Rhapsody summer homeport change Venice -> Ravenna

[MJDMV]

After a search, it seems that Royal is currently the only cruise line to have abandoned sailings from and to Venice next year. This port is a really important part of the vacation for me with before and after hotel stays - and that's before we think about a 2-3 hour bus journey, waiting around for buses and people, and traffic, all twice!! Seriously thinking about other ships.

[orla56]

Thank you for your replies. 

I contacted RC this morning and was told probably no toilet as they will use the same type of buses used for excursions. 

We too are thinking we might need to move to another sailing.

[RKHOOKER]

Dumb decision by Royal.  This will cost them plenty of customers.  Venice is a key port.

[Biker19]

46 minutes ago, RKHOOKER said:

Dumb decision by Royal.

Not sure this was only RCI's decision - local authorities and or other issues which we don't know about may have influenced this.

[RKHOOKER]

54 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Not sure this was only RCI's decision - local authorities and or other issues which we don't know about may have influenced this.

I did notice Rhapsody also got shifted from Barcelona to Tarragona.

[Hoopster95]

Perhaps RCL made this decision to free up high port/mooring fees, with perhaps a 99% chance knowing that Rhapsody may not be back in the fleet when cruising resumes (who knows when). I'm guessing a contractual obligation with the port and up front payments to hold spots, etc....  many things you and I do not know... are into play with this decision.

 

Just in that very low percentage chance that Rhapsody stays in the fleet, C19 is gone by next spring, and we all sing Kumbaya together (well... maybe in this case O Solo Mio?) to Venice on all those planes that are sitting in storage as well, then at least they have a back-up plan waiting in Ravenna.

[little britain]

Boarding Day:

·If you've booked flights to Venice, either independently or through our Air2Sea team, you'll head to the complimentary shuttles waiting for you at the Arrivals area of the Venice Marco Polo Airport. Once you arrive, we'll have teams waiting at the airport to help guide you. Shuttles headed to the ship will depart about every hour beginning at 8:00 AM, with the last one departing at 1:30 PM
 

 

As there is no specific mention of this service is only provided for those who fly in that day, I assume anyone already in Venice returns back to the airport to pick up the shuttle?  A pick up from PR also would be so much easier. 

Edited June 29, 2020 by little britain

[Norwich Cruiser]

42 minutes ago, little britain said:

Boarding Day:

·If you've booked flights to Venice, either independently or through our Air2Sea team, you'll head to the complimentary shuttles waiting for you at the Arrivals area of the Venice Marco Polo Airport. Once you arrive, we'll have teams waiting at the airport to help guide you. Shuttles headed to the ship will depart about every hour beginning at 8:00 AM, with the last one departing at 1:30 PM
 

 

As there is no specific mention of this service is only provided for those who fly in that day, I assume anyone already in Venice returns back to the airport to pick up the shuttle?  A pick up from PR also would be so much easier. 

That’s quite correct Piazza Roma should also be a pick up point as I think many more cruisers would have stayed pre cruise than flying in on embarkation day.

[heatherb1958]

5 hours ago, little britain said:

Boarding Day:

·If you've booked flights to Venice, either independently or through our Air2Sea team, you'll head to the complimentary shuttles waiting for you at the Arrivals area of the Venice Marco Polo Airport. Once you arrive, we'll have teams waiting at the airport to help guide you. Shuttles headed to the ship will depart about every hour beginning at 8:00 AM, with the last one departing at 1:30 PM
 

 

As there is no specific mention of this service is only provided for those who fly in that day, I assume anyone already in Venice returns back to the airport to pick up the shuttle?  A pick up from PR also would be so much easier. 

