Just back from Summit - not for us!

[C 2 C]

The shuttles are an expensive convenience, they are certainly not required.

 

Unless you book a tour in Livorno, you are not allowed to walk through the port to get off the ship. There is no other option. When we were there several years ago, Galaxy was docked right at the port entrance and we could walk off. Last year we were docked deep inside the port and had the choice of staying on board or paying for the shuttle.

[Peteymil]

Unless you book a tour in Livorno, you are not allowed to walk through the port to get off the ship. There is no other option. When we were there several years ago, Galaxy was docked right at the port entrance and we could walk off. Last year we were docked deep inside the port and had the choice of staying on board or paying for the shuttle.

 

I did not know that about Livorno-we had a private tour, so I did not notice-that does not seem like a great situation.

[Lois R]

We were on the same cruise on deck 3 with a window.Overall, the cruise was great. Didn't like the 845 time for dinner so we mostly had room service( steak each night)

I have been looking for reviews for this cruise from others but cannot locate them. How do I find the reviews?

In 2005, we did a similar cruise on the Brilliance(RCCL) and had planned to do the Brilliance again, but lucked out and got rooms for 1219 + tax pp wheras the Brilliance was 2600+ tax pp.)same category).

I do agree the 20 pp transfer in Venice and the 12 pp in Dubrovnic were a rip off but we did not have to worry about transfers.

I would highly recommend this cruise. We were very pleased. Teddy

 

Teddy,:) above this forum there is a link that says "Reviews" Click

on it and it will take you to "Member Reviews". You need to find

the particular ship and then click on it.

Hope this helps.

[helenp2]

Mykel - I'm sure the CC cabins are of a better standard than the one we had (although personally I feel that if you choose not to pay extra for Concierge service that shouldn't mean that you get sub-standard accommodation!) - but when you book a "deluxe oceanview" as we did, and you are not paying "bargain basement prices", you kind of expect to get what you paid for - and this certainly wasn't my idea of "deluxe"!!

 

I think if you have booked based on the itinerary then you should keep that as your main priority! In spite of the negatives of this cruise, we loved all the ports, and although disappointed in the standards of our food and accommodation we still enjoyed our holiday.

 

 

 

We had the exact same experience as you on the Summit. We were on a 10 nts Carib. cruise in a CC aft with the large, deeper verandas. Frankly it was that cruise that has stopped me from sailing with Celebrity again. The ship was generally rundown, shabby and in need of a good cleaning. We had mold in our bath, and on the outside deck chairs. The beds were without a doubt the worse we have ever had to sleep on. Heads almost touching the floor and our feet up in the air. Horrible.

 

While I didn't care for the food our servers were fantastic, and they went out of their way to give us excellent service.

 

I wish things were different but I am telling the truth when I say we were less than impressed after this experience.

[sasset]

I don't know why knowing what lines we have used in the past would make any difference to our experience, but this was our 9th cruise and we have sailed with P & O, Princess, Costa, Seabourn - and even Ocean Village, so I think we have a fairly good "cross section" of cruising experience to be able to measure the standards we expect and receive (or not!).

 

It was not my intention in posting here to scaremonger and I apologise to anyone who is worried now about their future cruise. I do believe though that forums like this require all sides to be seen by interested parties, good and bad.

 

At the end of the day though, of course it is simply my opinion on my particular holiday!

 

Asking for prior cruising experience is one of the subtle ways to challenge credibilty along with citing how few posts one may have.

 

No one ever asks for someone's prior experience upon posting a glowing report.

 

Regards

[DaveFr]

We had the exact same experience as you on the Summit. We were on a 10 nts Carib. cruise in a CC aft with the large, deeper verandas. Frankly it was that cruise that has stopped me from sailing with Celebrity again. The ship was generally rundown, shabby and in need of a good cleaning. We had mold in our bath, and on the outside deck chairs. The beds were without a doubt the worse we have ever had to sleep on. Heads almost touching the floor and our feet up in the air. Horrible.

 

While I didn't care for the food our servers were fantastic, and they went out of their way to give us excellent service.

 

I wish things were different but I am telling the truth when I say we were less than impressed after this experience.

Helen,

 

When did you sail on the Summit? To put your post in context, was it a recent cruise or was it a number of years ago? Thanks.

