Semi-Live: Venezia Labor Day Cruise 8/31-9/7

[TravelE]

2 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

Awesome LIVE (nothing semi about it 😸) and I just got the chance to read through from beginning to end. Great meeting you and Dave!! When is your next cruise? Our’s is Thanksgiving on Sunshine ☀️

 

Nothing yet! Can you believe it?

 

We sailed HAL in May to Alaska with the boys plus this one to Bermuda.

 

I was eyeing a few Transatlantic cruises on NCL because they had low or zero single supplements but I'm not sure I can be gone that long.

 

I love Thanksgiving cruises. The weather is perfect and you don't have to cook!!! 

 

[SenatorsFan]

1 hour ago, Jamman54 said:

Bon Voyage Heather! We are already back out to sea! 😎

Thanks! Hope you and Patti have an awesome second cruise! 😁

[luvcruzing]

Great job on this Live. I really enjoyed visiting New York through your eyes and the secret beaches in Bermuda.  Thank you.  

[markmbsc]

Amazing live!! Thanks for taking us along.

[DeniseTr]

17 hours ago, TravelE said:

I’m home and picking up groceries at Kroger. Back to reality 🥹

 

I have a few videos to share, and I’ll do a wrap up later today or tomorrow. 
 

Thank you all for your interest and encouragement. I had a blast!

Thanks for the great review. 

Will definitely help me planning my upcoming cruise on Venezia.

[TravelE]

A couple of videos:

 

Singing in the MDR

 

 

 

A pretty wild lip sync contest, Tyrell:

 

 

[TravelE]

The Carnival VIPF Video:

 

 

[TravelE]

If you recall, I left my rash guard on the Restless Native and made a big effort to get it back.

 

I really love this shirt because it is easy to get on and off since it has a full zip. I have had it for a few years, and it has held up wonderfully - no fading or stretching.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Hurley-Solid-Sleeve-Front-Rashgaurd/dp/B09P1BXLMT/ref=asc_df_B09P1B8CYN/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693713433481&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10684604956816533392&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9198607&hvtargid=pla-1732615573111&mcid=4a034bac66cc356ebc9e6ee1187f8651&th=1&psc=1

 

 

 

[TravelE]

Final thoughts:

This was a fantastic cruise. I loved having 3 days in Bermuda, and I would definitely go back again as there is so much to do. The Venezia crew is still fantastic. The ship is in good shape minus a few faded carpets in the high traffic areas like the elevators. It was fantastic to sail with @Jamman54 and Patti plus get to meet up with @ninjacat123 and her husband.

 

Sailing out of New York was a treat as it is so different than any of the Florida or Texas departures. The cruisers from NY and NJ were a lot of fun and totally in vacation mode. Everyone was friendly and polite. If there was ever any attitude on board, it was because someone had to much to drink.

 

The only negatives were the Lido buffet is pretty hot 🥵and humid all the time. There are some pockets of air conditioning, but it seems they are leaving the doors open from the pool area into the buffet. Also, I think they could have closed the roof over the main pool area in the evening especially when rain was forecasted. A few events were rained out.

 

Oh and the $5/pp Chat feature in the HUB app is terrible. It only works well when you are right next to the person you are messaging which defeats the purpose 😁. Carnival should not charge for this. FYI, messaging within the app was free on Holland America app this past May. 

 

Let me know if you have any questions!!!

[DeniseTr]

It would seem that they aren't making use of a major asset if they are having to cancel events in the space with a retractable roof. My guess is that it is prone to malfunctioning, so they are stingy about use. Just a guess.

[KGab]

Thank you so much!  I started reading because we are going on her sister ship in a few weeks.  You sucked me in and now I want to go to Bermuda!!  Great semi-live review!

[Volsfan86]

Thanks for the great review. Would love to sail out of NYC some day!

[Jamman54]

On 9/8/2024 at 12:21 PM, TravelE said:

If you recall, I left my rash guard on the Restless Native and made a big effort to get it back.

 

I really love this shirt because it is easy to get on and off since it has a full zip. I have had it for a few years, and it has held up wonderfully - no fading or stretching.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Hurley-Solid-Sleeve-Front-Rashgaurd/dp/B09P1BXLMT/ref=asc_df_B09P1B8CYN/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693713433481&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10684604956816533392&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9198607&hvtargid=pla-1732615573111&mcid=4a034bac66cc356ebc9e6ee1187f8651&th=1&psc=1

 

 

 

Patti loves that Hurley shirt! That's her maiden name! 😁

 

[DanJ]

Enjoyed reading back on this. I didn't get the wifi until the last day so I didn't participate. I purchased FTTF, and boarding couldn't have been easier. I hopped out of the shower at our hotel at 51st and 7th at 1030am, we went downstairs, got in a taxi, dropped at the port and was dropping our carryon in our cabin at 1115am. They were calling A1 to board as we entered the front of the terminal and by the time we got to the back there was no priority line in front of us. Stopped briefly for the dog to sniff and on we went. I can't imagine how boarding could be any better than that. 

