It seems to us that Magnolia ends up in the Rant and Rave section of the Seattle Times more than other neighborhoods.  Today there is a criticsm of Magnolia residents who are complaining about the noise from the cruise ships at the new Smith Cove Terminal at Pier 91. 

Rant: To city residents who complain about the small insignificant noises that are expected when living in an urban environment. The Magnolia residents who feel the noise from cruise line ships is worth complaining about seem to forget they chose to live in a major city and seaport. If you want silence, move to Wyoming.

We also want to remind you that there is an open house at the new cruise facility on Tuesday, June 2.  Details here if you want to attend.

The cruise ship season is officially underway at the new Smith Cove Terminal and we have received a number of questions about the schedule of the ships and the impact on Magnolia since the first one arrived last Friday. Here is what Sally del Fierro from the Port of Seattle says:

Two ships will be arriving on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the early mornings (typically before 6 am) and begin disembarkation around 8:00 am.  This process lasts for about two hours.  Embarkation typically begins around noon until about 3 pm.  The ships depart between 4 and 5 pm.  Also, every other Thursday, there will be one smaller 700-passenger vessel calling.  We don’t anticipate much of a traffic issue associated with this ship but the times above apply.   

The commercial vehicles (taxis, shuttles, motor coaches, provisioning trucks) will use the Galer Street Flyover into the main gate at Terminal 91 (near the Amgen campus).  Personal vehicles that are dropping passengers off or parking for the week will use the Magnolia Bridge and the off ramp to the parking facility, the same off ramp used for Elliott Bay Marina/Palisades. 

If you have any concerns or issues, you can call the Cruise Seattle Community Information line at 206-728-3337.