Nancy717

Amazing!!! At least your DD did not have to wash her clothes. :D

 

Did you use the same taxi service to take you back to the airport that you did at the beginning of the trip?

 

Thank you for the review. So glad that you had a great time! ;)

Yes, we used the same taxi service, but honestly if you area oertybof less than 3 there were plenty of cabs waiting..for 6 of us we wanted to make sure we had one big enough for all of us ..

That's what I told her about the clothes :)

Final thoughts and the luggage saga

If I had to rate this vacation, I would say it was just about perfect.

Now this was my 10th celebrity cruise, but the first in Europe..so I did not have a lot of comparisons for Europe.

Or maybe it was the fact that this trip was a celebration that my DD has a new life and her sister :halo: unselfishly gave her that gift, and the rest of us supported them through the years on uncertainty..

Please indulge me to to to stress the need for organ donation, a living donor saves a life

..but as far as the luggage...it finally showed up on her doorstep at 5 AM 2 weeks after we got home....with everything accounted for.....:)

Still waiting for reimbursement for all the clothing she had to purchase...

Final Sea Day..and Marco Polo Airport :(

..I always like to have my last day be a sea day, so I can relax , and pack and enjoy the last bit of the ship.

I got up,early, the "kids " were out late enjoying the night on board, before having to get up,early the next day

I went up to the buffet, it was very quiet, I guess everyone was sleeping late.

I got my favorite breakfast and found a nice table outside and just enjoyed the quite, the wake and reflected on the trip.

When the "kids" finally did get up we enjoyed hanging out on deck, the boys went to the gym and played basketball..

I stopped by guest relations to thank them for all their efforts to locate the luggage..

It was a leisurely day, with a final fun dinner ..

Disembarkation..and Marco Polo

I had read that Marco Polo was very chaotic and slow moving...and that you should have Transportstion set up .

We had 2 flights, 1 at 12:05 and 1 at 1:10.. the 4 younger "kids" were flying from Venice to Paris to Washington DC, at 12:05. I was flying with #1 DD from Venice to JFK to Miami.

After all I read I thought we should be at the airport early...big mistake..unlike airports in the USA, you can not even check in until 2 hours for a domestic flight and 3 hours prior to an International flight..so the earliest any of could check in was 10 AM...

We left the ship in group # 5, which was about 8:30 AM, in our pre-booked taxi and at the airport at 9 AM ish...

Well, we thought we could track down the luggage..but oh no it was in a holding area to be shipped home ..

We finally checked in a very slow process and proceeded to the business class lounge...not the best I have seen but OK..

They did have a board which listed the flights and boarding times..in no time the younger "kids " were off and so were we....:(

Everyone arrived home safely....except for the luggage

..up next final thoughts and the saga of the luggage

Thanks for the great review. I do have a question for you. When you went on these excursions everything was in euros. Do you pay in that currency or did you use a credit card. Just wondering.

The excursions I booked with Tours with locals , I paid the entire cost on a CC prior to the excursion

For our Santorini Tour I paid a deposit with a CC, the balance with Euros

Athens was all Euro at the end

The car rentals both

The Crete excursion was with a CC ( it was booked thru Costco)

Kayaking was Kuna

I started getting Euro when we got off the ship , everyday from an ATM, as I read they give the best exchange rate.

Last Port Katakolon....

We did not have any excursions planned for this Port, and as we were so successful with renting a car, we decided to do that.

We were docked , and before we got off my SIL with his binoculars saw 2 car rental agencies..we decide that the fast walkers...not me :eek:would head off and see about a car for 6..

By the time I slowly walked from the ship to the town they had secured a van for 80 Euro...it was a pretty decent walk.

We were quickly off to,see Olympia, we took a wrong turn and ended up at the back end of the stadium, we were able to view it from above, we decided that we had seen enough and headed to the town, it was a really nice small town, we did some shopping, got to,hold the Olympic flame, and purchase a few things.

We then headed to the beach, Oea Beach..we found parking on the street and made our way to the beach.

We were told the loungers and umbrellas were "free" as long as we purchased either food/drink.

The beach was more plain than the one in Mykonos, but the staff was so much more friendly and attentive.