 

Dave

[joolsb]

I didn't realize that you could get free soft drinks and ice all day from dispensers. What kind of soft drinks? Can you elaborate please-- this would help my budget-- Thanks

 

As Peteymil says the drinks available from dispensers both on deck and in the Waterfall and Aqua Spa were lemonade, ice tea, fruit punch and a tropical "mix" (I think it was something like mango and passion fruit??), as well as water and ice. You could also get tea and coffee all day long too.

[helenp2]

Helen,

 

When did you sail on the Summit? To put your post in context, was it a recent cruise or was it a number of years ago? Thanks.

 

Dave[/quote

 

 

Dave, You are correct, it was about 2 yrs ago. I guess I am disappointed that my experience was what it was. Up until that particular cruise Celebrity had been one of our favorite cruiselines. As much as I keep telling myself to forget about it and book another Celebrity cruise I am not willing to take another chance. Who knows that's today and tomorrow might be another story. Happy sailing!

[Peteymil]

Dave, You are correct, it was about 2 yrs ago. I guess I am disappointed that my experience was what it was. Up until that particular cruise Celebrity had been one of our favorite cruiselines. As much as I keep telling myself to forget about it and book another Celebrity cruise I am not willing to take another chance. Who knows that's today and tomorrow might be another story. Happy sailing!

 

Summit was drydocked in April 2008, so perhaps some of the issues were cleared up at that time. I was on the Summit right before the drydock, and did changes this time. However, I understand that once you are disappointed, it would hard to go back!

[Peteymil]

double post

[rebeccalouise]

Sorry you didn't like your cruise. I was on the Millenium in 2007 doing the reverse itinerary and had a wonderful time. That being said- I didn't have a suite. I didn't pay that huge amount of money.

 

I would guess that people staying in suite- shelling out top dollar want great service, surroundings, etc. One would expect nice furniture on the balcony. A complaint would maybe have rectified this- since I doubt the front desk is aware of these things if they are not pointed out.

 

On Millenium, which is older than Summit, there was some mold and bathrooms in need of refurbishment. Some of the tiles around the outdoor pool needed replacing- but these items were minimal and certainly not the whole ship.

 

You obviously sailed with the idea of spending time in your suite and being pampered. Most people that do this itinerary are in la la land. I had a wonderful time and sailing into Venice was such a treat.

 

You should try Princess or Holland America next time. Holland has impressive suites. Also- Oceania has more of the things you are looking for.

[Solstice23]

I have just submitted my review of this cruise (Venice-Barcelona, 9th July), so it should be available some time soon.

 

Apologies to all you Summit fans, but I'm afraid it wasn't a very good experience overall for us.

 

Will be happy to answer any questions (and I promise I will try to be objective!).

 

Sorry you feel that way,

 

Been on her 3 times and we are as picky as they come in life LOL and we love the summit and Celebrity!

 

happy cruising

[DocJohnB]

Thanks for the information you provided. Gives us a better idea of your angst.

 

My thought on the appearance of the ship and its' spaces is that it is 8 years old and there is going to be a lot of wear and tear in that time. I have always always personally thought that =X= does a great job in its' maintenance of its' ships, but like all these cruise lines reach for the bottom line in pulling a ship off line for upkeep. (after all a ship in drydock is not making a farthing in revenue).

 

Your comment on the food is appreciated. But food is such a subjective area. The one word I would not use when describing =X= food is uninspiring. But my experiences are NOT yours.

 

Thanks again for expanding on your original post.

[rebeccalouise]

I wanted to add that people really ought to complain to the front desk regarding any problems with the room.

 

Our toilet seat was a bit wobbly and then the lid fell off one day and I told that cabin attendant. It was replaced by the time we returned to the cabin.

 

I think that the stateroom attendants don't take it upon themselves to fix things. That's human nature- their job is demanding enough.

 

But I read a review from Summit-from this year and the couple complained to their cabin steward about the loose tiles in the bathroom and when they came back- they had retiled that bathroom.

 

I remember on one of my sailings that there was a thick film of salt on the railing and I complained and it was always wiped down after that.

 

So it really pays to complain and this makes it better for the next passenger also.

[bamondo]

duplicate question, sorry

[Texed]

We were on Summit in March, and we were very pleased. :)

[rebeccalouise]

The shuttle from the ship takes you to St. Mark's Square and honestly $ 20 per person isn't that much. It costs 6 Euros each way from the public stand, which is at the port. You don't have to use the ships- shuttle but it is very convenient. I have done both. The nice thing about the ship shuttle is there is no standing in line buying tickets.

