mapleleaves

Our ship's scheduled arrival time was 1:30pm. We were off the ship shortly after that. The tender ride was longer than I expected, maybe 15-20 minutes b so 2pm-ish when we disembarked. Immediately got in the cable car line. Got to Fira at 4pm. I assume so. We noticed 2 tender boats in the distance that were going in a different direction to us. IIRC, Santorini is a port where NCL can't use it's own tenders. They must use Santorini staff and boats. All part of the game I suppose. The same game that requires 99% of cruise pax to return via the cable car.

I remembered this beach guide from Santorini Dave's web site. 19 Best Mykonos Beaches & Beach Map (Clubs, Parties, Swimming) (santorinidave.com) Perhaps compare descriptions with the other web site. Both describe party atmosphere or family, nudist, gay, facilities available, etc. 30 BEST BEACHES in MYKONOS (and the MOST BEAUTIFUL) - 2023 (mykonosbeachesguide.com)

You may PLAN to be off the ship ASAP, but you have no control over it unless you have a ship's excursion or priority status. I was on NCL late Sept. Tender tickets were distributed the previous day, starting at 8am. We got in line for a tender ticket at 7am, with maybe 75 people ahead of us, and got tender #3. Keep in mind that we arrived in Santorini at 1:30pm and the only other ship had arrived at 7am. So you'd think we'd be ok. NOPE, we stood in line for 2 hrs. Reached Fira at 4pm. Not saying that will happen to you, but it happened to us. Good luck !

I'm sure someone will be along with specific info for FCO, but I'll provide my solution to a similar situation last yr. My SIL arrived at 7am to London Heathrow, I arrived at 11am. Same terminal thankfully. She wasn't sure where she'd be when I arrived, and no guarantee my flight would be on time. We both had whatsapp on our phones, so after I arrived I texted her via whatsapp and asked where she was. She was having a b'fast at Fortnum & Mason so I joined her for a cup of tea ! Easy solution !

yes, it's an easy flat walk to the Trieste station. And safe. I should have said NCL transfer not shuttle. Probably $50-$60 pp. Of course it will be crowded, but everyone will have a seat. Your luggage would be stowed beneath. The train will be crowded too as many people will prefer to pay $15 for their ride to Venice. And you won't necessarily get a seat on the train. Last yr there were complaints that people stood all the way from Venice to Trieste, or only single seats were available, or the luggage storage was full. I avoided that by taking a Frecci train with reserved seating in Business Class. The Canal Grande is very easy to find. You'll see it as you exit the train station; it's right across the canal. You won't need your hotel to remind you that you're in Venice. It's a rather an overwhelming experience to see Venice the first time.

Have you determined HOW and WHERE you will be arriving to Venice ? My suggestion would be to look at hotels near Piazzale Roma in case you decide to take an NCL shuttle, AND, hotels near the train station in case you arrive by train. Have your options reserved so that you can cancel one or the other depending on how you arrive. Keep in mind that Trieste is a good 2 hrs away by bus or train. And you need time to get to and board your transportation mode and time afterwards to get to your hotel. So figure on 3 hrs If you take the train, the Trieste station is a 15-20 minute walk from the ship. OR you can wait for a taxi with a few hundred others There's also Flixbus. Their depot is on the same block as the train station and their Venice schedule is either to the airport or to Tronchetto near Piazzale Roma. The NCL shuttle will most likely drop you at Tronchetto. From there it's a 5 minute ride on the People Mover monorail to Piazzale Roma. You have so little time in Venice. Even if you're off the ship by 8, it will be 11-12 before you're ready to start exploring. Makes more sense to find the closest hotel, leave your luggage with the Desk, then head off immediately to start exploring. Otherwise you're struggling thru crowds with your luggage to find a vaporetto, waiting in line, not enjoying the scenery along the canal because you're busy holding onto your multiple luggage, then fighting the crowds again as you look for your hotel. Dump the luggage as soon as you can so you can enjoy Venice ! A link for Venice Train Station hotels 'How Many Bridges?' hotel listings for Venezia Santa Lucia train station | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) A link for Piazzale Roma hotels: 'How Many Bridges?' hotel listings for Piazzale Roma | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) ( When it says 1 small bridge, it is very small, easily manageable. And I believe you can click on the hotel names to get detailed descriptions.)

