The city of Seattle is considered the tourist and business hub of the Pacific Northwest. Visitors disembark from their cruise ships along the Seattle waterfront. Within walking distance is the main downtown section of Seattle. This section includes the world famous Pike Market as well as the many world-class museums, shops and restaurants for which the city is known. Seattle's most famous landmark, the Space Needle, is located in Queen Anne, which is just outside of the downtown area, but can be easily accessed via the Seattle Monorail. The Seattle waterfront allows all kinds of local water traffic, but the only cruises that are allowed are those heading to Canada and Alaska.
The Princess Cruise line offers a seven night package from Los Angeles to Vancouver on board the Sapphire Princess. This cruise provides a tour of the West Coast with stops in California (Santa Barbara and San Francisco), Oregon (Astoria), Washington (Seattle) and finally British Columbia (Victoria and Vancouver). The ship can accommodate up to 2, 670 passengers. Amenities on board include several restaurants, a casino, a fitness center, numerous bars and a variety of kids' activities. Three swimming pools line the deck of the ship.
Celebrity Cruises offers a 13-night excursion to Alaska from Los Angeles on the Celebrity Mercury. From Los Angeles, the Mercury travels to Seattle before giving a complete tour of Alaska, visiting Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, the Hubbard Glacier, Icy Strait Point and Sitka. The cruise concludes with a visit to British Columbia, with stops in Victoria and Vancouver. With a maximum occupancy of 1,886 people, the Mercury provides a selection of amenities such as the Manhattan Restaurant, a two-story dining room complete with a champagne bar. There also is an on-board casino and a variety of pools and spas.
