What cruise terminal would Constellation use in Venice?

[cl.klink]

I think there is more than one terminal, right?  Is it the Marittima terminal?

 

- Joel

[Hlitner]

Well, it is not a simple answer.  Yes, there is more then one terminal building at Maritima.  But the cruise lines generally use the same old terminal for embarkation/debarkation which is designated as building 107 or 108.  Even when our ships have been docked at one of the more distant piers they have used this same terminal area.  There will be signs (and activity) when you enter the port so it is impossible to miss.   On several embarkations we dropped our luggage outside of 107 and then were shuttled to the pier which was on the other side of Marittima basin.  

 

Having cruised in and out of Italy many times I find that the usual Italian rule applies which means "there are no rules."   There could be a change in terminals, piers, etc. and you would not necessarily know about it until you arrived at the port.  It is not a big deal since there is one common entrance (plus the People Mover Station).  Also keep in mind that the Terminal where you would check-in is generally only used for the check-in a luggage drop process.  If you leave the port and later return you generally can go directly to your pier.  There is an internal port bus (when it runs) or some folks like me prefer to simply take the long walk from the People Mover Station to our pier.

 

In all fairness to the Marittima port, the place does seem to function quite well.  If you are docked there for a period of time (especially overnight) you can come and go as you please using your feet, People Mover, Alilaguna boats, or even a taxi (if you can find one).  But as you near your pier there will be a security check so you should carry both your cruise card and Passport.  Personally I do not like to carry my Passport in ports, but in Venice it is a good idea.  Just make sure to keep valuables in a very secure manner as pickpockets are too common.

 

Hank

[cl.klink]

8 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Well, it is not a simple answer.  Yes, there is more then one terminal building at Maritima.  But the cruise lines generally use the same old terminal for embarkation/debarkation which is designated as building 107 or 108.  Even when our ships have been docked at one of the more distant piers they have used this same terminal area.  There will be signs (and activity) when you enter the port so it is impossible to miss.   On several embarkations we dropped our luggage outside of 107 and then were shuttled to the pier which was on the other side of Marittima basin.  

 

Having cruised in and out of Italy many times I find that the usual Italian rule applies which means "there are no rules."   There could be a change in terminals, piers, etc. and you would not necessarily know about it until you arrived at the port.  It is not a big deal since there is one common entrance (plus the People Mover Station).  Also keep in mind that the Terminal where you would check-in is generally only used for the check-in a luggage drop process.  If you leave the port and later return you generally can go directly to your pier.  There is an internal port bus (when it runs) or some folks like me prefer to simply take the long walk from the People Mover Station to our pier.

 

In all fairness to the Marittima port, the place does seem to function quite well.  If you are docked there for a period of time (especially overnight) you can come and go as you please using your feet, People Mover, Alilaguna boats, or even a taxi (if you can find one).  But as you near your pier there will be a security check so you should carry both your cruise card and Passport.  Personally I do not like to carry my Passport in ports, but in Venice it is a good idea.  Just make sure to keep valuables in a very secure manner as pickpockets are too common.

 

Hank

 Thanks for that wonderfully thorough response!

- Joel

[bigbeergut]

8 hours ago, Hlitner said:

….

Having cruised in and out of Italy many times I find that the usual Italian rule applies which means "there are no rules."   ...  But as you near your pier there will be a security check so you should carry both your cruise card and Passport.  Personally I do not like to carry my Passport in ports, but in Venice it is a good idea.  Just make sure to keep valuables in a very secure manner as pickpockets are too common.

 

Hank

 

 

These re two very good pieces of advice, the first comical and the other serious.  Everything in Italy always seems to "almost work" and it seems like it's the first time they have ever done it.  Just stay relaxed and go with the flow, everything will turn out ok.  The second is very serious.  Venice is the only place I've ever traveled that we experienced pick pockets.  We were only in Venice for a couple of hours and were in a crowd on the Rialto bridge, when we got to the other side, some one had gone through my wife's purse.  Fortunately, she only had tour books and Kleenex in her purse but it was a wake-up call for us.  So then I thought I'd beat the system and had all of my money and passports in a wallet around my neck and in my shirt.  I went to buy something at an outside vendor and I pulled out my wallet from around my shirt and started to go through a wad of money to pay for something, the cashier went crazy and told me to quickly put it away.  Apparently thieves will just come by knock you down and take your valuables.  Be very careful and carry your valuables in a secure spot and have a second wallet with much less money , also secure, so you can pay for things and not be so flashy. I know, it was a typical tourist move.

 

Venice is a beautiful place, but be very careful.

[Hlitner]

Ok, so here is where I share our personal security tip which we actually learned from a retired US Secret Service Agent (the #2 man on the White House detail).  The secret is very inexpensive and effective.  Large safety pins or diaper pins.  For men, keep your valuables in a front pocket and secure that pocket with a large safety pin.  If using a wallet also put a couple of wide rubber bands around the wallet before you put in that front pocket.  The Pin makes it very difficult to pick that pocket and the rubber bands keep the wallet from sliding out of your pocket.   For the ladies he said to always carry your purse "cross shoulder" and use a large safety pin (or pins) to secure the zippers.

 

One other personal tip for ladies.  You can take all these precautions and then blow it when you put your purse down.  A few years ago DW and watched a lady in Barcelona (on the Ramblas) sit down at an outdoor café and put her purse under her chair.  Within seconds a man came along and took her purse.  Before we could react another man ran after the thief and caught him and snatched the purse back!  When he brought the purse back to the lady she was shocked because she still had no clue her purse had been snatched.  

 

The other thing we do is try and have a Plan B...in case we are robbed.  So, for example, we only carry what we need and leave the rest locked in a safe (cruise cabin or hotel).  I use an extra wallet for travel and carry 1 major credit card, 1 Debit Card (we have 3), and some cash.  Other credit cards, cash and debit cards are securely locked away (usually with our Passports).  Even if somebody were to successfully grab everything in our pockets we would simply have a bad day....rather than a disasterous trip.  We could report the loss and go on with our trip.

 

Hank

[fragilek]

I shall add to the great advice above- Have the number of your mobile phone supplier somewhere other than on your phone to contact them if your phone gets stolen.  Our got stolen going through security at an airport - we put it in the try - then gone at other side- security didn't want to know and refused to help us.  We were flying internationally and had to make our flight to the USA for an onward connection to UK - too expensive to miss flight so we had to just give in to Security (I am sure they knew who had the phone). But the worst part was we didn't have contact details to cancel the phone to ensure massive call and roaming charges didn't happen. A very kind young couple helped us out and gave us their phone to call home and get someone at home deal with blocking the phone.  

 

On the same vain have a written copy of all required home contacts- as so many of us rely on the phone  rather than our brains to store these.