If you’ve ever taken a cruise from a U.S. port, you probably know exactly what happens when it’s time to head home.
- Disembark the ship.
- Drag your luggage to the train, shuttle, taxi, rideshare or wherever you’re headed next.
- Check in for your flight and drop off your checked bags.
That’s the case for every single cruise port in the country. Well…every cruise port in the country except one.
The Port of Seattle.
Seattle began welcoming cruise ships in 1996, and passenger numbers have grown steadily ever since.
The Port of Seattle had over a million cruise passengers in 2017, and that was the year the port introduced a new and innovative offering: Port Valet.
About Port Valet
Here’s how it works:
Port Valet allows cruise passengers to have their bags taken from the ship, transported directly to their airline at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and checked all the way through to their destination airport. Passengers even receive their airline boarding passes before leaving the ship.
Best of all? It’s free. Passengers only pay the normal baggage fees their airline charges for either checking a bag or excess baggage, but the transfer service itself is available at no cost.
The program is, understandably, VERY popular, and with good reason – it allows cruise guests to visit Seattle without having to drag or store their luggage for the day. It significantly improves the operational efficiencies of processing cruise passengers at both the seaport and at the airport. And the reductions in congestion and passenger wait times improve the Port of Seattle’s ability to process larger cruise ships.
It’s a win-win-win!
How to sign up
Before using Port Valet, you’ll need to enroll in the program. You can do that before your cruise, on Port Valet’s website. Oh, and if you’ve already boarded, you can still enroll while you’re on the ship.
The night before your cruise ends, you’ll have your boarding passes, as well as special luggage tags delivered to your stateroom. Attach the tags onto your checked bags and then set them outside of your room.
The ship’s crew will pick up your bags and your luggage will then be delivered directly to your airline at SEA. When your flight is completed, just pick them up at the luggage carousel.
And if you’re the type who likes to know where your luggage is at all times, you can even track your bags at https://portvalet.maketraveleasier.com
How do they do this for free? There has to be a catch
Nope, no catch. The cost of the program is financed via airline and port fees.
Which airlines participate
Currently, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines all participate in Port Valet. If you’re flying via a different airline, or not out of SEA, you won’t be able to take advantage of the program.
Do other ports do this?
Nope, just the Port of Seattle.
Port Valet has been around since 2017, so it’s clearly not some untested pilot program. It has helped hundreds of thousands of cruise passengers start their trip home without having to lug suitcases around Seattle or wait in long airport check-in lines.
Which is exactly why it’s so surprising that more cruise ports haven’t stolen…I mean, borrowed…this idea.
Imagine spending the day exploring Seattle, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York or even Vancouver after your cruise without dragging your luggage everywhere you go. And just imagine how useful a program like this would be at Port Canaveral, where so many cruisers have hours to kill before flights out of Orlando.
It would make disembarkation less stressful for passengers, reduce congestion at both the port and the airport, and give travelers a few extra hours to enjoy the area before heading home.
That’s the kind of travel innovation I can get behind.
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