Is Princess the wrong cruise line for Venice 2014?

[Loreni]

We wish to visit Venice and Naples in 2014 and if we go on Princess it looks like Regal is our only option. I have often read here that sailing into or out of Venice on the Guidecca canal is not to be missed. It appears that this will no longer be possible on a large cruise ship after November 2014. If this will help preserve Venice, I am glad. Yet, since we plan to sail before November, I would like to have this experience if it is still possible.

 

Unfortunately, Regal has no forward observation deck. So should we choose another cruise line, if so which one? We like the smoking policy on Princess and Celebrity, so Celebrity could be an option, but last time I checked their itineraries, it looked like they only sailed into or out of Venice at night. Is this correct? Because Princess appears to sail in during the day, but out at night for 2014. I have been searching news stories about the upcoming ban and one said that ships would not be able to sail the lagoon from sunrise to sunset. If this story is correct, then is the Regal itinerary a misprint? I have actually read several conflicting or incomplete news reports on the ban. Please let me know if any of you have found the definitive source for information on this.

 

Anyway, for those of you who experienced sailing down the Giudecca canal on Royal, was it OK that there was no forward observation deck. Were you still able to enjoy the view? How were you able to see both sides of the canal? If you could not see both sides, were you happy with just one side?

[bcnvcanada]

sorry, but it doesn't matter which cruise line or which cruise ship you are on

the rules have changed for venice. i am not sure the exact number of ship that will be able to sail into venice next year, but it is not a lot. from late september to early may no ship (we were told) will be allowed to sail in. most will dock at mestre nearby. small ship were suppose to be okay, we were under 600 and were unable to sail in.

[princessprincej]

We wish to visit Venice and Naples in 2014 and if we go on Princess it looks like Regal is our only option. I have often read here that sailing into or out of Venice on the Guidecca canal is not to be missed. It appears that this will no longer be possible on a large cruise ship after November 2014. If this will help preserve Venice, I am glad. Yet, since we plan to sail before November, I would like to have this experience if it is still possible.

 

Unfortunately, Regal has no forward observation deck. So should we choose another cruise line, if so which one? We like the smoking policy on Princess and Celebrity, so Celebrity could be an option, but last time I checked their itineraries, it looked like they only sailed into or out of Venice at night. Is this correct? Because Princess appears to sail in during the day, but out at night for 2014. I have been searching news stories about the upcoming ban and one said that ships would not be able to sail the lagoon from sunrise to sunset. If this story is correct, then is the Regal itinerary a misprint? I have actually read several conflicting or incomplete news reports on the ban. Please let me know if any of you have found the definitive source for information on this.

 

Anyway, for those of you who experienced sailing down the Giudecca canal on Royal, was it OK that there was no forward observation deck. Were you still able to enjoy the view? How were you able to see both sides of the canal? If you could not see both sides, were you happy with just one side?

 

There is to be a 20%reduction on how many ships over 40000 tonnescan sail into Venice from January 2014 and from November 2014 all ships over 96000 tonnes will be banned altogether.

I have heard no news as yet of any changes to Venice sailings with Princess, however, many Regal Princess voyages will depart after 11pm. I have not sailed on the Royal Princess into Venice, only the Ruby but I know from when I was on the Royal you can definitely not look over the front as you can on Grand Class ships

[Mississippian]

I have loved the Venice sailaway, but I wouldn't plan my cruise over it.

 

I would be more concerned with the travel time from Mestre to St. Mark's Square, and the rest of the cruise. I've heard so many bad things about the Royal that I wouldn't want to said the Regal until I was sure these problems were solved.

[-Lew-]

 

Unfortunately, Regal has no forward observation deck. So should we choose another cruise line

We've sailed into and out of Venice a few times...once on the forward observation deck on the Ruby. IMHO, you get a much better view of Venice from one of the upper decks than the observation deck. I wouldn't let whether a ship has an observation deck determine your choice.

 

 

...from late september to early may no ship (we were told) will be allowed to sail in. most will dock at mestre nearby.

The information you were given is incorrect as we're sailing out of Venice on October 17, 2014.

 

Also, this is the first I have heard of cruise ships docking in Mestre...doesn't mean it's not true. My understanding is that ships will continue to use Venezia Terminal Passeggeri, but sail in and out via a different route.

 

Lew

[JPEvans]

I have loved the Venice sailaway, but I wouldn't plan my cruise over it.

 

I would be more concerned with the travel time from Mestre to St. Mark's Square, and the rest of the cruise. I've heard so many bad things about the Royal that I wouldn't want to said the Regal until I was sure these problems were solved.

 

I just got off the Royal Princess on Sunday. It's an amazing ship. Now she

Is one of my favorite ships. Don't let the "haters" steer you away from

A cruise on the Royal.

[flamomo]

I loved being up on deck for both daytime and night sailaways from Venice. The best views of the city are from portside when sailing out via the Guidecca Canal, and IMO, is the place to be.

