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Ugh! Didn't know Marco Polo was such a zoo....any suggestions?


GeorgiaPeach51
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We are on the Celebrity Constellation in June, docking at 6:30 in Venice. We made the mistake of booking (thru Choice Air) a flight that leaves at 10:50.

 

Belatedly, we now realize we have created a possible big issue making that flight due to the slow processes at Marco Polo.

 

So, any suggestions based on recent experience?

 

We currently plan to disembark as soon as we are allowed, with our luggage and will arrange to be met by a specific driver and ask him to "floor it" to the airport! :o

What would you think is the earliest passengers can leave a ship with their own luggage?

 

I've searched all over the Italy boards and some of the posts have me really stressed about missing our flight.

I had no idea you shouldn't book a flight before noon!

 

Thanks for any help or suggestions you can offer!

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I had no idea you shouldn't book a flight before noon!

 

That should be common knowledge (not only in Venice) but almost at every port...

If you can I would try to change your flight,

because Venice is not only known for their slow airport (which I have not used myself so far) but also for delays of the ship arrival (or even change of ports to Trieste) because of heavy fog.

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That should be common knowledge (not only in Venice) but almost at every port...

If you can I would try to change your flight,

because Venice is not only known for their slow airport (which I have not used myself so far) but also for delays of the ship arrival (or even change of ports to Trieste) because of heavy fog.

 

Really? I've been reading this board just about every day for the last 11 years and can only think of perhaps 5 times in total I've ever heard of the fog being so bad that ship arrivals/departures were significantly delayed (or the port changed).

 

Suggesting this is something Venice is "known for" is doing a real disservice to readers by making them worry unnecessarily about something that is extremely unlikely.

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That should be common knowledge (not only in Venice) but almost at every port...

If you can I would try to change your flight,

because Venice is not only known for their slow airport (which I have not used myself so far) but also for delays of the ship arrival (or even change of ports to Trieste) because of heavy fog.

 

Onyx007, I have to say, we have traveled a fair amount internationally, and have never had an issue where the suggestion to not book a flight 6 hours after ship arrival has been the norm! And that includes Rome, which we have traveled through multiple times.

 

No one seems to have any helpful suggestions other than what we are already doing...self-disembark at earliest opportunity, and have a driver waiting.

 

It would be helpful if anyone had any reasonable estimates of the earliest it is generally feasible to make it off the ship.

 

Thanks for the responses, anyway!

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Really? I've been reading this board just about every day for the last 11 years and can only think of perhaps 5 times in total I've ever heard of the fog being so bad that ship arrivals/departures were significantly delayed (or the port changed).

 

Suggesting this is something Venice is "known for" is doing a real disservice to readers by making them worry unnecessarily about something that is extremely unlikely.

 

Happened to us in October of 2017! Ship was suppose to arrive in port at 6:45 AM. It arrived at 5 PM! We were waiting to get on. Everyone on the ship that had a flight booked for that day missed it. Not only was fog an issue, but once it lifted, the Venetians (who hate cruise ships and all tourists it seems) decided to hold a small boat/gondola regatta in the canal--delaying 4 ships even longer. I loved Venice, but I don't think I would ever choose to cruise from this port again.

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Onyx007, I have to say, we have traveled a fair amount internationally, and have never had an issue where the suggestion to not book a flight 6 hours after ship arrival has been the norm! And that includes Rome, which we have traveled through multiple times.

 

No one seems to have any helpful suggestions other than what we are already doing...self-disembark at earliest opportunity, and have a driver waiting.

 

It would be helpful if anyone had any reasonable estimates of the earliest it is generally feasible to make it off the ship.

 

Thanks for the responses, anyway!

 

As much of a zoo that Rome is (and we have ended cruises there multiple times) we have never missed a flight there and six hours was fine. I agree that your approach in Venice is correct. The only place we ever missed a post cruise flight was London.

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We are on the Celebrity Constellation in June, docking at 6:30 in Venice. We made the mistake of booking (thru Choice Air) a flight that leaves at 10:50.

 

Belatedly, we now realize we have created a possible big issue making that flight due to the slow processes at Marco Polo.

 

So, any suggestions based on recent experience?

 

We currently plan to disembark as soon as we are allowed, with our luggage and will arrange to be met by a specific driver and ask him to "floor it" to the airport! :o

What would you think is the earliest passengers can leave a ship with their own luggage?

 

I've searched all over the Italy boards and some of the posts have me really stressed about missing our flight.

I had no idea you shouldn't book a flight before noon!

 

Thanks for any help or suggestions you can offer!

 

Let me make one additional suggestion.

 

I would post on the Celebrity Board as a portion of your question is Celebrity related.

 

Keep it simple.

 

Just say you are arriving to Venice on Celebrity Constellation at 6:30 AM in Venice and ask if anyone who has arrived to Venice can let you know how early they were able to get off the ship. Otherwise other then changing the flight you are dong the right thing to have a driver meet you and to want to be in the first group off the ship.

 

This won't be cheap but there are companies that can expedite passengers at airports. Not sure if they do this at Marco Polo Airport but if you get answers on the Celebrity board that don't make you feel comfortable you can consider going this route.

 

Keith

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I agree with cruisemom42 and Hank about the fog. Fog has not been an issue for us in Venice during various times of the year but certainly not in the month of June when the original poster is sailing so this is one I would not worry about at all. Sure there are some places that I would factor that into flight times such as in Tampa Florida, Galveston, Texas and a few other places but even in those places were are talking about a couple of months of the year and "not" the month of June.

 

Keith

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Thanks to Keith1010, Hlitner, and Mskaufman for your responses.

 

If the whole ship is late that is just one of those unforeseen adventures in travel. I wouldn't stress about that, to be honest. The older I get I have learned to stress much less things outside my realm of influence.

 

Keith, with all your experience and gazillion posts I appreciate your input and certainly will post on the main Celebrity board re: actual disembarkation.

 

Thanks to all who responded. Appreciate you. :)

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Thanks to Keith1010, Hlitner, and Mskaufman for your responses.

 

If the whole ship is late that is just one of those unforeseen adventures in travel. I wouldn't stress about that, to be honest. The older I get I have learned to stress much less things outside my realm of influence.

 

Keith, with all your experience and gazillion posts I appreciate your input and certainly will post on the main Celebrity board re: actual disembarkation.

 

Thanks to all who responded. Appreciate you.

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