Driving to Pier 66 - Instructions & More

Driving Directions to Pier 66 From I-5 South: Take the Union Street exit (exit number 165B). Stay Right to go onto Union Street. Turn Right onto 4th Ave. Turn Left onto Wall Street. Turn Left onto Alaskan Way. The Pier will be on your right and parking on your left.

From I-5 North: Take the Seneca Street exit (exit number 165) on the left and merge onto Seneca Street. Turn Left onto 5th Ave. Turn Right onto Madison Street. Turn Right onto Alaskan Way. The Pier will be on your left and parking on your right.

Parking at Pier 66 - Parking will be available at Pier 66 (across the street at the Bell St parking garage for $16 per day per car. Once in the garage, you will see a cruise baggage station where you are to drop your luggage. Baggage attendants will take your luggage directly to the ship for you as long as you have your cruise line luggage tags attached. Detailed instructions will be included with the passenger ticket packet sent about two weeks prior to departure. It is not necessary (or possible) to make parking reservations in advance. Motorhomes: Call 206-443-1793 for advance reservations.

Stevedores will be at the pier to assist with luggage - Baggage assistance is readily available at the Bell Street Pier. Recommended Tip for the stevedores is 50 cents to $1 per bag; minimum $1 tip. If you are being "dropped off" at the pier, look for the instructions that will be included with your cruise tickets.

Boarding & Check-in - All passengers must pre-register on line at ncl.com. You can also access the online registration from this site. YOU WILL BE DENIED BOARDING if you do not have proper identification when you check in for your cruise. A passport is best, or an original Birth Certificate and Drivers License. The check-in lines are usually longest around the embarkation time announced in the ticket packet. Though check-in is possible late morning, embarkation is scheduled to start at 1:00pm. We STRONGLY recommend late arrival (between 1:00 and 2:00pm)... unless you don't mind standing in long lines.

Minors Traveling Without Parents, or with only one parent - Must have a notarized permission letter from parents, or from the missing parent. A sample is available. Ask your Parker Cruise & Tour salesperson.

Freestyle Dining - Norwegian Cruise Line has a FREESTYLE DINING policy. The Dining rooms will be open for seating from 5:30am to Midnight. You can eat when you want, and with whomever you wish. If you are traveling with friends, agree a time, place and restaurant, and the Maitre d’ will seat you at the available table of your choice when you arrive at the restaurant. There are NO ASSIGNED TABLES, NO ASSIGNED DINING TIMES! To celebrate special occasions, anniversaries, and birthdays see the Maitre d’. Tipping guidelines and procedures will be outlined aboard the ship. A few of the restaurants on NCL ships are "specialty restaurants" and carry a service fee. Example: Tepanyaki Grill fees vary depending on your order; French-themed Le Bistro also has a service fee. These restaurants require advance reservations that can be made only after you board the ship. The majority of the restaurants are "no service fee". For those who wish to have an assigned table and seating time, please see the Maitre 'd once on board to make those arrangements.

What to wear - Casual attire is more and more the norm for Alaska cruising. For the one formal dinner, dark business attire is acceptable, though there are a few traditionalists on any cruise who wear the tuxedo (gentleman), or long gown (ladies). REMEMBER! With FREESTYLE DINING, you can always go to a dining room that is more casual. The weather is generally like the Pacific NW during the summer, with cool evenings, and days that can be anything from t-shirt to sweatshirt to warm coat. We recommend bringing all of this, and maybe a rain slicker, too.

Room Charges - A running tab of expenses aboard the ship including shore excursions, gift shop purchases, wine with dinner, alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages, and "other" can be paid at the end of the cruise with a major credit card. Credit card ready imprint will be taken at embarkation, personal checks are not accepted. Currency used ashore in Alaska is the U.S. Dollar ~ happily accepted by the natives in any denomination.

Laundry Service – There is no public laundry on any of the Norwegian Cruise Line Ships. Laundry service is available for a reasonable fee. Information will be available in your stateroom.

Shore Excursions – Shore excursion information will be available ONLINE starting a few weeks before the beginning of the season (mid-April). You will be able to purchase in advance. Access from this site. For passengers who choose not to book shore tours in advance, these can be booked aboard the shop at the shore excursion desk. Shore excursions cost anywhere from $30-$35 for the more generic "city tour" up to $175 or more per person for flight-seeing and helicopter tours. On a limited basis it is possible to "do you own thing" in a port of call.

Shipboard activities include the traditional bingo, along with fitness and exercise, shore excursion and port lectures, contract bridge, and a variety of lectures that vary from week to week, including wine tasting, financial lectures, and napkin folding. Some fun, some serious. First-run movies are played throughout the cruise on cabin TV, as well as Alaska features, and a variety of other things travel-related or not.

Tipping Guidelines With the new FREESTYLE DINING gratuities of $10 per person, per day, are added to your ship board account. NOTE: There is an automatic 15% gratuity added to each beverage charge.

Miscellaneous Beauty Parlor/Spa services charge about what is charged ashore. By appointment. Hair Dryers provided in each cabin (or ask your cabin steward). No adapter needed. Safe Deposit Box - in each cabin. No Skating or Roller-blading on Deck NO FISHING OR HUNTING from the ship (Yes! People actually ask!!!) Internet Cafe - YES! Send e-mails, check your stocks! After Dinner and entertainment the last night of the cruise, passengers leave their packed luggage outside their cabin door prior to retiring. (Being careful to leave out a few items to wear off the ship the next morning….). Baggage is picked up late at night by the staff, stored on the lower decks, then disembarked to customs as soon as the ship arrives in Seattle the last morning. Passengers recover their baggage on the pier at disembarkation. This is fairly simple with a "color coded tag" system. Instructions will be provided aboard the ship.

Disembarkation is quick and easy in Seattle. Passengers who have used recommended parking services are shuttled to their car. Stevedores are once again available to assist passengers with baggage. This whole process seldom takes more than about 20 minutes once passengers are off the ship.

Inside cabins - These cabins are all around 150 square feet, with twin or double bed, private bathroom with shower, limited storage/closet space.

Outside cabins - These cabins are a little bigger than most of the inside cabins, but with a round window (larger than a typical porthole) or a mid-size picture window. Limited storage/closet space.

Deluxe cabins - Not a bad location anywhere for these. Cabins are about 150 square feet with another 35-55 square feet deck space. ALL of these cabins accommodate an additional passenger, but we do not recommend it unless traveling with a small child (sofa bed arrangement). Limited storage/closet space.

Suites - Cabins from 300 to 1000 square feet! These usually have private outdoor decks, some with private hot tubs, and Butler service. A great treat!

Last Revised: September 25, 2007