Calling on our DCL Seattle experts (trying to plan a great alternative cruise for my daughter with cancer)

[brentm77]

Background:
Without getting too personal, we have had a major adjustment to future travel plans due to our young-adult daughter being diagnosed with very serious cancer. Everything has ground to a stop while we focus on curing her. Before I get onto the point of this thread, I can tell you all that one of the first things our family talked about when she was diagnosed was our past vacations and how grateful we were that we spent so much time traveling and making memories while we could. Our Disney cruises were at the top of our favorite memories. So the next time you travel and things aren't going just right, step back, and focus on how fortunate you are to be traveling with people you love (or even solo if that makes you happy), because things can change so quickly. On the bright side, despite very low odds of surviving this cancer, her chemo is going unusually well and we think she is going to beat it.

Long story you can skip:
My wife and I were scheduled to sale DCL in Alaska this Sep. and Celebrity in Europe next year (without kids for the first time, since they were focused on college). We of course canceled Alaska. While being over optimistic, we added our kids to our Europe cruise, thinking it would be plenty of time to get my daughter feeling good enough to travel after some serious surgery at the end of this year However, it is now looking unrealistic. My daughter really wants to travel and has some bucket list items she wants to look forward to when she beat this, so we evaluated lower key options that were accessible from the U.S. That had to be mostly relaxing for mom and dad (caregiving and emotional toll have been overwhelming), and require less work for my daughter (walking wise, long flights, etc.) and be accessible. After careful thought, we actually landed back on an Alaska cruise for August 2024. Our thinking is that much of the experience is relaxing on the ship and enjoying the scenery, it wouldn't be a beach vacation which would be hard for my daughter, it wouldn't be too hot (which would be hard for her too), we can get to the base port with a short flight, and even the itinerary ports can just be walks around paved towns, or car drives to see scenery, which will work for her.

I was willing to pay the Disney premium of over 4K extra to go back to DCL, which we love, but to my surprise, both of my children said they were ready to try something new. They also liked that I can get them their own room on Celebrity, whereas we would be sharing on DCL. By choosing Celebrity, we know we are giving up Glacier Bay (just like DCL), but the timing, itinerary, and ship quality, food quality, and other factors outweighed Glacier Bay for the family. That will be on the future list if we love Alaska cruising.

My questions:
So now the point of my post - we are sailing out of Seattle instead of Vancouver. I am bummed to be missing a few days in Vancouver, which I had really looked forward to, but my daughter with cancer is thrilled to go to Seattle, since she has always wanted to visit the city. I haven't visited since I was a teen. Can experts in the area help me with a few questions?

1) Is there a nice hotel within walking distance of the port like there is in Vancouver? If so, is it an ok area to stay in? If not, where would you stay in the city?
2) If we have a day to do tourist stuff in Seattle, but it needs to accessible to someone who may be in a wheelchair at times, what would you recommend?
3) Would it be worth hiring some sort of private tour for the day, like we usually do in Europe, just to make things easier on my daughter?

For Celebrity Alaska or Celebrity Edge experts:
What tips do you have for some old DCL pros?

Thanks for letting me post this here on DCL boards. DCL will always be special in our hearts and we plan to come back to it soon, but in particular, I love these boards and the community here.

Edit: After reading this post (click to link), I am wondering if I made a huge mistake to sail out of Seattle.

 

[Kwami]

Edit: After reading this post (click to link), I am wondering if I made a huge mistake to sail out of Seattle.

Nah. It's a different cruise, but it's not a bad cruise. I wouldn't worry so much. Enjoy your cruise, make new memories, spend time with your family.

I don't usually complain about Disney's prices, but the difference between DCL and Celebrity is huge for this cruise. You can't even get a DCL inside room for the same price as a Celebrity verandah.

(And the difference between the actual sailing route (inside vs. open sea) is a very small part of the overall trip. Part of one day at the start and part of one day at the end. No big deal.)

 

[Mango7100]

I don’t have much to recommend, but I am very sorry to hear of your daughters diagnosis and hoping she responds to therapy. That kind of news certainly is a gut punch and makes you rearrange priorities really quick.

