How to Send Seafood as a Gift: Holiday Giving Guide

Yes, you can send seafood as a gift. It ships overnight, and when it lands on a day the recipient is home, it goes straight into the refrigerator in good shape.

We are Seattle's original seafood family. Founded at Pike Place Market in 1911 and still family-owned and operated by the fourth generation, we ship seafood to doors across the country. Sending a box to your sister in Phoenix or a client in Chicago works the same way, and a few choices up front decide how it goes.

This guide covers how to choose seafood for the person, when to order, our shipping terms, and what your recipient should do when the box arrives. Our shipping FAQs hold the full delivery terms.

How Do You Send Seafood as a Gift?

Match the box to the person, confirm they will be home, choose a delivery date, order ahead, tell them it is coming, and refrigerate the seafood the day it arrives. Here is each step in order.

1. Pick the gift for the person: Cooks get fillets or crab. Anyone who does not cook gets smoked salmon. Our seafood gift boxes cover both.

2. Confirm they will be home: Ask about travel plans before you order, since the box needs to go into a refrigerator promptly.

3. Choose a delivery date from Tuesday through Friday: Pick a day when someone can bring the box inside.

4. Order ahead: Order as soon as you know the date you want, especially during holiday weeks.

5. Tell them it is coming: We do not contact recipients before delivery, so your message is the heads-up.

6. Refrigerate on arrival: Open the box right away and refrigerate or freeze everything inside.

Ready to choose? Shop our seafood gift boxes and pick a delivery date when the recipient will be home.

Which Seafood Gift Suits Which Person?

Send smoked salmon to anyone who does not cook, fillets or crab to people who do, and a sampler to someone new to seafood. These seafood gift ideas are grouped by recipient. For gifts for seafood lovers by occasion, our guides to seafood gifts for Christmas and seafood holiday gift baskets cover the full lineup.

Coworkers, clients, and neighbors

A smoked salmon gift is our answer when you do not know the person's kitchen. It needs no cooking, and it gives them room in their schedule. Our Alderwood Smoked Salmon will stay fresh for up to 3 days without refrigeration, 3 weeks in the refrigerator, and up to 6 months in the freezer (sealed).

For more variety, the Smoked Salmon Sampler and the Smoked Seafood Gift Pack put several smoked specialties in one box. You can browse everything we smoke in our smoked salmon collection.

If the recipient likes lox, our lox collection has more to choose from.

Close friends and family who cook

When you know their tastes, buy for them. Fresh salmon suits the person who grills, and fancy crab suits the one who hosts. For a little of everything, King & Dungeness Crab Gift Pack covers both crowd favorites.

You can also browse Dungeness crab and king crab on their own.

Add a tool to the order, and the gift feels like it was chosen for them. An oyster knife goes with the Oyster Sampler Gift Pack, a crab cracker goes with crab, and a cedar plank goes with salmon. Our kitchen tools collection has options.

Hosts and anyone who wants a meal ready to serve

The Crab & Shrimp Zero-Prep Gift Pack skips the prep work. The Dinner Party Gift Pack and the 3 Course Seafood Gift Pack give a host a menu to build on. Each product page lists what is inside and how it ships.

Someone new to seafood

A gift pack with several types of fish or shellfish lets a beginner sample a wide variety and find a favorite. The Fresh Seafood Gift Pack and the Smoked Salmon Sampler both work well for this.

Our samplers collection has more options for a first-time seafood eater.

Milestones and thank-yous

For an anniversary or a gift that marks an occasion, see our caviar collection.

Fresh, Frozen, or Smoked: Which Travels Best as a Gift?

Smoked salmon gives the recipient the most flexibility, because it keeps for days without refrigeration and for weeks in the refrigerator. Fresh and frozen seafood both make excellent gifts, and each asks the recipient to put it away promptly.

We use these words the same way on every page. Fresh means the seafood has never been frozen. Frozen at peak freshness means the seafood was frozen at its best and holds that quality until it thaws. Frozen seafood is often no lower in quality than fresh, and, for a gift, it can be easier on the recipient's schedule. Smoked means the fish has been cured and smoked, and it follows its own storage times.

