Which cruise lines use Pier 91 vs Pier 66 in Seattle?

Pier 91 (Smith Cove) is used primarily by Princess, Holland America, Norwegian (some sailings), and MSC. Pier 66 (Bell Street) is used by Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian (other sailings), Virgin Voyages, MSC, and Carnival. Cruise lines split between the piers based on schedule and homeport agreements; check your booking confirmation for the specific pier.

How many cruise ship calls does Seattle handle in 2026?

Approximately 330 cruise calls and 2.1 million revenue passengers in 2026 — the busiest cruise year in Port of Seattle history. Two new lines (Virgin Voyages and MSC Cruises) joined as homeport operators for the first time in 2026.

Which Seattle pier has parking?

Pier 91 (Smith Cove) has on-site parking at the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal — approximately $40/day in 2025 (verify current pricing for 2026). Pier 66 (Bell Street) does not have on-site parking; passengers use downtown Seattle parking garages within walking distance.

Are Seattle's cruise piers shore-power capable?

Yes. The Port of Seattle completed a $44 million shore-power retrofit in October 2024 that brought all three cruise berths — both at Pier 91 and the single berth at Pier 66 — to full shore-power capability. From 2027, all home-ported cruise ships in Seattle must connect to shore power when at berth.

How far is Seattle's cruise port from SEA-TAC?

Both Pier 91 and Pier 66 are 25–35 minutes from SEA-TAC airport by Lyft, Uber, or taxi, depending on traffic. Day-of-cruise flights are workable because cruise lines build buffer time into their terminal-open windows, but most cruisers fly in the night before.

Which pier is closer to Pike Place Market?

Pier 66 (Bell Street) is roughly a 10-minute walk from Pike Place Market — it's the choice for passengers who want to spend pre-cruise time in downtown Seattle. Pier 91 (Smith Cove) is in the Magnolia neighborhood, about 4 miles north of downtown.

Ports

Seattle's Two Cruise Piers: Pier 91 vs Pier 66

Seattle handles 330 cruise calls and 2.1 million passengers in 2026 across two terminals: Pier 91 (Smith Cove) and Pier 66 (Bell Street). They work very differently. Here's how to choose.

By EricEdited with assistive AI from ClankBotPublished April 30, 2026

Seattle is now the second-busiest cruise homeport in North America for Alaska cruises, with 330 ship calls and approximately 2.1 million revenue passengers projected for the 2026 season — the busiest year in the Port of Seattle's cruise history. Two homeporting lines join for the first time this year (Virgin Voyages and MSC Cruises), and the city operates from two distinct cruise terminals: Pier 91 (Smith Cove) north of downtown, and Pier 66 (Bell Street) right at the edge of downtown. Which one your sailing departs from changes your pre-cruise day materially.

Quick comparison

	Pier 91 (Smith Cove)	Pier 66 (Bell Street)
Distance from downtown	4 mi north (Magnolia neighborhood)	At downtown waterfront
Walking access to Pike Place Market	No (4 mi)	Yes (~10 min walk)
Berth count	2	1
Primary lines	Princess, Holland America, Norwegian (some), MSC	Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian (some), Virgin Voyages, MSC, Carnival
On-site parking	Yes (~$40/day)	No (use downtown garages)
Distance from SEA-TAC	25–35 min	25–35 min
Shore power	Yes (since Oct 2024)	Yes (since Oct 2024)
Pre-cruise vibe	Industrial, mountain views, more space	Downtown rooftop, walkable, busy

Pier 91 — Smith Cove Cruise Terminal

Pier 91 sits in the Smith Cove area of Magnolia, just south of the Ballard Locks. It's the larger and newer of Seattle's two cruise terminals — purpose-built for the cruise volume that started materializing in the early 2000s as Seattle replaced San Francisco as the West Coast's busiest Alaska homeport.

Who calls there: Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line (most of NCL's Seattle homeport sailings) anchor on Pier 91. MSC Cruises joined in 2026 as a new homeport operator. The pier has two berths, so it can turn two ships simultaneously on peak days.

Drive-in passengers: Pier 91's biggest advantage is on-site parking. Smith Cove has a real cruise-passenger parking lot, priced around $40/day in 2025 (verify 2026 rates). For passengers driving in from Washington, Oregon, or Idaho, this is a meaningful convenience — you don't have to find off-site parking, you don't have to take a shuttle, and your luggage stays with you to the curb.

Fly-in passengers: Pier 91 is 25–35 minutes from SEA-TAC. The Smith Cove neighborhood doesn't have a hotel cluster, so most fly-in passengers stay in downtown Seattle the night before and Lyft/Uber to the pier on embarkation morning.

Vibe: It's a working waterfront — Smith Cove is one of Seattle's industrial port areas. Mountain views (you're looking out across Elliott Bay at the Olympics on a clear day) and the cruise terminal building has a modern feel. Less to do pre-cruise than at Pier 66, but if you're driving in and just embarking, the simplicity is a feature.