We ordered drinks, and food and really enjoyed it. We had a yummy seafood platter,

The water was a little rough ,but being Atlantic Ocean swimmers, we had no problem

The best part of the day, was the 45 minute massage for 30 Euro beach side right on my lounger:)

After spending a last beautiful day we drove back to the port, dropped off the car and did a little more shopping..

We were back on the ship and headed up to Al Bacio as usual.

This was also our last chic night...and some of us were looking toward to the lobster..

...next up..last sea day :')

Santorini....

Our next port of call was Santorini, we arrived early and had to tender. We were so lucky to be the only ship in port that day:)

I had arranged for a tour with Sakavaras Kostas, it was scheduled to be 4.5 hrs the cost was 390 Euro

I had Elite tendering tickets, but did not need them, I guess since we were the only ship in port. We were told it would take about 60 - 90 minutes to tender, and take the cable car up to Fira . We were to meet our guide at 9 AM

We left the ship at 7:45 and were quickly on the tender, about 10 minutes or so, we landed and quickly walked to the cable car, I bought our tickets, I think 6 Euro each. You can only buy 1 way.

I was scared of the cable car, as I have an issue with heights, you have to walk up steps and wait at the spot for your car. There are 6 cars holding 6 people each. We had to climb up to car 5 almost at the top.

It takes about10-15 minutes for the car to go up, empty, refill and come back down. So you can imagine how long it takes with thousands of people off multiple ships.

We were on our way, I sat in the middle seat looking forward..

But was it worth it the view from the top of Fira was spectacular.

We were at the top, by 8:30, I think that would be the absolute minimum time needed we had virtually no waits.

While we waited we roamed around, not many shops were even open.

At 9 AM our driver arrived with a sign with our name.

The tour included:

• Fira
  
  
• Oia;
  
  
• The famous blue dome in Firostefani;
  
  
• Prophet Elias Hill to take panoramic pictures;
  
  
• One winery for a wine tasting and lunch ( this was an additional 16 Euro each )
  
  
• Return to Fira Town, where the tour ends at the nearest possible location to the cable car station.
  
  

I was on the Constellation in August and there was the Elite happy hour in the Sky Lounge ,

I will be on the infinity in November and wonder how that will be

Athens..

We arrived in Athens early and had an early meeting with our driver and guide just off the ship at 7:45AM.

We used George's Taxi, it was a private tour, for 8 hours , in a beautiful,big,cool Mercedes Van.

It was 320 Euro for the driver and 200 Euro for the guide.

I had done something similar in Rome a few years ago and so worth the $$, we were able to have cold water, pack bags, umbrellas , which we safely left in the Van while touring.

We were on our way to the Acropolis , as it was a Sunday the traffic was very light. In about 30 minutes, we were purchasing our tickets, the driver brought us to someplace where there was no line and in minutes we were done.

He dropped us off and we started our climb up, it was not even 9 AM ..which was really nice as it was cooler and not very crowded.

I had been to the Acropolis 20 years ago and boy it seemed much higher with more steps..

We spent about 1-1/2 to 2 hours there, so worth it to have our guide..otherwise just a pile of rocks :')

After the acropolis we piled into our cool van and were off to other city sites, including the Olympic stadium.

As we were driving from place to place our guide was giving us tons of information and history..

We had planned to spend a few hours at the Plaka..there was a restaurant I had been to 20 years ago and wanted to go back we found it, Hermion ,it was the first place I ever had moussaka, and it was as delicious as I remembered :)

There were also many options for my vegan kids, we ate way to much..

After lunch we did some shopping..as we still had no luggage for DD she bought a few items.

The plaka was so much fun, just as I had remembered, I had lost my sunglasses someplace, so I was looking for a new pair.

I found a nice pair, for 6 Euro...a great buy!

..We met up with our guide,,walked to our cool van and relaxed while we headed back to the ship..we tipped each 20 Euro

Before going to our usual stop for an iced coffee, I stopped at guest relations...sadly

NO LUGGAGE?.and worse we were told that the airports at the next ports of call were to small ( this from Air France) to send the luggage to so we would not get it at all on the ship

It would be waiting for us in Venice:mad::loudcry:

Nancy, You mentioned that your “kids” were vegetarian and one was Vegan. Did they feel like they got enough (quantity and variety) to eat? I have recently started following a plant based diet and remember past cruises focused mainly on the Meat Entree. I would be interested in hearing about their experience. Thanks

 

 

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I actually asked my DD BF last night about that, he said he was pleasantly surprised by the choices at dinner, he thought he would be eating salads the entire trip.

