Venice on Spirit, hotel and transfer?

[9CE]

We are very pleased to be returning to a small ship for our Seabourn experience this year. Spirit Venice to Venice.

In the last two years we have taken the Air package and have been well looked after but flying from Edinburgh to London to then fly on is a bit unnecessary as there are direct flights and the airport in Venice is so close to the port.

We fly out the day before the cruise and our flight back is late morning on disembarkation day so recommendations for an overnight hotel and views on transfers (water taxi?) would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

[Bornatravelingman]

Not sure on hotels to suggest, but there were plenty of water taxi's available at the airport in Venice. They were a bit pricy, and we took them to our hotel and to the dock where we got on the Spirit (our hotel was not at all convenient, nor recommended . . . San Celemente Palace...see review at http://budurl.com/venicehtl ) .

 

Loved the Spirit...say hello to our friend Eugene ( http://budurl.com/Eugene1 ) in Restaurant 2 (if he is still there), and if he is, don't miss his Indian night.

[Poppy1966]

Hi 9CE. We did this last year from the UK. We stayed in the Hilton Giudecca directly across from the San Basilio terminal. On arrival at Marco Polo we took the Alilaguna waterbus (blue line),leaves every 15 mins and stops directly outside the Hilton(no struggling with cases on the cobblestones). It did take about an hour(13 euro each) however you stop at Murano, Lido, San Marco etc but we enjoyed this as it was like a mini boat trip around the islands and we sat outside in the sunshine. We had 3 large suitcases and this wasn't a problem (the staff help with all your luggage). If you did decide to look at this option their website is www.alilaguna.it detailing various routes, timetables etc. Also buy your tickets in the arrivals area of the airport then follow the signs to the covered walkway leading to the waterbus stop. The Hilton is on Giudecca however they have a courtesy watertaxi back and forth every 10 mins to San Marco. They also have a rooftop pool area which, after walking around Venice all day, was great to relax at in the evening. We also had a late morning return home flight. We prebooked a car which was waiting for us just outside baggage reclaim. It was about 45-50 euro and didn't take payment from credit card until after our completed trip. www.limousinevenice.com. Sorry forgot to mention on embarkation day, as check out in Hilton was 12 noon so we spent a few hours in Venice, checked out and the waterbus took 5 minutes to cross to the port terminal, through security and we were onboard at 1.30pm. Sorry for the long draft. Hope this helps and enjoy your trip.

[9CE]

Thank you to both of you. I had been thinking of a central Venice hotel, maybe the Violino d'Oro with direct canal access to make the most of a water taxi in and out, but the limosinevenice link looks promising and my wife and teenage daughters would enjoy the rooftop pool at the Hilton.

[pater15]

We will be on the Venice/Venice 7/14. We have been traveling on Seabourn for many years. We have been to Venice a few times and the private water taxi is the way to go, if you are a group of 4. Have them take you down the Grand Canal, cost extra, but what a great start to your trip. I book hotel for location, location, location. We are staying in a small hotel next to the Plazza di San Marco. We will be able to hit most of the highlights on foot. One of the best cities in the world to walk around, at night it is even more amazing!

We love traveling on Seabourn, normally don't care where the ship is going, but Venice is just one of those great embarkation port.

Arrivederci

[Miss Jet Set]

We did this cruise last year and enjoyed it so much we are doing the same one

again in August. I booked the Bauer Hotel myself and they arranged for us to

be met at the airport and transfered to the Hotel and on embarkation day they

again arranged that as well. We found it to be an excellent hotel and convenient

to the famous landmarks and would not hesitate to recommend it.

[9CE]

Thanks again. The roof top pool was attractive but, having scoured the Bauer details and with a view to "easy wandering," we have booked l'Hotel.

Although we are only there for one night (and there would be a big saving with Hilton) there seemed to be a bit of a lottery about the room sizes we would get. Will post on return.

Looks like we will go for water taxi from airport to hotel, Limousinevenice from ship to airport and play by ear the hotel/ship leg - unless there are any other ideas...

[pater15]

I have done a little research and found 2 companies on TA. Got a quote from one (Venice Water Taxi) that is 60 EUR more than a company called Motoscafiuenezia, just airport to hotel. I have not booked it yet, but Moto has it’s prices posted on line. There may be a 10% discount for booking on line, don’t know yet. I can tell you from past trips that booking cars, and in this case boats, can be somewhat of a crap shoot. Good Luck….

100EUR airport-hotel, 80EUR hotel-port, 110EUR port-airport

[CraftyEC]

We stayed at the Bauer Palladio last autumn after cruising in to Venice on the Quest and it was a major disappointment after the service and facilities we had enjoyed on board! It is a sister hotel to the main Bauer, and transport is easy by their shuttle over to the main hotel, and it was nice to be away from the bustle on the island BUT the room, while fairly large was dark and dingey, the service in the hotel was non-existent, it was not well serviced (not toilet paper in the main restrooms on ground level) and the breakfast was truly DIRE! The food was not good, the service was again non-existent (while several waiters stood by the fountain and folded napkins, completely ignoring ALL the guests) although the location in the courtyard was good. Everyone from the ship was bemoaning the fact we were not still aboard. So, the Bauer group seems to be patchy, beware!

[9CE]

Great minds... I found the Motoscafi website too and it looked appealing and, whilst not inexpensive, quoted rates a few euro less than others. Can you judge a service by the website though? My wife's view is always that we are not buying the boat/taxi/hotel and that there is a benefit in just getting on with it! I reckon that I will at least book the water taxi from the airport, so as to cut out having to find the airport desk and standing in line, as well as the car transfer back, as recommended by Poppy1966, and improvise with the short trip to the Spirit.

[9CE]

Hopefully L'Hotel Bauer will be better. If not it will only increase our enthusiasm to board the ship.

[Poppy1966]

9CE, just remembered we have also booked transfers from port to airport through a company called Travelcube. It is a trade only company so only bookable through a travel agent. I think it was about £40 one way from Venice port to airport and they were waiting just past baggage collection. Travelcube also supply you with local and UK telephone numbers in case there is a problem, thankfully for us everything ran to plan. We have used then in Venice, Hong Kong & Singapore without any problem. Worth asking your TA for a quote.

[Miss Jet Set]

9CE as I said before our stay last August in L'Bauer was problem free, they gave

us a large room, service was fine and of course the position of the hotel is the

best that is why we are returning also their transfer service from Airport-Hotel-Ship

was very convenient as well.

[9CE]

Thanks MissJ, I am sure the hotel will be fine (as in chocolate or wine as against merely OK) and no recriminations if not. Your original post suggested that the hotel's assistance was an advantage so far as transfers were concerned and maybe I will ask them what they would recommend before I do anything directly.

I will let you know.

[Barry Shaw]

We just stayed in Hotel Principe in Venice.

They have a jetty to receive water taxis as it is located on the Grand Canal.

The frontage is on Lista di Spagna and is extremely close to the Santa Croce train station.

Anyone leaving Venice by train doesn't need to schlepp suitcases up steps or over bridges.

[CIRCUSGIRL]

My DW and i stayed here in June, we booked the room with the Altana (roof terrace) it's right next to the Grand canal and next to the natural history museum. It is run by 2 Venetian sisters and is approx a 10min walk to the train station 15 min to St Marks and opposite Canareggio district where you can ride the foot gondola for 50cents rather than 100eu. They can arrange water taxis which we had to Marco Polo around 100eu well worth it. A wonderful place to stay and cannot wait to return. http://www.casangiorgio.com/