Goodbye Venice

[RD64]

Trieste is still the better option as opposed to Ravenna - and frequent direct train service,

[Tree_skier]

5 hours ago, TRUEBLUE66 said:

Missing this.

 

 

Loved that video!

[John&LaLa]

5 hours ago, TRUEBLUE66 said:

Missing this.

 

 

 

Sailing into New Orleans around noon is pretty cool

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

A bit like staying in Miami and travelling to PC in the morning to catch a cruise.

 

200+ miles🤔🤣🤣

 

Google Maps says it's 70 miles

Edited August 30, 2020 by John&LaLa

[3monkeys4me]

I don't remember it being difficult getting to Ravenna from Venice, It was a 2ish hour drive? We did it as a day trip frequently. I know I took the train there at least once with my sister, and I think it was only one change. But it was 15 years ago now. We lived in that area for 5ish years.

 

Though, I do agree that Trieste would be better. Miramare Castle  was a favorite place for us to take visiting family and I would love a reason to go back. 😏

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by 3monkeys4me

[Tree_skier]

When we cruised out of Civitavecchia we flew into Rome for a couple of days before taking the train in to the cruise terminal...  What's the big deal doing that with Venice? 

[ipeeinthepool]

2 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

About 2 hours via the ss309

You simply cannot compare the ports or the sail away.

 

Ok, so stay in West Palm and leave from Miami, that's still not a big deal.  Yes you will miss the sail away,  (it's the screen saver on my computer) but it's a real treat to visit Venice.  No other city can compare.  

[ipeeinthepool]

15 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

When we cruised out of Civitavecchia we flew into Rome for a couple of days before taking the train in to the cruise terminal...  What's the big deal doing that with Venice? 

 

Absolutely nothing

[Norwich Cruiser]

4 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Ok, so stay in West Palm and leave from Miami, that's still not a big deal.  Yes you will miss the sail away,  (it's the screen saver on my computer) but it's a real treat to visit Venice.  No other city can compare.  

To some cruisers the sail away is extremely important.

Personally I don’t think there’s another sail away like it as your computer screen saver will tell you.

[crazyank]

10 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I think this may be more of an overstatement.  Isn't Ravenna only about an hour drive from Venice?  Not a whole lot different than staying in Fort Lauderdale and leaving from Miami.

 

9 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

About 2 hours via the ss309

You simply cannot compare the ports or the sail away.

Maybe in the middle of the night,  in the winter.  Otherwise,  during high season,  anything from 3 to 6 hours depending on how many traffic jams there are.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

To some cruisers the sail away is extremely important.

Personally I don’t think there’s another sail away like it as your computer screen saver will tell you.

I absolutely agree.

[grapau27]

8 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

200+ miles🤔🤣🤣

 

Google Maps says it's 70 miles

It is the driving TIME and roads to get to Ravenna which is tiring on the day of the cruise.

 

[grapau27]

39 minutes ago, crazyank said:

 

Maybe in the middle of the night,  in the winter.  Otherwise,  during high season,  anything from 3 to 6 hours depending on how many traffic jams there are.

Thank you.

Unless people know the road and not just the miles a coach transfer at the beginning of the cruise and at the end of the cruise too is frustrating.

[MJDMV]

I think it's important to remember that Royal's decision is not necessarily altruistic and an attempt to 'save Venice'; probably more to do with port fees. Additionally, other companies plan to home port in Venice - Costa, MSC and probably others. Currently Vision of the Seas is due an overnight in Venice on 10th and 11th May 2021, so the Ravenna decision does seem bit odd.

[John&LaLa]

5 hours ago, grapau27 said:

It is the driving TIME and roads to get to Ravenna which is tiring on the day of the cruise.

 

 

Thats why I said arrive early, spend a few days in Venice, then head to port day of cruise. I've taken excursions that take 2-3 hours to get there. Sit back and enjoy the scenery 

Edited August 31, 2020 by John&LaLa

[lr657]

13 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Thats why I said arrive early, spend a few days in Venice, then head to port day of cruise. I've taken excursions that take 2-3 hours to get there. Sit back and enjoy the scenery 

 

We have been lucky enough to have sailed a cruise with an overnight in Venice and another cruise that departed from Venice. We are booked on a future cruise which was originally departing from Venice, but has changed to a Ravenna departure. I do question this decision as Vision is still scheduled for overnights in Venice, and other cruise lines are also porting there. Whatever the reason, I think it's disappointing for those that have not experienced a sail away from Venice. 

 

Royal is offering a complimentary shuttle from the airport to Ravenna. They are stating that it is approximately  2 1/2 hour drive. It's not difficult to fly to Venice for a few days and then go back to the airport for the shuttle. It does make for a longer day and eliminates the sail away from Venice though. 

[bobmacliberty]

Great video showing the sail in.  Really hope that I still get to cruise out of Venice at some point.  We're supposed to be on a Greek Isles cruise right now and then visiting Venice (first time) as part of a trip through northern Italy after the cruise.  Was looking forward to Venice. 🙁

[dani negreanu]

11 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

To some cruisers the sail away is extremely important.

Personally I don’t think there’s another sail away like it as your computer screen saver will tell you.

 

9 hours ago, grapau27 said:

I absolutely agree.

 

That makes 3 of us 😁

 

A storm was brewing when we sailed away ...

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by dani negreanu

[erby2283]

20 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

When we cruised out of Civitavecchia we flew into Rome for a couple of days before taking the train in to the cruise terminal...  What's the big deal doing that with Venice? 

I don't think the difference, per say, is the embarkation/debarkation but rather port stops.  Venice is amazing when you can just hop off the ship and bam, just start walking versus going to a place like Civitavecchia where you have to travel an hour each way. 

 

Also, does anyway know if this is true for ships that embark/debark in Venice?  I was looking at cruises in 2021 and I was still seeing overnights in Venice mid-trip. 

 

In Venice, it was AMAZING to be able to spend the afternoon, and well into the evening in Venice enjoying the ambiance of both the day and the night and then being able to walk back to the ship at 11 pm and get up early AM and enjoy another full day just by walking off the ship.

 

Plus, sailing out of Venice at night is also an experience I will never forget. Glad I got to do it for the first (and maybe only) time last year. 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by erby2283