Venice replaced with Trieste

[Redtravel]

Take a transfer to Trieste. Private or buy a transfer from the cruise line.  Italy has strikes. Italian trains often go on strike.  We have had it happen.  

[Mrs Miggins]

  We prefer to make our own flight arrangements but would hope that Azamara do indeed offer a free transfer as other cruise companies are promising, or to let us have some idea of the cost/timetable they propose.  I guess we will know in October.

[Vineyard View]

15 hours ago, Redtravel said:

Take a transfer to Trieste. Private or buy a transfer from the cruise line.  Italy has strikes. Italian trains often go on strike.  We have had it happen.  

We have had it happen as well. More than once - trains, busses, ATC at the airports. Once we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere Countryside on a train between Italy & Sweden and they just decided to stop!  We weren’t connecting to a timetable so it worked out when they decided to start moving again. Since we will be in Venice for a few nights prior, I am thinking a private transfer may be the best route if Trieste remains our port next May. 

[Mrs Miggins]

Well I have just taken the unusual step of booking flights and transfers with Azamara via our TA.

Yes I will pay extra for the flights but since the actual port for our debark may change I figured that I should let Azamara take the strain.  Even decided to pay extra for a 9.15 Heathrow departure to Barcelona rather than the eye watering 6.15 departure - .   Other benefit is the cost is added to our account so dont have to pay until next January.  Of course if I booked direct with BA would have to pay now.

This cruise is a second lift and shift so hope it actually happens.  

[excitedofharpenden]

Pam, In these uncertain times I think that's a very sensible decision.  Fingers crossed it all works out.  

 

Phil 

[Mackdogmolly]

1 hour ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Pam, In these uncertain times I think that's a very sensible decision.  Fingers crossed it all works out.  

 

Phil 

Yes, I learned the hard way by booking fights myself on my last cancelled cruise. Ended up with a limited time credit, but doesn’t really work for my new itinerary. Used ChoiceAir for current booking.

[laurieb]

For those of you going to Venice in 2022 and beyond

https://www.travelawaits.com/2691876/venice-italy-entry-fee-reservations-summer-2022/

 

Edited August 25, 2021 by laurieb

[Vineyard View]

Thank you for sharing. Hard to know how to feel after reading this. 
pretty sad IMHO. 

[excitedofharpenden]

I have to say I don't think it's sad. It's been what's needed for a long time. The "here this morning and gone this evening" tourists like us have added to spoiling the place. The crowds will be reduced and people who actually want to spend time there will be able to do it with less crowding. Booking into a hotel and spending money of an evening going for food is much more sustainable for the locals. 

 

Venice isn't real and friendly Italy. And it's too easy to get ripped off by souvenir shops and not such great restaurants. There's too many of those. Time for a rethink. Stay in a hotel. See the place at night. It's totally different and very special when all the tourists have left. 

 

Phil 

[uktog]

28 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

I have to say I don't think it's sad. It's been what's needed for a long time. The "here this morning and gone this evening" tourists like us have added to spoiling the place. The crowds will be reduced and people who actually want to spend time there will be able to do it with less crowding. Booking into a hotel and spending money of an evening going for food is much more sustainable for the locals. 

 

Venice isn't real and friendly Italy. And it's too easy to get ripped off by souvenir shops and not such great restaurants. There's too many of those. Time for a rethink. Stay in a hotel. See the place at night. It's totally different and very special when all the tourists have left. 

 

Phil 

I have just deleted a reply which was almost identical.  There are many places in the world where this crash in run out tourism isn’t helping them one bit.  The rip off merchants are often not locals, sometimes the owners are offshore.

I think Venice, Florence and many other places need a reset and well done Venice for looking at how that might be. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by uktog
Spelling

[welshfamily]

Just curious,

from the UK going into Italy our TA has told us we have to isolate for 5 days even with double vaccination. The Uk gov website only states until the 30th of August this must happen 

do u know there is a change a foot ? If so where can I find the info?

if not are u self isolating ?

How ?

 

thanks

[uktog]

4 minutes ago, welshfamily said:

Just curious,

from the UK going into Italy our TA has told us we have to isolate for 5 days even with double vaccination. The Uk gov website only states until the 30th of August this must happen 

do u know there is a change a foot ? If so where can I find the info?

if not are u self isolating ?

How ?

 

thanks

All rules are reviewed every three weeks and in fact in the UK the announcement is due today that will take to beyond the 30th of August for a period of another three weeks. The isolation issue is an Italian not a UK rule so you have to bear in mind even if the UK does any changes Italy might not. It’s a huge risk at the moment booking internationally and I also read today that there are potential changes a foot in the EU to review the extent to which US travellers are allowed in so it’s a constant changing feast

[nordski]

4 hours ago, uktog said:

I have just deleted a reply which was almost identical.  There are many places in the world where this crash in run out tourism isn’t helping them one bit.  The rip off merchants are often not locals, sometimes the owners are offshore.

I think Venice, Florence and many other places need a reset and well done Venice for looking at how that might be. 

Absolutely agree with you and Phil. When I first visited Venice some 15 years ago I was dismayed at the Theme Park atmosphere and the fact that relatively few of the people working there actually lived in the city. I also agree with you about the old city of Florence. Our last visit there was not enjoyable and almost a caricature of the experience you should have. 
The policy seems quite reasonable and I hope it achieves its goals.