Can you please link me to this  Lesley?  As we had the free flights promo for this year we decided to pay for the transfers , a kind of added insurance we thought. That cruise is  now lifted and shifted to next year so it looks from what you posted I should request my money back for the paid transfers.  🤷‍♀️ 

[little britain]

@heatherb1958  This is the entire text of the email that my TA has forwarded to me.   As I said before I have booked this one (for the first time ever!) as a package with the TA - flights/hotel/cruise so not sure how the transfers (which are not included in the package) will work:

 

We're really looking forward to welcoming you onboardRhapsody of the Seas. Before we set sail, we have important itinerary information to share with you

There have been increased concerns regarding the future of cruising in Venice, Italy due to port congestion and the ability to control port traffic. And, while it's not yet clear how cruise operations will be affected there, it's important to us that we continue to do everything we can to provide you with a great experience and plan ahead, whenever possible. We know how much time and effort go into planning your holiday, so we've proactively made the decision to change the homeport forRhapsody of the Seasfor the upcoming Summer 2021 season to ensure there's minimal last-minute impact to your cruise.

As a result, instead of Venice, we've changed our departure and arrival ports to Ravenna, Italy - a city located just a couple hours south of our original cruise port. We're terribly sorry for any inconvenience caused by this change. However, to ensure you have the smoothest experience possible and that you still get to experience Venice as planned - we're providing complimentary shuttle services before and after your sailing. Below, please find our revised itinerary, as well as shuttle service information for your sailing.

Day   Port of Call               Arrive     Depart    
Sat   Venice (Ravenna), Italy               6:00 PM  
Sun   Kotor, Montenegro          12:00 PM   8:00 PM  
Mon   Corfu, Greece              9:00 AM    3:00 PM  
Tue   Athens (Piraeus), Greece   12:00 PM   8:30 PM  
Wed   Mykonos, Greece            7:00 AM    5:00 PM  
Thu   Argostoli, Greece          11:00 AM   7:00 PM  
Fri   Cruising                                        
Sat   Venice (Ravenna), Italy    5:00 AM              

Boarding Day:

·If you've booked flights to Venice, either independently or through our Air2Sea team, you'll head to the complimentary shuttles waiting for you at the Arrivals area of the Venice Marco Polo Airport. Once you arrive, we'll have teams waiting at the airport to help guide you. Shuttles headed to the ship will depart about every hour beginning at 8:00 AM, with the last one departing at 1:30 PM.

·If you pre-purchased transfers through us, you'll board your transfer instead of the shuttle, and they'll take you directly to the ship.

Departure Day:

* Once you've debarked and collected your luggage at the pier in Ravenna, proceed to Customs.
* Next, you'll be directed to board either our complimentary shuttle bus headed to the Venice Marco Polo Airport, or to board your pre-purchased transfer headed directly to your next destination.
* Shuttle service will begin at around 7:00 AM and will depart about every 30 - 45 minutes based on guest departures from the ship, with the last one departing at 10:00 AM.

The drive will take us around 2 ½ hours, depending on local traffic, so be sure to dress in your most comfortable gear, and feel free to relax on the scenic drive over. If you or anyone in your party requires the use of an accessible shuttle, just let us know when you arrive to board the shuttle. We'll take care of the rest!And remember, if you complete online check-in prior to your cruise, you'll have a smoother boarding experience. This can be done starting90 days prior to departure. Don't worry though, we'll send you a reminder to complete it closer to your sailing!


Your holiday time is important to us, and we want to make sure everything is perfect! Thanks for your cooperation and understanding. We look forward to welcoming you aboard!

[heatherb1958]

2 hours ago, little britain said:

         

Boarding Day:

·If you've booked flights to Venice, either independently or through our Air2Sea team, you'll head to the complimentary shuttles waiting for you at the Arrivals area of the Venice Marco Polo Airport. Once you arrive, we'll have teams waiting at the airport to help guide you. Shuttles headed to the ship will depart about every hour beginning at 8:00 AM, with the last one departing at 1:30 PM.

·If you pre-purchased transfers through us, you'll board your transfer instead of the shuttle, and they'll take you directly to the ship.

Departure Day:

* Once you've debarked and collected your luggage at the pier in Ravenna, proceed to Customs.
* Next, you'll be directed to board either our complimentary shuttle bus headed to the Venice Marco Polo Airport, or to board your pre-purchased transfer headed directly to your next destination.
* Shuttle service will begin at around 7:00 AM and will depart about every 30 - 45 minutes based on guest departures from the ship, with the last one departing at 10:00 AM.




