Our Carnival Venezia B2B - 21 days of "Fun Italian Style" (with pics) - 9/23/23

Jamman54 · October 21, 2023

4 hours ago, Sea Raven said:

Thanks so much for this review and all the pics. You have helped me make the decision to book the Venezia Journeys cruise I had my eyes on for 2026. Plus, I couldn't resist the chance to go back to Tortola.

Glad to have been a help. We are just getting started, and have so much more to show you! 😎

Jamman54 · October 21, 2023

4 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

They put a table there. That was my secret standing spot to watch all of the lido activities.

The best views of all the action were from up there. 😎

Saint Greg · October 21, 2023

5 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

The best views of all the action were from up there. 😎

Yes. I felt I I was in the play by play booth or something.

Hogladyrider · October 21, 2023

@Jamman54...WOW Patti hit it out of the park with the pictures on this update!

Couldn't help but notice .....the pic of the Captain....those eyebrows....perfection!

Really enjoying your review.....each one you do exceeds the previous review.

PrincessPatti · October 21, 2023

Okay, between your and Saing Greg’s reviews, I am now convinced that I need to get on this ship! Awesome review and amazing pics! Thank you!!!!

callsworth · October 21, 2023

On 10/16/2023 at 9:44 PM, ramref said:

Hi Jeff,

It looks like you have been busy over the last couple of days.

It was great meeting you and Patti and look forward to you review.

A BIG hello to the Camera Girl "Patty" ! It was such a pleasure to meet you two.

it was such fun trying to catch pictures of Patty...

4hunters · October 21, 2023

I'm all caught up. As always, THANK YOU for putting together another fine review, Jeff. I know they take a lot of work - much appreciated! 🙂

canes20 · October 21, 2023

1 hour ago, callsworth said:

A BIG hello to the Camera Girl "Patty" ! It was such a pleasure to meet you two.

it was such fun trying to catch pictures of Patty...

Jamman said it was a little choppy a couple of days but didn't know it was that bad.

Jamman54 · October 21, 2023

2 hours ago, Hogladyrider said:

@Jamman54...WOW Patti hit it out of the park with the pictures on this update!

Couldn't help but notice .....the pic of the Captain....those eyebrows....perfection!

Really enjoying your review.....each one you do exceeds the previous review.

Thanks Susan! We have plenty more of him which are better quality that we will share from time to time. What a great guy. One morning he saw me having coffee by Java Blue, and he came over and talked to me for five minutes while his coffee order for the bridge was being prepared. The crew absolutely love him!

2 hours ago, PrincessPatti said:

Okay, between your and Saing Greg’s reviews, I am now convinced that I need to get on this ship! Awesome review and amazing pics! Thank you!!!!

Thanks so much. glad to have you aboard!

Hogladyrider · October 21, 2023

@Jamman54.....both you and Patti look great, retirement agrees with you, isn't it a great life!

I am right there with Patti, I am avid reader, bring my Kindle everywhere. Reading is something I grew up with all the time. Once in the corporate world and looking at a computer all day reading fell to the wayside.

Since retirement in 2015 I have picked it up again and I find it very relaxing! When I visit my mom she also is an avid reader and we spend hours together in her den in front of the fire reading, heaven on earth.

Looking forward to your continued WONDERFUL review.

You and Patti seem to be drama "free" vs our buddy Sid!

Jamman54 · October 21, 2023

2 hours ago, callsworth said:

A BIG hello to the Camera Girl "Patty" ! It was such a pleasure to meet you two.

it was such fun trying to catch pictures of Patty...

OMG Charley! It is an honor that your first post on Cruise Critic is on our thread, even though you have been a member for ten years! It was a pleasure to meet you and your lovely wife Janice aboard the Venezia!

To our Cruise Critic Family, Charley and Janice were the couple we featured at the Diamond Brunch. Charley knew that Patti was the picture taker, so every time he spotted her taking pictures, he would run up and take a picture of her. It became a running joke! I hope Charley will share some more of those pictures with us here!

Finally, since we forgot to ask you on board, do you prefer Charley, Charlie, or Charles?

Jamman54 · October 21, 2023

2 hours ago, 4hunters said:

I'm all caught up. As always, THANK YOU for putting together another fine review, Jeff. I know they take a lot of work - much appreciated! 🙂

It's a labor of love! Thank you so much for reading!

5 minutes ago, Hogladyrider said:

@Jamman54.....both you and Patti look great, retirement agrees with you, isn't it a great life!

I am right there with Patti, I am avid reader, bring my Kindle everywhere. Reading is something I grew up with all the time. Once in the corporate world and looking at a computer all day reading fell to the wayside.

Since retirement in 2015 I have picked it up again and I find it very relaxing! When I visit my mom she also is an avid reader and we spend hours together in her den in front of the fire reading, heaven on earth.

Looking forward to your continued WONDERFUL review.

You and Patti seem to be drama "free" vs our buddy Sid!