It sounds like Alaska is actually a really good option for your family since so much of the scenery can be enjoyed from the ship. I do not know if it is in your budget, but you may want to consider the Celebrity Retreat (or NCL Haven if you are not committed to Celebrity). You will have a less crowded and exclusive area of the ship, don’t have to fight the dining crowds because of your own restaurant and bar, etc. At least on some of the NCL Haven ships they have an exclusive indoor Observation lounge that is two stories high to watch the scenery while having snacks and drinks served right there. They are huge with plenty of seating areas for families.

There is a Marriott waterfront hotel that is literally across from the port in Seattle, at least where NCL ships dock. You can walk from the hotel to the ship in about 2 minutes.

 

[otten]

I don’t think it’s a mistake. I live in Vancouver but Seattle is a great place to visit and I’m sure the cruise will be just as good as one from Vancouver.

Unlike Vancouver the cruise terminal isn’t right downtown. Celebrity sails out of the Smith Cove terminal which is north of downtown. I don’t know if there are any hotels there but I’d probably recommend staying in one more in downtown. When we go to Seattle we usually stay in the area around the convention Center. There are a number of hotels I like in that area.

 

[brentm77]

Nah. It's a different cruise, but it's not a bad cruise. I wouldn't worry so much. Enjoy your cruise, make new memories, spend time with your family.

I don't usually complain about Disney's prices, but the difference between DCL and Celebrity is huge for this cruise. You can't even get a DCL inside room for the same price as a Celebrity verandah.

(And the difference between the actual sailing route (inside vs. open sea) is a very small part of the overall trip. Part of one day at the start and part of one day at the end. No big deal.)

Thank you for the reassurance! We got two verandah rooms on Celebrity for $4K less than sharing a room on DCL, so it is a huge improvement accommodations/cost wise. The girls are super excited to have their own room too, and it will be so nice to have some time to relax on the verandah with my wife while they do their own thing! Flying to Seattle will be easier for us too as there are many more direct flights for us.

 

[brentm77]

I don’t have much to recommend, but I am very sorry to hear of your daughters diagnosis and hoping she responds to therapy. That kind of news certainly is a gut punch and makes you rearrange priorities really quick.

It sounds like Alaska is actually a really good option for your family since so much of the scenery can be enjoyed from the ship. I do not know if it is in your budget, but you may want to consider the Celebrity Retreat (or NCL Haven if you are not committed to Celebrity). You will have a less crowded and exclusive area of the ship, don’t have to fight the dining crowds because of your own restaurant and bar, etc. At least on some of the NCL Haven ships they have an exclusive indoor Observation lounge that is two stories high to watch the scenery while having snacks and drinks served right there. They are huge with plenty of seating areas for families.

There is a Marriott waterfront hotel that is literally across from the port in Seattle, at least where NCL ships dock. You can walk from the hotel to the ship in about 2 minutes.

Thank you for the feedback and tips. We have been sitting with the news for about three months and still finding ways our lives are changing. But we are going to get through it and can't wait to travel as a family again!

 

[brentm77]

I don’t think it’s a mistake. I live in Vancouver but Seattle is a great place to visit and I’m sure the cruise will be just as good as one from Vancouver.

Unlike Vancouver the cruise terminal isn’t right downtown. Celebrity sails out of the Smith Cove terminal which is north of downtown. I don’t know if there are any hotels there but I’d probably recommend staying in one more in downtown. When we go to Seattle we usually stay in the area around the convention Center. There are a number of hotels I like in that area.

Thank you! Vancouver will be there for us in a few years when we come back. It looks like my kind of city and I look forward to it. We do now get to see Victoria, which should be fun.

 

[otten]

Thank you! Vancouver will be there for us in a few years when we come back. It looks like my kind of city and I look forward to it. We do now get to see Victoria, which should be fun.

Victoria is a really charming city. You’ll enjoy it.

 

[laurelew]

I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter. My mom was diagnosed with cancer back in 2013 at the age of 56. Her diagnosis changed everything for our family. I can only imagine how heartbreaking the diagnosis must be for you as a parent. No matter what happens, keep making those family memories because they are indeed precious. I will be keeping your family in my thoughts.