Regarding luggage limits on vaporetto. From Venice for Visitors Venice ACTV Vaporetto and Bus Fares for 2023 | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) On water buses, you're allowed to carry one piece of luggage with a combined length, width, and height of 150 cm (60 inches) or less, plus a smaller backpack, purse, or other personal item. For more luggage, or for a bigger bag, you may need to pay a supplement. Ask the agent in the ticket booth or the boat conductor as you board. Can't say that I've ever seen anyone checking the size of luggage, only checking that tickets were validated. OTOH I've never seen pax with more than 1 suitcase plus a personal item. Look closely at the crowded vaporetto in the next photo. 1 large suitcase is manageable in that crowd but more than that would be difficult. Venice Vaporetto Line 1 (Grand Canal to Lido) | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com)

yes there is. This map shows your hotel AND the stop. Venice ACTV and Alilaguna Stop: Rialto | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com)

No one watches the line or manages it. If there are a few ships in port, cruiseline employees MAY be there and will be communicating with the ship about the length of the line.

it would be 25-30 minutes to walk, assuming you have a great sense of direction ! And you'd have some bridges to cross. With a large suitcase it might be best to take the vaporetto. A vaporetto (water bus) is a form of public transportation. One ride is 9.5E. (if you're buying a 24hr pass for other sightseeing purposes, time it so that your ride to Piazzale Roma is within the 24 hrs, but otherwise 9.50 is your fare)

If you can easily manage your luggage, you could walk from your hotel to Piazzale Roma. At P Roma you get on the People Mover (a monorail) for a 3 minute ride to Tronchetto. If you can't manage your luggage, take a vaporetto to Piazzale Roma, then catch the People Mover. Venice People Mover | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) How are you getting to your hotel ? I would guess via Piazzale Roma so you will be somewhat familiar with the area.

Glad this timing worked for you, but that doesn't mean you cracked the code! 🙂 That wasn't my experience. I think people need to look at the big picture. It's not just HOW MANY ships are in port with you, but also what time they arrive and depart. Their arrival and departure times create the biggest impact. And even then there's no guarantee what your situation will be. For instance, we arrived at 1:30pm, had tender #3. The only ship in port when we arrived was a COSTA from 7am - 4pm with 2800 pax. Realistically we shouldn't have had a long wait for the cable car. The only people ahead of us would be our fellow pax from tenders 2 and 3. The Costa pax wouldn't be standing in a long line when they had to be back onboard in an hr. Yet we waited 2 hrs for the cable car !! Got to Fira at 4pm! We considered the speed boat but it sat there for an hour waiting for more pax. We didn't expect to be waiting another hr for the cable car. So in hindsight we should have taken the boat. Walking the steps wasn't an option. We wandered around Fira for awhile taking photos of the views and churches, then went to the bus station. The bus to Oia leaves every 30 minutes. We had just missed it. Never saw a taxi. We didn't want to get stranded in Oia so we decided to watch the sunset from the ship. Returned to the cable car around 7pm. No one in line! The Costa ship had already left. It was wonderful to watch the lights slowly coming on across the cliffs. The view from the ship was awesome. My original plan for Santorini was to take a basic NCL excursion to Oia, but it was sold out. There was room on the Spanish speaking tour .... should've taken it. Santorini is a tough port. I thought we'd be ok since our only neighbor was Costa and it's hours didn't seem impactful. But geez, were we surprised. My advice is to take ships excursion to get TO Santorini, then be VERY mindful of the departure times of the other ships when you plan your return.

Most towns have a Visitor Information website to promote tourism and local vendors. Most provide a Visitor Guide as well. Just google the towns name with Visitor Information. Rental Cars | Skagway, Alaska If you don't find the exact info you need, call and ask for recommendations.

There are many hotels near the train station that don't require a bridge crossing OR a long walk, so you won't necessarily have to use a Luggage Storage facility. I posted this link for Train Station Hotels earlier in this thread, but here it is again: Venice Railroad Station Hotels | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) ( a canal view sounds good but I found it too noisey. I want a good nights sleep when I travel )

Perhaps you could borrow a few travel books from your library to learn about the various destinations you'll be visiting. There are even books specific to Med cruises; ie by Rick Steves and Ann Vipond. They provide info on the history, sights, activities, etc.