Patti loves to read! I brought a book along to read during our twenty one days aboard the Venezia, and never opened it! At this point in our lives we don't need drama, but it is part of the process in the game of life. You learn to deal with it, and Sid will.

jimbo5544 · October 21, 2023

On 10/17/2023 at 2:05 AM, Jamman54 said:

Day # 1 – 9/23/23 - Embarkation Day!!

It’s cruising day! We are up early to finish packing and load up the car for our ride into our homeport city of New York. The outer bands of Tropical Storm Ophelia have reached us and it is beginning to rain. Normally, we would park at the pier. Last year the cost was $42 / day, with a $400 cap, which would have been a bargain for parking for 21 days. This year, they raised the price to $45, with no cap, so it would cost us $945 to park. Not happening! Our son Ryan would be dropping us off and picking us up. Our plan is to leave at 8:30am for our sixty minute drive into the city. Ryan takes our standard departure picture…….

Ryan is our chauffeur for today…..

It’s not long before we are heading through the Lincoln tunnel into the city…..

We arrived at Pier 88 at 9:40am, where the Carnival Venezia was waiting for us…..

Bye Ryan! See you in three weeks!......

We enter the Manhattan Cruise Terminal……

Going through security and checking in was a breeze. We were seated in the Priority Area by 9:55am. Here is the embarkation photo backdrop, but the photographers haven’t arrived yet…..

To be continued……

Hey Jeff, on the road ourselves, so a little late joining in. That said always up for one of your reviews, especially on a ship that we have not sailed on.

jimbo5544 · October 21, 2023

On 10/18/2023 at 1:47 AM, Jamman54 said:

We decided to head up to the Lido Marketplace on Deck 10. Also open for embarkation lunch on Deck 10 was Guys Burgers, Tomadoro, which is the equivalent of Blue Iguana Cantina plus some Italian fare, The Deli, Seafood Shack, and of course Pizza del Capitano. Outside on Deck 5 is the La Strada Grill which equates to the Pig & Anchor BBQ. We take the elevator up to Deck 10. The Venezia has the “Smart” elevators which we have begun to like. It just takes a day or so for everybody learns to use them properly…..

We decide to get our lunch from the Deli. On the way there we pass the Sweet Spot…..

We get to the Deli and there is only one person in line ahead of us. Patti orders the turkey sandwich on a pretzel bun, and I order a couple of chili dogs and fries…..

The Marketplace is pretty crowded so we decide to take our food to the RoCoco Bar by the mid ship pool. This bar is located where you would find the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar. Looking at the menus, you can see some of your favorites from the Red Frog and Blue Iguana……

They also have a variety of pre-made frozen drinks…..

Across the way, where the Red Frog Rum Bar would be, is the Java Blue Cafe. Kind of a weird location for it, but it did work for me…..

After we finished eating, Patti was going to begin her picture tour, and I was going to head all the way aft on Deck 10 to the Burano Pool Bar (Tides Bar).

To be continued……

draft beer?

jimbo5544 · October 21, 2023

On 10/18/2023 at 2:30 AM, Jamman54 said:

Just before 4pm Captain Crescenzo Palomba made the announcement that we wouldn’t be sailing until 6pm, because he was going to wait for more favorable tidal conditions. For Cruise Director Joey Boyes and the Fun Squad the sail away party would begin now anyway…..

Patti went up to Deck 11 for a better view…..

Patti discovered the library and game shelf up here…..

To be continued…..

I have not heard of not sailing looking for favorable tide conditions, but you guys are way ahead on NYC sailings than us, have you?

jimbo5544 · October 21, 2023

On 10/18/2023 at 11:04 PM, Jamman54 said:

This is a very legitimate question, and this is our opinion. For us, the lack of a pool is a deal breaker, and we would not book a Terrazza cabin. The area is beautiful, which you will see in the next soggy segment.

BINGO!

Jamman54 · October 21, 2023

8 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Hey Jeff, on the road ourselves, so a little late joining in. That said always up for one of your reviews, especially on a ship that we have not sailed on.

Hey Jimbo! Always glad to have you aboard! I knew you would be by sooner or later!

jimbo5544 · October 21, 2023

1 minute ago, Jamman54 said:

Hey Jimbo! Always glad to have you aboard! I knew you would be by sooner or later!

Glad to be on for the ride....currently in France, was in Spain yesterday, that said, would not miss a Jamman review.

Jamman54 · October 21, 2023

9 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

draft beer?

Thirsty Frog Wheat and Moretti.

7 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I have not heard of not sailing looking for favorable tide conditions, but you guys are way ahead on NYC sailings than us, have you?

I haven't either, but TS Ophelia probably had something to do with it.

LatinaInTexas · October 21, 2023

On 10/16/2023 at 6:51 PM, Jamman54 said:

Ahoy, Cruise Critic family! My wife Patti and I have just returned from three weeks aboard the beautiful Carnival Venezia, from our homeport of New York City. These were B2B cruises, the first being a 6 day New England and Canada cruise to Portland, Saint John, and Halifax. The second cruise was a fifteen day Journeys cruise to Grand Turk, Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas, along with seven sea days.

There is quite a story on how we got to these cruises. We were originally booked on the Carnival Magic out of New York for B2B cruises, the first being an eight day cruise to the Caribbean, followed by a seven day cruise to Canada. We booked these cruises nearly two years out in order to get our favorite bowling alley balcony for both legs of the B2B.

