About myself: We travelled with a group of 14 including 3 families with 2 kids each, and 1 set of grandparents. My family of 4 has been on 3 cruises, but this was our first to Alaska. My kids are 5 and 6, and the other kids in the group ranged from 3 to 8 years old.

Seattle: We flew to Seattle from Atlanta on a Thursday, arriving in the afternoon. Our hotel was a Hampton Inn located near the Seattle Center (Space Needle). Rather than forking out $50-$70 for a cab or shuttle, we took the Light Rail from the airport to the Westlake station in downtown Seattle. From there, we transferred to the monorail which takes you directly to the Seattle Center. From there, it was a 5 minute walk to the hotel. If I could do this with 8 bags and my wife and kids anyone can. Total cost: $12.50 In Seattle we saw all the sites, but here are some recommendations. We ate in the Space Needle which was only possible because my sister-in-law made reservations months in advance. We also did the "Ride the Ducks" tour which was great. Pike Place Market was crowded, but a must see. We also caught a Mariners game one night. Seattle was actually kind of hard to leave, but we knew Alaska had more in store for us.

Embarkation: We left the hotel at 11:30 and were on the ship by noon. If you complete your online boarding pass, everything is a breeze. We've sailed out of Miami and Tampa previously, and Seattle was probably the easiest boarding process. Read more