transfer time from port to Venice please

[Jo and Rob]

How long will we need to get from the ship to the port. Also when we arrive can we drop off our bags and then go and explore? The ship is due to leave at 6pm what time would we need to board by?

 

Is it possible to visit Venice after the cruise? What about the suitcases! Is there anyway to put them? We arrive back in Venice at 10am so could possibly explore time wise but is it practical? Advice please.

 

We are looking to sail on the Costa Serena October half-term.

[jtl513]

The port is on the west end of the city/island, just a couple of minutes from Piazzale Roma via the new People Mover. Or are you asking about the time from Marco Polo airport to the ship? That would depend on whether you took a taxi or a bus. It's about 7 miles.

 

We've never cruised Costa, so don't know their policies about check-in or boarding times.

 

[riffatsea]

There is a left luggage facility in Piazzale Roma, the main square for buses,transport etc. Of course the best way to have time in Venice to explore would be to stay overnight in the city!!

[alexandra cruiser]

see Venice then,,,its so great,why rush? The port has customs building where you MAY be able to leave luggage,about boarding time,,,check your documents or website,,,usually board a few hrs. before,,,not sure about yours...We were on SeaDream...boarding at 2pm and left at 6,,,but many come around 4 or so.....after you board, can always leave and walk around....but go early and really explore this lovely city....IMO:)

[Jo and Rob]

Yes, we had a long weekend in Venice a few years ago now which coincided with the masked carnival which was excellent with everyone wearing proper Venetian masks. We would just like to show the children a little bit of Venice but don't want to stay overnight (too expensive now we have children!) Perhaps boarding and then getting off again may be a good idea?

[sneffles]

The ship obviously docks AT the port. And of course it is possible to visit Venice after the cruise. We usually have done that.

Not sure what you are asking: if you are arriving to take a cruise and want to see a bit of the city, just board, leave your bags, and get off the ship, making sure you are back on board by the time the cruise line states. If you are returning from the cruise and want to leave your bags for a few hours, try the suggestions listed by others. Better still, stay overnight and fly home the next day. If you want a suggestion for a reasonably inexpensive hotel, let me know (although nothing in Venice is reasonable).

[Jo and Rob]

The port is on the west end of the city/island, just a couple of minutes from Piazzale Roma via the new People Mover. Or are you asking about the time from Marco Polo airport to the ship? That would depend on whether you took a taxi or a bus. It's about 7 miles.

 

We've never cruised Costa, so don't know their policies about check-in or boarding times.

 

 

Thank you for the time and effort you took to do this. At the end of the day it depends what flights we are given but it is good to know about the left luggage so if we have a late flight we can take a look then. :)

[KirkNC]

The travel time from the airport to the ship was very short, maybe 20 minutes. In fact, on disembarkation we got the the airport way early as I was not sure how long it took.

 

Kirk

[Popeye33]

Hello, we're travelling on a western med cruise next May and one of our stops is Venice for two days. Question.... the port where we dock is it near the major attractions?? i.e. piazza san Marco, gondolas, etc. if not how does one get to see what one can in the short time available. Any tips greatly appreciated. thanks. Eva

[euro cruiser]

Hello, we're travelling on a western med cruise next May and one of our stops is Venice for two days. Question.... the port where we dock is it near the major attractions?? i.e. piazza san Marco, gondolas, etc. if not how does one get to see what one can in the short time available. Any tips greatly appreciated. thanks. Eva

Venice is really quite small. From the cruise ship, you can take an Alilaguna water bus directly to San Marco (http://www.alilaguna.it/lineamarrone-eng.html), or you can take the new People Mover tram to Piazzale Roma and get the vaporetto from there. You could also walk from Piazzale Roma - San Marco is only about a mile and a half from there, and while a ride down the Grand Canal is a big part of the Venice experience, so is walking.

[Jo and Rob]

see Venice then,,,its so great,why rush? The port has customs building where you MAY be able to leave luggage,about boarding time,,,check your documents or website,,,usually board a few hrs. before,,,not sure about yours...We were on SeaDream...boarding at 2pm and left at 6,,,but many come around 4 or so.....after you board, can always leave and walk around....but go early and really explore this lovely city....IMO:)

 

We've booked our cruise and plan to fly out the night before to give us time to explore in the morning before boarding the ship. I read one review that said they dropped off their bags at the ship, collected their check in number and then went off to explore. When they came back their number had already been called so they were are to walk straight on. Seems like a plan!

