We're in our 70's and found the vaparetto easy to use. The ticket kiosk is right in Santa Lucia; just make your way quickly as the lineup to buy tickets can get long. Consider a multi-use ticket so you can explore the islands and get a good feel for Venice.
We are so grateful to have done a previous land vacation to Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Crete. Come September we'll just sit on our balcony and enjoy the views.
Southampton. You can use a cart to transfer your luggage to the National Express coach. Determine which terminal you are arriving at then check the National Express website for detailed instructions and maps.
It is in cruise personalizer, Onboard Services, Reservations & Purchases. All this means is that I have purchased the Coffee Package and 2 soda packages. I couldn't see them where you could select them for purchase. I don't know how to do a screen shot; sorry!
Neither of us drinks alcohol so we purchased a soda package each and a coffee package for the hot chocolate for me and 15 specialty coffees for my husband. No longer showing on our reservation although it has been paid in full for some time. Live Chat not available so will have to try and sort this out later. Never been a fan of carrying on soda but, at these new prices, you can bet we will!
We were planning on using a private transfer but when we read how simple it is to get a bus from the Central Bus Station we decided to save ourselves close to $200!
We had uncommonly warm weather when we sailed on Grand Princess in May 2022. That being said, the air, when the ship was moving, was SO cold that it was unbearable in the dining area and guests and servers were wearing jackets.
We stayed at a small hotel right on the Grand Canal. Definitely the most expensive hotel ever for us but we felt it was worth every euro. They had a terrace where a sumptuous breakfast was served but you could use the terrace all day long and it was beautiful. Our room was right on the canal and we didn't have any issues with noise. We call these types of trips SKI trips; spending the kids inheritance. Splurge, you won't regret it.
I'm in a similar situation; use a cane for long "standing" periods. I don't consider myself mobility challenged and I'm sure you can disregard that designation.
I recommend taking a bus to Piazza Michelangelo for the incredible view. The scenery if you hike isn't anything special and it is tiring. Reservations would be required for Sostanza where we had an incredible meal.