Is Venice worth it on a cruise these days?

[PirateWife]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

Venice is worth it but it is much better not on a cruise.  Since your cruise starts in Venice, get there 4 or 5 days before the cruise starts so you can enjoy it more.  You just can't do Venice properly on a 1 day cruise stop.  Some of the best places in Venice are the out-of-the-way places.  If I remember correctly, we were there for 5 days and still missed stuff.  Venice is a wonderful city to walk around in or to take the vaporetto to random stops.  You will almost certainly get lost when you walk but if you carry a card from your hotel or just find your way to a vaporetto stop, you will get back.

 

One final suggestion - Read some of the Donna Leon Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries before you go.  Great reads.

 

DON

I started reading Donna Leon's books before going to Venice. I wish now I had read the whole series before going. Now, I have to go back to re-walk Venice.

[Grandma Cruising]

On 10/7/2021 at 11:08 PM, Jim in OR said:

It was a feeble attempt at a joke Denise. It’s a paraphrase of an old Yogi Berra quote. 

Sorry, totally passed me by!

[mwf7501]

We just completed a fleeting two days in Venice, and are now onboard Onward in Ravenna.   Just a few follow up thoughts, please bearing in mind this is our first time in Italy.

 

1. Thank you to all who replied to my original post, encouraging a visit.   We now understand that you cannot appreciate Venice from photos, documentaries, or books.   It struck us as a somewhat magical place, and completely improbable -- an ancient city built on a marsh, at sea level, with no roads.  No offense to Venetians, but it sometimes felt like a Disney park, except real.  The evenings especially brought a wonderful atmosphere -- emphasizing that not a single car, truck, or motorcycle was to be heard.

 

2.  I originally interpreted the "no cruiser" uprising as "anti-tourist," and this was completely wrong.  Every single Italian we encountered was delightful, kind, eager to share their city, and totally nonjudgmental regarding our ignorance of all things Italian.   Having been there, we fully agree with the no-cruise ship policy.  Ships disgorging thousands of day trippers would have made it feel like Duval street in Key West. 

 

3.  I will watch with interest how the cruise industry adapts, there seems no easy solutions.  Venice is clearly a draw, as either a stop or embark/debark.   But a bus ride to Trieste or Ravenna is quite a negative.  We went near Marghera on the way out of town, and even that seems a bit removed.  Perhaps requiring some greater effort or inconvenience for a visit will simply become the new normal.

 

Now looking forward to dinner, and making every effort to make AZ regret selling me that beverage package.

 

Mark and Diane

 

[lisiamc]

On 10/8/2021 at 7:53 PM, donaldsc said:

Venice is worth it but it is much better not on a cruise.  Since your cruise starts in Venice, get there 4 or 5 days before the cruise starts so you can enjoy it more.  You just can't do Venice properly on a 1 day cruise stop.  Some of the best places in Venice are the out-of-the-way places.  If I remember correctly, we were there for 5 days and still missed stuff.  Venice is a wonderful city to walk around in or to take the vaporetto to random stops.  You will almost certainly get lost when you walk but if you carry a card from your hotel or just find your way to a vaporetto stop, you will get back.

 

One final suggestion - Read some of the Donna Leon Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries before you go.  Great reads.

 

DON

I adore Donna Leon. However, you might never feel the same way about Marghera or Chioggia (now sometimes used as alternative ports for Venice) again!

[Host Jazzbeau]

23 minutes ago, lisiamc said:

I adore Donna Leon. However, you might never feel the same way about Marghera or Chioggia (now sometimes used as alternative ports for Venice) again!

And don't mention Donna Leon to a Venetian tour guide – locals hate the way she depicts their town.  [I learned this the hard way...]

[Turangi!]

MWF,

 

So glad you enjoyed Venice! It is a magical place…We spent a week there before a cruise and enjoyed, the art, the architecture and the ambiance of this unique place… We stayed off the beaten path in a glorious apartment in the Dosoduro… A day trip on a boat from Venice to Padua on the Brenta Canal was a highlight as was taking the Vaporetta out to the Lido!  I can’t wait to go back again! My most outrageous picture was of a glass sculpture on Murano!  We always try to spend time before and after a cruise in the places we start and disembark! 

 

[tyler6597]

Venice is worth spending some time there. Several years ago, before the Italian authorities stopped any ship over 25, 000 tons we overnighted on our first cruise with Azamara and then we stayed at a hotel on the grand Canal. We learned that the best way to see Venice is to go into town and get lost. You'll find your way out but all the places we have never seen before and some of the places we ate at were so special. Venice is truly a magic place full of wonders. The locals might hate us but so what. 

[Turangi!]

Tyler,

 

 I agree getting lost in Venice is the best way to really see it!  We visited a nearby small church and returned a few days later for an evening concert that was special because it was the people from the community!  Later on a formal tour, our guide took us back to the same church which we learned was the church of the gondiliers.  She was surprised we had already been there twice… because she thought this was a hidden gem on her tour that no one knew about!

 

I see you did Norway on AZ last year…Any advice for my upcoming Norway Azamara cruise, June 24… please respond to our roll call to not get off topic! Go to my profile to find the Norway roll call for 2023! 

[montythecat]

Is Venice worth visiting? YES YES YES. Other contributors have provided very useful advice.

The word “unique” is quite properly used frequently. It is truly remarkable. If you can manage

three days I am sure you would not regret it.

[Keeria]

On 10/10/2022 at 7:34 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

And don't mention Donna Leon to a Venetian tour guide – locals hate the way she depicts their town.  [I learned this the hard way...]

Interesting also, that her books have never been translated into Italian. 

[TERRIER1]

27 minutes ago, Keeria said:

Interesting also, that her books have never been translated into Italian. 

I watched the television series on tapes borrowed from my library. The take place on location in Venice and have English subtitles but the whole crew and language is German. It was produced by Germans for German television lol.