What to do on arrival in Venice?

[cl.klink]

Posted this in my roll call, and in destinations board, too

 

We sail on Celebrity Constellation 8/25 out of Venice, 9 nights, many ports before ending in Barcelona. 

 

What to do on arrival in Venice?  We land Saturday 8/24 7:40 PM., night before disembarkation. We’ll be exhausted.  Should we splurge and take a water taxi that night, stay somewhere in the city to absorb the Venice vibe Sunday, then go to the pier?  Or should we be practical, crash near the airport, then in AM meander to the pier Sunday morning (maybe water taxi then?)?  We really don’t have time to do Venice the right way (have to do that any other trip), and lots of other terrific ports to come will give lots of good experiences, so maybe we should not fret one way or another about getting anything from Venice this time, and just get to the ship?

 

Very conflicted between practicality and idealism, 

 

- Joel

[jelayne]

With a 7:40 pm arrival by the time you get luggage  and get to a hotel it could be 9. It would be a shame to pay the high hotel & water taxi costs and be too tired  &too late to enjoy Venice.  

We stayed outside of Venice and took a Taxi to the port, dropped us off next to the ship. Depending upon what time you depart you may want to drop your luggage off early and then take the People Mover from the ship and do a little exploring.

Enjoy Barcelona, our favorite city in Europe.

[bonsai3s]

Joel, will this be your first time to Venice?  If it is, please kindly consider flying there at least a couple days before your embarkation.  There is just so much to see and experience...you can do most of them simply by walking and even getting lost is fun.  Happy Sailing!

[citronella]

I would suggest the water taxi in (150 € plus) and take hotel but it’s an expensive option and you’ll be arriving late and also exhausted. Venice is a magical city but if you’re tired you’ll maybe end up just going to sleep in a very pricey hotel.

 

 

 

 

[jelayne]

12 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

Joel, will this be your first time to Venice?  If it is, please kindly consider flying there at least a couple days before your embarkation.  There is just so much to see and experience...you can do most of them simply by walking and even getting lost is fun.  Happy Sailing!

Since he said they were landing at 7:40 the flights must be booked so probably not changeable.

[cl.klink]

5 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Since he said they were landing at 7:40 the flights must be booked so probably not changeable.

Sadly, ‘tis so. Could not get off work earlier. Will definitely come back to Venice one day. Still unsure what to do this time, though

 

- Joel

[mom says]

As much as I dearly love Venice, and one if the best things in life is to wander it's streets at night, I think in your case practicality weighs out. By the time you got to a Venice hotel it would be late evening and you'll likely want nothing more than to freshen up and get to bed. Find a hotel by the airport, then just take a land taxi to the ship in the morning.

[bonsai3s]

And yes, we usually always agree with "mom says".......your other option is to get a hotel near Piazzale Roma.  (Piazzale Roma is where all the land taxi's and buses stop...pretty much the start of Venice proper.)  Freshen up, then take a leisurely stroll towards St. Marks Square.  Perhaps a cup of cappucino or expresso can give you an additional shot of adrenaline.  Venice is truly magnificent at night. 

 

And please, please,...don't waste your morning....get back up early and do more sightseeing.  No need to rush to get on the ship and you'll have plenty of time to rest on the ship.  Note: If you make it early in the morning to St. Mark's Square, you may be able to get a picture without the thousands of tourist in your picture.

 

From Piazzale Roma, you can take the people mover to the cruise terminal...about a 5 minute ride and a couple of Euros.  Regardless of what you decide, Happy Sailing!

[Highpeaklad]

I’m on that cruise too. I would get a hotel in Mestre ( the other end of the causeway from Venice) or near the airport. You will be tired and jet lagged. The hotel prices are very high in Venice. 

Next morning check into ship as early as possible then take the people mover to piazzale Roma and walk to St Marks Square (it’s signposted takes 30-40 mins).Explore there, see the bridge of Sighs then get the water bus up the grand canal back to the people mover, or even straight to the cruise terminal. 

 

It it would be a shame to miss seeing some of Venice but you’ll see a lot of it on the cruise out of port so don’t worry if you miss it as you’re too tired. 

 

We’re flying in the morning of the cruise, but are only coming from the U.K. and have been to Venice before. 

Edited May 30, 2019 by Highpeaklad

[Miaminice]

@cl.klink

 

if you are looking for ideas I can offer our travelogue:

https://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Adriatic-Constellation-1---Ven/adriatic-constellation-1---venice.html

 

[Redrobo]

As said, consider staying near the airport, get to the ship and board early, dump your baggage and then have a look at Venice on foot.Make your way to the Bridge of Sighs, the deparment store close by allows you to go up onto the roof, where you will get some great photo opportunities. You will get very good views of the city from the ship as you depart. 

