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Venice - Monte Carlo, August 2018


badgerdee
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We have booked Voyage 4821, Venice to Monte Carlo, this August. Just a couple of questions about Venice, for those who have been recently?

 

We are wary of flying into ports on the day of sailing. We learned our lesson years ago when our flight from Gatwick to Barcelona was cancelled on the day of sailing. We made it in the end but it was not a relaxing start to the cruise.

 

We will be making our own way from London to Venice and the ship is scheduled to sail at 21:00. We're thinking it might be okay to risk an early morning flight out of London on the date of sailing? Would be interested in the opinions of others, particularly as we are not familiar with British Airways' cancellation track record (we don't live in the UK).

 

Our other option is of course to arrive in Venice on Friday before sailing on Saturday evening. We would welcome any suggestions for reasonable accomodation near the cruise terminal. We don't require fancy rooms or canal views, just clean and close to the pier.

 

And if anyone has any tips about how to choose between Amalfi, Capri or Positano, we would be delighted to hear your views too! At the moment we are thinking we'll devote the full day to the Isle of Capri but it is a very tough choice.

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Hi,

 

The average delay on BA578 - if that is your flight - has been less than 10 minutes average over the last two weeks with no cancellations. The bottom of the page below shows you the last 14 flights history. It is less likely than others to be cancelled as this will probably be it's first flight of the day.

 

https://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW578

 

Enjoy your trip.

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Hi,

 

The average delay on BA578 - if that is your flight - has been less than 10 minutes average over the last two weeks with no cancellations. The bottom of the page below shows you the last 14 flights history. It is less likely than others to be cancelled as this will probably be it's first flight of the day.

 

https://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW578

 

Enjoy your trip.

 

Thanks, that's really helpful. We're thinking of booking BA2582 from Gatwick at 07:30 because that does leave us with two later flights that day which will get us to the ship on time if the first one gets cancelled for whatever reason. BA2582 has a similar profile (delays/cancellations) to BAW578 so I think we'll risk it.

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Any flight can be cancelled or delayed, of course. But if you take a first flight of the day (for that aircraft), from a main hub airport for that airline, you are maximising your chances of success. For example, if "your" aircraft has a technical problem, the airline has many other aircraft physically present that they could use as a substitute. There's a good chance that most of the airline's aircraft have arrived home, even if they were delayed the day before. Overnight checks will have been done. The same is not true at some random location in another country, or late in the day. August is a very busy time at Gatwick, but actually most London airports are very busy most of the time. Good luck!

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Thanks, that's really helpful. We're thinking of booking BA2582 from Gatwick at 07:30 because that does leave us with two later flights that day which will get us to the ship on time if the first one gets cancelled for whatever reason. BA2582 has a similar profile (delays/cancellations) to BAW578 so I think we'll risk it.

 

Thanks - pleased it helps you decide.

 

So you know for the future - if you use FlightRadar24 rather than FlightAware for the same query then it provides the extra information you might want and produces the following page:

 

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/ba2582

 

You then click on the registration number of some of the previous completed flights ie 27th and 26th January 2018 you will find that G-DBCE previous flight to doing the LGW>VCE run was Jersey>Gatiwck the previous night. G-DBCF, the previous day's rototation was VCE>LGW and so also shows that your planned flight is the first flight of the day. The flight leaving today ie G-GATM came in from Turin last night having done a Geneva rotation before that. A day or two before your own chosen flight, if you are inquisitive you can use the site for finding out what plane you will probably be using for your flight and where it has been before and planned to be after. Any small outstanding mechanical issue reported by the flight crew during the previous day would have been attended to overnight so the plane is virutally guaranteed to be a reliable departure.

 

You therefore now know that the flight BA2582 is normally the first flight of the day from Gatwick for the plane used on that route and that it is on avarage less than 10 minutes late leaving over it's recent available recorded history. It therefore seems all things being equal that you can safely use that flight with a high degree of safety and certainty, particularly as it is a summer flight.

 

:)

Edited by UKCruiseJeff
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All of the above is fair comment but think about this too:

 

A 7.30am flight means getting up at ridiculous 'o clock so you'll be tired when you get to Venice and won't make the most of your first day. Also, it possibly means staying at a hotel at LGW the night before - an unedifying experience.

 

Wouldn't it be preferable to get a full night's sleep and take a later flight the day before, and then enjoy a dinner and stroll around Venice (more attractive than LGW, yes?) before boarding feeling refreshed and eager?

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I would book a Hotel one night before the cruise. This would be the only choice for me...hands down. Nothing would beat a good night’s sleep and a stroll around Venice the evening before boarding. There is no such thing as inexpensive in Venice, but not having peace of mind costs far too much. Hope you have a wonderful trip...of course you will!

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I would book a Hotel one night before the cruise. This would be the only choice for me...hands down. Nothing would beat a good night’s sleep and a stroll around Venice the evening before boarding. There is no such thing as inexpensive in Venice, but not having peace of mind costs far too much. Hope you have a wonderful trip...of course you will!