As I planned my first visit to Venice, I just assumed that I would go on a gondola at some point. But once I got there, it didn't really appeal to me anymore. I've visited several more times and still haven't. You'll find out when you get there if it's for you. As for a location to stay, I prefer the Rialto Bridge area, probably on the Rialto Market side but either is fine. Maybe a 10 minute walk to St Marks. How are you getting to Venice? If you're taking the train from Trieste AND taking the train to Rome, it might be easier to stay near the S Lucia station. If your room isn't ready, leave your luggage at Reception then start exploring. The train station is on the Grand Canal, with a vaporetto stop right in front. And directly across the Canal from the station is Piazzale Roma with easy access to airport buses/taxis if you decide to fly to Rome instead of taking the train. Only a 1 hr flight and can cost as low as $70. Venice Railroad Station Hotels | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) When I was in Venice last Sept, it was the busiest I've ever experienced. The water bus in the morning was packed. It was uncomfortable. I couldn't imagine trying to board with luggage, and I pack light, with just a 22" suitcase. Look closely at this photo to see how busy it can be on a vaporetto. Venice Vaporetto Line 1 (Grand Canal to Lido) | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) Venice for Visitors is a great resource as you start your research. Venice for Visitors | In-depth travel advice since 1997 (europeforvisitors.com) Venice is safe. You can feel comfortable wandering around day or night. No violent crime. But be mindful of pickpockets. I took this photo at dusk standing on the bridge between the train station and Piazzale Roma.

According to cruisemapper there are 2 other ships in port with you; MSC is 7am-4pm, Celebrity is 8am-10pm. RCI is 1pm-11pm. By taking the ships excursion you'll avoid the cable car lines so getting to Oia will be much easier. ( I had a 2hr wait ! ). And by the time you reach Oia around 2pm, the MSC pax will already be gone as they needed to get to the cable cars in Fira and return to their ship. Not to say that Oia won't be crowded but at least those few thousand will be gone! Your return to the ship could be a bit tricky though. With 2 ships leaving around the same time, the cable cars will be busy in the evening. BUT, given the heat, you probably aren't going to linger too long in Fira after thee excursion, Maybe return to the ship when you're dropped off; have dinner onboard and enjoy the sunset from there? After getting our photos of the blue domes and beautiful views, we stopped at a cafe/bar for a drink, We then decided to go back to the ship for dinner and enjoy the sunset from the deck. We got to the cable car around 7pm and there was NO line ! Perhaps everyone was sitting in a restaurant waiting for the sunset? I didn't think Fira was particularly hilly as we walked around, but the surfaces are uneven. We saw lots of people with walking sticks. Perhaps buy a pair of trekking poles from your husband ?? Good luck. Have a great cruise !

@fishiecrackers..... Oh my ! And I thought my experience was bad. Sorry to hear this. Did the afternoon excursion make up for the rough start ? Hope so.

you need to google Santorini port schedule to find out how many ships are in port with you, plus their arrival/departure times and # of passengers. That will give you a clue as to how crowded it will be on the way up and on the way down. The only way to avoid the line is to book a ships excursion; just a simple one that provides transportation to Oia for an hr then on to Fira. Otherwise, you can wait for a boat in the harbor, or you can walk up the donkey path.( I couldn't bear to look at the donkeys; just seems so cruel. )

When I was on NCL last yr, the OIA excursion was sold out and wasn't offered again. (The Spanish version was available and I'm sorry I didn't buy it. At least it would have gotten me to Oia.) Our ship arrived at 1:30pm and the boat was running, but it sat at the dock for an hour waiting for more pax . Tthe only other ship in port was a Costa 7a-4p. The cable car line was so long that we didn't get to Fira until 4pm!

So I've been curious about how your day turned out .... what did you do? and how was the cable car return?

I think you'll get more answers if you post this question on TripAdvisor, where there are more locals participating in the forums. (when I visited Athens we walked from the ship to the subway station. The subway got us very close to the Acropolis, and I'm sure subways will be running whether or not there's a marathon)

which airport .... bologna ? venice?

Why not go with the HAL transfer ? It's only a 2hr drive. I remembered this post. See reply #15 for a private car/driver recommendation,

which cruiseline? what time is your flight ? I was on NCL last Sept docking in Trieste. The disembark schedule showed that pax who bought an NCL transfer to VCE could leave starting at 7am. This would have you to VCE 9 - 9:30am.