 

We really enjoyed this cruise. This was our 5th Carnival cruise and easily our favorite. Partly because of the ship. I asked security at the gangway in Bermuda how many people we had and he said just over 4200. I rarely ever found the ship crowded, unlike the Pride and Dream. Plus I loved the Costa decor. The best part though was Bermuda and the 3 days there. Talk about a lack of pressure to get things done. We took the bus into Hamilton on Monday, which was an experience lol. It was a holiday so most things were closed. Walked around town, enjoyed looking in windows, walked through a park, appreciated the lack of traffic. Then took the ferry back to the ship a couple hours later. Had lunch and relaxed and got ready for dinner. Later in the evening, my wife wanted to relax her blisters she picked up from our couple days in NYC, so I got back off the ship, around 10pm. I wanted to take some pictures of the ships lit up at night and I knew the Vision was leaving the next day. 

 

Tuesday we took the ferry to St George (45 minutes), and walked over to Tobacco Bay Beach. Took about 20-25 minutes, uphill and downhill. The beach is free access but is operated by the same company that runs the Snorkel Park at the Dockyard. They rent chairs, umbrellas and snorkel gear. It was a beautiful secluded beach and it wasn't really busy. We got there between 1030 and 11 and stayed there until about 115pm, when we walked back for the 2pm ferry. Unfortunate that on our full day there that this was the day the ferry was on a shorter schedule but there was no way I was riding the bus all the way back after the ride on Monday lol. We had lunch late, when we got back on the ship, so we skipped dinner and had a nap instead. We went to the show (Family Feud maybe? The nights seem to blend together now lol) and then hit the Lido for a bite to eat. 

 

Wednesday we stuck to the dockyard. I sat on our balcony and watched the Pride dock and then shortly thereafter watched the Insignia sail in too Hamilton. It was so small it took the inner ferry channel into the port rather than the outer channel the cruise ships follow into Dockyard. Then we went ashore and did some shopping. Decided we wanted a bit more beach time so around noon we went back to the ship and got changed and went over to the Snorkel Park beach. Not as nice as Tobacco Bay for sure, but it was still a cool beach, with the fort overlooking. It was a little deeper there and the water was cooler and more waves but it was an enjoyable way to spend the last few hours on the island. Back on board for sailaway, we went outside on deck 14, since our balcony was on the wrong side for what I hoped would be a horn battle with the Pride. The 2 ships did exchange some horn blasts as we departed and thumbs up to the Pride people out on deck waving and shouting to us as we sailed by. 

 

The last 2 sea days were nice and relaxing. Lots of trivia, played bingo once, spent some time in the casino. Our nightly routine was generally first seating dinner, then to the theatre for the show and 5 of the 7 nights, we spent in the piano bar. Hans was an amazing entertainer, just love that guy. We also had a former Carnival piano bar entertainer, Ron Pass, sailing, and he sat in for a quick set each night as well. He lives and performs out in the Palm Springs area now. Good guy, had some nice chats with him. There was another passenger, JJ, who isn't a former cruise entertainer, but he does the same type of show at hotels in Florida and he got up a couple nights and did some songs too. We actually rode over to St George on the ferry with him and we had a good fun chat but I didn't know what he did at that point, although I definitely picked up "entertainer" vibes. He is a really good player and singer, would love to see a show of his if I ever found myself in the Daytona area. 

 

Captain told us Friday we would arrive in NYC overnight (230 by Statue of Liberty he said). We were out on deck around 1am and the city lights were very obvious. Into bed for a short sleep and then up shortly after 6. I thought they must have started debarkation judging by how empty the parking lot was, but we didn't actually start until 645am. Our flight wasn't until 230pm, so we were in no rush. We put our luggage out the night before and when we finally decided to leave about 915, there were only a few suitcases left in our section, so easy to find. Being Canadian, I expected a check at immigration but he barely took a glance at our passports and off we went to deal with the fake uber scammers outside the terminal that I had read about on the Facebook cruise group. Went across 12th in the rain, verified with the yellow cab driver he was meter only, which he was, and off we went. The prior week, at around 1pm on a Thursday, it took a bit over an hour from LGA to our hotel at Times Square. The cab back to the airport took 24 minutes. This was our first time in New York so I wasn't sure if the guy was running the meter up or something when we kept going north. But in truth, I didn't really care because we had 5 hours still until our flight and I would have been fine with a tour. We went north to the GW Bridge, east across Manhattan and down Harlem River Dr, across the RFK Bridge to 278 into LGA. I wasn't really sure where I was until I saw Yankee Stadium across the river. So, not sure if that was the best way, the locals would know better, but I can't argue with the results and the fare was around the same $75 or so we paid to get to the hotel the week prior. 