 

https://www.dfs.com/en/venice/t-fondaco-rooftop-terrace      Book your ticket, you will avoid any queues and its free

[JBare]

5 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

And yes, we usually always agree with "mom says".......your other option is to get a hotel near Piazzale Roma.  (Piazzale Roma is where all the land taxi's and buses stop...pretty much the start of Venice proper.)  Freshen up, then take a leisurely stroll towards St. Marks Square.  Perhaps a cup of cappucino or expresso can give you an additional shot of adrenaline.  Venice is truly magnificent at night. 

 

And please, please,...don't waste your morning....get back up early and do more sightseeing.  No need to rush to get on the ship and you'll have plenty of time to rest on the ship.  Note: If you make it early in the morning to St. Mark's Square, you may be able to get a picture without the thousands of tourist in your picture.

 

From Piazzale Roma, you can take the people mover to the cruise terminal...about a 5 minute ride and a couple of Euros.  Regardless of what you decide, Happy Sailing!

 

Completely agree with this, if you wait till you have boarded the ship it could well be midday and safety drill may be at 3pm, you will have wasted an entire morning during which you could have explored much of Venice.  Its an easily walkable city or use the water bus to St Marks square and walk back.

[Bobal]

I would stay somewhere near the airport or in Mestre - there are regular buses from the airport to Mestre. The following morning get up early and travel into Piazalle Roma - a bus or taxi will take you right to Piazalle Roma whereas a train would involve walking back over a bridge. There is a left luggage facility at Piazalle Roma right next to the people mover - costs 7 Euros per case. You can then head off and explore the city for a few hours before retrieving your cases and getting the people mover over to the cruise terminal 

[PelicanLvr]

Arriving that late in the evening is a drag.  Yes, stay at the airport or Mestre.  By the time you clear customs and get to Venice it will be after 9pm.  Too late after an overnight flight to get any real enjoyment of this wonderful city.

 

BUT....in the morning, Get up early.....We have dropped our luggage off at the Venice pier as early as 9am (7:30 flight arrival).  No need to store luggage, just give it to the porters.  Do not waste time with check in or wait around the pier.  Just leave your luggage early with the porters and get the vaporetto at P Roma to St. Marks.  It goes right down the Grand Canal and gives you the postcard picture sights of Venice.  Sit outside at the front if you can.  Rick Steves does a whole thing on this ride.  See St. Marks & maybe the Doges Palace and have a coffee in St. Marks Square.  

 

Go back to the ship and check in and your luggage will probably be at your stateroom.

 

That will give you a feeling for Venice and know you will be back on another trip!

[waterbug123]

As others have said, you'll get in late and be tired so I would just plan to get a good night's sleep.  Several have said check into ship and then go explore.  I'll suggest a slightly different option:

Stay in a hotel by Piazzale Roma.  Check out of the hotel right after breakfast and don't worry about the ship yet; just check your bags with the bellman and then go explore....your hotel can likely arrange a water taxi tour, or just a water taxi ride to St. Marks Square area.  Then wander your way back to the hotel, stopping to have an early lunch somewhere in Venice (not too close to the port area though).  Return early afternoon, collect your bags then board the ship.  Or ask the hotel to arrange a walking tour guide that includes transit at some point on either a water taxi or gondola.  Either way you can enjoy a somewhat guided tour that includes both strolling the streets AND the canals in one form or another.

Edited May 30, 2019 by waterbug123

[Presto2]

Personally, I'd stay in aa hotel near to the airport and then get a water taxi to the ship. There really is NOTHING like arriving by water taxi --- a real James Bond moment and the memory will stay with you forever.

[4774Papa]

12 hours ago, cl.klink said:

Posted this in my roll call, and in destinations board, too

 

We sail on Celebrity Constellation 8/25 out of Venice, 9 nights, many ports before ending in Barcelona. 

 

What to do on arrival in Venice?  We land Saturday 8/24 7:40 PM., night before disembarkation. We’ll be exhausted.  Should we splurge and take a water taxi that night, stay somewhere in the city to absorb the Venice vibe Sunday, then go to the pier?  Or should we be practical, crash near the airport, then in AM meander to the pier Sunday morning (maybe water taxi then?)?  We really don’t have time to do Venice the right way (have to do that any other trip), and lots of other terrific ports to come will give lots of good experiences, so maybe we should not fret one way or another about getting anything from Venice this time, and just get to the ship?