 

 
Thanks for that .

Having read that there seems to be a distinction between someone who has paid for a transfer and a complimentary shuttle I think I’ll stick with the paid transfer. 
I can just imagine a couple of flights arriving together and everyone scrambling to get on the same complimentary  bus . Don’t want to be the ones left hanging around , no seats , maybe raining  etc. etc. At least with a paid transfer you are guaranteed your bum on a seat on a bus . 😆. 
 

 By the way, it is good you got an e.mail from the TA, we booked direct with RCI UK and have not heard about the change . 😠 

Edited June 29, 2020 by heatherb1958

[orla56]

Heatherb my husband and I both got an email from RCI.We also booked direct.

I am assuming they will know how many people they are looking for and what flights so they know how many coaches are needed.

[heatherb1958]

1 hour ago, orla56 said:

Heatherb my husband and I both got an email from RCI.We also booked direct.

I am assuming they will know how many people they are looking for and what flights so they know how many coaches are needed.

Is this your Lift and Shift cruise? 
I am just guessing because we only recently transferred , 14th May date of L&S , , we have got lost in the system to receive an e.mail , the new invoice hasn’t been received yet .

The bit that concerns me is ‘ independent ‘ travellers , RCI won’t know about those arrivals from where they are coming from . My wise head on me says stick with the paid transfer 😆. Getting too old to be reckless 😂. 

[orla56]

Yes Heatherb it is our L&S cruise.

Oh yes I see about the comp shuttle.I wonder how they will know how many coaches they need then.

We got our revised invoice 4 weeks later but they hadn't taken my clubcard vouchers off so had to contact them again.

Was sorted next day and new invoice sent.

[heatherb1958]

21 minutes ago, orla56 said:

Yes Heatherb it is our L&S cruise.

Oh yes I see about the comp shuttle.I wonder how they will know how many coaches they need then.

We got our revised invoice 4 weeks later but they hadn't taken my clubcard vouchers off so had to contact them again.

Was sorted next day and new invoice sent.

I did mine over social media messenger. All answered quickly and dealt with just not got   the correct price invoice yet ,  gggrrr. Frustrating but no rush. 

[NeilonBoard]

13 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

That’s quite correct Piazza Roma should also be a pick up point as I think many more cruisers would have stayed pre cruise than flying in on embarkation day.

We will be overnighting in a Venice hotel before and possibly after our cruise in September 2021 so an airport shuttle is little use to us. I don't know the layout of Venice but maybe some sort of loop service from Airport to Piazza Roma to Ravenna would be better. That service could cater for those already in Venice and those that choose to fly in on departure day.

[heatherb1958]

10 hours ago, NeilonBoard said:

We will be overnighting in a Venice hotel before and possibly after our cruise in September 2021 so an airport shuttle is little use to us. I don't know the layout of Venice but maybe some sort of loop service from Airport to Piazza Roma to Ravenna would be better. That service could cater for those already in Venice and those that choose to fly in on departure day.

We have been to Venice several times . To get to the main tourist area by road from the airport you have to travel over a causeway which also contains the rail line and road tram . If there is a traffic accident on there you are screwed , it  happened to us once when we were waiting to be picked up to go to the airport and thought we would miss our flight , luckily we didn’t .

A lot of people stay in Mestre across the water and get the train or tram over to the city to enjoy the sights.

You can also get a private water taxi directly from Marco Polo airport to the city and back , at a price of course , or the water bus  is a cheaper option. If people want to stay in the city and use the shuttle from the airport  to the port that could be an option therefore bypassing traffic issues on the road on the causeway. 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by heatherb1958

[little britain]

2 hours ago, heatherb1958 said:

 

A lot of people stay in Mestre across the water and get the train or tram over to the city to enjoy the sights.

You can also get a private water taxi directly from Marco Polo airport to the city and back , at a price of course , or the water bus  is a cheaper option. If people want to stay in the city and use the shuttle from the airport  to the port that could be an option therefore bypassing traffic issues on the road on the causeway. 

