Ruby Princess Debark in Venice Question

[Love Cruis'n]

I’m seeking input form anyone who is on the Ruby early this summer, with your cruise ending in Venice.

 

Our TA says Princess is not offering any transfers – except to the airport. We need to get from the dock to to P. Roma and I’ve seen all sorts of conflicting comments on the availability (or lack thereof) of land taxi’s, the /6 bus, the new People Mover and if its walking distance from the cruise terminal.

 

So can I ask folks that actually disembark in Venice to report back as to what its like at the cruise terminal.

 

* Are there land taxis readily available – or not?

* Were do they have the luggage pick up area?

* Is it clear as to how to walk to the Tronchetto area to grab the new People Mover? Or is it as one person insists – “madness” to try to make that walk with luggage.

* Is there a /6 bus that runs back and forth from P. Roma to the docks all day long?

 

Since we only need to get to P. Roma, a costly water taxi should be something we can avoid.

 

Can I get my CC friends to help me with this piece of our transportation puzzle?

 

Thanks,

Terry

[tartanexile81]

Now I cannot swear to this as things may have changed but when we disembarked in 2008, we didn't expect a shuttle bus to be available, but it was a lovely surprise to find that there was a whole line of buses waiting to get us across within a few minutes to the Piazza Roma. We're embarking at Venice this year and we're hoping the people mover station at the port (Statione Maritime) will be open by the time we get there in July. There's a bus service but don;t know how regular the service is. To be honest I can't remember seeing taxis, but we weren't looking for one so maybe there were some....??

[Pam in CA]

Don't know if this will be helpful or not but several years ago, we disembarked in Venice and had made arrangements to stay at a hotel near Piazza San Marco. We booked transfers while on the ship to San Marco. When we disembarked and went through Customs & Immigration, our luggage was put into a bin for delivery to our hotel. With our carry-ons, we boarded a boat for transfer to San Marco. All the passengers got off there and for us, it was perhaps a two-block walk. Our luggage was delivered later in the day so it worked well for us.

[euro cruiser]

I know that it's hard to say how difficult a walk is just from pictures (I live on a steep hill, but you'd never know that by looking at pictures of my house and driveway, you just don't get the perspective somehow). Having said that, using the "drag me to the street" function on a google map you can see pictures of the bridge between Tronchetto and the cruise terminal area. It sure looks to me like there is a sectioned off area for pedestrians, and it doesn't look particularly steep.

 

The total walking distance is less than half a mile ... so I'm still not convinced, despite what the poster on the other thread said, that this is not a viable option.

 

Of course, until a few others who have "been there, done that" post and tell us about it, it's still all speculation.

[Earl Rosebery]

I know that it's hard to say how difficult a walk is just from pictures (I live on a steep hill, but you'd never know that by looking at pictures of my house and driveway, you just don't get the perspective somehow). Having said that, using the "drag me to the street" function on a google map you can see pictures of the bridge between Tronchetto and the cruise terminal area. It sure looks to me like there is a sectioned off area for pedestrians, and it doesn't look particularly steep.

 

The total walking distance is less than half a mile ... so I'm still not convinced, despite what the poster on the other thread said, that this is not a viable option.

 

Of course, until a few others who have "been there, done that" post and tell us about it, it's still all speculation.

From a post on Trip advisor. 10-15 minutes doesn't seem to to bad.

 

"The People Mover is in operation but only to Tronchetto, the Marittima station has not opened yet. Made the mistake of taking the People Mover instead of the reddish free shuttle bus from Piazzale Roma and ended up having to walk ten - fifteen minutes from the Tronchetto station to the cruise ship. The one way cost is one Euro and the stations do have escalators and elevators. The People Mover cars are compartmentalized so there is no car to car pathway. Each car has two bench seats at both ends of the car."

[Love Cruis'n]

I got several good answers to the same question I posted on roll calls that had recently concluded. I share the information here for all…

 

Are there land taxis readily available – or not? Yes

* Were do they have the luggage pick up area? Not sure--we embarked and left the luggage at a drop off point

* Is it clear as to how to walk to the Tronchetto area to grab the new People Mover? Or is it as one person insists – “madness” to try to make that walk with luggage. Getting to Tronchetto will not help you. I agree it's madness to try it w/luggage. Sad to see the virtually empty People Mover going back and forth. Would have been nice to have it to/from the cruise terminal.

* Is there a /6 bus that runs back and forth from P. Roma to the docks all day long? It's the 6/ I think (just be sure it's got the / and isn't plain old 6) Runs often but I don't know how late.

 

Since we only need to get to P. Roma, a costly water taxi should be something we can avoid. I would definitely take a land taxi. We paid 15 Euros total for 4 people with luggage to get from P. Roma to the cruise terminal. After we got aboard, we walked back to P. Roma which is do-able without luggage, about a 15 minute walk on sidewalks but I would not try it with luggage. After buying a couple of things at the Co-op store took a land taxi back to the cruise terminal--10 Euros for 2 people with no luggage, just a couple of shopping bags.

 

Hi Terry,

Just take a taxi, about 10 euros. Don't walk it from the dock with baggage. You can do it without bags though, about 15 or 20 mins. Not a bad walk. We did the taxi though. Worth the cost. We stayed in P Roma and took vaporettos to San Marcos and thereabouts.

Don't sweat it, enjoy the taxi ride for the little money.

 

Terry,

We just took a taxi at the end of our May 17 cruise--it's very easy to do.

Collect your luggage in the terminal, as soon as you disembark. Your luggage will be grouped in sections by color and number and there are reps. to help you find the section if you need them--we didn't. It took all of 10 minutes to collect luggage and walk towards the left through the terminal to the clearly marked taxi stand. Exit through the first left side door at the first opportunity, to avoid congestion of passengers from other ships.

Taxi cost us 5 E per person to P. Roma and we were dropped off at the entrance to our hotel there. You can just ask your driver to drop you in the section of the plaza that you want. I don't know anything about the people mover or the number 6 bus but the land taxi is all of a 5 minute drive and reasonably priced. P. Roma is a congested area because of all the buses, but you can navigate with luggage if you need to, as long as you can roll your own luggage. There are no carts.

You absolutely don't need to pay for an expensive water taxi.

You didn't say where you were going from P. Roma but you can get a Marco Polo airport or Treviso ACTV bus from there at 2.50 E pp and there is a clearly marked ACTV building where you can buy your tickets near the canal in the plaza. Buses run every half hour but be sure you get on the correct bus (there are 2 airports that serve Venice)--bus stops are not well marked but other tourists help with information. You hold your ticket up to the ticket reader on the bus to be scanned in.

If you are going elsewhere in Venice, you can also buy a vaportetto ticket at the ACTV buidling and roll your luggage on at the clearly identified stop in P. Roma on the canal. Be sure to scan your ticket at the reader before you board.

Kathie

 

 

We also just returned. Experience much as above. Taxi to P. Roma a little more expensive. There are two buses from P. Roma to airport. We used ATVO, tickets were available from driver 3euro per person. It left from loading dock D2. The bus was like any airporter with under bus storage. Most hotels in P. Roma require some walking with luggage. Ours was very close, Best Western Olimpia, but we still had to negotiate three short sets of stairs. The ACTV bus tickets are part of the public transit system. The Marco Polo airport was a bit of a disaster. Very disorganized, small and busy. We were not allowed to check bags until 2 hours before our flight. So although we were told to be there 3 hours ahead we had to keep the luggage. No where to sit except outside. The trip by bus took 20 minutes.Traffic conditions could change that we experienced light trafffic.