Getting to the Seattle cruise port from the airport
Sea-Tac is 15 to 17.5 miles from the piers, 30 to 45 minutes by car. For Pier 66 the cheapest way is Link light rail to Westlake for $3, then a 20-minute walk or a $15 cab. Pier 91 has no transit at all, so a taxi or rideshare, about $55 to $75, or a shared shuttle at about $33 per person is the usual choice.
Going home, Yellow Cab charges a flat $52 from Pier 66 or $68 from Pier 91 to the airport. And the port's free Port Valet service can check your bags through to your flight straight from the ship.
Fares and schedules checked . How we check
From Sea-Tac Airport (SEA) to Pier 91
17.5 miles, 30 to 45 minutes by car
| Option | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| TaxiMetered taxi | Metered from the airport, about $60 to $75 by our estimate at Seattle Yellow Cab's posted rates. Going back, Pier 91 to the airport is a flat $68 in a small car or $78 in a large one. | Taxis wait on the 3rd floor of the airport garage, at the north and south ends. No booking needed. |
| Uber or LyftRideshare apps | No published fare. Holland America estimates $55 to $65; expect more with surge pricing on busy sailing days. | Pickups are on the 3rd floor of the airport garage, stalls 1 to 34 in the orange and purple sections. Pier 91 has its own rideshare lot with a shuttle to the terminal. |
| Shared shuttlePremier Airport Shuttle (Seattle Cruise Express) | About $33 per person one way, according to a 2026 travel guide. The operator quotes by pickup point when you book. | Every 30 minutes from the airport, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from the piers to the airport 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Reservations required, credit card only. |
| Cruise line transferCarnival Cruise Line | $37.99 per person each way. | Buy it up to two days before sailing. A rep meets you at baggage claim 12. For the trip home, flights can't leave before noon. |
| Cruise line transferHolland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity | Sold by each line; prices aren't published. | Book through your cruise booking or the line's app. Holland America's reps meet flights at the podiums across from carousels 8 and 14 on sailing day. |
| Light rail and taxiLink 1 Line to Westlake, then a cab | $3 by train, then a metered cab of about 4 miles from downtown. Only worth it if you're traveling alone: no bus or train reaches Pier 91. | The airport station is reached from the 4th floor, across the skybridge to the garage. About 40 minutes to Westlake. |
| Private carTown car services | From about $85 to $100 per car each way, according to a 2026 travel guide. Shuttle Express now runs private cars only, quoted when you book. | Pre-book. Private cars use the ground transportation lot at Pier 91. |
From Sea-Tac Airport (SEA) to Pier 66
15 miles, 30 to 40 minutes by car
| Option | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| Light railLink 1 Line to Westlake | $3 one way, free for 18 and under. From Westlake, walk about 20 minutes downhill to the terminal, or take a Yellow Cab for a flat $15 inside downtown. | The airport station is reached from the 4th floor, across the skybridge to the garage. About 40 minutes to Westlake. |
| TaxiMetered taxi | Metered from the airport, about $52 to $65 by our estimate. Going back, downtown (including Pier 66) to the airport is a flat $52 with Seattle Yellow Cab. | Taxis wait on the 3rd floor of the airport garage. No booking needed. |
| Uber or LyftRideshare apps | No published fare; about $45 without surge pricing, according to a 2026 travel guide. | Pickups are on the 3rd floor of the airport garage. Alaskan Way in front of the terminal is one lane each way and backs up on Norwegian sailing days. |
| Shared shuttlePremier Airport Shuttle (Seattle Cruise Express) | About $33 per person one way, according to a 2026 travel guide. | Every 30 minutes from the airport, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. At Pier 66 the pickup is curbside in front of Anthony's restaurant. |
| Cruise line transferNorwegian Cruise Line | Price not published. | Buy in MyNCL or by phone at least 4 days before sailing. Norwegian guests can drop bags at Pier 66 from 8 a.m. and come back by 2 p.m. to board. |
From Vancouver (YVR and downtown)
140 miles, about 3 hours, plus the border crossing, by car
| Option | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| BusQuick Shuttle (formerly Quick Coach) | From $40.03 one way. Fares to the cruise piers may cost more than the headline fare, so check when you book. | From May to September, one daily southbound run stops at Pier 91 at 12:30 p.m. and Pier 66 at 12:45 p.m. There's no stop at YVR itself: board at River Rock Casino, 15 minutes away on the Canada Line. Reservations required. |
| TrainAmtrak Cascades | Fares vary; booked ahead, coach starts around $40. | The 7:25 a.m. train from Vancouver reaches Seattle's King Street Station at 11:40 a.m. Then take a cab: Pier 66 is 1.5 miles away and Pier 91 4 miles. |
| BusFlixBus | From $25.98, one carry-on and one checked bag included. | Seven buses a day from Pacific Central Station to downtown Seattle, about 3 to 3.5 hours. No pier stops, so add a cab. |
| Cruise line transferHolland America | Price not published. | Coaches between the Vancouver pier and Sea-Tac in both directions. Ending in Vancouver, your flight from Seattle must leave at 4 p.m. or later. |
From Paine Field (PAE), Everett
25 miles, 40 to 45 minutes by car
| Option | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| Uber, Lyft or taxiRideshare apps and Everett taxis | No published fare; roughly $75 to $85 by taxi at Seattle meter rates (our estimate). | No cruise line runs transfers from Paine Field. |
| ShuttleBellair Airporter | $44 one way to the Seattle Convention Center, then a $15 cab to Pier 66. | Convention Center stops need a prepaid reservation 24 hours ahead. |
Want a private car or shared van booked ahead? Compare airport-to-port transfers in Seattle from several companies on Viator.
Booking.com Taxis also books a private car from the airport to the terminal at a price fixed when you book. The driver tracks your flight and waits if it's late, and you can cancel free up to 24 hours before pickup.
Good to know
- Shuttle Express has ended its shared airport shuttle and now runs private cars only. Older guides quoting about $24 per person are out of date.
- Port Valet, run free by the Port of Seattle, takes your bags from the ship to your airline on the day you get off, so you go straight to security at Sea-Tac. It works with Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean, and with Alaska, American, Delta (domestic), JetBlue, Southwest and United flights leaving that day. Sign up before the cruise or with the form in your cabin.
- Book flights home for noon or later. Carnival's transfer won't take earlier flights, and both terminals limit how many vehicles can leave at once.
- Both terminals store bags for the day at $5 to $6 each (the port's pages disagree); pick them up by 3 p.m.
- Pier 91 and Pier 66 are about 3 miles apart and aren't interchangeable. Check which one is on your boarding pass before you book a ride.
Common questions
How much is a taxi from Sea-Tac to the Seattle cruise port?
Taxis from the airport are metered: about $52 to $65 to Pier 66 and $60 to $75 to Pier 91, by our estimate at posted rates. From the piers to the airport, Seattle Yellow Cab charges a flat $52 from downtown (including Pier 66) and $68 from Pier 91.
Can I take light rail to the Seattle cruise port?
To Pier 66, yes: Link runs from the airport to Westlake for $3, and the terminal is a 20-minute walk downhill or a $15 cab from there. Pier 91 has no transit service, so you'd need a cab from downtown.
Is there a shuttle from Sea-Tac to the cruise terminals?
Premier Airport Shuttle's Seattle Cruise Express runs every 30 minutes to both piers on sailing days, about $33 per person. Shuttle Express no longer runs shared rides; its cruise service is private cars only. Most cruise lines also sell transfers.