 

Also .... I am wondering if it was possible that if either the Ocean or Pacific Princess were doing cruises out of Venice, perhaps because of their small size, they would still be able to use the Guidecca Canal.

[dockhl]

We wish to visit Venice and Naples in 2014 and if we go on Princess it looks like Regal is our only option. I have often read here that sailing into or out of Venice on the Guidecca canal is not to be missed. It appears that this will no longer be possible on a large cruise ship after November 2014. If this will help preserve Venice, I am glad. Yet, since we plan to sail before November, I would like to have this experience if it is still possible.

 

Unfortunately, Regal has no forward observation deck. So should we choose another cruise line, if so which one? We like the smoking policy on Princess and Celebrity, so Celebrity could be an option, but last time I checked their itineraries, it looked like they only sailed into or out of Venice at night. Is this correct? Because Princess appears to sail in during the day, but out at night for 2014. I have been searching news stories about the upcoming ban and one said that ships would not be able to sail the lagoon from sunrise to sunset. If this story is correct, then is the Regal itinerary a misprint? I have actually read several conflicting or incomplete news reports on the ban. Please let me know if any of you have found the definitive source for information on this.

 

Anyway, for those of you who experienced sailing down the Giudecca canal on Royal, was it OK that there was no forward observation deck. Were you still able to enjoy the view? How were you able to see both sides of the canal? If you could not see both sides, were you happy with just one side?

 

Good morning,

 

We sailed on the lovely Royal Princess into Venice in September. It was a great ship and the Grand Mediterranean itinerary was great. Feel free to peruse the photos on my web album that covered the first of several days we spent there (Click the link below....these photos show the sail in and the rest of that day as we took the shuttle back to St Mark's and began our exploration). Hopefully after seeing these many of your questions will be answered. Enjoy.... Mike

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=109156143902673447727&target=ALBUM&id=5928014282009522465&authkey=Gv1sRgCPyy6p3v7-ybUg&feat=email

[sunsetbeachgal]

we did the Royal and loved it. If you are sailing into Venice then get a starboard side balcony and it you are sailing out of Venice get a port side balcony. It is wonderful!

[Cruise Junky]

You definitely don't need a front observation room or deck for the sail in or out of Venice. It will be interesting to see though if any of Princess itineraries are altered because of having to decrease by 20%.

[Loreni]

Good morning,

 

We sailed on the lovely Royal Princess into Venice in September. It was a great ship and the Grand Mediterranean itinerary was great. Feel free to peruse the photos on my web album that covered the first of several days we spent there (Click the link below....these photos show the sail in and the rest of that day as we took the shuttle back to St Mark's and began our exploration). Hopefully after seeing these many of your questions will be answered. Enjoy.... Mike

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=109156143902673447727&target=ALBUM&id=5928014282009522465&authkey=Gv1sRgCPyy6p3v7-ybUg&feat=email

 

Hi Mike,

 

These pictures are very helpful. Thank you!

[Loreni]

I want to thank all of you for your help and insights.

[Loreni]

You definitely don't need a front observation room or deck for the sail in or out of Venice. It will be interesting to see though if any of Princess itineraries are altered because of having to decrease by 20%.

 

This is a good question and if the Giudecca canal is no longer being used for some sailings, it would not show up on Princess.com.......Venice would just be listed as the port. Calling Princess is not likely to help either, I have generally found the folks on Cruise Critic to be more knowledgable than Princess employees. Still, it doesn't hurt to call and ask. It might be that I would not know for sure until I am there. So, it may not really be possible to plan the cruise around this sail-in/sail-away as much as I might want to.

[Loreni]

I loved being up on deck for both daytime and night sailaways from Venice. The best views of the city are from portside when sailing out via the Guidecca Canal, and IMO, is the place to be.

 

Also .... I am wondering if it was possible that if either the Ocean or Pacific Princess were doing cruises out of Venice, perhaps because of their small size, they would still be able to use the Guidecca Canal.

 

I think the Ocean is, but it looks like it is already sold-out except, maybe insides.

[Pam in CA]

You definitely don't need a front observation room or deck for the sail in or out of Venice. It will be interesting to see though if any of Princess itineraries are altered because of having to decrease by 20%.

I agree. I loved the Royal and can't wait for September when I'm on her again. You don't need a forward observation area for Venice. Just go to the port side for awesome views. The ship turns left as it approaches St. Marks so you get any view you would going forward. These are from a friend's balcony:

 

 

[Loreni]

I agree. I loved the Royal and can't wait for September when I'm on her again. You don't need a forward observation area for Venice. Just go to the port side for awesome views. The ship turns left as it approaches St. Marks so you get any view you would going forward. These are from a friend's balcony:

 

[ATTACH]296024[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]296025[/ATTACH]

 

Thanks, Pam!

[RDC1]

I believe that the Celebrity ships are also over the new size limits that kick in starting in Nov 2014 just like the Royal is.