I did an Alaskan cruise on Norwegian back in 2012. We sailed out of Seattle and the cruise ended in Vancouver. I do not remember many details about the ship itself but I can say the sailing out of Seattle did not make a big impression on me -- which I take as a good sign since it means the journey couldn't have been that rough. The experience in Alaska was amazing though. Even just being on the ship and watching the scenery as we sailed. Victoria was one of my favorite ports. It felt like being in the UK except everyone drove on the right side of the street, lol.

Also I think your girls will love having their own room (as will you). My sister and I went on many cruises in high school and college with our parents and always had our own room and it was nice to sleep in or be messy or just hangout.

 

[lklgoodman]

We just did an Alaskan cruise on NCL last month from Seattle. We stayed at the Marriott's Fairfield Inn& Suites in downtown. We were just a very easy 5 min walk from the Space Needle, Chihuly Glass Gardens, and the Museum of Pop Culture. We went to all 3 of these the day before our cruise and really enjoyed all of them. It was my dh and myself(mid 50s) and our 15 year old daughter. We went to them on a Saturday and felt very safe walking around the area, no homeless people harassing us like we had at Vancouver. It was mostly just other cruisers walking around. There is a Hyatt House and a Hyatt Place also in the area. One is right across from the Space Needle. I wanted to book it, but it was twice the price. Both Hyatts were just a few mins from our's, so I was glad I went with the Marriott. It was very nice, comfy beds and clean. The employees were also very friendly. Our room was ready when we arrived at noon. There are a lot of other hotels in the area. There were a lot of different restaurants in the area within a 5-10 min walk from the hotel. I know you asked about the port area, but since you want to visit sights just wanted to share about the downtown area. There is a Marriott by the port and also the Edgewater hotel(famous for Beatles staying there, and later other bands) They were both twice the price of our downtown hotel. The port is about a 15-20 min walk from downtown, however it's a very steep uphill walk. Our hotel provided transport to the port for $15/pp for the morning of our cruise. There is also a lightrail that you can take from the airport/downtown/port. We didn't want to mess with it since we had a lot of bags. Seattle gets a bad rap for crime. We didn't see anything that made us feel unsafe. We were there for 2 days before our cruise and really enjoyed our time there. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Blessings for your daughter and your family as she goes through her treatments and recovery. I hope you all have a wonderful cruise.

 

[insureman]

Nothing to add except a prayer and best wishes for your daughter and family.

 

[o&smom]

We cruised with DCL to Alaska in 2011 from Vancouver. We used the inside passage when we left Vancouver, but returned on the outside. Blessings to your family. Have an amazing cruise!

 

[princesscinderella]

We too did Alaskan cruise with NCL on the Bliss which was made specifically to sail in Alaska with the amazing top deck lounge at the front of the ship which was our favorite place to watch the scenery. I second a trip to the space needle and Chihuily Glass museum they are right next to each other. The museum of Pop Culture is also amazing too. NCL left from the downtown area near lots of hotels and Pikes place market if I remember correctly. Pikes place market is definitely a nice place to grab a bite to eat and wander around. All the best to your daughter on her battle with cancer. Having a trip to look forward to is good medicine for everyone.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Many prayers to you and your family and your daughter in the journey towards health. Wishing you all only the best.

We stayed at Hotel 5 on fifth street when we did our Alaska cruise. Charming boutique style hotel with a nice bar and restaurant. A quiet street with a great donut shop right next door. We walked to the space needle and Chihuily Glass museum, which might be too much for your daughter, depending on her health at the time. Also a short walk away was Pike's Place Market. To me, all part of visiting Seattle must dos. There is also a beautiful park right near the space needle for those who were afraid of heights and the elevator. That would be me-I waited it out there.

While we sailed DCL and took the train to Vancouver, we were on a shuttle that dropped a couple we were sharing with at the port for their NCL cruise. Nothing too close by to that area. For me, I would rather be in a quiet area where you can safely walk the street.

