What to Expect
Seattle has two cruise terminals: Smith Cove (Pier 91, in Interbay, 2.5 miles from downtown) and Bell Street Pier (Pier 66, at the foot of Belltown, walkable from downtown hotels). Princess, Holland America, and Carnival use Smith Cove; Norwegian and Celebrity use Bell Street. Check your booking for which terminal. From SEA-TAC, Link Light Rail runs downtown in 40 minutes for $3.50 — not practical with cruise luggage, but it's how to get to the city the night before without a car.
Getting to the Port
From SEA-TAC Airport: 14 miles, $45–60 by rideshare. Light Rail to Westlake Station, then rideshare to terminal: $3.50 + $15–20 total. Downtown Seattle hotels are 10–15 minutes from Bell Street Pier and 20–25 minutes from Smith Cove. Parking at the terminals: $25–30/day. Book well in advance for summer sailings — parking fills weeks ahead.
Tipping and Currency
USD. Seattle norms: 18–20% at restaurants. Washington has no state income tax, which doesn't affect tipping but partly explains why service workers depend heavily on it.
Where to Eat
Pike Place Market is the morning orientation: the original Starbucks, the fish-throwing Pike Place Fish Market, Beecher's Handmade Cheese, and the farmers' market stalls. Don't eat breakfast at Pike Place — get a coffee and the cheese curds, then walk. For a proper dinner the night before, Canlis (if you have the budget and the reservation), the Walrus and the Carpenter oyster bar in Ballard, or Lark on Capitol Hill. The Ballard neighborhood (15 minutes from downtown) has the best food-per-dollar ratio in the city — Staple & Fancy, The Whale Wins, Stoneburner.
Seattle Before You Sail
Pioneer Square is the historic core — brick buildings from the 1890s, underground tour of the original street level (worth 90 minutes). The Seattle Art Museum is across the street from Pike Place. Olympic Sculpture Park, between Bell Street Pier and the waterfront, is free and has serious work. The Space Needle is worth it once, from the observation deck at dusk. Gas Works Park has the best view of the city from across the lake. For the morning of embarkation, the waterfront piers between Pike Place and Bell Street are walkable.