 

Was a great 10 days altogether, with our pre-cruise in NYC. Loved NYC, loved the Venezia, loved Bermuda. Would do them all again. 

[DanJ]

Forgot to mention that I heard they did have mechanical issues with the roof. I heard about it rain delaying the Italian Festival, wasn't aware it also delayed the other party. Did notice the next morning the roof was closed around breakfast but open again after noon hour or so. We thought it should have been closed on Saturday morning when it was raining in New York and they wanted people out of their rooms. Closing the roof would have given more space for people to hang out. 

[Jamman54]

43 minutes ago, DanJ said:

Enjoyed reading back on this. I didn't get the wifi until the last day so I didn't participate. I purchased FTTF, and boarding couldn't have been easier. I hopped out of the shower at our hotel at 51st and 7th at 1030am, we went downstairs, got in a taxi, dropped at the port and was dropping our carryon in our cabin at 1115am. They were calling A1 to board as we entered the front of the terminal and by the time we got to the back there was no priority line in front of us. Stopped briefly for the dog to sniff and on we went. I can't imagine how boarding could be any better than that. 

 

We really enjoyed this cruise. This was our 5th Carnival cruise and easily our favorite. Partly because of the ship. I asked security at the gangway in Bermuda how many people we had and he said just over 4200. I rarely ever found the ship crowded, unlike the Pride and Dream. Plus I loved the Costa decor. The best part though was Bermuda and the 3 days there. Talk about a lack of pressure to get things done. We took the bus into Hamilton on Monday, which was an experience lol. It was a holiday so most things were closed. Walked around town, enjoyed looking in windows, walked through a park, appreciated the lack of traffic. Then took the ferry back to the ship a couple hours later. Had lunch and relaxed and got ready for dinner. Later in the evening, my wife wanted to relax her blisters she picked up from our couple days in NYC, so I got back off the ship, around 10pm. I wanted to take some pictures of the ships lit up at night and I knew the Vision was leaving the next day. 

 

Tuesday we took the ferry to St George (45 minutes), and walked over to Tobacco Bay Beach. Took about 20-25 minutes, uphill and downhill. The beach is free access but is operated by the same company that runs the Snorkel Park at the Dockyard. They rent chairs, umbrellas and snorkel gear. It was a beautiful secluded beach and it wasn't really busy. We got there between 1030 and 11 and stayed there until about 115pm, when we walked back for the 2pm ferry. Unfortunate that on our full day there that this was the day the ferry was on a shorter schedule but there was no way I was riding the bus all the way back after the ride on Monday lol. We had lunch late, when we got back on the ship, so we skipped dinner and had a nap instead. We went to the show (Family Feud maybe? The nights seem to blend together now lol) and then hit the Lido for a bite to eat. 

 

Wednesday we stuck to the dockyard. I sat on our balcony and watched the Pride dock and then shortly thereafter watched the Insignia sail in too Hamilton. It was so small it took the inner ferry channel into the port rather than the outer channel the cruise ships follow into Dockyard. Then we went ashore and did some shopping. Decided we wanted a bit more beach time so around noon we went back to the ship and got changed and went over to the Snorkel Park beach. Not as nice as Tobacco Bay for sure, but it was still a cool beach, with the fort overlooking. It was a little deeper there and the water was cooler and more waves but it was an enjoyable way to spend the last few hours on the island. Back on board for sailaway, we went outside on deck 14, since our balcony was on the wrong side for what I hoped would be a horn battle with the Pride. The 2 ships did exchange some horn blasts as we departed and thumbs up to the Pride people out on deck waving and shouting to us as we sailed by. 

 

The last 2 sea days were nice and relaxing. Lots of trivia, played bingo once, spent some time in the casino. Our nightly routine was generally first seating dinner, then to the theatre for the show and 5 of the 7 nights, we spent in the piano bar. Hans was an amazing entertainer, just love that guy. We also had a former Carnival piano bar entertainer, Ron Pass, sailing, and he sat in for a quick set each night as well. He lives and performs out in the Palm Springs area now. Good guy, had some nice chats with him. There was another passenger, JJ, who isn't a former cruise entertainer, but he does the same type of show at hotels in Florida and he got up a couple nights and did some songs too. We actually rode over to St George on the ferry with him and we had a good fun chat but I didn't know what he did at that point, although I definitely picked up "entertainer" vibes. He is a really good player and singer, would love to see a show of his if I ever found myself in the Daytona area. 