 

12 Euros roundtrip is almost $20 (the Euro is about 1.42 at the moment).

 

You can walk to Piazzle Roma (it is a pretty ugly walk along a busy road)- doable. Then you can do the vaporettos down the Grand Canal- which quite frankly are very slow and stop along the way- making a horrible grinding noise as they stop and start- puffing out exhaust fumes.

 

My friend who works in Venice- never uses the vaporettos. He walks. I suggest walking at least one way- to St. Mark's or from St. Mark's to the ship. You will get to see so much more of Venice.

[Girly_Girl]

It's so hard to know what to believe/expect when the reviews run the full spectrum from awful, to mediocre to fantastic. We just booked Summit for next March because of its itinerary and the fact we could get a CC cabin on the Penthouse Deck with extra balcony space and full-sized loungers. Our travel agent said that particular cabin has upgraded decor and in his opinion is one of the best CC cabins on the ship. Hopefully he hasn't set our expectations too high!

 

We've only been on one other cruise before (Celebrity Century in 2005) and weren't really that impressed (but we had only an oceanview cabin in a poor location of the ship, and the itinerary wasn't great). We're hoping this one will be a much better experience-- sorry yours was not. I too would be very unimpressed by dated decor and a ship in need of significant updating and repairs!

 

I know what you mean when you read reviews about a cruise ship and the opinions are varied. It is difficult to determine if the person posting a negative ship review is just whinning and picky or had legitimate complaints. That said, I will post my honest perspective from a reasonable person who is not picky and can be objective. Look for it below and I hope it helps.

 

Gina

[Girly_Girl]

I posted the below review of my overall cruise on the roll call boards and thought I would post it here as well below. It begins with "Arriving in Venice." However, having read some of your posts, I decided I would give you my insights with respect to the Summit beyond the scope of what I posted on the roll call pages. That said, here goes.

 

The Summit

 

I will begin by saying it was not a WOW by any stretch of the imagination. I am not being picky here, just objective. I wouldn't do the ship again because it did not have the sparkle and polish of the much newer cruise ships sailing the seas. I had originally booked the Princess Ruby, however, since I had sailed on the sister ship, Crown Princess, I opted for a new experience and wanted to try Celebrity. If I had to do it again, knowing what I know, I would have gone with the Solstice or the Ruby. I know this may be disappointing to those of you already booked on the Summit, but I can't be honest without saying that.

 

It was not a bad experience by any means, just not the WOW I expected having heard rave reviews about Celebrity being a notch up...it was not and compared in terms of food and service to any other cruise I have been on. The ship itself is getting old and it doesn't have new amentities. The entertainment was very limited. Many on board complained about the same group playing the same songs in the Rondevous Bar. The Revelations Club had one of the worst DJ's imaginable and even the band members in the club were laughing at the DJs lame attempt at doing karokee. One night there was a violinist, which is not everyone's cup of tea. Another night there was a pianist who tried to be funny and was not. The "shows," dancing and singing, were good. The comedian, however, was EXCELLENT and had our sides hurting. He was the highlight of the entertainment.

 

The food was good, not excellent. I didn't eat anything that I didn't like, however I dont recall having anything that I thought was absolutely delicious.

 

I think my biggest disappointment, as I sit here and consider what it is I am trying to convey to you, is that the ship was nothing exciting, Celebrity was not a notch up as many contend, and nothing WOW'd me. The service was excellent, but the food, ship, and entertainment was not.

 

I hope this elaboration helps. Below is an overview of each port, the ship and my overall experience

 

 

 

Arriving in Venice

 

Take the bus (3 Euros per person) right outside the airport. The driver will stow your bags under the bus and no tipping is accepted. The bus stops in Piazzle Roma, which will enable you access to either walk to your hotel, if it is nearby, or to take a water taxi to your hotel. Take the "Venezia Air Terminal" direct bus service, you will reach Piazzale Roma in twenty minutes. You may be able to take a vaporetto to your hotel from the Piazzle Roma, but it may be difficult getting directly to your hotel. If you are going to the port, you can simply grab a land taxi from the Piazzale over to the port (about 5 Euros per person). The so-called free shuttle bus does not alway run.

 

Downside of taking the bus, you will need to get from the Piazzale Roma to your hotel, which if it is not in walking distance, you will need to take a vaporetto to the viciniti of your hotel and then walk from there. Our walk, which was only a three minute walk, included steps and was a little bit of a pain.

