Venice transportation advice

We are arriving in Venice 3 days early prior to boarding the Navigator on 10/2 for our much-anticipated Mediterranean cruise. I'm hoping fellow Regent cruisers can help me figure out some basics regarding transportation in Venice. First, does anyone have recommendations on transport from airport to the JW Marriott? And second, should we use the public vaporettos or just pay for water taxis when we need/want to navigate via the canals?

Thanks in advance. This is our 2nd Regent cruise, having been on the Voyager for a Baltic cruise in 2014. We are expecting the same wonderful amenities & service on the Navigator.

WOW, nice Marriott. Think you'd better stay with the water taxi, it's just going to be the nice and easy way to get to the hotel. The water taxi has it's own entity to the hotel.

We stayed at the Boscolo Venezia Marriott, also nice but old world.

if you arrive early, I assume you don't have the regent transfers. We stayed at the JW Marriott just a few weeks back and it's a great place.

Best for you would be to pre-book a water taxi to the JW. You can do this online and it's about 120 Euro. That way you just walk out of the airport to the water taxi station and have a "fun ride" to the hotel. There are less expensive ways, but they take hours.

Once you are at the hotel you are set. The hotel has a shuttle to and from St. Mark Square every half hour and it's free. No need to book a water taxi etc.

Then on the day of your cruise, I assume Regent ships/ferries/taxis you over to the ship. But as long as you stay at the JW, you don't need a taxi.

We saw a lot of people struggling with their luggage on the vaporettos and they didn't seem happy.

Getting the multi-day vaporetto ticket is a great deal. Walk until you get tired, then hop a vaporetto and take a load off. After a couple of stops, you can work your way to the front and enjoy the spectacular views. Stay on as long as you want.