[Loreni]

I believe that the Celebrity ships are also over the new size limits that kick in starting in Nov 2014 just like the Royal is.

 

Yes, but I wonder if they have forward viewing decks from which to enjoy the view before the November ban is fully effective. I think Solstice class do, but it is hard to tell from the deck plans. Still, from the pictures and comments posted, it looks like a forward viewing deck in not really required.

 

I know people say not to listen to the Royal/Regal haters, but I do have reservations about sailing these ships. Still, on a port-intensive Mediterranean itinerary, it shouldn't be a deal-breaker for us. I sure won't pay extra to be mid-ship as it would actually be an inconvenience for us.....we like to take the stairs. I will cross my fingers and hope the room is not too hot and I probably won't book a balcony. I expect to be pretty tired after visiting the ports, so I won't miss the Promenade too much. But we would never book these ships for the Caribbean where, for us, the ship is the destination.

[azdmelani]

I just got off the Royal Princess on Sunday. It's an amazing ship. Now she

Is one of my favorite ships. Don't let the "haters" steer you away from

A cruise on the Royal.

 

THIS!

 

I am booked on the Regal in August of next year from Venice, and cant wait for that cruise.

[RickEk]

If you take the ban to the logical conclusion, Princess will probably be positioning either the Island/Coral Princess or one of the Sun-class ships in the Med for 2015...

[dockhl]

You know, we were on the Royal Barcelona to Venice and it was terrific. I can only hope that these "Royal Haters" stay out of he way while we have more room on the Royal. I'd definitely sail her again. She is a beautiful ship.

 

There are numerous places on the ship that you can appreciate Venice as you sail in.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Hlitner]

I guess folks might want to carefully choose their ship if going to Venice after November 2014. As we understand the new Venice policy, no ship over 96,000 tons will be allowed to dock at the Venice cruise port. This means that most of the Princess ships will no longer be able to cruise into Venice...but would instead be rerouted to a mainland port. This is a total bummer for large ship lovers....but a real plus for those of us who love smaller vessels. The biggest winner of all will be Venice!

 

Hank

[caribill]

I guess folks might want to carefully choose their ship if going to Venice after November 2014. As we understand the new Venice policy, no ship over 96,000 tons will be allowed to dock at the Venice cruise port. This means that most of the Princess ships will no longer be able to cruise into Venice...but would instead be rerouted to a mainland port. This is a total bummer for large ship lovers....but a real plus for those of us who love smaller vessels. The biggest winner of all will be Venice!

 

 

 

This article describes the changes

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2490005/Venice-cruise-ship-restrictions-Biggest-liners-barred-sailing-close.html

 

It says nothing about rerouting large ships to a mainland port, just that a new route to the current main cruise terminal has to be constructed.

[Hlitner]

This article describes the changes

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2490005/Venice-cruise-ship-restrictions-Biggest-liners-barred-sailing-close.html

 

It says nothing about rerouting large ships to a mainland port, just that a new route to the current main cruise terminal has to be constructed.

 

Unfortunately, that particular article does not tell the entire story. And as is typical of Italy things are still a bit "flexible." But it appears that Parliament has now taken the position that ships over 96,000 tons will be totally banned from the current cruise terminal until such time as a new channel (located on the opposite side of Giudecca Island from Venice) is dredged that will allow those large ships to get to the cruise terminal without passing close to St Marks Square. But since its Italy one can surmise that the ban will go into effect in Nov 2014, and then the world will wait until Italy constructs a new channel. Given the history of construction projects in Italy one could take a crazy guess that this new channel will be completed sometime in the 23rd Century....although there are Italian estimates that it will be done in 2 years :)

 

Before we get flamed, we should admit that we spend a lot of time in Italy and truly love the country. But things just do not get done in a fast way ("ahhhh but it's Italy!"). Even this ban on large cruise ships has been a long time coming...and it finally took some nasty demonstrations and blockades to get the new rules passed into law. It is doubtful that there will be any demonstrations to get a new channel....and there will not be any public strikes to force the issue. Here is just one excerpt that speaks to the political issue:

 

 

"Protests against the ships look set to continue, however. A spokesman for the anti-cruise lobbyists, who oppose the ships on aesthetic and environmental grounds, vowed to keep fighting in the hope of securing more stringent restrictions. Concerns have also been expressed about the impact of the proposed new canal."

 

If there were a betting pool we think the smart money would be on some of the preliminary proposals to build a new cruise line port somewhere on the mainland relatively close to Venice. The new idea of a new canal/channel will have to be planned and go through the long environmental approval process. Given that there are several environmental groups opposed to this project it will have even more delays then normal in Italy. We do not expect to live long enough to see this new channel...and we do expect to live for a few more years :)

 

Hank

[Cruise Junky]

I believe that the Celebrity ships are also over the new size limits that kick in starting in Nov 2014 just like the Royal is.

 

Only the S Class. I believe the M class are just under.