Seattle cruise port tips! Plan your pre-cruise and post-cruise stay in Seattle!

This blog is here to help you plan your time in Seattle to start and end your Alaska cruise!

• Best things to do in Seattle without a car
• Seattle cruise port map + where do cruise ships dock
• Seattle waterfront walking (downtown + near NCL Seattle cruise port)
• Post-cruise: Olympic National Park without a car

When searching for Seattle hotels, look for the “view map” option!

Take a look at the Belltown Inn (3 minute drive or 10 minute walk from waterfront and NCL cruise port Pier 66) or Maxwell Hotel (10 minute walk from Space Needle).

Also take a look at vacation rentals in Seattle for more “budget-friendly” places to stay. (It’s all relative!)

Seattle is one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup in summer 2026, and this is driving up hotel prices even more than usual.

SEATTLE EXPRESS CRUISE SHUTTLE

• BEFORE A CRUISE from Seattle:
  • airport to cruise port shuttle
    • Read the reviews
  • airport HOTELS to cruise port shuttle
    • Read the reviews
• AFTER A CRUISE to Seattle:
  • Pier 91 cruise port to airport shuttle
    • Read the reviews
  • Pier 66 cruise port to airport shuttle
    • Read the reviews
  • Post-cruise city tour with airport or hotel drop-off
    • Read the reviews

The Seattle airport is SEATAC. (Seattle-Tacoma)
I tend to compare flights at kayak.com to see what my options are on different airlines (cost and timing), and then book direct.

Where do cruise ships dock in Seattle?
Generally speaking, NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) and Oceania dock downtown at Pier 66.
All other cruise lines dock at Smith Cove Pier 91. Pier 91 cruise lines include Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, and Cunard.
Confirm where your cruise ship will dock: Look for “view 2026 cruise schedule”

Check the homepage for the beginner’s guide to Alaska cruises!