Home / Routes / Anacortes to Seattle Cruise Terminals
Route · Anacortes ↔ Pier 66 & Pier 91Private car service from Anacortes to the Seattle cruise terminals covers 82 miles in 85 to 115 minutes. Starting fares are $280 for a standard sedan, $425 for a luxury SUV, and $625 for a Ford Transit van. Seattle uses two piers — Pier 66 downtown and Pier 91 at Smith Cove — and we confirm which one your ship sails from when you book.
This page covers the two-pier problem, why cruise luggage changes the vehicle you need, and disembarkation timing on the return.
Private car service from Anacortes to Pier 66 or Pier 91 starts at $280 for a standard sedan carrying two passengers, $425 for a luxury SUV carrying six, and $820 for a Mercedes Sprinter van carrying fourteen. Fares are quoted per vehicle rather than per person, so a group of six pays one SUV fare between them.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Luggage | One way from | Round trip from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Sedan | 2 | 2 | $280 | $505 |
| Premium Sedan | 3 | 3 | $305 | $550 |
| Mini Van | 4 | 4 | $350 | $630 |
| Luxury SUV | 6 | 6 | $425 | $765 |
| Ford Transit Van | 10 | 10 | $625 | $1,125 |
| Mercedes Sprinter Van | 14 | 14 | $820 | $1,475 |
Round-trip fares apply a ten percent discount and reserve the vehicle for your disembarkation as well.
Sailing days are concentrated — every ship arriving back on a Sunday morning creates demand for the same three hours across the whole region. Booking both directions together secures the vehicle and reduces the total.
This is the single most common and most expensive mistake made on a Seattle sailing day, and it is entirely avoidable.
Pier 66 is the Bell Street Cruise Terminal on the central downtown waterfront. Pier 91 is the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal, north of downtown in the Magnolia area. They are a considerable distance apart with city traffic in between, and arriving at the wrong one an hour before boarding closes is a genuine emergency rather than an inconvenience.
Your cruise line's booking confirmation names the pier. If you cannot find it, give us the ship name and sailing date when you book and we will establish it before your travel day. We confirm it back to you in writing.
We would rather ask you a question you find obvious than deliver you to the wrong terminal.
Pier 66 & Pier 91
The drive covers 82 miles and typically takes 85 to 115 minutes. It follows the Sea-Tac route as far as Everett, then turns off before the airport — which is why it is marginally shorter than the airport run despite ending in the city.
Door pickup on Fidalgo Island. Driver texts 30–60 minutes ahead.
East across Fidalgo and the flats to the freeway at Burlington.
The bottleneck. Sailing mornings coincide with weekday traffic.
City approach, which differs entirely depending on your pier.
Dropped at the terminal entrance with luggage assistance.
Cruise lines assign boarding windows rather than a single departure time, so we schedule against yours with margin for the terminal queue. These are planning figures — we confirm your pickup when you book.
| Your boarding window | Pickup in Anacortes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | 7:30 AM | Early window; runs through the weekday Everett bottleneck |
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | 9:15 AM | Traffic easing, but terminal queues building |
| 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | 10:45 AM | The most comfortable window to plan around |
| 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | 12:15 PM | Late window; the terminal is usually quieter by then |
Several thousand passengers arrive at the same terminal within a few hours, and the approach roads reflect it. We build that into the pickup rather than treating it as an ordinary drive into Seattle.
People pack for a cruise the way they pack for a move. A ten-day Alaska sailing routinely means two large cases per person plus formal wear, camera gear, wet-weather layers, and a carry-on each. Unlike a flight, there is no airline weight limit quietly discouraging any of it.
That breaks the usual sizing logic. A family of four flying to Phoenix fits comfortably in a mini van. The same family sailing to Alaska does not, and discovering that at the curb on embarkation morning is a poor way to begin a holiday.
So give us an honest bag count when you book and we will size up rather than hope. There is no scenario in which arriving with room to spare is the wrong outcome.
| Party | Flying | Cruising |
|---|---|---|
| 2 people | Standard Sedan | Premium Sedan or Mini Van |
| 4 people | Mini Van | Luxury SUV |
| 6 people | Luxury SUV | Ford Transit Van |
| 8–10 people | Ford Transit Van | Mercedes Sprinter Van |
A useful rule of thumb: for a cruise, book one size larger than you would for the same group flying.