 

@NeilonBoard - I agree totally with the above info but another halfway house option would be to take the Alilaguna waterbus from the airport to the first stop which is Murano - and stay on Murano island so you still get the Venice feel and ambiance. 

From Murano you can easily catch the vaporettos over to the main tourist sights: and then when you need to get back to the airport you catch the Alilaguna back again. It is a very regular reliable service.  The hotel we stayed in on Murano offered a free water taxi to the airport too.  It is now called the Hyatt Centric - have stayed there twice and highly recommend it. 

[Yorkshire Voyagers]

We’ve got 2 sets of b2b cruises for May and September and haven’t heard a word from Royal (nor has my TA)

 

Looking at other options now 

Edited June 30, 2020 by Yorkshire Voyagers

[heatherb1958]

14 hours ago, Yorkshire Voyagers said:

We’ve got 2 sets of b2b cruises for May and September and haven’t heard a word from Royal (nor has my TA)

 

Looking at other options now 

Hi there ❤️,  I am shocked you haven’t heard by e.mail, makes me feel a little better we are not the only ones 😆.  Does this mean we will miss each other ? Our date is 29th May , not seen you in ages . We will still stick with the cruise  though John will have to make sure he takes extra pain killers for the coach journey , he already doses up for flights 😱. Love to Norman , hope you are both coping with the shielding . Xx

[kochleffel]

On 6/30/2020 at 4:37 AM, heatherb1958 said:

To get to the main tourist area by road from the airport you have to travel over a causeway which also contains the rail line and road tram . If there is a traffic accident on there you are screwed , it  happened to us once when we were waiting to be picked up to go to the airport and thought we would miss our flight , luckily we didn’t .

 

Thank you for posting this information. Right now I have too many ideas about what to do and none of them is very good. I had planned to arrive in Venice several days early, but I don't want to have to go back to the airport just for a shuttle. Since disembarking at Ravenna will prevent getting a flight home on the same day, I've also thought about staying in Venice for several days after the cruise, arriving just one day before and staying near the airport that night -- but none of the hotels near the airport is very appealing, either.

 

On 6/30/2020 at 6:42 AM, little britain said:

another halfway house option would be to take the Alilaguna waterbus from the airport to the first stop which is Murano - and stay on Murano island so you still get the Venice feel and ambiance. 

 

That's a very interesting idea. Thank you.

[Yorkshire Voyagers]

On 7/1/2020 at 11:07 AM, heatherb1958 said:

Hi there ❤️,  I am shocked you haven’t heard by e.mail, makes me feel a little better we are not the only ones 😆.  Does this mean we will miss each other ? Our date is 29th May , not seen you in ages . We will still stick with the cruise  though John will have to make sure he takes extra pain killers for the coach journey , he already doses up for flights 😱. Love to Norman , hope you are both coping with the shielding . Xx

 
I’m sending you a private message Heather 

 

we should have been on board for 2 cruises, starting 15 May,  but have decided to change them to the Vision out of Barcelona instead.  We always go and stay in Mestre beforehand so it wouldn’t have suited us to sail from Ravenna xx

Edited July 2, 2020 by Yorkshire Voyagers

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, Yorkshire Voyagers said:

I’m sending you a private message Heather 

The PM function on CC is disabled for regular users.

[Dinglebert]

When I booked my "Venice" cruise last week the RCI rep wanted to charge me for the shuttle.  I had to point out that it should be free.  Took him 5 minutes to find out I was correct and he wasn't.  They don't all know about the transfers.

 

Question:   For those who have the transfer is it normally listed on your invoice?

Edited July 3, 2020 by Dinglebert

[chrob]

My husband and I also never received any notification from RCCL and after reading this post I contacted them yesterday and they managed to send me a copy of someone else's email but showing a different itinerary and date on Rhapsody, but said the information is the same for all Rhapsody sailings out of Venice next year.

Does anyone know how much a paid transfer will cost pp and what the difference is between a paid transfer and the complementary shuttle being offered?