 

 

 

Agreed. Although I have had a couple of same day departures (I won’t count Tower Bridge as one since it’s spitting distance from home), generally I would always get there a day before just in case. My Muse start was from Monte Carlo and I did indeed fly in to Nice on the morning of departure. My logic for that was purely the departure was at 2300, I caught the first available flight out meaning any issues barring pesky French air traffic controllers (which is somethIng that’s not been factored but really should be) I would be able to catch something else. If not, id miss the first stop and catch up “down the road” in St Tropez.

 

 

 

Whilst it’s always wise to check flight history, the route and times are important. Getting the first flight on a popular route should see you right.

 

 

 

Personally, I love Venice so I’d probably still catch an early flight.... but the previous day and spend the night in a hotel with easy access from the airport and then on to the terminal. It’ll make for a nice start to your cruise and have a stress free day to enjoy in a fantastic start point.

 

 

 

Funnily our next starts from Singapore. We arrive the afternoon the previous day, but if that flight got cancelled, if we eventually fly 24 hours later, we’d likely miss the sail away departure. That probably statistically represents a bigger risk than your flights on the day to Venice, though I’ve not been overly worried about this. I would have flown a day earlier to enjoy Singapore, but Work commitments made that impossible.

 

 

 

Enjoy your cruise.... I spent the afternoon watching ships sail past in October from opposite with St Marks as the backdrop. So enjoyable watching the world go past.

 

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Yes! Those pesky French ATC’s went on strike, which caused all the drama for us getting to Barcelona. Once bitten, twice shy!

 

 

The deal was sealed in favour of arriving early just this morning when we received confirmation of a room at Locanda Cipriani in Torcello. We would have been happy just to eat there, so staying there too is an opportunity we can’t pass up.

 

 

Heartfelt thanks to you all for taking the time to provide feedback. Really appreciate it very much :)

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Yes! Those pesky French ATC’s went on strike, which caused all the drama for us getting to Barcelona. Once bitten, twice shy!

 

The deal was sealed in favour of arriving early just this morning when we received confirmation of a room at Locanda Cipriani in Torcello. We would have been happy just to eat there, so staying there too is an opportunity we can’t pass up.

 

Heartfelt thanks to you all for taking the time to provide feedback. Really appreciate it very much :)

 

Your welcome ..... and wise choice. Enjoy Venice and your cruise. You couldn't have a better start!

 

Even if staying at "the Inn" I'd ensure you book a table rather than presume it'll be easy because you're a "resident".

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And if anyone has any tips about how to choose between Amalfi, Capri or Positano, we would be delighted to hear your views too! At the moment we are thinking we'll devote the full day to the Isle of Capri but it is a very tough choice.

 

We have been to all of those places on various cruise stops. I looked at your itinerary and you're looking to choose one of those destinations from Sorrento? Are you going on your own, or are you thinking of a private tour?

 

Capri is a favorite destination for us. We have gone there on day trips three times - twice from Naples, and once from Sorrento. Each time, we have visited on our own by just going to the hydrofoil dock and buying a ticket over. Then we walk everywhere on the island. We have done the climb to Capri Town a few times, and we've climbed the Phoenician Stairs directly to Anacapri as well.

 

People say that Capri is crowded and touristy, which might be true if you stay in the town (especially in August). Once you get out of town it is beautiful, unspoiled, tranquil, and a wonderful place to wander around enjoying all of that. The views from the other side of the island (opposite Marina Grande) from Mt Solaro, of the Faragliones, is stunning. On the Capri Town side, Villa Jovis and Matermania offer great views too.

 

On our third visit we finally did a boat tour around the island and that perspective is fantastic as well. So it's hard to pick a favorite.

 

Getting a hydrofoil could not be easier. The ticket offices are right near the tender dock in Sorrento, and the timetables are prominently displayed. If it's crowded (it likely will be in August) make sure you buy a round trip so that you have a guaranteed spot on one of the return ferries; I've heard that they sell out.

 

It's been over 10 years since we visited Amalfi and Positano but they have their own charm too. I would love to go back.

 

One other thought to muddy the waters. Sorrento is cute enough, but you can visit Pompeii and/or Herculaneum on your own from there relatively easily. The train station in Sorrento is maybe 10-15 minutes walking from the tender pier (it is a climb, but if you know that the stairs are actually a shortcut, it's easier).

 

The Circumvesuviana train is a local train that runs between Naples and Sorrento, and makes stops at Herculaneum (about 5 minutes walking from the train stop) and also at Pompeii (the stop is pretty much at one of the entry gates). You can ride back and forth for under 10 Euros per person. We visited both sites in one day and really enjoyed doing it at our own pace. It was our second visit to Pompeii and we loved it. It was so much better than a ship's tour!

 

So, good luck deciding what to do. And lucky you, I want to go back!

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