trip. Downtown makes a good base for that night. You get dinner within walking distance, an easy morning, and a short drive to whichever terminal your ship uses.
Here's how the two Seattle cruise terminals compare from our apartments in downtown Seattle, using the Port of Seattle's own guidance and OpenStreetMap routes.
Step 1: find out which pier you're sailing from
Seattle has two cruise terminals, and they aren't close to each other. Your cruise documents will name one of them.
| Terminal | Address | Lines (per the Port of Seattle) |
|---|---|---|
| Pier 66, Bell Street Cruise Terminal | 2225 Alaskan Way | Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania |
| Pier 91, Smith Cove Cruise Terminal | 2001 W Garfield St | Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America, MSC, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages |
Lines and ship assignments can change from season to season, so trust your boarding documents over any list, including this one.
Step 2: plan the morning trip
To Pier 66 (Bell Street). Pier 66 is on the central waterfront. From our building it's about 1.6 mi by car, roughly 6 minutes without traffic, or about 1.25 mi on foot (≈27 min). Walking down to the waterfront is pleasant on a dry morning with a day bag, but it's less fun with two large suitcases. Most cruise guests take a short rideshare or taxi.
To Pier 91 (Smith Cove). Pier 91 is north of downtown in the Interbay area. From our building it's about 3.8 mi by car, roughly 14 minutes in light traffic. The Port of Seattle says there's no practical public transit to Pier 91, so plan on a rideshare, a taxi, a pre-booked shuttle or your own car. On busy embarkation mornings, several large ships can share the terminal, so leave a buffer.
These drive times come from OpenStreetMap routing without live traffic. On a Saturday or Sunday morning in summer, add time for the terminal drop-off queue.
Step 3: decide what to do with your bags
We can't store luggage at the apartments, and checkout is by 11:00 AM. Two simple options:
- Head to the terminal at checkout time. Boarding times are usually late morning or early afternoon (check your cruise documents), which often lines up with an 11 AM checkout.
- Use the Port's luggage storage. The Port of Seattle lists luggage storage at both terminals ($5 per bag at the time of writing). Then you can drop bags and spend a last hour on the waterfront.
If you'd like a little more time, ask about late checkout. It's sometimes possible for $35, depending on the cleaning schedule, but we can't promise it in advance.
Step 4: make the most of your night downtown
The night before a cruise is part of the trip. From the apartments:
- Pike Place Market is about 0.72 mi (≈15 min walk), good for picking up snacks and something local to bring on board.
- The Starbucks Reserve Roastery is about a 4-minute walk for your morning coffee.
- The Paramount Theatre is about 4 minutes away if your night lines up with a show.
- Westlake Station is about a 9-minute walk, and the Link light rail 1 Line from there connects to Sea-Tac Airport.
Getting from Sea-Tac to the apartment
The Port of Seattle's own cruise guide covers the airport-to-terminal options. For a downtown night, the simplest route is the Link light rail 1 Line from the airport to Westlake Station, then about a 9-minute walk (0.44 mi) to the apartments. Check-in is from 4:00 PM, and you'll get arrival instructions before your stay. Check-in is self check-in, so you don't need to find anyone on arrival.
After the cruise
Ships usually return early in the morning. If you're staying another night in Seattle after you disembark, remember that check-in is from 4:00 PM. Plan a morning at the market or the waterfront, or use the Port's luggage storage, before heading over.
Which apartment for a cruise group?
Cruise groups are often two couples, or a family with grandparents. A two-bedroom apartment gives everyone a door to close and a shared kitchen for an early breakfast.
- Two-Bath 2BR: up to 6 guests, two bathrooms. It's the easy choice when everyone is getting ready on the same tight morning, and it has an in-unit washer and dryer if you're arriving from another trip.
- Lumière 2BR: up to 6 guests, in-unit washer and dryer, which is handy after you disembark.
- Top-Floor 2BR: up to 5 guests, skyline views. It has no in-unit washer; the building's shared laundry room is on the 2nd floor.
If you're driving to the port and leaving the car downtown, read our parking guide first. Our in-building garage space is for compact cars only ($35/night, on request).
Booking direct on this site gets you 10% off our nightly rate and a flat $120 cleaning fee.
Sources: Port of Seattle: Smooth sailing guide between SEA airport and Seattle cruise terminals; Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66; Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91 (portseattle.org), checked Oct 2026. Distances and drive times from OpenStreetMap routing, computed 24 Oct 2026.