Each product page states whether the item ships fresh, frozen, or smoked, so you will know what the recipient is getting before you order.

When Should You Order, and When Will It Arrive?

Order as soon as you know the date you want, and choose a delivery day from Tuesday through Friday. Overnight seafood shipping means the box reaches the recipient in a day. If you are wondering how to ship seafood as a gift, we handle the packing and the carrier, so you only choose the date. The exact ship days and address rules are set out in our shipping FAQs. Once the order ships, you can follow the seafood delivery on our Track Orders page. If something looks off with a delivery, the FAQ explains what to do next.

How Do You Make Sure Someone Is Home?

Tell the recipient the box is coming and ask about their plans, because we do not contact recipients before delivery. A short text or call a few days ahead is enough.

Ask whether they are traveling around the delivery date, and pick a day when someone can bring the box inside and put it in the refrigerator. The same applies to a client's office or a neighbor's home. Confirm the address, and check the P.O. box restriction in our shipping FAQs before you order.

If you cannot confirm their schedule, send a Seafood Gift Card instead. They choose what to order and the day it arrives.

What Should the Recipient Do When the Box Arrives?

The recipient should open the box right away, put the contents in the refrigerator or freezer, and follow the care instructions for each item. Our Seafood Care & Prep page covers storage and cooking for every product we ship.

You can make this easy by writing it into the gift note. A short message does the job, and it helps most when the person opening the box has never received perishable food in the mail.

Your seafood is on its way. When the box arrives, please open it right away and put everything in the refrigerator or freezer. Storage times and cooking guidance for each item are at freshseafood.com/pages/seafood-care-prep. Enjoy it.

If you are sending smoked salmon, add one line about timing. Our Alderwood Smoked Salmon keeps up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer when sealed, so the recipient has room to enjoy it on their own schedule.

Once everything is put away, our recipes give the recipient cooking ideas.

Holiday Orders: What To Know Before December

Orders for Thanksgiving and December delivery fall under our Shippers Own Risk policy, and the claim deadline is January 3. We want you to know this before you order, so the policy appears below, as our shipping and delivery FAQ states. Choosing a delivery date when the recipient will be home and telling them the box is coming are the two steps that matter most in a holiday week.

Not Sure Of Their Schedule? Send a Seafood Gift Card

A Seafood Gift Card is the right choice when you cannot confirm the recipient's travel plans or tastes. It comes in amounts from $50 to $500, and the recipient chooses what to order and the day it arrives.

If you are sending several gifts to clients or staff, our wholesale team can help. To learn more about the family behind the counter, read our history.

Ready to send a box? Shop our seafood gift boxes and choose a delivery date when the recipient will be home.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sending Seafood as a Gift

Can you ship seafood as a gift?

Yes. Our mail-order seafood gifts ship overnight to addresses across the country, and the best results come from choosing a delivery date when the recipient is home. Our shipping FAQs list the ship days and delivery terms.

What's the best seafood gift for someone who doesn't cook?

Smoked salmon. It needs no cooking, and our Alderwood Smoked Salmon keeps up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. The Smoked Salmon Sampler adds variety.

Does the recipient need to be home for delivery?

Someone should be there to bring the box inside and refrigerate it the day it arrives. We do not contact recipients before delivery, so tell them the date and check their travel plans first. If you cannot confirm, send a Seafood Gift Card.

Does smoked salmon need to be refrigerated?

For best keeping, yes. Our Alderwood Smoked Salmon will stay fresh for up to 3 days without refrigeration and for 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Refrigerate it as soon as the box arrives.

How long does smoked salmon last?

Sealed Alderwood Smoked Salmon lasts up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. Other smoked products can differ, so check the product page for the item you are sending.

How far ahead should I order seafood for a holiday gift?

Order as soon as you know the delivery date you want. Thanksgiving and December orders fall under our Shippers Own Risk policy, so read it in the shipping FAQs before you order.