 

Captain told us Friday we would arrive in NYC overnight (230 by Statue of Liberty he said). We were out on deck around 1am and the city lights were very obvious. Into bed for a short sleep and then up shortly after 6. I thought they must have started debarkation judging by how empty the parking lot was, but we didn't actually start until 645am. Our flight wasn't until 230pm, so we were in no rush. We put our luggage out the night before and when we finally decided to leave about 915, there were only a few suitcases left in our section, so easy to find. Being Canadian, I expected a check at immigration but he barely took a glance at our passports and off we went to deal with the fake uber scammers outside the terminal that I had read about on the Facebook cruise group. Went across 12th in the rain, verified with the yellow cab driver he was meter only, which he was, and off we went. The prior week, at around 1pm on a Thursday, it took a bit over an hour from LGA to our hotel at Times Square. The cab back to the airport took 24 minutes. This was our first time in New York so I wasn't sure if the guy was running the meter up or something when we kept going north. But in truth, I didn't really care because we had 5 hours still until our flight and I would have been fine with a tour. We went north to the GW Bridge, east across Manhattan and down Harlem River Dr, across the RFK Bridge to 278 into LGA. I wasn't really sure where I was until I saw Yankee Stadium across the river. So, not sure if that was the best way, the locals would know better, but I can't argue with the results and the fare was around the same $75 or so we paid to get to the hotel the week prior. 

 

Was a great 10 days altogether, with our pre-cruise in NYC. Loved NYC, loved the Venezia, loved Bermuda. Would do them all again. 

Great overview of the cruise. We were on the same ferry over to St. George on Tuesday. Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet. 😎

[jimbo5544]

On 9/9/2024 at 1:18 PM, Volsfan86 said:

Thanks for the great review. Would love to sail out of NYC some day!

Best sail away (viewing wise) we have ever done

[jimbo5544]

Thanks for the review, how was the debark?

[TravelE]

6 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Thanks for the review, how was the debark?

 

I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

 

Debark was easy. Carnival did a great job but we were not in a rush to get off the ship. We had breakfast in the MDR and grabbed our bags from the room around 8:15 am. The ship staff had things well organized. Our cabin was on Deck 3 so we did not need an elevator which is always the most difficult part.

 

We walked off the ship and through the facial recognition line. They had bags in the luggage area up to Tag 18.

 

The only hiccup is the lack of a proper waiting area for Taxi's or Rideshare. The port workers want you out of the area as incoming passengers need access. You are forced to cross all 8 lanes of 12th avenue to stand on a street corner looking for your ride. The taxi drivers lurk in the crosswalk to try to sell you a ride - usually off meter. We walked a block east to meet our rideshare driver.

 

Let's face it. Debark day is a harsh transition to the real world. NYC rips that band aid quickly for you!

 

 

[jimbo5544]

3 hours ago, TravelE said:

 

I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

 

Debark was easy. Carnival did a great job but we were not in a rush to get off the ship. We had breakfast in the MDR and grabbed our bags from the room around 8:15 am. The ship staff had things well organized. Our cabin was on Deck 3 so we did not need an elevator which is always the most difficult part.

 

We walked off the ship and through the facial recognition line. They had bags in the luggage area up to Tag 18.

 

The only hiccup is the lack of a proper waiting area for Taxi's or Rideshare. The port workers want you out of the area as incoming passengers need access. You are forced to cross all 8 lanes of 12th avenue to stand on a street corner looking for your ride. The taxi drivers lurk in the crosswalk to try to sell you a ride - usually off meter. We walked a block east to meet our rideshare driver.

 

Let's face it. Debark day is a harsh transition to the real world. NYC rips that band aid quickly for you!

 

 

For us, always the worst part of cruising for NYC.  Glad it went well for you, not having to rush (actually our way as well) always helps.

[DanJ]

I had Faster to the Fun, which would have let us off very early if we wanted. 645am was when they announced debarkation was starting.  We chose to do regular debark since our flight was at 230pm. A couple people on our Facebook group, who obviously lived nearby,  were posting that they already were home and laundry done by the time we actually left the ship shortly after 9am lol. The route off the ship on deck 3 was come down the forward elevators or stairs, then they sent you down the starboard cabin hallway to the front, across to the port side and back to the atrium, around the atrium and out to the gangway on the starboard side. It flowed well. We stopped and chatted with MarQ and took a pic with him. As I mentioned in my prior post, I had read on FB about the off meter taxis and rideshare people trying to coral you out front of the terminal. One guy quoted us $125 to LGA as we walked, which was a good 50% more than what the taxi meter came to. 

 

 

Edited September 12 by DanJ

[DeniseTr]

Thanks to both of you on followup. I need to pt some thought into what I'm going to do on debark.