 

Very conflicted between practicality and idealism, 

 

- Joel

Forget the expensive water taxi and expensive Venice hotel.  You will be too tired for much of anything but dinner and bed.

 

You could book a small hotel or B&B near the Piazza where the people mover takes you to the port.   Also, the cheaper lodging is in that area or the area across the foot bridge to the main rail station.  There is an inexpensive bus from the airport to the Piazza.

[Melcatfish]

OK I would say a little Venice is better than no Venice.

 

Book a hotel near Piazzale Roma - you can get either a cheap bus transfer here from the airport (less than 15 Euro a person) or book a private transport.

 

Then if you feel up to it you can take a vaporetto ride along the Grand Canal at night which is spectacular and if you are just riding up and down rather than getting off sight seeing you may find this managable after your flight. Or if you need to crash you can get up early and take a morning ride up the canal, get off at St Marks for a little wander, likewise at the Rialto bridge before heading to the ship. Piazalle Roma is an excellent location for combining sight seeing with cruise boarding, from there you take the people mover (approx 2 Euro) that drops you at the port in minutes.

 

We have booked the Hotel Santa Chiara for our pre cruise stay in August because I loved (and noted) the location of the hotel when we visited Venice on an overnight stop on a previous cruise.

 

Mel

x

[cl.klink]

I was considering Hotel Santa Chiara. Can we take land taxi there from the airport?  How close is it to the People Mover?

- Joel

[cl.klink]

These are wonderful ideas.  I like the idea of dropping off luggage with the porters and then going back and seeing things.  I’ve never used a porter before because we travel light and just take bags on ship ourselves.  With a porter, they are found out front?  And, they have them at the Venice pier too?

 

- Joel

[waterbug123]

11 hours ago, cl.klink said:

These are wonderful ideas.  I like the idea of dropping off luggage with the porters and then going back and seeing things.  I’ve never used a porter before because we travel light and just take bags on ship ourselves.  With a porter, they are found out front?  And, they have them at the Venice pier too?

 

- Joel

 

I've never departed on a cruise from Venice but I would assume so.  Still, as I mentioned earlier an option would be to simply leave them with the hotel bellman.  Any decent hotel will hold your bags for you, either in case you arrive to check in before your room is ready or if you wish to sightsee after checkout before continuing with your travel.  The advantage is that you don't need to go to the port twice, once to drop bags and later to check in.  You can just leave bags at hotel, sightsee, grab your bags on the way back and go to the port once to check bags and check in.  The crowds  at the port may have thinned by then too.

[ipeeinthepool]

7 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

 

I've never departed on a cruise from Venice but I would assume so.  Still, as I mentioned earlier an option would be to simply leave them with the hotel bellman.  Any decent hotel will hold your bags for you, either in case you arrive to check in before your room is ready or if you wish to sightsee after checkout before continuing with your travel.  The advantage is that you don't need to go to the port twice, once to drop bags and later to check in.  You can just leave bags at hotel, sightsee, grab your bags on the way back and go to the port once to check bags and check in.  The crowds  at the port may have thinned by then too.

 

Just a word of waring, Venice is a beautiful city but it is also filled with pick pockets waiting to prey on Tourists.  Make sure all of your valuables are safely secured at the hotel and you take proper precautions with your purse and/or wallet.

 

Enjoy Venice

[cl.klink]

1 hour ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Just a word of waring, Venice is a beautiful city but it is also filled with pick pockets waiting to prey on Tourists.  Make sure all of your valuables are safely secured at the hotel and you take proper precautions with your purse and/or wallet.

 

Enjoy Venice

 

Thanks!  I like the idea of leaving bags with the hotel.  That could avoid the pick pocket worry to some degree because we could venture out with minimal stuff on our person.

 

- Joel

[JBare]

14 hours ago, cl.klink said:

I was considering Hotel Santa Chiara. Can we take land taxi there from the airport?  How close is it to the People Mover?

- Joel

 

Yes you can take a taxi there. Its about 200 yrds across the bus park to the people mover, entrance is in the multi story car park opposite the hotel. Also the vaporetti ticket office is opposite the hotel and the stops for the No 1 or 2 vaporetti to St Marks square are there too. If you want to see the most common views in Venice I recommend a very early or no breakfast. Buy a day pass for the vaporetti and catch one to the Academia bridge, get off there for some great views from the bridge. Then eithet get the next water bus or walk to St Marks Sq.  Then walk back to where you started vi the Rialto Bridge. All this can be done in about 3 hrs if you are even just reasonably fit.