How much is an Uber from Seattle airport to the cruise port? There is no fixed answer: app fares are calculated at the moment you request the ride and move with demand, and on a Saturday in summer, when several ships turn around and a great many cruise passengers land at Sea-Tac within the same few hours, demand is high. A taxi is metered with a US$20 minimum, Link light rail costs US$3.00 but does not reach either pier, and a pre-booked Elly8.net car is priced in the web booker before you pay, with the published Sea-Tac to downtown fare starting at US$170 for comparison.
The real cost depends on three things more than on the vehicle: which pier your ship uses, how many people and bags you have, and whether you need a larger vehicle to carry them. This guide prices each option honestly for Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 and Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91, and points out when the cheap option really is the right one.
How much does it cost to get from Sea-Tac to the Seattle cruise terminals?
Link light rail is US$3.00 per adult to downtown but needs a taxi, app ride or walk to reach Pier 66, and there is no transit to Pier 91. A taxi is metered with a US$20 minimum. App fares vary with demand. An Elly8.net transfer is a fixed, all-in price for the vehicle, quoted in the web booker.
The Port of Seattle times the trip from either terminal to the airport at 30 to 40 minutes, on its pages for Pier 66 and Pier 91. Pier 66 sits on the downtown waterfront at 2225 Alaskan Way, a short walk from Pike Place Market. Pier 91 is at the north end of Elliott Bay at Smith Cove, reached across the Magnolia Bridge.
| Option, SEA to the pier | What you pay | Reaches Pier 66 | Reaches Pier 91 | Luggage-friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Link light rail | US$3.00 per adult, under-19s free | Downtown only, then walk, taxi or app | No transit to Pier 91 | Poor with large cases |
| Taxi | Metered, US$20 minimum, plus tip | Yes | Yes | Depends on the cab |
| Uber or Lyft | App price at request, varies with demand | Yes | Yes, dedicated rideshare lot | Larger categories cost more |
| Door-to-door or cruise line transfer | Operator's or cruise line's rate | Yes | Yes | Usually yes |
| Elly8.net private car | Fixed per vehicle, quoted in the booker | Yes, to the terminal curb | Yes, to the terminal | Chosen by bag count |
See Seattle prices and reserve
Uber and Lyft: what drives the price
App rides from SEA pick up on the third floor of the parking garage, according to the Port's ride-app page. The fare is set by the app when you request, and three things push it up on a cruise day.
Timing. Ships turn around on fixed days, and the Port's preliminary 2027 schedule shows Saturdays and Sundays as the busiest days, often with three ships across the two piers on the same day. Every one of those ships brings a wave of passengers through the airport and the same garage floor.
Vehicle size. Four people with Alaska luggage (parkas, boots, a large case each) may not fit a standard app car, and a larger category costs more. Under-ordering means two cars.
The second leg. If the ship sails in the afternoon and you want lunch at Pike Place first, an app ride means two fares plus somewhere to leave the bags. Pier 66 offers same-day luggage storage at US$6 per bag, according to the Port.
How to estimate it. Enter the pier address in your app before you fly, for the right vehicle category and roughly the time you will land. That gives a fair starting estimate; it will not be the price on the day.
At the pier end, Pier 91 has a dedicated app-based rideshare lot for drop-off and pickup, and Pier 66 has a ground transportation lot directly in front of the terminal entrance, both according to the Port. The general trade-off between app rides and a booked car is on our chauffeur versus Uber and Lyft page.
Taxi: the metered option
Taxis at SEA are metered only and wait on the third floor of the garage on the north and south curbs. Every airport trip carries a US$20 minimum under King County Ordinance 19700, and the meter runs on distance and time, per the Port's taxi page. There is no flat taxi fare to the piers.
Pier 91 lies beyond the downtown waterfront, so the meter runs longer than to Pier 66. Add a tip. For two people with two cases each, the taxi is a reasonable, simple choice. For a family of five with ten bags, one cab will not take everyone, and the taxi supply's 11-seat vans may or may not be at the front of the line. Our SeaTac taxi guide has more detail.
Link light rail: the cheapest, with limits
Link light rail is the cheapest leg out of the airport. The adult fare is US$3.00, riders 18 and under travel free, and seniors pay US$1.00, according to Sound Transit. The Port describes the ride to downtown as about 38 minutes.
The limits are clear in the Port's own words. For Pier 66, there is no direct mass transit from the airport; you ride Link to downtown, then walk or use a taxi or app ride to the terminal. For Pier 91, public transit is not available to the terminal at all, and the bus stop at the Magnolia Bridge and Pier 91 has been permanently closed, so the Port recommends rideshare, taxi or other transport.
When Link is the right answer: two adults with one bag each, a ship at Pier 66, and a pre-cruise hotel night downtown. Six dollars for two people to downtown is excellent value, and the final hop to Pier 66 the next morning is short.
Shuttles and cruise line transfers
The airport's door-to-door shuttle operator, which has a kiosk on the third floor of the garage, also runs seasonal scheduled cruise ship and downtown transfers, according to the Port's door-to-door shuttle page. Some cruise lines and travel planners sell motor coach transfers from SEA directly to each pier; the Port suggests contacting your cruise line or travel agent to arrange them before you travel. Prices are set by the operator or the line.