There is a specific Vegan menu available, make sure to,ask you waiter

He said the buffet was a little harder, and a lot of times had the vegan pizza..surprisingly we had lots of vegan options at the port calls.

Mykonos..

We were told the night before that we would be docking in Mykonos, rather than tendering, and that we would have an extra hour.:)

We had planned to do a beach day in Mykonos, and had not made any specific plans. We thought we would just get a cab to one of the beaches that we had researched ( Kalo Lavida) .

We arrived an again easily off the ship, there was a short shuttle (free) to the city center.

Our plan to take a cab to the beach was quickly becoming more complicated as we were told there were only around 30 cabs on the entire island. We realized getting back might be a challenge..after quickly dividing up to investigate other options, bus, boat , we settled on renting 2 cars, my DD had made some friends who were with us.

We found a local rental agency, and within 15 minutes negotiated for 2 cars, 85 Euro each car, the friends gave us 40 Euro and off we went.

It was an easy ride to the beach, we arrived at the most beautiful beach , which was mostly empty, we got 2 easy parking spots.

The beach had lounge chairs with umbrellas to rent for 50 Euro, they quickly told us there was 1 person to a lounger, although they were big enough for 2 people easily. While we were getting settled they again pointed out that the loungers were for 1 person only. Not sure why they were so uptight about it, maybe because 8 of us arrived at once..

We got 2 , as we figured we would either be in the water, at the bar or walking the beach. The beach area had waiter service , and security which kept those selling things out of the area.

The water was calm, cool and so beautiful, there was a beach bar and a very clean bathroom.

Now the negative part, for some reason no waiter came by to see if we wanted to order, so my DD went up to the bar and got me a ginger-ale, they brought it back, a can , a glass with ice, no sooner did I start to drink it did 2 security guards were at my lounger yelling at me that I could not bring anything in from someplace else, they demanded to see my receipt . I said to them that as NO waiter had come by , and as you could see every lounger around me had been serviced, my DD went up to the bar for me. I then said do you seriously think I brought a glass with ice cubes from the ship. :mad:

I asked to speak with the manager, who did not come by , so I had to seek him out. I told him what happened he gave a luke warm apology, did not offer anything to make up for it..

I told the DD if they wanted to share the loungers to go right ahead..we did..they said nothing.

The beach was beautiful, and clean but this left a bad taste in my mouth.

At about 2 we headed back , dropped off the cars and walked up into town for shopping and some food.

My suggestion is have an excursion or rent a car, it was easy and fast..

...next up Athens..and maybe a suitcase

Crete and the White Mountain Jeep Tour..

..my "kids" wanted this trip to,be a combination of sightseeing, beaches and activities..Athens was going to be a lot of sightseeing, so they choose the White Mountain Jeep Tour:eek:

I had transferred my reservation to Costco and received some discounted excursions, this was one, it was $89 from Costco, as opposed to $119 via Celebrity , for 6 of us that was a big savings...and it was the same excursion

We met with our guide , just outside the gate, very easy off the ship.

There were 3 keeps in our group, 1 family from the ship,in 2 and the 6 of us in one.

We were supposed to have 2 other people join us , and honestly, the jeepswould have been tight with 8 :confused:

They were clean and appeared well cared for , BUT no A/C ..there were some nice breezes , but it was a little warm at times

..As I have a big fear of heights I wondered why I went, but I kept reminding myself why we were on this trip. If my one DD could give a kidney to her sister, I could ride in a Jeep..:)

This was an all day excursion, our driver was absolutely great, he gave us so much history of the area and had a great sense of humor.

I sat in the front and he was a very careful driver ( I've been with some drivers where I felt my life was at risk)

We left the city and headed high into the mountains, my " kids" loved it,

We had a restroom stop, after leaving the city and before heading up the mountain.

We were on sharp, winding roads with some steep drop offs , but although terrified I did feel safe. We did a lot of off reading

We climbed to 3000 ft and it was beautiful, I stayed in the Jeep at many photo stops..

We did even more off roading when we climbed on this barely visible road to the shepherds home..

