Virgin Voyages sails from Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91, 2001 W Garfield Street, Seattle, WA 98119. That is about three miles north of downtown, and it is not Pier 66 by Pike Place.
Seattle has two cruise piers, and mixing them up is the single most expensive mistake you can make on embarkation morning. I sailed Brilliant Lady out of Seattle and there were a few things I did not see coming.
This is a brand new port for Virgin Voyages, so parts of it are still being worked out. That is not a complaint, it just means you want to walk in knowing what to expect.
Here is everything I wish someone had handed me before I showed up: which pier, how to get there, when to actually arrive, and what happens once you are inside.
Which Cruise Port Does Virgin Voyages Use in Seattle?
Virgin Voyages uses Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91. Brilliant Lady sails Alaska Inside Passage itineraries from there, and it is the only Seattle terminal Virgin uses.
Pier 91 sits about three miles north of downtown Seattle, tucked in behind the Magnolia bluff. It is a working industrial pier, not a waterfront attraction, so there is nothing around it that looks like a cruise terminal until you are basically on top of it.
The full address is 2001 W Garfield Street, Seattle, WA 98119.
Virgin Voyages Seattle Terminal Address and How to Find It
Save this now: Smith Cove Cruise Terminal, 2001 W Garfield Street, Seattle, WA 98119.
Do not tell your driver “the Seattle cruise terminal.” They will not know which one you mean, and plenty of them will guess wrong and take you downtown.
Type the exact address into your maps app before you get in the car. Screenshot it, and send it to everyone you are traveling with so nobody is relying on one phone.
Searching the terminal by name works too. “Smith Cove Cruise Terminal” pulls up the right spot. “Seattle cruise port” does not reliably do the same thing.
Pier 91 or Pier 66? Why Seattle Trips People Up
Seattle runs two cruise terminals and they are nowhere near each other.
Pier 66 is the Bell Street Cruise Terminal, downtown, right by Pike Place Market. It is walkable from most downtown hotels. It is also not where you are going.
Pier 91 is Smith Cove Cruise Terminal, three miles north, behind the bluff. This is Virgin Voyages.
The reason this catches people is that a search for “Seattle cruise port” does not reliably return the one you need, and the downtown one feels like the obvious answer because it is the one near everything. Do not trust the first result. Use the address.
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How to Get to Pier 91 from SeaTac Airport
Sea-Tac is about 19 miles south of Pier 91. Budget 30 to 35 minutes in normal traffic, and more than that if you are moving in the afternoon.
Uber and Lyft run roughly $45 to $60 for that trip. That is the easiest option by a wide margin and it is what I do.
The Link Light Rail is $3.50 into downtown, but there is no line that goes to Pier 91. You would take the train downtown and then grab a short rideshare from there.
The genuine budget route is light rail plus bus 24 or 33 to Magnolia Bridge and Pier 91. It works. It is also slow, and it is miserable with real luggage.
My honest take: if you are traveling with another person or with checked bags, just take the Uber. Your vacation starts at the curb, not in a bus seat.
One 2026 note. Seattle is having its busiest cruise season ever, with around 2.1 million passengers expected through the port. Traffic near the terminal is heavier than it used to be, so build in a cushion.
What Time Should You Arrive at Pier 91?
The ship sails at 5pm and all aboard is 3pm. Do not roll up at 2:55.
Luggage drop-off opens around 9am. Confirm it with your First Mate before you go, because things change often and Virgin adjusts details more than most lines do. That kind of checking is exactly what we handle for our sailors, so if you book with us you get someone watching those details for you.
The sweet spot to arrive is 10:30 to 11:30am. Early enough that the lanes are still moving, late enough that you are not standing around.
After noon, the drop-off lanes back up 20 to 30 minutes just to reach the curb. Weekends are worse.
Boarding itself begins around at 2:00pm (for general boarding, Rockstars and Priority are earlier), but Virgin runs it off your assigned terminal arrival time. Showing up early lets you drop bags. It does not let you check in ahead of your slot. Think airline boarding groups.
What to Do Before You Board, and Why You Can’t Just Walk Off
This is the part nobody warns you about. Pier 91 is not a drop-your-bags-and-stroll kind of port.
There is very little within walking distance of the terminal. It is an industrial pier, and the area around it is not built for wandering.
It is also not walkable to downtown. Three miles, behind a bluff, up a steep hill. Do not try to walk to Pike Place with a carry-on.
So if you come early to drop luggage, plan where you are going next instead of assuming you can wander. You will need a rideshare to get anywhere.
Flying in the morning of? Drop your bags, Uber to Pike Place for coffee and the waterfront, then Uber back. It is about 12 minutes each way.
Flying in the day before, which is what I recommend? You have time for the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Pike Place Market, or the Seattle Art Museum.
One thing to skip on embarkation morning: the Space Needle elevator. The line is too long and the timing is too tight.
What to Wear and What to Have Ready
Dress for Seattle, not for where the ship is going.
May and June mean crisp mornings, sometimes real sun, and always a chance of rain. Layers, a light rain jacket, and comfortable walking shoes cover all three.
Here is the one that got people on my sailing. We had a gorgeous day at Sailaway, and plenty of sailors had packed warm clothes but nothing for a pool deck. I did not expect to be dancing around the pool on a Seattle departure either.
Keep two things on your person and not in a checked bag: your passport and your boarding pass. The boarding pass lives in the Virgin Voyages app, and a screenshot is a smart backup in case the terminal signal is bad.
Don’t forget to pack THIS!
