For many travel advisors, Seattle is closely connected to one thing: Alaska cruising.
You fly your clients in, recommend arriving at least a day early, book their hotel, and then send them off to the ship. It makes sense. Seattle is a major gateway for Alaska cruises, and arriving early gives clients an important buffer before embarkation.
But what if Seattle deserves a little more of your attention?
Instead of thinking of Seattle simply as the place clients stay before their cruise, consider what could happen if they arrived two or three days early and made the city part of the vacation.
Here are five ways to help clients experience more of Seattle before, after, or completely separate from their Alaska cruise.
1. Go Beyond Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is one of Seattle’s most recognizable attractions, and for good reason. It’s a great place for clients to experience the city’s food, local vendors, famous fish market, and lively atmosphere.
But it can also be the beginning rather than the end of their Seattle experience.
Encourage clients to spend some time exploring the surrounding neighborhoods, waterfront, local restaurants, coffee culture, and smaller businesses that give the city its personality.
The extra time also allows clients to slow down. Instead of trying to squeeze Pike Place Market and a few other highlights into a couple of hours before boarding their ship, they can actually enjoy the experience.
2. Experience Seattle From the Water
Clients heading to Alaska are obviously about to spend plenty of time on the water, but Seattle offers a completely different way to experience it.
The city is surrounded by water, making ferries, harbor cruises, and other water experiences a natural addition to an itinerary.
A ferry ride can offer beautiful views of the Seattle skyline and surrounding landscape while also giving travelers a glimpse into how locals move throughout the region. Lake Union and Lake Washington offer additional opportunities to see another side of the city.
For clients who love being near the water, this can be a great way to begin their Pacific Northwest experience before they ever step onboard their cruise ship.
3. Add Some Culture to the Itinerary
Seattle has plenty to offer clients whose interests go beyond sightseeing.
Music lovers can explore the city’s connection to artists and genres that have shaped popular music. The Museum of Pop Culture offers exhibits centered around music, film, science fiction, and popular culture, while the Chihuly Garden and Glass showcases the work of Washington-born glass artist Dale Chihuly.
There are also museums, galleries, historic areas, and cultural attractions that allow you to personalize a Seattle stay based on what your clients actually enjoy.
This is where knowing your client becomes especially valuable. A couple interested in art may spend their extra day very differently from a family, foodie, or music lover.
4. Make Room for a Day Trip
Adding another day to a Seattle stay can open up opportunities beyond the city itself.
The surrounding region offers mountains, waterfalls, islands, small towns, and wine country, giving you plenty of options to match different traveler interests.
Depending on the season and available time, clients might consider visiting Mount Rainier, seeing Snoqualmie Falls, taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island, or exploring wineries outside the city.
A day trip can also create a nice contrast to the cruise experience. Clients can spend a day exploring the Pacific Northwest on land before experiencing Alaska from the water.
It is another reminder that adding time in a gateway city can sometimes add an entirely new dimension to the vacation.
It is also a good reminder of why continuing to build your destination knowledge matters. The more you know about what surrounds a gateway city, the easier it becomes to spot opportunities to add another experience, another day, or even another destination to your client’s vacation. The Travel Institute’s Education Hub is one resource you can use to continue exploring destinations and expanding that knowledge.
5. Consider Seattle Beyond Cruise Season
Seattle may naturally come to mind when you’re planning an Alaska cruise, but it doesn’t have to be tied to a cruise itinerary at all.
For clients interested in food, culture, outdoor experiences, music, or exploring the Pacific Northwest, Seattle can be worth considering as a vacation destination on its own. The same experiences you may recommend to a pre-cruise client can become part of a much larger itinerary when Seattle is the main destination.
You can also look beyond the city and combine a Seattle stay with other parts of Washington or the surrounding region, creating an itinerary based on what your clients enjoy most.
Sometimes the destinations you already sell are worth looking at again from a different perspective. Seattle may be one of them.
Look Beyond the Gateway
Gateway cities can sometimes become an afterthought in the planning process because your attention is naturally focused on the client’s primary destination. Seattle is a good reminder to look again.
Your clients may already be going there. Giving them a little more time could turn a necessary pre-cruise stay into one of the memorable parts of their vacation.