We learned all about the life of a shepherd, had a demonstration on how to milk sheep.

There were no restrooms, other than " this tree" or " that tree"

I did have to use the " restroom " while there I heard the jingle of the herd of sheep coming my way.

Everyone had a good laugh calling me the ship,whisperer .

From the shepherds home we traveled down the mountain to a lovely taverna , where we had a 5 course lunch of yummy local food / lamb:eek: as well as wine and after lunch uzo.

The food was plentiful and delicious, this was all included in our price.

After lunch we headed the rest of the way down the mountain and back to the pier, in plenty of time to board the ship.

I did give my driver a nice trip for his safe and kind understanding of my fear

..we headed to cafe al Bacio for iced lattes and enjoyed the sail away from my cabin ..

...next up Mykonos

Update on luggage...still waiting :')

Thanks for clarifying. I’m worried that with the age I am that there won’t be enough for me, personally.

 

 

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My family did 10 nights on the Constellation in August, my "kids" are 26,27,30 ,34,35... they were never bored and partied well into the wee morning hours

Sea Day..

We were all ready for a down day, as we had been busy everyday, and we knew we had some port intensive days ahead of us.

We slept late, and the girls and I lounged out on deck, we found plenty of chairs away from the pool.

As I have my own pool, I did not feel the need to go in,and honestly I never go into a public hot tub :eek:

The boys played basketball and went to the gym.

I also participated in the back scenes tour, I had always wanted to do it and had gotten a discount from Costco for $10 off.

I really enjoyed going up to the bridge and seeing how that all worked .

Very technical, but they did show us how they could do it the old fashioned way if need be, with paper maps and a glass hole to look down and observe for any ice :eek:

The kitchen and prep area were very interesting, and it made the service for dinner more impressive.

We also went to water purification, recycling, etc.

We really did not get to see much of where the crew stay, that was disappointing.

We also had a napkin demonstration, that was fun. I was glad I did it, since I got a discounted price, not sure if I would do it for the full $95.00

This was the first formal night or what they call classic chic, we wanted to have a photo taken , as well as go to the show.

Unfortunately we read the schedule wrong and had to choose between dinner and the show.

We decided on the show, which was a good choice, it was a combination of comedy and gymnastics from a Russian duo that won some show.

They were very good, and we had pizza and the pasta bar.

We then headed up to Reflections Lounge for dancing and fun.

We had a great time ...next up Crete and the White Mountain Jeep Tour

Hi, our review of this cruise has just been posted. Thought it would be good to put it alongside your wonderful commentary :-)

 

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=632218&et_cid=3110946&et_rid=258803089&et_referrer=Boards_WAR_C

I agree with you on that female singer :eek:

]Cavtat and Kayaking..

Just to update, I have checked in with guest services daily about the luggage and we were told that they found the luggage,but it had been sent to the hotel, after we left:rolleyes:...and it would now be sent back to the airport and would meet us in Athens.

..the "kids" wanted to do something more than site see on our 2nd day ..I had researched and found a local company in Cavtat for Kayaking, called Sea Kayaking Cavtat, I emailed with the owner Mario, and he promptly responded and we settled on a private 90 minutes tour for 6, for 150 kuna each, which is $24 .

We agreed to meet at 10 AM , I went back and forth about taking the ferry, but in the end decided on a private taxi,

I booked Kiwi Taxi for $69 each way

Because we were leaving somewhat early each day, the "kids" found room service for breakfast very helpful to sleeping until the last minute.

I would head up,to the buffet, get a quick breakfast, head down to Al Bacio, and get a tea , cappuccino and croissant for DD ..

We were off the ship very quickly and easily found our driver Mario for our trip to Cavtat.

I must say every driver we had was professionally dressed, spoke good English and the vehicles were immaculate.

The drive over was stunning, very mountainous with some steep areas, but beautiful none the less.

Mario, gave us a nice history of the area on our trip over, it took about 35 minutes...

We arrived in the lovely town of Cavtat, and Mario fro sea Kayaking was right there to meet us, yes both named Mario!

He was a native of the town and very proud of it, and rightly so.

We had what I thought was a long walk to the Kayaks , the "kids" told me I was crazy, it was a short walk..:eek:

We were on one of the most popular paths along the water, along the way there were swimming areas and small cafes.

