Tour on Embarkation day? Yes or No

[Virtopia]

For my upcoming Greek Isles cruise, I'm trying to fit in as much as I can.

 

I'm looking to book a tour the morning my cruise departs that's scheduled to end at 2pm. Is that enough time to run back to my hotel, grab my stuff and take a cab to the port? My booking confirmation says I can check in between 11:30am - 3:30pm.

 

Also, would it be easy enough for me to leave the tour a bit earlier? If I felt it was getting too close for comfort, I'd leave around 1pm. Has anyone ever done this before?

[cruisemom42]

What time does your ship depart? That's a key point...

 

If they are telling you that they want you to check in by 3:30, I'd feel a little hesitant about staying with your tour until 2pm. That's cutting it close.

 

What kind of tour is it; what sites are you visiting? And how far/close is your hotel?

 

It's not unheard of for people to leave a tour early, but sometimes it's just not so easy (e.g., on the Scavi tour of St. Peter's, where you are in an underground space with groups in front and behind, etc.)

 

I think if you left your tour at 1:00, and assuming it's relatively easy to get back to your hotel, that would be fine. Many people will tell you that you should get to the ship early, but I'd rather spend the time ashore (and especially in Rome) so I have been known to stay in Rome for the morning, eat a nice lunch, and then head to port. But I don't recall that the ships I've been on required check-in as early as by 3:30...

[Virtopia]

The ship leaves at 5:30pm. The tour is for Murano and Burano. My hotel is close to the train station in Venice. The more I think about it though, the more I don't want to take any chances. I've contacted them to see if I can cancel and if not, then I'll find out how I can leave early.

[cruisemom42]

Ah, I was under the impression you were departing from Civitavecchia, not Venice.

 

Burano is a ways from Venice proper. It would take quite a while to get back. If you were able to catch a vaporetto even right at 1:00, it's around a 45-minute ride, maybe a little longer. Murano is closer.

 

Does the tour end at 2:00 back in Venice? If so, you won't gain that much time by leaving the tour at 1:00. Assuming they do Burano second (which I think is usual), they probably would leave there at around 1:15.

[Virtopia]

I appreciate all your help. They've just emailed me to confirm my request to get an earlier tour start time. I may contact the tour guide separately (booked through Viator) and advise them of my situation and see if they can arrange it in a way to get me back well on time. It says the tour starts at 9:30am and is approximately 4.5 hours so I'm assuming that means we're back at the starting point by 2pm.

 

This is the tour: http://www.viator.com/tours/Venice/Murano-Burano-and-Torcello-Half-Day-Sightseeing-Tour/d522-2495ABTOUR2/important-info

[ollienbertsmum]

For my upcoming Greek Isles cruise, I'm trying to fit in as much as I can.

 

I'm looking to book a tour the morning my cruise departs that's scheduled to end at 2pm. Is that enough time to run back to my hotel, grab my stuff and take a cab to the port? My booking confirmation says I can check in between 11:30am - 3:30pm.

 

Also, would it be easy enough for me to leave the tour a bit earlier? If I felt it was getting too close for comfort, I'd leave around 1pm. Has anyone ever done this before?

 

I am sure lots of people have done this before, I am sure you probably will get to the ship on time - but will you enjoy the tour if you are constantly thinking about sailaway time??? There must be other ways to spend a morning in Venice (never been but it is on my wishlist) that get you back to your hotel by about noon.

[euro cruiser]

I think the smart thing to do in this situation is to check out of your hotel in the morning and take your things to the left luggage office in Piazzale Roma and check them for the day. Then go on your tour and stop back at Piazzale Roma to get your things on the way to the port.

 

Reading your link, the tour ends at approximately 2 PM at San Marco, then you've got to get from there to Piazzale Roma, if you take my suggestion, and then on to the cruise port.

 

If you make the 2:17 #1 vaporetto from San Marco you'll be at Piazzale Roma just after 3 PM, which will be tight but possible to get your things and jump on the People Mover to the cruise port. However, there is no room for error.

 

I don't see how you could leave this tour early and buy yourself any time because you'd need a way to get back from the islands.

Edited July 10, 2016 by euro cruiser

[Virtopia]

I think the smart thing to do in this situation is to check out of your hotel in the morning and take your things to the left luggage office in Piazzale Roma and check them for the day. Then go on your tour and stop back at Piazzale Roma to get your things on the way to the port.