Disembarkation
Disembarkation takes considerably longer than passengers anticipate. You are off the ship at 8:00 AM, but several thousand people are collecting luggage from the same hall, and the wait routinely runs well past the time printed on your itinerary.
We build that into the return pickup rather than having a vehicle idling at the curb while you queue. The fare is the same as the outbound, and booking both directions together secures the vehicle for a morning when demand across the region is concentrated into a few hours.
Contact your driver once you actually have your bags — not when you leave the ship, and not when you join the luggage queue. That single habit saves everyone the most common frustration of a cruise return.
Meet-and-greet is available if you would rather be found than go looking.
A large share of Alaska cruise passengers fly into Sea-Tac and sail the same day or the next. We handle that leg directly — airport collection, luggage, and delivery to the correct pier as a single booking with flight tracking included.
If your flight and your sailing fall on the same day, be honest with yourself about the margin. A delayed flight against a boarding window that closes is the one scenario where no ground transportation can help. Where the timing is genuinely tight we will say so and suggest flying in the day before instead, even though it means a shorter booking for us.
On the return, we run pier to airport the same way. Give us your flight and we will schedule against it with the disembarkation delay already built in.
Cruise transfers tilt toward private service more decisively than airport runs do, and the reasons are specific rather than general.
| Private car service | Drive & park | Rideshare | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luggage capacity | Vehicle sized to your actual bags | Whatever your car holds | Trunk space only |
| Parking for 7–10 days | Not applicable | Downtown Seattle rates, daily | Not applicable |
| Correct pier | Confirmed at booking | Your responsibility | Wherever you set the pin |
| Return availability | Reserved in advance | Your car is waiting | Thousands competing at once |
| Cost, 6 people | One SUV fare, split | Possibly two cars, two parking fees | Two vehicles each way |
| Miles on your own car | Zero | 164 round trip | Zero |
This is where rideshare fails hardest. When four ships dock on the same morning, several thousand people request vehicles inside the same hour at the same address. Prices spike and waits stretch. A reserved vehicle is simply already there.
Size on luggage rather than passengers. For a cruise, book one class larger than the same group would take to a flight.
Workable for a short sailing with modest luggage. For a ten-day Alaska cruise, consider sizing up.
More boot space than the standard sedan, which on a cruise transfer is the whole point.
Sliding doors and genuine luggage room behind the rear row. Good for families with children.
Our most-booked cruise vehicle. Takes a family's full cruise luggage without negotiation.
Group sailings and multi-generational family trips, with everyone and everything in one vehicle.
Large cruise parties. One vehicle, one arrival time, one place the luggage goes.
Private car service starts at $280 for a standard sedan, $425 for a luxury SUV, and $625 for a Ford Transit van, one way. Fares are per vehicle rather than per person and include all taxes, fees, and luggage assistance.
Seattle uses Pier 66 downtown and Pier 91 at Smith Cove, and they are a considerable distance apart. Your cruise line booking confirmation names the pier. If you cannot find it, give us the ship name and sailing date and we will establish it before your travel day.
Eighty-two miles, typically 85 to 115 minutes. Sailing mornings often coincide with weekday traffic through the Everett corridor, which we build into your pickup time.
Usually one class larger than you would book for the same group flying. Cruise passengers pack considerably more and no airline weight limit applies. Give us an honest bag count at booking and we will size it correctly.
We schedule the pickup with disembarkation and luggage collection built in, because both take longer than passengers expect. Contact your driver once you actually have your bags rather than when you leave the ship.
Yes, as a single booking with flight tracking included. If your flight and sailing fall on the same day, tell us the timings and we will be honest about whether the margin is realistic.
Yes. Sailing days concentrate demand across the whole region into a few hours, and a reserved vehicle is the difference between leaving promptly and waiting. Booking both directions also reduces the total.
Standard transfers require 24 hours notice. Transit, Sprinter, and hourly charter bookings require 7 days. Cruise groups frequently book larger vehicles, so check which window applies to yours.
We do not operate wheelchair-accessible vehicles with ramps or lifts. Our vans and SUVs can carry folding wheelchairs and mobility scooters stowed as luggage for passengers able to transfer to a standard seat. Tell us at booking so we allow the space.
As early as you can. Every ship sailing generates demand for the same few hours across the region, and Alaska season concentrates that further.
Give us the ship, the sailing date, and your luggage count. We will confirm the pier and size the vehicle properly.