Mario told us this was a very popular area for families, I wish we could have spent more time there.

We arrived at the Kayaks and Mario set us up, he was very methodical in choosing the correct Kayak for each of us.

He was going to take me, 2 DD and SIL were in singles and DD#3 was in a double with her BF.

Mario had waterproof bags for our stuff, as well as a dry barrel

We each had a life jacket. Again every thing was clean and very nice.

I was the only one who wore water shoes...they could be helpful, but my "kids" did fine without them.

Our trip,was just wonderful, , the water was crystal clear and calm, the surrounding areas were beyond beautiful.Mario took us on a beautiful tour with lots of interesting facts about the area.

As, I had complained about the walk to the Kayaks, at the end Mario took the kids back to the starting point and he brought me further down towards our meeting spot so I would not have to walk so far, a very kind gesture.

I found a nice restaurant and went in for a cold drink, the "kids" made there way back stopping along the way for swimming..

They met me at the restaurant and we took the taxi back at 2 PM

I wish we had more time at Cavtat and would love to go back.

.....next up ...a relaxing sea day...

I use a walker or a cane. Is it difficult and long to walk the so called wall? Also, how about the city? I would not do a private tour but we are considering the boat tour. We are women, both 75 and are Leary of taxis.We do not want to miss the beautiful city but do not want to stay on the ship. Any opinions or advice would be much welcomed.

..I did not climb the stairs,as I have problems with my knees, and have to go very slow, also I need something to hold on to,

I was able to appreciate the beauty of the area, without climbing up.

As far as taxis, don't even worry they are very safe

I have heard the boat ride is also fun,

And if you have the time Cavtat is very worth it.

I hired a car to take us both ways, very clean and professional..

The Walled City of Dubrovnik..

..as we continued out GOT tour we entered the walled city, there were many areas from the show that our guide pointed out, including the stairs from the walk of shame.

As I mentioned I do not watch the show, but my "kids" who love it said the tour was wonderful and worth it.

But as far as the city , it was breathtaking, and so much fun to wander around and see what you could find.

Our guide had given us a restaurant recommendation:)

Buffet Kamenice, it was a lot of seafood choices, we had bottles of wine,mussels, bread, oysters, and black ink risotto, salads,everything was delicious..the boys are big eaters, so they decided to go lighter and fill up back on the ship..

Our bill for 6 of us was 587,00 Kuna without tip:eek:, which was $91.30 ...

..as we still had no luggage DD did some shopping while we were there.

We headed back to the ship about 9 PM..my "kids" had asked our guide for some night life places, they planned to come back out, we took our 15 Euro taxi back to the ship..

..the " kids" went back out to a place called the Buza Bar, they said it was 200 steps up in the side of a cliff with a beautiful view..

.next up .we head to Cavtat for Kayaking

Dubrovnik..

We were not scheduled to arrive in Dubrovnik until 2:00PM, which gave us the morning to relax and sleep a little late, as the next days were going to be early ones.

..the girls did a little sunbathing, the boys went to the gym and played basketball..

..I checked in guest relations regarding the luggage, they were going to call AF , when we docked..:)

As my "kids" love Game of Thrones, I had arranged for a GOT tour with Tours by Locals..this was the same company I used in Venice..

I scheduled it for 4:00PM , so that it would be cooler, and to avoid having to rush off the ship with the crowd.

We also planned to eat dinner off the ship.

..getting off the ship,was easy, as we had the beverage package we picked up waters and off we went, they have water as you disembarked, the "boys" had already gotten a bottle each, but each got another..we were well hydrated :eek:

We were not docked right in town and Celebrity was selling tickets for a shuttle for $15 / pp round trip..

For us that would have been $90 ..my new friends at guest relations suggested a taxi for 15 Euro , each way.

There were plenty of taxi's outside and we were quickly on our way..

..we arrived right outside the city walls, and waited for our guide, we had exchanged phone numbers so it was easy to find her.

..we started the tour and she was very informative, I do not watch the show, but my "kids" loved all her details.

When it came time to climb to the top of a tower, I knew I could not climb all,those stairs,,,so the guide steered me to an outside pub with a fantastic view..and I enjoyed a local beer.

..my beer got me a "free " trip to the "water closet "

...next up the walled city and dinner

Muster Drill...

