Seattle Named a Top Cruise Port for Yacht Spotting

June 26, 2015

Porthole Cruise Magazine ranked Seattle No. 11 on a list of the world’s best marinas for spotting cruise ships and yachts.

The fact that the city made this illustrious list is a testament to the region’s beauty and attractiveness to visitors. Yacht season has just kicked off in Seattle, and the superyacht Invader arrived this week.

The ranking was put together by Lynn and Cele Seldon for the new issue of Porthole Cruise Magazine. Of the dozens upon dozens of picturesque marinas around the world, the “20 top cruise ports with world class marinas” hones in on the best of the best.

Here’s the list:

Nice, France on the Cote d’Azur
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Miami
Fort Lauderdale
Newport, RI
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Maarten/St Martin
San Diego
Vancouver, BC
Capri, Italy
Seattle
Mallorca, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Genoa, Italy
Venice, Italy
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Auckland, New Zealand
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Sydney, Australia
Hong Kong

Seattle is described as an easy place to watch yachts.

“There’s just something special about a sleek super yacht docked in a world-class marina or anchored out in the calm harbor,” write the Seldons, in the article. The frequent gaggle of folks craning their necks for a closer look when a mega yacht pulls in to dock is proof of that fixation.

While most of the marinas are private and don’t allow you up close, in Seattle, kayakers and others sidle up from the water side, while others take to walking paths near Elliott Bay and up on Magnolia to look out on the Sound. The restaurants and beaches around Shilshole are fine yacht spots. And Lake Union offers many vantage points from Eastlake, Westlake and Gasworks Park.

Source: Patti Payne, Puget Sound Business Journal