Cruising Out of Seattle? Make The Novel Tree Queen Anne Your First Stop

Every summer, more than a million people sail out of Seattle for Alaska. Most of them spend a night or two in the city first. And this season, a lot of them have been walking through our door with a suitcase in tow.

We get it. Our Queen Anne shop sits between both of Seattle’s cruise terminals, in the neighborhood at the foot of the Space Needle. If you’re killing a pre-cruise afternoon or easing back onto land after a week at sea, you’re closer to us than you think.

Here’s how to find us, what to do nearby, and — because we’d rather be straight with you than sell you something you can’t use — exactly how cannabis and cruising legally fit together.

First, the honest part

Cannabis is legal in Washington for adults 21 and over. It is not legal on your cruise ship. Cruise lines follow federal law, and every major line bans cannabis on board — including topicals and most CBD products. It also can’t fly home in your luggage or cross into Canada if your itinerary stops in Victoria.

So the plan is simple: whatever you buy in Washington gets enjoyed in Washington, before you board or after you return. Buy small. A couple of low-dose edibles, a pre-roll or three, or a disposable vape cartridge for your Seattle evening beats a big purchase you’ll have to leave behind.

One more Washington rule worth knowing: consuming in public — parks, sidewalks, your terminal parking lot — is illegal. Most hotels prohibit smoking of any kind, so low-key formats like edibles and beverages tend to be the traveler’s best friend. Our budtenders will happily talk through what works for your situation.

And the obvious caveat: we're budtenders, not lawyers — and definitely not maritime lawyers. Rules change, and every cruise line writes its own policy, so check yours before you sail.

Getting here from Pier 91 (Smith Cove)

If you’re sailing Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Carnival, Celebrity, MSC, or Virgin Voyages in 2026, you’re almost certainly at Pier 91 — the big terminal tucked into Smith Cove below Magnolia. There’s nothing walkable at the terminal itself, which surprises a lot of first-timers.

The good news: Queen Anne is the closest real neighborhood. We’re at 522 Queen Anne Ave N, about a five-minute rideshare from the Pier 91 gate. Tell the driver “Lower Queen Anne, near Climate Pledge Arena” and you’ll be dropped on a block with restaurants, coffee, and an actual afternoon’s worth of things to do — not a parking lot.

Getting here from Pier 66 (Bell Street)

Sailing Norwegian or Oceania? You’re at Pier 66, right on the downtown waterfront. We’re a little over a mile north — a five-minute ride, or a pleasant 20–25 minute walk up through Belltown if the weather’s doing its summer thing. You’ll see the Space Needle the whole way. Walk toward it.

Pier assignments do occasionally shift, so double-check your cruise documents. Either way, we’re in the middle.

While you’re in the neighborhood

Queen Anne — the lower part is officially called Uptown — is Seattle’s front porch. You could fill a full pre-cruise day within a fifteen-minute walk of our door:

•     Kerry Park. The postcard view of Seattle — skyline, Elliott Bay, the Space Needle front and center, and Mount Rainier floating behind it all on a clear day. It’s at 211 W Highland Dr, a steep 15-minute walk up the Counterbalance from our block, and worth every step. If you take one photo in Seattle, this is where you take it.

•     The Space Needle & Chihuly Garden and Glass. Three blocks away at Seattle Center. The Needle you know; Chihuly is the sleeper pick — a garden full of glass sculpture that turns unreal at golden hour. The combo ticket is the move if you have an afternoon.

•     MoPOP & the Pacific Science Center. Also on the Seattle Center campus. The Museum of Pop Culture covers music, sci-fi, and film in a building that looks like it melted; the Science Center is the play if you’ve got kids along for the pre-cruise leg. Summer is festival season on campus, too — check the Seattle Center events calendar to see what’s happening the day you’re in town.

•     Climate Pledge Arena. If there’s a concert or a game the night before you sail, grab tickets — it’s one of the best-sounding rooms in the country, and it’s a five-minute walk from us. The arena’s events calendar will tell you what’s on while you’re here.

•     SIFF Cinema Uptown. A classic three-screen movie house on our block — and it turns 100 this year, showing films on Queen Anne Ave since 1926. Arthouse picks, special events, and $7 Tuesdays; check the Uptown’s showtimes calendar to see what’s playing. Rainy afternoon before a Friday sailing? This is your answer.