Per recommendation from transplant team DD #3 should not be in large crowds for long periods of time. Prior to the cruise I checked with the special needs department and they said we could have a private muster drill.

While at guest services for the luggage I received the details for this.

After the regular muster drill our family met with a crew member and she reviewed the process. It was about 10 minutes...

Sail away..

I was so excited to be sailing out of Venice, we choose this itinerary specifically for that.

On Saturday evening when we were on the Vaporetto, we saw a ship leaving Venice..but it was dark

As, I had a veranda we all got a drink and met in my cabin for sail away..

It was sunny and clear and absolutely breathtaking, it was everything I had hoped for. We have sailed away many times, most times it's fun, but there is only one more memorable, and that was out of NY past the WTC <|3

After sail away, we explored the ship, visited the martini bar and made plans for dinner..

We choose anytime, and decided to go around 8:30, as the "kids " were not hungry after the 2 lunch day :eek:

San Marco Dining..

If I wanted to complain about anything, this would be it, but minor..there were 2 lines for any-time dining, those with reservations and those without.. We did not make a reservation that night, and never did.

The first night was very chaotic, it seemed like everyone wanted to,eat at the same time.

We went at 8:30 and waited 45 minutes to get seated, we did spend our time in the maritini bar with a pager..

It was late to eat, but as it was lunch x 2 day we were OK.

We had a nice but longish dinner, I have no idea how late dinner went but there were still people being seated when we were done.

Happily, the process improved going forward,we settled on getting to dinner at 7:30 most evenings

I have always enjoyed the food on Celebrity, and we enjoyed it very much , my "alternative " eaters always had good vegetarian and vegan options..

...next Dubrovnik..

I just "booked" the cabin next to mine for my November 24 sailing, and with the "extra" perk the price was $300 higher...not much of a sale!!

Embarkation Day...

....so it was now time to head to the port, we had our taxi for 2:00 PM , and he was early and helpful.

..I checked 1 last time with the front desk, who now knew me very well regarding the luggage :eek:..no luck, I gave them my contact information and off we went..

..now you may be wondering, as I have 3 DD , why they could not just share clothes...DD #3 whose luggage was lost is a size 2:) with shoe size 6.. the rest of us are 10-12's with size 8-10 shoes ..they did share hair products and make up and jewelry..

We arrived at the port about 2:20 PM and there was no one in sight, the porters took our luggage and we walked into the empty check in area..

We usually arrive for our Caribbean cruises around 11:30-12 , as we live in Florida and drive, so this was a different experience..

In no time at all we were on the Constellation with champagne in hand.

...now even though the "kids" had a last pizza in Venice they were hungry, as DD #3 is a kidney transplant recipient she needs to be very careful, her doctors have suggested she not eat from buffets, not just on the ship but anywhere, due to,the high incidence of food borne illnesses :(

I had spoken with someone in the special needs department before we left about making special arrangements to eat in the dining room, my room was a concierge, so 2 of us were qualified,but they said it would be the decision of the ship that day...

So we just decided to give Sushi on 5 a try, we arrived and it had just one table occupied..I really liked Bistro on 5 ..but what can you do..

Oh and to complicate the dining choices, 2 DD are vegetarian, and 1 BF is a strict vegan..

they really enjoyed the meal there, I'm not a big sushi lover, but I was able to find something...

..after lunch we found our cabins...and NO, her luggage was not there ..our final hope before sailing away dashed..

The Constellation...I just love this ship, I had been on her before in the Caribbean a few years back, after she was solsticed, but was a little concerned as I had read some negative reviews...no worries, although you can tell she is an older ship, it was clean and I think just the perfect size. The staff were attentive and fun, my "kids" had the beverage package and quickly found the martini bar and Cafe al Bacio

After lunch I quickly headed over to guest relations to discuss the missing luggage and give them a copy of the paperwork..they told me they would be following up daily...they also,gave DD an "emergency " bag with toiletries, shampoo, and lol a weeks worth of panties ( size XL)... we laughed but it was a nice gesture..oh and 2 complimentary coupons for laundry and pressing..

...next up sail away and muster drill...

I was able to change 1 name after final booking

Love this review...So helpful!

