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Reliability of Seattle Bremerton ferry in July

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Reliability of Seattle Bremerton ferry in July

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Old May 20, 2016, 7:08 am
  #1  
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Reliability of Seattle Bremerton ferry in July

I am considering a stay in Bremerton to avoid higher hotel costs in Seattle. We will need to get to Seattle in time to catch a 11:30 a.m. train to Portland. There is a ferry that leaves at 8:45 a.m. and should arrive Seattle about 9:45 if the 60 minute crossing time is adhered to.

How reliable are these ferries? Are they ever canceled?
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Old May 20, 2016, 9:00 am
  #2  
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Originally Posted by steve4031
I am considering a stay in Bremerton to avoid higher hotel costs in Seattle. We will need to get to Seattle in time to catch a 11:30 a.m. train to Portland. There is a ferry that leaves at 8:45 a.m. and should arrive Seattle about 9:45 if the 60 minute crossing time is adhered to.

How reliable are these ferries? Are they ever canceled?
Cancellations are rare, especially in summer, and are almost always due to some unforeseen mechanical issue with the boat.

Just my opinion, but staying in Bremerton to avoid Seattle hotel costs sounds like a bit of a pretzel solution; you could stay at the airport and pay the same (or less) and have the light rail take you to the train station more cheaply, quicker, and with less hassle. If you stayed at the airport you could also just hop a cab (probably $10) to the Tukwila station (where all the Portland trains stop) and board there. FYI I don't see an 11:30 departure but do see an 11:15 one. It's a bit of a schlep from the ferry dock to King Street, so if you have bags to wrangle the 8:45 boat might make you a little uncomfortable.

Last edited by Gardyloo; May 20, 2016 at 9:07 am
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Old May 20, 2016, 9:11 am
  #3  
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In most cases you would be correct . . . however my friend works for Marriott.

Originally Posted by Gardyloo
Cancellations are rare, especially in summer, and are almost always due to some unforeseen mechanical issue with the boat.

Just my opinion, but staying in Bremerton to avoid Seattle hotel costs sounds like a bit of a pretzel solution; you could stay at the airport and pay the same (or less) and have the light rail take you to the train station more cheaply, quicker, and with less hassle. If you stayed at the airport you could also just hop a cab (probably $10) to the Tukwila station (where all the Portland trains stop) and board there. FYI I don't see an 11:30 departure but do see an 11:15 one. It's a bit of a schlep from the ferry dock to King Street, so if you have bags to wrangle the 8:45 boat might make you a little uncomfortable.
My friend works for marriott and the rates are significantly lower. He is able to get us a rate of 89 dollars per night while the rate near the airport is 200 or higher. THe employee rate is not yet available for our dates.

I think we would take Uber or lyft to the train station.
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Old May 23, 2016, 5:10 pm
  #4  
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In the time its going to take you to get back and forth to Bremerton, it seems like you could have just gotten yourself Portland earlier.
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Old May 23, 2016, 5:48 pm
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Presumably you're going to walk-on and walk-off the ferry? If you have a vehicle, you could be in trouble since the ferry lines can be quite long in the summer. Even if you're walking on/off, you're possibly looking at multiple cab/Uber rides depending on your tolerance for walking/schlepping, plus an $8 per person ferry fare. If the difference in hotel is only ~$100, you're probably better off staying by the airport and taking the train. You'll sleep easier and not have to get up really early to make your train.

And to answer your question, the ferries are very reliable. Lots of people use the ferry to commute to work in Seattle. The ride can be quite scenic.
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