Seattle cruise season 2027

How big was Seattle's 2026 cruise season?

The biggest yet: 330 vessel calls, 2.1 million revenue passengers and 16 homeport ships, from 17 April to 11 October.

The Port's season opening release called it the most in its history, with two new cruise lines joining. Its 2026 fact sheet adds two numbers that matter for tour planning: 82% of cruise passengers arrived by air, and 53% stayed overnight in Seattle, for 1.7 nights on average.

Most cruisers, in other words, have a spare morning or afternoon in the city on one end of the trip. That is the window a city tour fills.

Which ships sail from Seattle in 2027?

MSC Poesia, Star Princess and Royal Princess are announced so far.

MSC Cruises has opened sales for MSC Poesia's second Seattle season: seven-night Alaska cruises every Monday from April to September 2027, calling at Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Tracy Arm, Juneau and Victoria. Princess has Star Princess on seven-day Inside Passage roundtrips from Seattle, with Royal Princess also on seven-day voyages.

The Port of Seattle has not published its 2027 schedule yet. Its 2026 release does say that every 2027 homeport ship will be able to plug into shore power. Check your own line for the date and the terminal, Pier 66 or Pier 91.

Pier 66 or Pier 91: does the terminal change your tour?

A little. Pier 66 sits downtown within walking distance of Pike Place Market. Pier 91 at Smith Cove is about 10 minutes from the retail core.

The Port fact sheet describes Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 as one berth at the heart of the downtown waterfront, and Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91 as two berths at the north end. From Pier 66 you could walk to the market with a carry-on. From Pier 91 you need a ride.

The post-cruise tour handles both. Its listing tells Pier 91 guests to go to Lane "R" for an 8:20 AM pickup, and Pier 66 guests to wait at the benches by the Edgewater Hotel next door at 8:40 AM. The coach leaves at 9 AM.

What is the best tour on the day you leave the ship?

The post-cruise tour: pickup at the pier, your bags on board, a city tour, then the airport or your hotel.

Show Me Seattle's post-cruise tour is listed at about 5 hours for up to 14 people. It covers Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, Kerry Park and Fremont, and passes the Space Needle. One large bag per person plus carry-ons is included. Guests report it is a "great way to spend time before an evening flight", and that is how to use it: book a flight from mid afternoon on, not a noon departure.

The listing also mentions the Port's free Port Valet service, which takes checked luggage from the ship to the airport and checks it in for you. With Port Valet you can take a regular city tour instead. Confirmation for the post-cruise tour comes within 48 hours, so book it well before you sail.

Pickup at the cruise pier, one large bag per person handled, a city tour, then the airport or your hotel.

★ 4.8 · 5 hours · from $175

Explore the post-cruise tour with luggage → Tour details

Can you do a Seattle city tour on boarding day?

Yes, if it delivers you to the pier. The pre-cruise tour picks you up at a downtown hotel and drops you at Pier 66 or Pier 91 in the early afternoon.

Tours Northwest's pre-cruise tour starts at 10 AM with pickup from most downtown hotels (not airport-area hotels), keeps your luggage on the bus and typically reaches the cruise port between 1:15 and 1:30 PM. It rates 4.5 from 71 reviews and costs from $131.

The flagship can do a port drop-off after the tour for an extra fee, but only if arranged in advance, and it is listed at about 4 hours, so it is the riskier choice on a sailing day. Our before or after a cruise guide goes through the timings.

Should you add a day in Seattle before a 2027 cruise?

If you fly in, yes. A night before boarding protects you from flight delays and gives you a full tour day.

Over half of 2026 cruise passengers stayed at least one night in Seattle. With a spare day, book the small-group tour with hotel pickup or the 3 Hour Seattle City Tour and take your time, then do the Space Needle in the evening without your luggage. The Space Needle does not let large bags in.

Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before, so you can book once your sailing date is fixed and adjust later.

Frequently asked questions