 

Getting Around in Venice

 

The No 1 vaporetto gives you a tour of the Grand Canal, and is a great way to get a feel for the city. The water buses (vaporetto) are the least expensive and the best way to get around Venice. If you will be in Venice more than one day, you may want to purchase a 2 or 3 day "blue" card. for unlimited use of the water buses. single trip tickets run about 4 to 5 euro so, if you plan to visit Morano, Borano, and the Lido, the "blue card" is the way to go. Additionally, it is a great way to go up and down the Grand Canal were the single ticket fares are most expensive. You can buy them at the tourist office at the venice train station.

 

I highly advise all of you to be sure you have a map of Venice and an idea as to where your hotel is located.

 

We had a delicious dinner in Venice at the restaurants located on the Canal in the Rialto Bridge area. It was reasonably priced and had good food. You will see them lined up there in that area.

 

Let me warn you NOT to eat or drink at St. Marks Square...very pricey!!

 

Also, be sure to prebook your St. Marks Basilica visit. There is a website where you can do this...I posted it below, however it may be slightly challenging to navigate. Take the time to do it however, as you will wait on a very long line and in August heat. We walked right in with our printed voucher and passed all those on line that did not do this. BTW, what the voucher or site does not tell you is that you go to the front doors where the people are waiting in line to get. Just show your printed voucher and you are in like flint. The website is http://www.venetoinside.com/en/basilica_of_san_marco/

 

You will love Venice and the gelato.

 

Embarkation on the Summit

 

Embarkation was incredibly smooth, as was disembarkation. Be sure to do all of your express pass stuff before boarding to make it even easier. We got to the port at around 11:00 a.m., had a little bit of a wait and were among the first on board.

 

Don't forget to bring your wine. FYI, a number of people I know brought more than 2 bottles on board by putting some bottles in their suitcase or getting back on the ship later with more wine.

 

The Ship Itself and Overall Experience

 

I have sailed with a number of cruise lines, this being my 5th cruise. RCCL, Princess, NCL, Carnival, and, now, Celebrity. The food and service was comparable...I didn't see the notch up that all contend Celebrity is. All other cruises I have taken had comparable food and service. Perhaps the service, if there was a notch up, did seem somewhat better than other cruise ships but not by much.

 

I wouldn't give the decor of the ship, the food, or the entertainment a WOW. The food was good, not excellent. The entertainment was a huge complaint among other cruisers and was an area that many stated in their guest feedback. The comedian is not to be missed. However, there will be several nights where you will wonder if this is what Celebrity considers as good entertainment.

 

The ship was okay, but I happen to be one that still walks on board most ships saying it is not the Voyager of the Seas which is my favorite ship. I also liked the Crown Princess, which its sister ship is the Ruby and may have enjoyed that being a newer ship better than the Summit. Just my opinion. Not a disappointment...but not a WOW.

 

The Normandy was a great experience, if you don't mind spending a few extra bucks. I was not impressed with the way the main dining room and the Normandy prepared their lobster, however. The last formal night was lobster and it was tough as hell. I had to grind my knife against the back end of the lobster to get through it and chew it more vigorously than any other lobster I had. Just an FYI for lobster lovers.

 

Split

 

Nice, but not my most favorite port. If you don't have an excursion planned that day, you can do this port in a few hours. We did the Diocletian Palace, sat at the street side tables that overlooked the port for capuccino and pastries and, later, sat at a rather cool bar/ eatery that overlooked the street side cafes that lined the port. If you look up, you will find the bar I am talking about...the balcony to the bar was very narrow but cool to look out into the harbor and people below.

 

If you are planning a beach day, those by the port are more like a poor man's beach...DON'T DO IT!!

 

Athens

 

We did the Acropolis using Rick Steves walking tour, which I am trying to figure out how to attach. After the Acropolis, which was something like 16 euro a person, we went to a restaurant called Sholarhio Ouzeri Kouklis and everyone loved it. The waiter brings a big tray of varous traditional dishes which you choose from instead of a menu. They bring you homemade oozo and wine for the asking, which was farely cheap. We all ate a very hearty lunch, 4 of us, for around 48 euro and it was just a great experience. The restaurant is located fairly close to the Plaka, Greece's shopping district which is quite charming. It is located "under the Acropolist at Tripodon 14 and Lisiou." Locals on the street helped us to find it. The entrance to the Acropolis is somewhat confusing...be sure to ask the best way to get to the main entrance rather than walking, as we did, aimlessly.

