Seattle

Seattle is the primary US homeport for round-trip Alaska cruises, with most ships sailing from Pier 91 at the Smith Cove cruise terminal just north of downtown and a smaller number from Pier 66 at Bell Street. A seven-day round-trip from Seattle must call at one foreign port under the Passenger Vessel Services Act, which is why nearly every Seattle-Alaska sailing stops in Victoria BC on the return leg. The terminal is a 15-minute cab ride from Sea-Tac airport's Link light rail and close to Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and the Seattle Art Museum for pre- or post-cruise stays. Departures cluster in late afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays from May through September.