Virgin Voyages has reimagined sailing and what you need to pack on for this trip is DIFFERENT than a normal cruise line. There are many items I wish I knew to bring (that I didn’t have with me on my first sailing).
Get a free printable pack list and save yourself the headache!
OR if you’re just looking for some inspo! See the curated list of Amazon items I’ve put together (and use!) for Virgin Voyages.
Print Your Luggage Tags Before You Leave Home
This is the most useful thing in this whole post, so do this one even if you skip the rest.
Virgin Voyages now lets you print your luggage tags at home. It used to be that you showed up and a porter tagged your bags for you.
In Seattle, there is currently one line and one station handling tags for everyone, rather than every porter carrying them. That line was long when I sailed, and a lot of sailors either boarded without their bags or waited a while for them to catch up.
Print your tags and attach them at home. You will walk straight past the whole thing.
There is a second option worth considering: carry your bags on yourself and skip the tag line entirely. On a seven-night Alaska sailing that is more realistic than it sounds.
If you do check bags, have your cabin number ready and watch the porter write the tag legibly. I have had someone else’s bag turn up in my cabin before, and it is a slow problem to unwind.
Tip your porter a few dollars a bag.
This is a new port for Virgin, so I would expect the tag situation to smooth out. Print them anyway.
Rockstar vs Non-Rockstar: Where to Actually Go
Rockstar and non-Rockstar sailors have separate luggage drop outside and separate check-in inside. The signage pointing you to the right one is easy to miss.
We checked in with the non-Rockstars by accident. It was not a disaster, but that area had no black Rockstar bands, so someone had to go get one and come back.
The Rockstar area is further along, on the other side, so you walk around to reach it rather than seeing it as you come in.
If you are sailing Rockstar, just ask someone at the door where to go. You will get your band the first time and you will not backtrack.
It is worth finding, too. The Rockstar check-in area has its own seating, drinks, and snacks while you wait.
Security, Your Sailor Band, and Walking Onboard
Security works exactly like an airport. Your bags go on a belt, you walk through, and no, you cannot skip it. That question comes up a lot.
Check-in plus security together usually runs under 30 minutes.
Once you are through, you collect your Sailor Band. You will show your passport and your boarding pass to get it, which is the second time that day both of them matter.
Boarding here works differently than it does at Terminal V, Virgin’s own terminal in Miami. In Miami you tap your band before you walk into the boarding area. In Seattle you walk on first, then tap.
It is a small difference and it changes the feel of coming aboard slightly. Then the Happenings Cast is there, the DJ is going, and you are on vacation.
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Disembarkation in Seattle: What’s Different Here
You can put your bags outside your cabin the night before and collect them terminal side, in the baggage claim area, on your way out. Porters are available if you want help.
Here is the part that is genuinely different in Seattle: customs is not automated. You show your passport to an agent in person.
So have it out and in your hand, not buried in a bag you just picked up. Everyone fumbling for a passport is what makes that line slow.
I got off around 9am and it was busy, because another ship was in port and we were all being walked off at the same time. Plan for company.
Getting from Pier 91 Back to SeaTac
Once you are outside the terminal you have taxis, prepaid transfers if you booked one through Shore Things, various shuttles, and app-based rideshare.
Take the yellow cab. They are lined up right there and you are in one in a couple of minutes.
The problem with rideshare here is not the wait time, although that can be long. The problem is that the rideshare pickup area is a serious walk from where you come out.
I did that walk during my back-to-back carrying nothing but a pickleball bag and it was completely fine. Doing it at the end of a sailing with all my luggage, in Seattle rain, would have been a bad way to end a vacation.
I took the taxi to the airport and it was the right call.
Virgin Voyages Seattle Cruise Port FAQ
What is the address of the Virgin Voyages terminal in Seattle?
Smith Cove Cruise Terminal, 2001 W Garfield Street, Seattle, WA 98119.
Is Pier 91 the same as Pier 66?
No. Pier 66 is the Bell Street terminal downtown by Pike Place and serves other cruise lines. Virgin Voyages is at Pier 91, three miles north.
Can I walk to Pike Place Market from Pier 91?
No. It is three miles, behind a bluff, and up a hill. Take a rideshare, about 12 minutes each way.
What time does luggage drop-off open?
Around 9am. Confirm with your First Mate before you travel, because these details change often.
Is there parking at Pier 91?
Yes, the Port of Seattle operates cruise parking at Smith Cove. Rates and availability change season to season, so book through the Port of Seattle site rather than turning up and hoping. I have always used a rideshare, so I cannot tell you firsthand how the lot runs on a busy morning.
Can I bring wine onboard?
Yes. Two 750ml bottles per cabin, not per person. Champagne counts as wine. No magnums, boxes, or pouches, and it has to be carried on rather than checked. You can pick some up at the Sea-Tac duty-free on your way through.
Is embarkation the same at Virgin’s other ports?
No, and Seattle is the most different of the ones I have sailed. If you are leaving from Puerto Rico instead, I have a separate guide to the San Juan port.
So, Where Does Virgin Voyages Dock in Seattle?
Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91, 2001 W Garfield Street, three miles north of downtown. Not Pier 66. If you remember one thing from this post, make it that one.
After that, the short list is easy. Print your luggage tags at home, aim to arrive between 10:30 and 11:30, keep your passport and boarding pass on you, pack a layer and something you can wear on a pool deck, and take a taxi rather than a rideshare on the way out.
Seattle is new for Virgin Voyages and some of the rough edges will smooth out over the season. Go in knowing where you are headed and the rest of embarkation day is genuinely easy.