 

After lunch and the Acropolis, we went to the Plaka and stumbled on a wine store that was fantastic. We sipped local wine, ate cheese and great olives while speaking to the wine store owner. I left there half looped but loving the experience. This was the sort of day that we just discovered Athens rather than planned it. I came away deciding that Rick Steves advice is the way to go to find the nuances of any port and highly advise that you do. We would not have found that restaurant if it had not been for the walking tour. BTW, the file is a PDF and the forum is saying that it is too big to upload. If one of you gives me your email address, I will send the walking tour to you so that you can share it with your roll call group.

 

We took a train to the Acropolis and a cab back from the Plaka. The train is about a twenty minute walk...If you are looking to save money it is doable, if you want convenience, take the cab.

 

Santorini

 

Loved it! When you are tendered it you will be right at the cable cars to take you up. They are scary for those that hate heights, but it beats the stinky donkey path or walking up. People who took the donkeys said they stunk for the day and the donkey poop makes matter even worse. My advice, take the cable cars. Once on top, you will have gorgeous panoramic views and be sure to take plenty of pictures. There is shopping and from there you can walk to the buses to go to the beach. We did not go to Oia, pronounced EE AH. We went to a beach called Parissa. The sand is vocano ash which is black and hot by midday. Wear shoes!! You can rent a chair and umbrella for 5 euros. There is a great little beach side eatery with local wines and salads etc at the top of the beach. The water was a little rough FYI.

 

The gelato here is not as good as Venice, but you will see your fair share of gelaterias. You can rent a scooter or a Quad to get around, but be careful for those that are adventerous...it did not look that safe and I am getting less daring in my 47+ years of age. But, go for it if you are not afraid of breaking something important

 

Connections Party

 

This will be at around 10:00 a.m. on your first day at sea at Michael's Club which is from Croatia to Greece. I had to force myself to go, as I was tired that day. FYI, Michaels's Club is a piano bar that often had a sewage stink during the first days of our voyage. Other places on the ship around deck 3, 4 or 5 also had sewage odors...be aware. I was gagging from the smell ..my stomack cant take the stink and when I inhaled through my mouth not to smell it, I could taste the smell. UGH!!

 

Naples

By far our favorite port and experience. I had prearranged a boat tour and 11 others from the roll call joined my party of four. It was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME.... we went to various grottos around Capri (we avoided the Blue Grotto as the line was long and looked like more of a pain that what it was worth). We swam under caves, through caves and the like. The boat, a 33 footer with a huge deck in front that we laid on like a big couch, took us right into a few caves that could be accessed by boat. We also went for a swim whenever we wanted and at specific locations that they took us to. After going around Capri, we went to Positano and toured this quaint fishing village....was a great little spot. We got a glass of wine and was allowed to take it from the beach front restaurant and walk the charming streets while sipping our wine/ beer. All I had to do was return the glass before I left. While I didn't have it, I heard the pizza was great. After leaving this port, we went to Nerano for a traditional lunch that all are still talking about. We sang and drank wine while eating traditional Italian food. I am Italian, so it had to live up to my standard and that it did. The boat tour also included wine and beer and snacks. It was not served in abundance, but it was there for the asking. If you are interested and there is a boat available, the tour company is Barbarapositano.it

 

It cost my group 700 euro split between 10 people...so well worth it. A great way to do the Amalfi and Capri. We heard Pompeii was hot as was Herculon (spelling). So, if you want to escape the heat and do something different, definately the way to go. As a final note, anyone that went on that boat tour if asked said that trip was a highlight not only on the trip but in their life. It was beyond a vacation experience, it was a life experience you will always remember and I cant rant and rave about it enough. Post here if you want more info.

 

Rome and Florence

 

Been there and did it. Those traveling with us didn't and I went with the flow. It was hot and I would have much preferred finding something else to do in the vicinity rather than Rome itself. I felt the same way about Florence/ Pisa.

 

Villafranche

 

We loved France...the French Riviera is both gorgeous and something to be seen. This is what we did. We took a train, stopped at Eze to go to the Eze Village, but never got there because I didn't do my homework on the bus to Eze thing, so we got back on the train and went to Monoco. OMG, absolutely gorgeous. We went to the Casino in Monte Carlo, which was smaller than to be expected and 10 euros pp to get in. Be sure to have your passports with you if you want to go to the Casino. The entire area was lovely. Be sure you go up to the Palace, where there are more charming streets and things to do/visit.