Make lots of memories together-it is what life and living life is all about!

 

[Fuzzycaterpillar1]

Background:
Without getting too personal, we have had a major adjustment to future travel plans due to our young-adult daughter being diagnosed with very serious cancer. Everything has ground to a stop while we focus on curing her. Before I get onto the point of this thread, I can tell you all that one of the first things our family talked about when she was diagnosed was our past vacations and how grateful we were that we spent so much time traveling and making memories while we could. Our Disney cruises were at the top of our favorite memories. So the next time you travel and things aren't going just right, step back, and focus on how fortunate you are to be traveling with people you love (or even solo if that makes you happy), because things can change so quickly. On the bright side, despite very low odds of surviving this cancer, her chemo is going unusually well and we think she is going to beat it.

Long story you can skip:
My wife and I were scheduled to sale DCL in Alaska this Sep. and Celebrity in Europe next year (without kids for the first time, since they were focused on college). We of course canceled Alaska. While being over optimistic, we added our kids to our Europe cruise, thinking it would be plenty of time to get my daughter feeling good enough to travel after some serious surgery at the end of this year However, it is now looking unrealistic. My daughter really wants to travel and has some bucket list items she wants to look forward to when she beat this, so we evaluated lower key options that were accessible from the U.S. That had to be mostly relaxing for mom and dad (caregiving and emotional toll have been overwhelming), and require less work for my daughter (walking wise, long flights, etc.) and be accessible. After careful thought, we actually landed back on an Alaska cruise for August 2024. Our thinking is that much of the experience is relaxing on the ship and enjoying the scenery, it wouldn't be a beach vacation which would be hard for my daughter, it wouldn't be too hot (which would be hard for her too), we can get to the base port with a short flight, and even the itinerary ports can just be walks around paved towns, or car drives to see scenery, which will work for her.

I was willing to pay the Disney premium of over 4K extra to go back to DCL, which we love, but to my surprise, both of my children said they were ready to try something new. They also liked that I can get them their own room on Celebrity, whereas we would be sharing on DCL. By choosing Celebrity, we know we are giving up Glacier Bay (just like DCL), but the timing, itinerary, and ship quality, food quality, and other factors outweighed Glacier Bay for the family. That will be on the future list if we love Alaska cruising.

My questions:
So now the point of my post - we are sailing out of Seattle instead of Vancouver. I am bummed to be missing a few days in Vancouver, which I had really looked forward to, but my daughter with cancer is thrilled to go to Seattle, since she has always wanted to visit the city. I haven't visited since I was a teen. Can experts in the area help me with a few questions?

1) Is there a nice hotel within walking distance of the port like there is in Vancouver? If so, is it an ok area to stay in? If not, where would you stay in the city?
2) If we have a day to do tourist stuff in Seattle, but it needs to accessible to someone who may be in a wheelchair at times, what would you recommend?
3) Would it be worth hiring some sort of private tour for the day, like we usually do in Europe, just to make things easier on my daughter?

For Celebrity Alaska or Celebrity Edge experts:
What tips do you have for some old DCL pros?

Thanks for letting me post this here on DCL boards. DCL will always be special in our hearts and we plan to come back to it soon, but in particular, I love these boards and the community here.

Edit: After reading this post (click to link), I am wondering if I made a huge mistake to sail out of Seattle.

Hello, first of all, sending your family hope and strength during this difficult time.

I lived in Seattle and now live about 20 minutes outside. The Celebrity cruise terminal at Pier 66 is great. I can highly recommend The Edgewater hotel nearby (got married there), which is stunning and has the wonderful Six Seven restaurant with patio views of the gorgeous water and your cruise ship. If you can get a room there, I would. The Seattle Aquarium, Olympic sculpture Park, the beautiful myrtle Edwards park are nearby, flat and wheelchair accessible, however it gets very hilly once you travel east. I also highly recommend avoiding all other areas of Belltown (2nd, 3rd Avenue from pine to seneca) because it's dangerous. The Bainbridge Island ferry terminal is also nearby for a quick day trip to the charming island. Seattle Art Museum is also a few blocks away. Please let me know if you have any questions!

