Seattle Washington

Seattle is one of my favorite west coast cities, with lots to do and absolutely spectacular food. If you're cruising out of Seattle, it's definitely worth it to save a couple days on either side of your trip to explore the city. The city has the iconic Space Needle, the original Starbucks, and the famous Pike Place market. You can easily spend 3 days here and not run out of things to do.

• Visit the Space Needle and Chihuly Museum - These are two very different things, but I'm combining them because they are co-located. You can ride the Space Needle to the top and get amazing views of the city. The Chihuly Museum is a little different since it features brightly lit glass art that may appeal to those who do no typically visit museums.

• Visit Pike Place Market - This it the iconic home of the fish monger, and the original Starbucks. It also features tons of shopping and great restaurants. My favorite chowder on the planet is the Seafood Bisque at Pike Place Chowder. Piroshky Piroshky is also a popular Russian bakery with cheap treats. The fresh produce sold at the market is also spectacular.

• Ride the Ferry - The ferry terminal offers reasonably priced rides to multiple islands. You also get great views from the ferry. Some of the nature on the islands is absolutely stunning.

• Explore the restaurants and breweries - There are far too many to name here, but you will have NO trouble finding great food and drinks in this city.

Top your Own Excursion: Visit the Space Needle and Chihuly Museum. You can buy a combination deal for admission to both of these attractions, and it's possible to do both in one day. Mass transit runs to them, or you can take an Uber or cab.

Top Booked Excursion: Underground Seattle Tour. You can also book this outside the cruise line, but it's one of the best guided tours I've ever done. For those that don't know, lots of the Seattle waterfront buildings were build on sawdust and debris. With time, buildings sank to the point where the 2nd floor became the 1st floor. This tour provides a great history for the city of Seattle, and gives you access to what is now an underground city.

Transportation: Overall Seattle has a good public transit system. Light rail runs from the airport to the downtown with frequent options and a reasonable price. Hotels in downtown Seattle are expensive, so often we'll stay near the airport and just use the rail train. Car rental, Uber, and taxi are all good options.

Safety: B- Seattle is a major urban area that I've found generally safe. However, there is a large homeless population here, along with typical crimes that are a risk in big cities. The homeless population is the most noticeable, however I've found they typically keep to themselves and are probably less of a risk than other threats such as pick pockets in tourist areas.

Port Rating: A- Seattle has tons to offer and is a spectacular port city to leave from with attractions and great food. As with most major cities, you do have to be aware of your surroundings.