 

Later, we went to Nice and saw the beaches. Fun, but I loved Monoco the most. Never made it to Cannes, but I would do so next time I am in the Med on a similar itinerary.

 

Barcelona

 

I should have researched this port more, as I was somewhat disappointed. Las Ramblas, while hopping, is so crowded and you have to watch to be sure you are not pick pocketed in this environment. We stopped at a cafe along the main walk and what a tourist trap...$32 dollars for 2 coffees a coke and a beer.

 

We at at one of the plazas and the food was horrible. I didn't get the tapas and sangria I was so much looking forward to. Some of the streets off of Las Ramblas were run down and you had to be on your guard after seeing the element. I was not impressed and feel like it would have been a better experience had I researched this port more than I had. If I had to do it again, I would follow Rick Steves advice for the area.

 

Cabs in Barcelona from the port to your hotel will run you around 35 euro if you are in the Las Ramblas area and 50 euro to go to the airport from this area. Everything else is walkable...again, do your homework to enjoy this port.

 

I would be glad to answer any questions.

 

Gina

[Lois R]

We were on Summit in March, and we were very pleased. :)

 

Texed, ya'll always have a wonderful time:D:):D

 

You have cruised ALOT and you know there can be 2 people

on the same sailing with 360 degrees opposite experiences.....

After 5 years I am finally going back on SUMMIT in January

and cannot wait:)

[Texed]

Texed, ya'll always have a wonderful time:D:):D

 

You know I try to Lois. ;) :)

[joolsb]

Time to nip this topic in the bud I feel - starting to go round in circles with the I agree/I don't agree posts!

 

Gina - thank you for your post - I think if we hadn't had the extra gripes about the state of our cabin, then that is probably the opinion I would have had overall of this cruise.

 

Rebeccalouise - I don't know why you think we had a suite and wanted to sit in there and be pampered for 12 nights! (Nor do we live in "la la land"!). We had a normal balcony cabin, which we wanted to make "normal" use of when we were on the ship, but unfortunately it was not up to the standards which we had been led to believe we could expect. If we had checked into a hotel (no matter what "*" rating) and had these kind of problems we would not have been happy - and it is no different on a cruise ship!

 

Of course you should report problems to Guest Services - which we did. We also made comment on our feedback at the end of the cruise, and my TA is also now making sure that our concerns are forwarded to the appropriate people.

 

Thanks to everyone for your comments - happy cruising (whatever ship you choose!).

 

J

[rebeccalouise]

I understand why people aren't "Wowed" by the Millenium Class ships. They are understated but I really love them.

 

I also love Princess for different reasons.

 

The difference between Princess and Celebrity IMO is there are fewer passengers on Celebrity and the service seems more personal. They remember you at the buffet- pool bar- etc.

 

As far as sewage smells- yuck. That would be gross. This was true of the Zuiderdam last summer. On Deck 5 or 6 (where ever the shops were)- it stunk the entire voyage. I felt so sorry for the people working in there! It was bad. Just a foul odor that reminded me of dog poop.

 

But we had a fantastic cruise on Zuiderdam- despite this.

[Peteymil]

Time to nip this topic in the bud I feel - starting to go round in circles with the I agree/I don't agree posts!

 

 

J

 

That's the beauty of these board, you get to hear both sides of the story.

[TomTN]

The shuttle from the ship takes you to St. Mark's Square and honestly $ 20 per person isn't that much. It costs 6 Euros each way from the public stand, which is at the port. You don't have to use the ships- shuttle but it is very convenient. I have done both. The nice thing about the ship shuttle is there is no standing in line buying tickets.

 

12 Euros roundtrip is almost $20 (the Euro is about 1.42 at the moment).

 

You can walk to Piazzle Roma (it is a pretty ugly walk along a busy road)- doable. Then you can do the vaporettos down the Grand Canal- which quite frankly are very slow and stop along the way- making a horrible grinding noise as they stop and start- puffing out exhaust fumes.

 

My friend who works in Venice- never uses the vaporettos. He walks. I suggest walking at least one way- to St. Mark's or from St. Mark's to the ship. You will get to see so much more of Venice.

 

I have to agree about the walking. It is great exercise, and one is almost certain to get lost. What a maze Venice is, but finding the way out is a good time with wonderful sights. Maybe some pizza or pastry also.

I've never heard of anyone getting permanently lost.:)