How early can you check in

[sandravb79]

Our cruise will leave October 3 in Venice. We will arrive October 2 in Venice, and that's our only time there (hotels are too expensive to add other nights), so we want to use as much of that time to visit Venice.

 

The hotel we'll be staying at is a boatride away from San Marco etc, so it wouldn't be so convenient/ it would be a time loss to have to go back to the hotel after visiting to get luggage and then drag all that to the ship.

 

So: can we check in early in the morning so we are rid of our suitcases so we can explore Venice without having to worry about all that (and of course come back in time for sailaway)? What is the earliest they will have us check in?

[hummy0605]

We went on Jewel out of Oslo and checked in at the desk set up at the station at 10.30am. We were on board for just after 11am.

On Independence last year we checked about the same time so it should be possible to get rid of your cases and explore. Try the boards for people that have done this cruise to see what they say or see on the reviews page.

[MAZANDSTEVE]

It was approx 11am for us.:)

[mjldvlks]

Our cruise will leave October 3 in Venice. We will arrive October 2 in Venice, and that's our only time there (hotels are too expensive to add other nights), so we want to use as much of that time to visit Venice.

 

The hotel we'll be staying at is a boatride away from San Marco etc, so it wouldn't be so convenient/ it would be a time loss to have to go back to the hotel after visiting to get luggage and then drag all that to the ship.

 

So: can we check in early in the morning so we are rid of our suitcases so we can explore Venice without having to worry about all that (and of course come back in time for sailaway)? What is the earliest they will have us check in?

If you are not too locked in, here are a couple of suggestions:

 

1. Staying in Venice is a great, but to save money, consider staying on the mainland. We saved huge money by staying at a Holiday Inn Express in Quarto d'Altino. It is right by the train station and the hotel provided tickets to and from the city daily. I am guessing you can get 2-3 nights there for the money you would pay for one night near St. Mark's Square. You can take a land taxi from the hotel to the port for about the same money a water taxi would cost from St. Mark's Square to the port -- maybe less. [There is land taxi access to the port].

 

2. If luggage is an issue the day you board or the day you disembark, there is a "left luggage" facility at Piazzale Roma, which is also the place where you meet the shuttles to the ship. I think the shuttles are free [or nominal]. If the line for the shuttle is too long, the land taxis can also get you from the port to the Piazzale. Avoid the water taxis if you can -- their prices are outrageous.

[sandravb79]

Thank you for the advice.

We have already booked our hotel though, the Hilton Molino something. We want to avoid having to get back to hotel in between visiting and checking in on ship, and to be sure we wouldn't be too late, check in as early as possible and then go visit.

[Sue L]

Thank you for the advice.

We have already booked our hotel though, the Hilton Molino something. We want to avoid having to get back to hotel in between visiting and checking in on ship, and to be sure we wouldn't be too late, check in as early as possible and then go visit.

 

 

Make sure you find out after you dump your luggage what the all aboard time is. Here in the states you must be checked in and on board 90 minutes prior to sailing or you can be denied boarding. Since you will have checked in find out what time you must be back, it will be much earlier then the time you are leaving stated on your documents.

[savva0122]

Not cuirsed from venice (yet!) but generally 11am is the earliest you can get on the cruise ship.

 

I would have thought you could "check in" early, dump your luggage, then view the city for a few hours before the "all aboard" but other cruisers/posters will know better than me.

[jcl410]

What time does your flight get into Venice on the 2nd? Most hotels will

hold onto your luggage even if it's too early to check in. Then do the tourist thing, and check in when ever you get back.

 

Aloha,

 

John

[mjldvlks]

Thank you for the advice.

We have already booked our hotel though, the Hilton Molino something. We want to avoid having to get back to hotel in between visiting and checking in on ship, and to be sure we wouldn't be too late, check in as early as possible and then go visit.

More a possible option than advice. Certainly not trying to persuade you one way or the other. As others have said, you probably won't be able to check in much before 11, and they probably won't have staff available to check in bags much earlier than that. If you want to do some touring earlier than that, the left luggage facility in the Piazzale Roma is probably your best bet. It is right on the square and not hard to find. It was a few Euros per bag, well worth it to avoid hauling them around all day. We used it on the other end of the cruise because we had several hours after disembarking before our flight.

 

As others have said, make sure you know you deadline to be on the ship. They can be rather strict about that. One other suggestion -- port side for sail away. The main part of the city [including St. Mark's Square] will be to port as you cruise down the channel. If the weather is bad, consider the Viking Crown Lounge. Good view from the windows and Splendour [unlike some other RCCL ships] has an area to the rear of the lounge where you can step outside to take a few pictures and then get back inside out of the weather. So far, my favorite sail away.

 

Enjoy.

[sandravb79]

Thanks again.

I know about the luggage-holding place at the Piazza Roma, will use that on the last day before getting to the airport.

On October 2, upon arrival, we'll drop everything at the hotel, whether the room is already available or not.

 

I guess we'll use the luggage-holding place on the 3rd too. I just thought it might be easier to have everything checked in yet, you know, everything that is done is done. But if we check in later on, we can just take our bags with us onboard and don't have to wait for them :)

[Rala]

Sandra...no matter when you check into the ship you will only be allowed to carry on bags that will fit through the scanner (similar to airport scanner). Larger bags will still have to be checked with the porters to be delivered to your cabin.

[mjldvlks]

Here are a couple of pictures from our Nov. 07 sail away to whet your appetite:

 

 

[FreewayFortune]

Those are great pics thanks:) Venice was the port I was most looking forward to on my Brilliance cruise last summer and it was fabulous. Sail in was spectacular too and it was amazing to hear all the church bells ringing too.

[sandravb79]

Those are great pics!

 

Thank you for letting me now about the bags/ scanner. New plan is to have a bag in my bigger bag that I can take out and take with me on board, like a carry-on I didn't schlep through Venice all day :)

 

ETA: "all day" not being all day, but until we have to check in of course, I want to see sailaway from ON the ship, not from land ;)