Cruises 2014 CRUISE SEASON
During the 2014 cruise season from late April to early October, around 200 cruise ship visits are expected at Seattle’s Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 and Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91. CRUISE LINES
Seven major cruise lines offer round-trip sails to Alaska, including: Norwegian Cruise Line
GETTING TO THE CRUISE TERMINALS Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Seattle and is just 20 minutes away from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by taxi or shuttle. Smith Cove Cruise Terminal is located just north of downtown Seattle in the Magnolia neighborhood and is 30 minutes away from the airport by taxi or shuttle. Along with taxi and shuttle services, cruise passengers can take public transit from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to either of the cruise terminals. Link Light Rail provides service between the airport and downtown via the University Street and Westlake stations. Visitors can take King County Metro Transit bus route 33 from Third Avenue and Pine Street to Pier 91, or take bus routes 16, 24, or 33 to Third Avenue and Bell Street to walk to Pier 66. Visit metro.kingcounty.gov and soundtransit.org/schedules/central-linklight-rail, or see page 77 for more information.
clockwise from top: courtesy norwegian cruise line, ben benschneider, shutterstock.com
PRE & POST With Bell Street on downtown’s waterfront and Smith Cove just a few minutes away, cruise passengers can easily explore the city before or after their trip.
Seattle’s safe, colorful, compact downtown means major hotels, attractions, restaurants, and shopping are all within walking distance. A few blocks north of Pier 66, Olympic Sculpture Park is a relaxing place to admire the waterfront views and public art. It’s just a 10-minute walk from here to the iconic Space Needle and the Seattle Center. In summer, children splash in the International Fountain, which sprays water in time to music. From here, visitors can take the Seattle Monorail to Westlake Center, in the core of downtown’s shopping district. Cruise passengers can also walk south from Pier 66 to Pike Place Market (above), where hundreds of vendors, performers, and smells create a cheerful and exciting experience. Continue along the waterfront to see ferries and boats, restaurants with fresh oysters and crab, and The Seattle Great Wheel. FROM PIER 66
Take bus 33 south to downtown, where the flagship Nordstrom store and major retail centers—Pacific Place, with 50 shops including Barneys New York, Coach, and bebe, and Westlake Center, with restaurants and local gifts at Made in Washington—are perfect for shoppers. Seattle Art Museum (above) and its galleries are a 10-minute walk away. From here, continue west to the waterfront to find souvenir shops, restaurants, and The Seattle Great Wheel. Famous Pike Place Market is a few minutes north of here, as is the Seattle Aquarium. FROM PIER 91
For more ways to explore the area before or after a cruise, see page 74.
International Fountain Seattle Center; seattlecenter.com • HMade in Washington 400 Pine St; madeinwashington.com • HNordstrom 500 Pine St; shop.nordstrom.com • HOlympic Sculpture Park 2901 Western Ave; seattleartmuseum.org/visit/osp • HPacific Place 600 Pine St; pacificplaceseattle.com • HPike Place Market 85 Pike St; pikeplacemarket.org • HSeattle Aquarium 1483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59; seattleaquarium.org • HSeattle Art Museum 1300 First Ave; seattleartmuseum.org • HSeattle Center 305 Harrison St; seattlecenter.com • HThe Seattle Great Wheel 1301 Alaskan Way, Pier 57; seattlegreatwheel.com • HSeattle Monorail Westlake Center (Fourth Ave and Pine St) or Seattle Center (next to the Space Needle); seattlemonorail.com • HSpace Needle 400 Broad St; spaceneedle.com • HWestlake Center 400 Pine St; westlakecenter.com • HFor more Visit Seattle partners, see page 69
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