 

Oooh I like this idea. Is Piazzale Roma close to the port? I'm sure I'll be up extremely early that day since it's cruise day so I'll have time to drop my luggage off.

 

Also, I like the idea of checking in later in the afternoon so I can hopefully go straight to my cabin and drop off my stuff.

[fabnfortysomething]

you say the tour is through viator-sounds like the islands tour of Burano and Murano we did

The actual company is through Alilaguna and leaves from St Marks area

 

no transport around Venice is quick especially on the water

 

getting back around 2pm you could get a water taxi or Alilaguna from there to the port and then depending on where your ship is docked can be quite a hike to get to check in before 3.30

 

But you need to collect your luggage

if you have left your luggage at left luggage at P roma it will take about 40 mins to get a vaparetto from St Marks to P Roma and a quick monorail trip on the people mover to the docks-again a long possible walk to your ships check in area

 

my opinion-too ambitious a plan for embarkation day

[Virtopia]

you say the tour is through viator-sounds like the islands tour of Burano and Murano we did

The actual company is through Alilaguna and leaves from St Marks area

 

no transport around Venice is quick especially on the water

 

getting back around 2pm you could get a water taxi or Alilaguna from there to the port and then depending on where your ship is docked can be quite a hike to get to check in before 3.30

 

But you need to collect your luggage

if you have left your luggage at left luggage at P roma it will take about 40 mins to get a vaparetto from St Marks to P Roma and a quick monorail trip on the people mover to the docks-again a long possible walk to your ships check in area

 

my opinion-too ambitious a plan for embarkation day

 

I appreciate your thoughts, especially since you did the same tour.

 

I can cancel up to 7 days before the date with no penalty so I will leave it for now but if I find myself getting nervous as it gets closer, I'll cancel it and possibly just do something else in the area.

[euro cruiser]

Oooh I like this idea. Is Piazzale Roma close to the port? I'm sure I'll be up extremely early that day since it's cruise day so I'll have time to drop my luggage off.

Yes, the left luggage office is right where you get the People Mover to go to the cruise port.

 

Here is their web site: http://trasbagagli.it/en/pg/view/53/luggage-storage-venice-piazzale-roma-airport

 

Even better would be if you could drop your things at the cruise port but I think you will be way too early to do that.

 

You can get a sense of the layout with the port map here: http://www.vtp.it/info-operatori/crociere/

 

The thin red line is the People Mover, the stop at the top is at Piazzale Roma, the one in the middle is the cruise port, and the one at the bottom is Tronchetto.

Edited July 10, 2016 by euro cruiser

[marazul]

Virtopia -

your tour is to Murano, Torcello and Burano, in that order. IMO, Murano and Torcello are the two more interesting islands. I am assuming they will spend at least 45 minutes-1 hour in Burano. If things are running late, you may be able to get the vaporetto back to Venice as soon as you get to Burano. That will give you extra time to get your luggage, etc. But make sure you get detailed info from your tour guide on how to get back. (Probably by staying on the same boat. Your tour probably waits for the next one to get back.)

This is the info on the tour from the company that provides it:

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-islands-tour.htm

 

The idea of checking your luggage in Piazzale Roma is a very good one.

 

You do not say when you are getting to Venice, but since the tour is offered as late as 3 pm, would it be possible for you to take it the day before embarkation? A morning sightseeing around San Marco and the streets/canals of Venice would be a lot more relaxing before you embark than the trip to the islands.

Edited July 10, 2016 by marazul

[Virtopia]

Thanks everyone for the help!! I'm checking out those maps now euro cruiser.

 

Marazul, I'm in Venice from the Wednesday evening until Friday when my cruise leaves. I have another tour booked for Thursday and by the time it finishes, the last Burano tour would've started. The tour is fairly cheap ($30 CDN) so I'd have no issue enjoying what I can and leaving early to get to the ship. It's starts at 9:30, so even if I left at noon, I believe I'd be satisfied enough to part from the group then. I'm glad it's a decision I don't have to make immediately :)

[marazul]

Virtopia -

You have it covered.

Enjoy one of the most beautiful places on Earth!

[TMLAalum]

Personally, I feel that your 3 island tour for the day you embark is cutting it very close to getting aboard ship in time. A lot can go wrong.

 

You could just go on your own to Murano on the vaporetto, wander the streets and return by noon. Remember that with a group you are at the mercy of the slowest member, which is another reason to forgo the viator tour.

 

Venice has many canals that are rarely seen by tourists so you could spend your pre-cruise morning exploring there.