Then Carnival made the announcement that they were moving the Magic from New York to Norfolk, and replacing her with the Carnival Venezia. We were both excited and disappointed at the same time. Now, we have been involved with ship changes several times, and each time Carnival transferred already booked passengers to similar accommodations on the new ship BEFORE opening bookings to new passengers. This time, Carnival opened up new bookings before taking care of existing passengers, which had to cause a public relations nightmare for them. The cruise boards were flooded with complaints from existing passengers on how Carnival didn’t give them similar accommodations. There were many upset people.

It took Carnival over three weeks to finally give us our new cabin assignments. Even our valued PVP couldn’t help us on this one. We were extremely unhappy. As I mentioned, we had been booked in a bowling alley balcony for both legs of our B2B. On the Venezia, it is a Terrazza Premium balcony, and it is more money. Carnival never had the courtesy to give us a call and at least offer it to us. It was sold out from under us almost immediately. We were assigned a different regular balcony cabin on each leg of the B2B. They weren’t even on the same decks, and both were connecting cabins! It was apparent that we were given the leftovers after three weeks of them taking new bookings.

At this point we were going to cancel and look at NCL or Royal Caribbean for this fall’s cruises out of New York, but then we spotted the Venezia’s fifteen day Journeys cruise. We found a regular balcony cabin we liked, so we called our PVP to book it. He also went to bat for us and got our non-refundable deposits from the Magic cruises transferred to the Journeys cruise without penalty. It turns out that this fifteen day Journeys cruise was about a thousand dollars less than the cost of the fifteen day B2B that we had booked on the Magic, so now we were feeling a little better.

The fifteen day Journeys cruise departed on a Friday and returned on a Saturday. We know how stressful it is getting into New York City on a weekday is, and should be avoided if possible. We saw that the six day cruise before the Journeys cruise departed on a Saturday so we booked it for a B2B. Now, we will depart and return on a Saturday, avoiding the weekday morning rush hours, and we get to go back to New England and Canada, which we both love. That’s a definite win-win! We weren’t able to book the same balcony cabin as we had on the Journeys cruise, so we booked an inside cabin around the corner, which will make for an easy move on turnaround day. So that’s how we wound up on the Carnival Venezia for twenty one days!

This is going to be a very long review. Being that this was a new ship for us, we were going to cover it like a glove, with lots of detail. Patti took over six thousand pictures during our time aboard her. I brought along my laptop so that I could download her pictures daily, and crop and resize them as needed. But even so, I couldn’t keep up with the amount of pictures she was taking. As I am writing this, I have completed all of pictures of the first cruise, and the first five days of the second cruise, more than enough to get this party started. I will continue to work on them daily until I am finished. For those that are wondering, our go to camera is the Canon PowerShot XS740 HS, and our water, and back-up camera, is the Fuji FinePix XP60.

Before we get started, let’s talk about the Carnival Venezia. Although she was built for Costa, she is a Vista Class ship. If you have been on the Vista, Horizon, or Panorama, you will know your way around. The major difference is the mid ship pool area on Lido Deck 10. It is boxed in just like the Splendor’s is, and has a retractable sliding glass dome. All the way aft on Promenade Deck 5 on the other Vista Class ships is the Havana Area and cabins. On the Venezia, this area is called the Terrazza Carnevale. The major difference is that there is no pool, and it is open to all passengers after 7pm.

As far as the bars and restaurants go on this ship, many have the names you are familiar with, and many are under different names. As the review goes on, I will point out the ones you may not be familiar with, and correlate them to the establishments you do know.

Okay, I think we’re ready to get started. Well almost. Two days before the cruise we get an email and a text from Carnival saying that because of Tropical Depression -16, which would later become Tropical Storm Ophelia, we are NOT to come to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal until a final decision on the cruise is made. Oh-oh!

The next day we get another email and text from Carnival saying that our cruise is on, and to report to the Terminal at our regular appointment times. Apparently, the storm was moving northward slow enough that we can board and get out of dodge before the storm hits late Saturday into Sunday. Yay, we’re going cruising!!!

To be continued…..

Finally getting started, this one is gonna be a doozy😮 Thanks to you and Patti for all the time and effort it takes to keep us informed and entertained!!

Jamman54 · October 21, 2023

Day # 3 - 9/25/23 - Portland, Maine (7am – 5pm).

We were up at 7am, and when we turned on the Bow Camera, we could see that we were already docked in Portland. It’s partly cloudy outside and the temps will be in the high 50’s to low 60’s. That’s the Norwegian Sky in front of us…..

Here are today’s Fun Times…..

I went up to the Java Blue Café for my morning coffee, and to say hello to Zora. I came back to the cabin to work on pictures. We don’t have any excursions planned, so we will be getting off the ship later when the stores open, and I can visit my Husband Daycare. Patti is going to use this time to head out onto the open decks and get the pictures she wasn’t able too the last two days because of the rain. She heads all the way up to Deck 15 forward where she got some port area views…..