[excitedofharpenden]

1 hour ago, nordski said:

Absolutely agree with you and Phil. When I first visited Venice some 15 years ago I was dismayed at the Theme Park atmosphere and the fact that relatively few of the people working there actually lived in the city. I also agree with you about the old city of Florence. Our last visit there was not enjoyable and almost a caricature of the experience you should have. 
The policy seems quite reasonable and I hope it achieves its goals.

It's rather ironic that there will be turnstyles to walk though in the new Venice, but if it reduces the crowds and they use the money they collect wisely for the benefit of Venice and the locals then it's a good thing.

 

Phil 

Edited August 26, 2021 by excitedofharpenden

[Vineyard View]

6 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

I have to say I don't think it's sad. It's been what's needed for a long time. The "here this morning and gone this evening" tourists like us have added to spoiling the place. The crowds will be reduced and people who actually want to spend time there will be able to do it with less crowding. Booking into a hotel and spending money of an evening going for food is much more sustainable for the locals. 

 

Venice isn't real and friendly Italy. And it's too easy to get ripped off by souvenir shops and not such great restaurants. There's too many of those. Time for a rethink. Stay in a hotel. See the place at night. It's totally different and very special when all the tourists have left. 

 

Phil 

I should have been more succinct. I completely agree with this portion - the added tax for day trippers, etc. 
the sad part I was referring to was the need to initiate armed guards. That portion in the article was what caught my attention for my comment. 

[welshfamily]

Thanks Ann,

we have had some good offers for Azamara this year but are nervous of booking and the rules changing.

I phased my query badly.

I did realise the rules were set by Italy however  I was  interested to know how anyone on the cruise being discussed was dealing with the isolation issue.

 

 

[Lynnewob]

I see Montenegro has been put on the red list now, which affects our 9 Oct cruise as Kotor is one of the stops.  

 

Not sure what will happen with this trip for UK citizens, what with Italy not letting us in unless we quarantine for 5 days and now Kotor going on the red list.     Losing all hope now. 

[uktog]

24 minutes ago, welshfamily said:

Thanks Ann,

we have had some good offers for Azamara this year but are nervous of booking and the rules changing.

I phased my query badly.

I did realise the rules were set by Italy however  I was  interested to know how anyone on the cruise being discussed was dealing with the isolation issue.

 

 

Now Montenegro has gone onto the red list and knowing how long countries are kept on the red list by the UK government, we were wondering about this trip but it that announcement has kicked it into the long grass.

 

I suspect it will impact more than just UK guests as anyone with flights transit through London on the way home would need to make changes.  

 

I suspect Azamara will be looking very closely at that whole itinerary now 

[Lynnewob]

I hope they do look at it, as you say, it's not oy UK people, it's those transiting too. 

[manc]

I first visited Venice 50 odd years ago as a teenager on an art trip with school including Florence and Milan. I fell in love with the city and it was so different than today. We spent our honeymoon there as my husband had not visited. We have stayed in 5 star hotels, visited on the train from Verona and had overnights on b2b with Azamara. Our favourite visit was renting an apartment in a residential area where we met the locals in shops,  bars and restaurants, on the vaporetto and in the garden area. We hope to dock on after b2b2b in late April/early May and hope that some additional rules in place will return it to a beautiful city. Venice with out daytrippers is FABULOUS. 

[mwf7501]

On 8/25/2021 at 4:34 PM, laurieb said:

For those of you going to Venice in 2022 and beyond

https://www.travelawaits.com/2691876/venice-italy-entry-fee-reservations-summer-2022/

 

Thank you for posting.    We've never been to Venice, or anywhere in Italy for that matter, but after reading the article and some of the comments in this thread I have no desire to see a city-turned-theme-park.  Sounds like Epcot or Vegas, no thanks.

 

We're not scheduled until Oct 2022, and now I'm really hoping AZ changes the itinerary.   Venice no longer fits the kind of destination on which AZ claims to focus -- the endless-loop recording that I hear when on hold with them does not mention "...and we sometimes go to places where visitors are not welcome and yet the crowds are still suffocating...".

 

We're booked (technically) via a TA, and she does very little AZ business.   Is there an avenue to communicate these concerns directly to AZ?    Perhaps a Chief Blogging Officer would be helpful...

 

Mark

[Mackdogmolly]

1 hour ago, mwf7501 said:

Perhaps a Chief Blogging Officer would be helpful...

Bring back Bonnie!

[uktog]

On 8/26/2021 at 12:05 PM, welshfamily said:

Just curious,

from the UK going into Italy our TA has told us we have to isolate for 5 days even with double vaccination. The Uk gov website only states until the 30th of August this must happen 

do u know there is a change a foot ? If so where can I find the info?

if not are u self isolating ?

How ?

 

thanks

I think you might be in luck, According to media reports tonight if I’m translating correctly they plan to announce dropping the quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated UK residents when they make their announcement 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

I think you might be in luck, According to media reports tonight if I’m translating correctly they plan to announce dropping the quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated UK residents when they make their announcement 

Your reports were right:

https://www.thelocal.it/20210828/italy-lifts-quarantine-on-vaccinated-british-visitors/

 

Good news for UK travelers and for those of us on cruises with large number of UK passengers (including me!)

[Lynnewob]

Great news about entering Italy without quarantine for UK travellers. 

 

All we need now is for Montenegro (Kotor stop) to be removed from the UK's red list and our 9 Oct trip is good to go 😁.