Pier 66 — Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal

Pier 66 is the older, downtown-located cruise terminal on the Bell Street Pier, sitting directly on Seattle's Elliott Bay waterfront promenade. Pre-cruise passengers can walk from Pier 66 to Pike Place Market (about 10 minutes), Pioneer Square (15 minutes), and the Seattle Aquarium (next door).

Who calls there: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian (some sailings — split with Pier 91), Virgin Voyages (new for 2026), MSC (some sailings), and Carnival. Pier 66 has a single berth, so it can only turn one ship per day.

Drive-in passengers: No on-site parking. You'll use downtown Seattle parking garages — the Bell Harbor Garage adjacent to Pier 66 takes overnight parking, but it's not cruise-specific and rates fluctuate. Plan for $30–50/day depending on the garage and how far in advance you book.

Fly-in passengers: Pier 66 is also 25–35 minutes from SEA-TAC. Its big advantage is the walkable downtown for pre-cruise nights — book a Pike Place hotel and you can walk to the pier with luggage on embarkation morning. For passengers traveling in 1–2 days early to acclimate, Pier 66 is the obvious choice.

Vibe: Right on the downtown waterfront. The promenade outside the terminal hosts the Seattle Wheel (the big ferris wheel) and the Aquarium. Pre-cruise passengers can have lunch at the market, dinner downtown, and roll luggage to the pier in the morning. It's a more vacation-feeling embarkation experience than the more industrial Pier 91.

What's new for 2026

Three things make 2026 different from prior Seattle seasons:

Two new homeporting lines. Virgin Voyages (with Brilliant Lady's first Alaska season) and MSC Cruises both add Seattle as a homeport. Both call at multiple piers depending on sailing.
Shore power on all three berths. The October 2024 retrofit completed full shore-power capability across all three berths (two at Pier 91, one at Pier 66). Eleven home-ported ships will connect during 2026 — and from 2027, all Seattle-homeported cruise ships must plug in. (Background on shore power.)
Record cruise volume. 330 calls and 2.1 million passengers makes Seattle the highest-volume Alaska homeport in North America. Vancouver still has more big-ship presence overall, but Seattle's growth curve is steeper.

Practical advice for booking

A few rules of thumb:

Driving in? Pick a Pier 91 sailing if available. On-site parking simplifies everything.
Flying in 1–2 days early? Pier 66 is the easier choice — book a downtown hotel near Pike Place, walk to the pier on embarkation day.
Day-of-flight schedule? Either pier works. Cruise lines build buffer time and you won't be the only one with a same-day flight. SEA-TAC → either pier in 25–35 min.
Care about pre-cruise sightseeing? Pier 66 wins — Pike Place, the waterfront, and Pioneer Square are all walking distance.
Care about no-fuss embarkation? Pier 91 wins — bigger facility, two berths, real parking, fewer crowds outside the terminal.

The cruise line will tell you which pier you depart from — but it's buried in your booking confirmation, often labeled as "Smith Cove" (= Pier 91) or "Bell Street" (= Pier 66) rather than as a pier number. Check before you book your hotel.

Alaska itineraries from Seattle
Ketchikan's Two Cruise Ports: Downtown vs Ward Cove (similar single-port-with-two-berths pattern in Alaska)
Inside Passage vs Gulf of Alaska: Which Cruise Route Should You Take?
Shore Power for Cruise Ships in Alaska

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Which cruise lines use Pier 91 vs Pier 66 in Seattle?: Pier 91 (Smith Cove) is used primarily by Princess, Holland America, Norwegian (some sailings), and MSC. Pier 66 (Bell Street) is used by Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian (other sailings), Virgin Voyages, MSC, and Carnival. Cruise lines split between the piers based on schedule and homeport agreements; check your booking confirmation for the specific pier.
How many cruise ship calls does Seattle handle in 2026?: Approximately 330 cruise calls and 2.1 million revenue passengers in 2026 — the busiest cruise year in Port of Seattle history. Two new lines (Virgin Voyages and MSC Cruises) joined as homeport operators for the first time in 2026.
Which Seattle pier has parking?: Pier 91 (Smith Cove) has on-site parking at the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal — approximately $40/day in 2025 (verify current pricing for 2026). Pier 66 (Bell Street) does not have on-site parking; passengers use downtown Seattle parking garages within walking distance.
Are Seattle's cruise piers shore-power capable?: Yes. The Port of Seattle completed a $44 million shore-power retrofit in October 2024 that brought all three cruise berths — both at Pier 91 and the single berth at Pier 66 — to full shore-power capability. From 2027, all home-ported cruise ships in Seattle must connect to shore power when at berth.
How far is Seattle's cruise port from SEA-TAC?: Both Pier 91 and Pier 66 are 25–35 minutes from SEA-TAC airport by Lyft, Uber, or taxi, depending on traffic. Day-of-cruise flights are workable because cruise lines build buffer time into their terminal-open windows, but most cruisers fly in the night before.
Which pier is closer to Pike Place Market?: Pier 66 (Bell Street) is roughly a 10-minute walk from Pike Place Market — it's the choice for passengers who want to spend pre-cruise time in downtown Seattle. Pier 91 (Smith Cove) is in the Magnolia neighborhood, about 4 miles north of downtown.