 

 

 

I am getting confused. We are probably staying in this hotel next spring..after our cruise and before heading to Milan (and the Lake Como area) by train. When you say a taxi took you to the hotel, and then again to the ship, is that all by a land taxi? I thought that the hotel was near the ship (within walking distance) but only accessible by walking or by a water taxi.

 

 

Do you know if we can easily walk with luggage from the hotel to the Santa Lucia Train Station, or can we also get a taxi cab from hotel to station?

Could you please share your transport contact?

Yes, all land taxi's, i would not call it walking distance, you can take the people mover.

You can walk to the station, how easily depends on how much luggage you are taking

We used http://www.venicetaxiairport.com/

Last night in Venice ...and embarkation :)

I had booked a ghost tour for our last evening in Venice, I used tours by locals, unfortunately the expert guide was not available and a "substitute " was sent.:confused: The tour started at 8 PM and was 2 hours long...

I was tired and opted out, the kids went, they said it was not really a ghost tour, but they did enjoy and she took them to a fabulous pizza place.

EMBARKATION DAY.....

I had booked a taxi to the port for 2:00, as I was told it was a very short trip. I used the same taxi service for all of our transfers and every time they were early, helpful and very professional, with clean roomy vans..

The hotel let us store our luggage while we enjoyed our last morning in Venice...

DD and her BF were off to do a little more shopping as my conversation with Air France left little hope we would see her luggage before leaving...:eek:...they also wanted another Venice pizza.

The rest of us just relaxed and wandered in the area near the hotel..they had returned from the ghost tour and pizza night pretty late..

Just a few words on the hotel..it was beautiful, we had views from all our rooms, there were comfortable indoor and outdoor seating areas. A very good breakfast with beautiful views, and a little bar for a nice after dinner drink. The rooms were big and well air conditioned.

Although, not located in the more "popular " areas it was perfect for us and was great for getting to the ship

I really can recommend it..

..Murano and Burano

..we decided to go to both of these islands on Sunday,:)

..we were hopeful the luggage would arrive during the day:(

Our hotel Santa Chiara provided us with a complimentary water taxi to Murano, we were responsible to get back ourselves.

We left the hotel at about 10:45, in retrospect I would have gone earlier, but the "kids" were still a little jet lagged .

The ride over was beautiful and very relaxing as it was just the 6 of us.

We were taken to the dock of a Murano glass blowing store, they had a nice (complimentary) demonstration and then given a tour of the store. I am pretty sure there was some connection with hotel and shop, but there was no pressure to purchase there.

After about an hour we were on our way to the Vaporetto to Burano, with a lunch recommendation.

My "kids" did purchase a few items, I had a specific item so waited to look in other stores, and there are plenty to choose from.

I have no idea if any are better in pricing, just made sure they had the official Murano stamp.

I found what I wanted in a small store, they wrapped it very well for me, she was a little hesitant to take a CC and said she wanted to give me a better price, I said no I would pay what she quoted me, I was not going to pay extra to,use my card, she did not argue.

I have heard you can buy Murano glass in Venice for the same prices, but I did not have the time to look at to many places, and I thought it was nice to get it there

We found our way to the Vaporetto to Burano...and this was the painful part, it was so crowded and HOT..we had to wait in a long line while 2 boats were filled and we were still in line. The wait was close to 45 minutes before we got on and then it seemed like at least 30 minutes to get there, on a very hot and crowded "bus"

Burano...

Now this was worth the trip over, so magical with all the colors...they are known for lace and it was everywhere.

I teased the "kids" that this would be a nice place to buy either a Christening gown or bridal veil..no luck :eek:

We walked around, took beautiful pictures, which I wish I knew how to post...

We had an amazing lunch at Trattoria Da Primo, it focused on seafood.

They had fresh squid, it was delious, and sea bass..the waiter brought out a fully cooked sea bass and like a show removed the skin, skeleton and served it...so fresh,tender and delicious...a little pricey,but so worth it

..during lunch I asked the waiter if there was a direct Vaporetto back to Venice..he said no we had to go back to Murano..and then back to Venice..at that moment I decided to take a water taxi..the maitre d called and made a reservation for us. It did cost more, but gave us more time to see Venice and enjoy our last evening

We had a relaxing, fast and comfortable trip back to,the hotel...

...with hope I checked at the desk for the luggage :(

No luggage yet...we leave the next day for the ship:eek:

.....next up Constellation