First a little about us: Both of us are in our early 60's and just the two of us cruised. We've been on 3 Carnival cruises to the Caribbean and this was our first on NCL and to Alaska. The cruise portion was a gift from my boss for being with the company for 25 years.
Seattle Hotel: Inn at the Market: Great location and the hotel is fantastic. The staff was always helpful and there are so many things to do in the area. We walked to the Space Needle and then walked from there to pier 66 where the Jewel would be the next day. The rooftop deck at the hotel has amazing views and the weather was so perfect the days we were there. We also did the Seattle Wheel. Loved it.
Seattle embarkment: Super easy. We left the hotel by cab at about 11:30 Saturday morning and we were at the pier within 10 minutes. Would have been shorter but the crowds at the market where horrendous. Check in was easy and we were onboard sitting on the Lido deck by 12:30 or so. Our rooms were ready at 1:00.
We loved the location of our cabin and are so glad we decided on a balcony for Alaska. We spent the morning we were in Sawyer Glacier on the balcony watching all the sights. We could just step inside for a few minutes and warm up and then head back outside.