 

[brentm77]

This is why I love this community. You are all such nice people (even when we have our friendly debates from time to time) and it's so fun being part of a group that shares my love for cruising, and cruising DCL. You have all provided such helpful information already and I appreciate the kind comments and support. I feel so much better about our decision and grateful that we can give the family something unique to look forward to. Thank you!

 

[auntlynne]

Best of success in your daughter’s medical journey. It may be her body, but It will be your emotions, too, as you are finding out.

I cruised with a friend who opted to do an AK sailing a few days after pacemaker surgery. What a recovery setting. That crisp air and beauty is wonderful.

(I have cruised AK 5 times - so far.)

You will not be staying near the port if not on NCL. Get an Uber / Lyft to your pier on the northwest side of the city.

Order a car service to get to a downtown hotel from the airport. It’s about a half-hour drive, depending on time of day. The light rail is clean, efficient, inexpensive. But there’s a walk to get to it - and from the downtown station to any hotel. Save your energy for the cruise and a little sightseeing In Seattle.

My last trip to Seattle was Sep 2021 for an AK cruise on NCL.

I stayed at the Hyatt Olive 8 near the Convention Center. I enjoyed that hotel. And my autoimmune disease was in check, allowing me to walk all afternoon, exploring.

Big note: Seattle is built on a hill. With up and down hills when walking, depending on the destination. Pike Place Market is built on the slope between downtown and the harbour front.

I have visited the Chihuly Glass Museum and Garden with my then-17 yo niece who likes to photograph and see lovely things. It is at the base of the Space Needle. We got a combo ticket for these.

If you don’t have certain things that you know you want to visit, these two are classics, along with Pike Place Market and then Museum of Pop Culture.

 

[Marthasor]

First I want to say I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. I hope her treatments continue to go well.

We sailed to Alaska out of Seattle a few years ago (on NCL) and have sailed on Celebrity multiple times - I think you will love it! Celebrity is really low-key and relaxing. I'm not sure if it's in the budget, but their Retreat class of staterooms come with some lovely amenities like a private dining room.

We LOVED touring around Seattle. We stayed at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront which was right across from NCL's pier, but it sounds like you will be sailing from a pier about 3 miles north of that hotel, so not sure if it's a great suggestion - if you do end up there, there is a restaurant called Elliott's just down the street from the hotel which is amazing! It's also within walking distance of Pike Place Market and the original Starbuck's - it is all paved sidewalks in the area. We really enjoyed the Space Needle, Chihuly Museum and the Museum of Pop Culture. If you think doing a private day tour would make things easier for your daughter, I would do it!

I hope you have a fantastic cruise with your family.

 

[auntlynne]

The three major museum/attractions are in one area (well, that’s pretty common, isn’t it?):



You can see Pier 61 to the upper left (those two long piers).

The Hyatt at Olive 8 (my reference) is actually near that pink teardrop (Hyatt Regency), lower right. That’s pretty much the convention center area. Below that you see Pine Street - the streets are coming uphill from the South toward Pine Street.


I would pick a hotel you like or are interested in and suits your family’s lifestyle and budget. Book early; modify or change as needed/ wanted. I saw good prices slip away, by even hours’ delay when booking.

If you are in the general downtown area, just plan on using rideshare to get to and/or from your sightseeing. Perhaps pick one restaurant or site to be near and walkable from your hotel.

Any hotel in downtown is going to give you city views. I would look at the Edgewater for something unique. (The building over/on the water).



I really enjoy see the Olympic Peninsula / Mountains and Puget Sound. Of course, you are about to head into beautiful scenery.

So many choices.

(We did our first AK 6 weeks after my 15 yo niece got out of the hospital with a diagnosis of MS that involved serious left side weakness that improved significantly before our trip. We only modified excursions a little. No rafting for her, but she was able to do helicopter/ glacier visit, float plane, whale watching, and a train ride. Pacing activities makes a big difference. I am very hopeful for your daughter and family. But even just taking in the beauty is worth the cruise!)

 

[disney789]

Praying for you and your family.