Where to eat before you board

You’re about to spend a week eating buffet food at sea. Do yourself a favor and have one real Seattle meal first — all three of these are within two blocks of our shop:

•     Toulouse Petit. Cajun-Creole in a candlelit, New Orleans-style room at 601 Queen Anne Ave N — a block up from us. Full disclosure: we’re biased. Both of The Novel Tree’s founders worked at Toulouse Petit before opening our first store, so recommending it feels less like a tip and more like where you’ll find us. The happy hour is famous city-wide, the beignets are the real thing, and weekend brunch before an afternoon sailing is a genuinely great send-off. Anything with crab, green tomatoes, or grits…. mhmmmmm.

•     Sal y Limón. Family-run Mexican at 10 Mercer St, around the corner in the MarQueen building. Handmade tortillas, slow-cooked adobada, and margaritas with a serious tequila list behind them. Locals’ pick, and somehow still under the radar.

•     Dick’s Drive-In. A Seattle institution since 1954, anchoring our block. Burgers, fries, hand-dipped shakes, cash-friendly, open late. If you leave Seattle without a Dick’s Deluxe, that’s on you.

And yes, the coffee

You’re in Seattle. Skipping the coffee would be like skipping the mountain. You don’t need the famous chain — you walked past three of those on the way here — you need the neighborhood spots:

•     Caffe Vita at KEXP. Inside the KEXP radio station’s public gathering space at Seattle Center, which means you can sip a cappuccino from one of Seattle’s original craft roasters while watching a live broadcast from one of the world’s great independent radio stations. The most Seattle forty-five minutes available anywhere.

•     Caffe Ladro. A block from us on Queen Anne Ave. Ladro was born on this hill in 1994 and grew into a beloved local roaster — the Lower Queen Anne café is classic neighborhood Seattle, right down to the regulars.

•     Cafe Hagen. Scandinavian-style café a few blocks away — Nordic pastries, hygge interiors, and a proper cardamom bun situation. The cozy pick when the marine layer hasn’t burned off yet.

What to shop for when you’re traveling

A visit here isn’t like grabbing something at a duty-free counter. This is what we’re for: tell us how much time you have in Seattle, where you’re staying, and how experienced you are, and we’ll point you somewhere sensible. A few formats that tend to suit visitors:

•     Low-dose edibles. Gummies in the 2.5–5 mg range are the gentlest way in, especially if it’s been a while. Start low. Seattle will still be here in 90 minutes.

•     Cannabis beverages. Fast-acting, sociable, no smoke, no smell — a natural fit for a hotel evening. We keep a rotating cooler and strong opinions about it.

•     Pre-rolls. If you have access to a private place where smoking is allowed, well-made pre-rolls from our Washington craft growers can make for top-tier souvenir experiences.

•     Disposable vaporizers. No grinder, no papers, no lighter, no learning curve — a disposable is the simplest way to enjoy flower-derived cannabis while traveling, and far more discreet than smoke. Just remember it follows the same rule as everything else here: it can’t board the ship or fly home, so pick a size you’ll actually finish, and our budtenders can point you to smaller options made for exactly this.

•     CBD-forward options. For travelers who want to unwind without a strong high, balanced THC:CBD products are worth asking about. We pride ourselves on our robust CBD selection!

All the cannabis on our shelves comes from Washington producers and processors — this state grows some of the best cannabis in the world, and tasting it where it’s grown is half the point. Every strain here has a story, and our budtenders know them.

The practical stuff

•     You’ll need ID. 21+, valid government-issued photo ID. A passport works great, and if you’re cruising, you probably have it on you.

•     Where: 522 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle — the shop formerly known as Star Buds, now part of The Novel Tree family alongside our Bellevue and Bremerton stores.

•     Hours: 8am - 11:45pm, 7 days per week - early enough for a pre-boarding stop, late enough for the night you get back! Questions? Call us at 206-705-9333.

•     Medical patients: we’re a medically endorsed dispensary with certified consultants — if you hold a medical card, ask about your tax exemption.

•     Payment: we’re a cash-only business and have an ATM onsite.

•     Short on time? Browse the Seattle menu and order ahead - your bags can wait in the rideshare while you’re in and out in minutes.

Safe travels, smooth seas, and if you make it up to Kerry Park — tell the view we said “high”