Zeroing in on the Port Berthing Assignment (Venice)

Host Walt:

As I mentioned, we will be boarding Star Breeze on the 30 September sailing from Venice. We'll be coming in after a 5-day land tour in Slovenia, and we'll need to tell the shuttle driver which terminal & berth assignment so that he can get us reasonably close. How do we do that? You mentioned the port master makes berthing assignments on a last-minute basis, and that sounds tricky.

Reliable contact leads would be appreciated. :)

We keep it simple. The cruise lines all will provide details of how to access the berthing area. We have hired a motorboat "taxi" from Piazza San Marcos with the specific berth location which is provided by, in your case, by Wind Star.

Our most recent experience was on Princess where they boarded on Day 1 but stayed in port and sailed on Day 2 at about 5:00 pm. In that case they had tenders dock in the San Marcos area schlepping pax to and from the ship.

You can even go by Vaparetto to the rail station and walk to the port area behind the station.but you'll need to be able to carry your own luggage; not an easy task in that area.

Don't worry. The Wind Star folks will make it as easy as possible.

Thanks, Host Walt. We'll be in Slovenia until the very day of embarkation, and will take a Go Opti shuttle to Venice that morning. As long as we can contact Windstar online or by international telephone call the day before, I guess we'll be golden.

The general information should show up on the online itinerary very early. For our Barcelona departure in August it says:

Pier:WTC Passenger Terminal North and South

which is good enough to tell a taxi where to take us, as in Barcelona there is a single building serving that terminal and there will be a Windstar sign out front.

Our July 2017 Iceland itin already says:

Pier:Midbakki Pier Center of Reykjavik

This level of information isn't on the general cruise pages, but rather on the link to Itinerary from your booking. You need to sign in and go to "my itineraries" to see it.

Here's a link to an excellent page about the Venice cruise terminals:

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/venice-cruise-terminal-where-it-is-how-to-get-there.html

Note in particular:

The primary cruise terminal, as you’ll see by its prominence, is called “Marittima.” It’s the color-coded area to the west of the Piazzale Roma parking lot. A smaller cruise terminal called “San Basilio” is located south of the parking lot.

I suspect that the information in your online itinerary (and also on the "tickets" sent you before the cruise" which some people seem to get and some don't" will show which one, but they're very close together.

I'm not familiar with the situation at Venice, but most ports we've been to have a guard station at the entrance, the person there will know which berth to send your driver to.

Some ports have an online site that gives exact berth assignments, but I couldn't immediately find one for Venice.

Since you're arriving by shuttle, the driver will come across the bridge at the top of the map, and there route is marked with a black line. The driver will need to take a right turn off the bridge. The berths are numbered on that map, so if you can get an exact berth the day before you can find it on the map.

Thanks again, milepig. This is REALLY helpful.

You could also take the Peoplemover tram from Piazzale Roma (the only place on Venice where cars allowed) to Marittima (if your ship is berthed there).

More info here:

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/people-mover-to-marittima-cruise-terminals.htm

I did it five years ago. At the time, the peoplemover was 1.5 euros, and the walk to Marittima from the peoplemover station was no more than 300 yards. No more than 15 minutes with our luggage (plus a wheelchair).

Good luck!

You could also take the Peoplemover tram from Piazzale Roma (the only place on Venice where cars allowed) to Marittima (if your ship is berthed there).

 

More info here:

 

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/people-mover-to-marittima-cruise-terminals.htm

 

I did it five years ago. At the time, the peoplemover was 1.5 euros, and the walk to Marittima from the peoplemover station was no more than 300 yards. No more than 15 minutes with our luggage (plus a wheelchair).

 

Good luck!

I did it this week, and the fare is unchanged at one and a half euros. There is a shuttle bus that takes you from the peoplemover to your ship.

I did it this week, and the fare is unchanged at one and a half euros. There is a shuttle bus that takes you from the peoplemover to your ship.

Does the people mover not bring people to the same spot the shuttle driver would drop off?

Does the people mover not bring people to the same spot the shuttle driver would drop off?

You have to walk about fifty yards or so from the people mover to the shuttle bus stop.

Thank you all for the Ship Terminal info, I am printing it for May 2017. I adore Venice and know it fairly well but not the terminal area. Every where in Venice is more difficult to get around so this info makes it easier. Merci encore.

FYI--We were told before we left the US by Windstar that we would be porting at S Basilio. We sailed right by it over to the big Maritime Port where the large cruise ships dock. Just be prepared for an unannounced change of plans... It was one of the very few thinks Windstar got wrong on our two cruises with them.

The berthing was changed for my mother a couple of years ago. There was no assistance or signage at San Basilio and it was a little stressful for her.

I suggest checking a ship tracking website on the day you depart. This is the one I use:

http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:0/centery:-21/zoom:2