[Earl Rosebery]

Hello, we're travelling on a western med cruise next May and one of our stops is Venice for two days. Question.... the port where we dock is it near the major attractions?? i.e. piazza san Marco, gondolas, etc. if not how does one get to see what one can in the short time available. Any tips greatly appreciated. thanks. Eva

 

Suggest a little research to enjoy your visit. a) Guide book by Rick Steve's or similar. B) buy a map c) http://www.veniceforvisitors.com has lots of info on transportation. As mentioned Venice is small. You could take the tram from the dock to Piazzal Roma and then walk to St Mark's sq in under an hour. It is also fun to take the No 1 Vaporetto for a cruise up the Grand Canal. The more reading you do, the more you will enjoy your stay. Seems a shame to go all that way and not get the most out of it.

[dogandchief]

How long will we need to get from the ship to the port. Also when we arrive can we drop off our bags and then go and explore? The ship is due to leave at 6pm what time would we need to board by?

 

Is it possible to visit Venice after the cruise? What about the suitcases! Is there anyway to put them? We arrive back in Venice at 10am so could possibly explore time wise but is it practical? Advice please.

 

We are looking to sail on the Costa Serena October half-term.

 

You'll need to get on the ship at least one hour before the departure so in your case, it's by 5pm.

 

I went on Costa Serena in 2008 for the same itinerary. The boarding procedure was supposted to start 'officially' at 1:30pm for 6pm sailing but it started a lot earlier at around 11:30am! They normally start letting the passengers onboard as soon as the ship is ready. Your cabin is only available after the 'official' boarding time but you can hang around the ship and they do serve the welcome buffet lunch until 4pm ish.

 

As for the luggage storage after the cruise, there was a left-luggage at Venice Port inside the terminal building. You will see it just after you picked up your luggage & cleared the custom. Pretty easy to find.

 

I didn't use this facility as we stayed overnight in Venice after the cruise so headed off to the hotel straight away.... I think it's EUR 4 per luggage and only open until 5pm(ish) but this should be sufficient for most people's flights if you're flying back that day.

 

And also, if you have booked a packaged flight & airport transfer through Costa, then you will receive a ticket for this left-luggage in your cabin one night before your last day so you can store the luggage for free of charge. If you have booked your own flight, then you just need to pay EUR 4.

 

If you want to also squeeze the sight-seeing in on your last day after you got off the ship, this is of course possible but it does depend on your flight departure time.

 

From the port, you can get

 

1. Alilaguna boat (EUR 6.50) to San Marco Square - but it only operates every 30 mins so it does get over-crowded and you may have to wait for the next one, meaning losing another 30 mins just to get on!

 

2. Costa's free shuttle bus to Piazzale Roma - this operates quite frequently. When we were there, we only waited max. 10 mins, no problem at all. But I have also seen reports people had to wait around for a while. Journey time less than 5 mins.

 

3. Land Taxi - there are prently of taxis in front of the terminal building. EUR 10 to P. Roma

 

4. People Mover - this is a new transport system, apparently something like a tram/monorail. Runs every 8 mins and only takes 2 mins to P. Roma. This sounds like a best bet, the least likely to wait around.

 

If you have any more questions regarding Serena or Venice, just ask.

 

Dogandchief

[Jo and Rob]

Yes Dogandchief more questions (you know me!)

 

Our flight gets in at 10pm the night before at Venice Treviso so we have a full morning of sightseeing before we even think about boarding. Our flight home is at 15.00 on the day we disembark so I imagine we will probably not have much to do anything that day as Treviso is about an hour away.

 

What would you do with a morning in Venice? We want to give the children a flavour of the place on a budget (we will be admiring the gondalas from the bridges not taking a mortgage out on them!) We will probably take them to St Mark's square, St. Mark's Basilica, take a walk through the little narrow streets, maybe a Vaporetto ride (any idea on price for a single trip, do we pay on board? I can't remember!)

 

When are you given your number for checking in? If we arrived at 9am could we collect a number and then go again? We wouldn't want to be hanging around in the morning in an attempt to save time!