These suit travelers who want a fixed price per person and do not mind a schedule. The trade-off is the wait for the coach to fill and to load everyone's luggage, and the timing set by the operator rather than by your flight. Our SeaTac shuttle versus private car comparison covers the shuttle options in general.
The pre-booked chauffeur
An Elly8.net transfer is priced per vehicle, all-in, in the web booker before you pay: the chauffeur, the vehicle, taxes, a standard gratuity and the airport meet and greet are included, and tolls and parking are billed at cost. For reference, the published Sea-Tac to downtown Seattle grid runs from US$170 in a Business Sedan to US$445 in an Executive Sprinter.
| Reference: SEA to downtown Seattle | Price | Seats and bags |
|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan | US$170 | up to 3 passengers, 2 bags |
| Business SUV | US$225 | up to 6 passengers, 6 bags |
| First Class SUV | US$275 | up to 6 passengers, 6 bags |
| First Class Sedan | US$300 | up to 3 passengers, 2 bags |
| Executive Sprinter | US$445 | up to 12 passengers, 12 bags |
The pier transfer itself is quoted in the booker, because it depends on the terminal. What the price buys on a cruise day is specific: the chauffeur tracks your flight and meets you inside at baggage claim, the vehicle is chosen by bag count rather than guessed, and the car drives to the terminal curb. More on the service is on the cruise port transfers page.
Worked examples: who should book what
Two adults, two cases, Pier 66, sailing tomorrow. Link to downtown for US$6 total, a hotel night, then a short taxi or walk to the pier in the morning. The cheapest sensible plan, and the one we would suggest.
Two adults, four cases, Pier 91, sailing today. A taxi or a pre-booked Business Sedan or SUV. Transit does not reach Pier 91, and four large cases may not fit a standard car. The fixed car removes the guesswork on a busy morning.
Family of four with two children and car seats. A pre-booked Business SUV with child seats fitted on request. The children under 19 ride Link free, but car seats, luggage and a transfer at a downtown station make the train hard work.
Eight friends, sixteen bags, sailing the same afternoon. An Executive Sprinter takes up to 12 passengers and 12 bags; sixteen bags is beyond one Sprinter, so the desk would pair it with an SUV for luggage. Two or three app rides of a larger category is the alternative, at the price of the moment.
Pre-cruise sightseeing with the bags on board. Book hourly instead of a transfer: US$100 per hour in a Business Sedan or US$200 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum, through the hourly chauffeur service. The luggage stays in the vehicle while you see the market, and the chauffeur drops you at the pier at the end. That saves the per-bag storage fee and a second fare.
The costs people forget
- Tolls. Routes through the SR 99 tunnel under downtown are tolled by time of day, according to WSDOT. Tolls are billed at cost on an Elly8.net booking and appear on the meter or app fare otherwise.
- Tips. Included in the Elly8.net price; extra for taxis and app rides.
- Luggage storage. US$6 per bag at either terminal for same-day storage, with collection by 3 p.m., per the Port.
- Parking, if you drive. The Port lists general parking at US$30 per day at the Bell Street Pier garage and from US$27 per day at Pier 91, with rates subject to change. For a seven-day cruise that is a real number to set against two transfers.
The trip home: one cost you may avoid
On disembarkation day, the Port's complimentary Port Valet service can check your bags from the ship straight through to your airline if you fly home the same day with a participating airline and cruise line. Passengers using it travel to the airport without luggage, which means a smaller vehicle, or even Link light rail from downtown, becomes practical. Port Valet does not include passenger transport, so you still choose how to get to SEA. Timing for that day is covered in our Seattle airport cruise transfer guide.
How to book
- Enter SEA and the pier (Pier 66 or Pier 91), with your flight number and the ship's sailing time.
- Choose the vehicle by bags, not only by people; the fleet guide shows space in each class.
- Get the fixed price in the web booker and reserve. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup. At 72 hours or less the charge is 10%, at 48 hours or less 50%, and at 24 hours or less or a no-show 100%, refunded to the original card. Every Seattle price is on the Seattle car service page. Rides in Seattle are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Sailing from Vancouver instead? See Vancouver.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an Uber from Seattle airport to the cruise port?
App fares are not published. The app sets the price at the time of the request, and it changes with demand, which is high on busy cruise weekends. Check an estimate in the app before you fly for the right vehicle size. A taxi is metered with a US$20 minimum; an Elly8.net car is a fixed price quoted in the booker.
Does the light rail go from Sea-Tac to the cruise ship?
Partly. Link costs US$3.00 per adult to downtown Seattle, but there is no direct transit from the airport to Pier 66, so you walk or take a short taxi or app ride from downtown. Public transit does not serve Pier 91 at all.
Which cruise lines use Pier 66 and Pier 91?
The Port lists Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises at Pier 66, and Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America Line, MSC, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Virgin Voyages at Pier 91. Assignments can change by sailing, so confirm the terminal on your cruise documents before booking a transfer.
Is a taxi or Uber cheaper to the Seattle cruise terminals?
It depends on the time and the vehicle you need. A taxi is metered with a US$20 minimum; app prices move with demand. For two people with light luggage either is reasonable. For families and groups with cruise luggage, a fixed-price larger vehicle is often better value.
Do private car transfers include a tip?
Yes. Elly8.net prices include a standard gratuity, along with the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes and the airport meet and greet. Tolls and parking are billed at cost. Taxi and app fares do not include a tip.
