Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

[Matcodixon]

Terry, I keep looking at your photographs in anticipation of our upcoming Grand Med Cruise in a few weeks. Venice has always been on my Bucket list and finally will have a chance to spend some time there. We have 3 days there before setting sail and there is so much to see. This is our first time ever to Europe.

 

Your photos have inspired me to upgrade my camera, which I did to a new Canon. Especially wanted low light ability as I realize that some of the places we will be visiting do not allow flash photography. I also have added an extra battery and a couple of large memory cards! I will be downloading to my netbook nightly just in case.

 

At any rate, thanks for all of your great photos, not only of Venice, but some of the other ports we will be visiting.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Matcodixon

[TLCOhio]

You are a very good photographer. Beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

Matcodixon: Terry' date=' I keep looking at your photographs in anticipation of our upcoming Grand Med Cruise in a few weeks. Venice has always been on my Bucket list and finally will have a chance to spend some time there. We have 3 days there before setting sail and there is so much to see. This is our first time ever to Europe. Your photos have inspired me to upgrade my camera, which I did to a new Canon. Especially wanted low light ability as I realize that some of the places we will be visiting do not allow flash photography. I also have added an extra battery and a couple of large memory cards! I will be downloading to my netbook nightly just in case. At any rate, thanks for all of your great photos, not only of Venice, but some of the other ports we will be visiting.[/quote']

 

Appreciate so much the super kind and nice comments from Matcodixon and BostonGirl88. Glad to know BOTH of you are persons of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make such feed-back.

 

For Matcodixon, enjoy your first trip to Europe!! Glad you've upgraded your camera. Take lots and LOTS of pictures. That's the nice thing about the digital age with which we are now blessed. Lots of great night time options for Venice and other Europe Cities. We've done twenty two different countries in Europe and multiple times in such key places as Venice, Rome, Paris, London, Barcelona, etc. Hopefully, you will get "hooked" and come back for more . . . and MORE!! Do a posting after you get back and/or follow-up here to share what you loved most about Venice.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 91,610 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[ladyw]

quick question -- I noticed several places to get tickets for the secret doge tour -- Does it matter who? I have the Venice Musuem place and then the Viviaticket place that is from the doge palace itself..

[TLCOhio]

quick question -- I noticed several places to get tickets for the secret doge tour -- Does it matter who? I have the Venice Musuem place and then the Viviaticket place that is from the doge palace itself..

 

I have not done that secret Doge tour, nor bought anything through Viviaticket. In looking at their website, they seem solid and OK, but, if in doubt, I would lean to booking from the "source". Viviaticket seems big and sells lots of "stuff" all over Italy. By working direct, you are probably getting both better pricing and service. Agents like Viviaticket are probably satisfactory, but sometimes you never know the difference between website "hawkers" versus those who have the official, direct connections.

 

I'll check more and see if I get any added info.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 91,855 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

From the Vancouver Sun on July 28, they had this headline: "Sail into Venice while you can. Movement afoot to ban large ships from this most idyllic port" with these highlights: "Where else can you look down on The Doge's Palace, and St. Mark's Square? While overlooking this iconic city is special, so is the short time it takes after you port to reach the heart of Venice, where a stroll turns that initial thrill into seeing the place in its full magnificence."

 

The sail-in and sail-out last June was a super thrilling experience for us after earlier experiences in this great historic city.

 

This story also has these highlights: "Italy's environment committee is reviewing a bill that could give the city council of Venice powers over its surrounding waters. If passed, the bill will ban ships of 40,000 tonnes but Felice Casson, a senator from Venice, wants to reduce that to 30,000 tonnes. Keep in mind the two biggest cruise lines in Europe - Costa and MSC - are based in Italy. In the end, it could come down to money. Right now, each large ship entering the port pays approximately $49,000. That money goes to the federal government. If Venice were to control the waterways, that would wind up in city coffers. While there are groups pro-testing the entrance of cruise ships, the other side has its supporters. Last week a flash-mob of 600, the Cruise Venice Committee, launched a strong appeal to show support for the 3,000 jobs tied to the industry."

 

This story came from a trade source at portsandbows.com. This will be interesting to follow and see how final legislation evolves and gets decided.

 

Full story at:

http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Sail+into+Venice+while/7005856/story.html

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 95,143 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[SSAA33]

Great pictures!

 

Does it ever get too crowded on the deck to make it hard to get a good viewing spot?

 

What was the price range at the mask shop? How much are the masks around Venice that are intended as souvenirs for tourists?

[Hlitner]

Great pictures!

 

Does it ever get too crowded on the deck to make it hard to get a good viewing spot?

 

What was the price range at the mask shop? How much are the masks around Venice that are intended as souvenirs for tourists?

 

Every cruise ship we have cruised (more then 65) have more then enough deck space to accomodate anyone who wants to take pictures. Many cruisers are pretty lazy so we find that the upper decks are usually far from full. As to Venetian Masks, this is a difficult question since many of the tourist-quality masks are not even made in Italy (they come from Eastern Europe or Asia). Depeding on the size and quality you can get one of those phony tourist masks for as little as 20 Euros (maybe cheaper). On the other hand, you can also buy some amazing high quality Venetian Masks made by well-known local artists. These can be very expensive depending on the artist and your negotiation skills. We own one mask we bought about 25 years ago that cost us about $200. Our mask is actually made of paper mache with many coats of laquor and is framed by antique fabric. We were recently in Venice (2 months ago) and saw some masks that cost thousands of dollars.

 

If you want to get the cheap tourist quality mask you can probably find them elsewhere in Italy (or Europe) for less money then they cost in Venice. Of course you could simply buy them online from US sites such as http://www.venetianmasksociety.com/ where you will probably get them for lower price then in Italy. The combination of VAT taxes and high mark-ups in Venice make it hard to get a very good deal in Venice.

 

Hank

 

 

 

Hank

Edited August 10, 2012 by Hlitner

[TLCOhio]

Great pictures! Does it ever get too crowded on the deck to make it hard to get a good viewing spot? What was the price range at the mask shop? How much are the masks around Venice that are intended as souvenirs for tourists?

 

Appreciate your nice comments on the Venice pictures and the excellent follow-up questions. On the top deck of our ship, it was busy, but not too overly crowded. Given that half of the people could be watching the sail-in from their balconies and rooms on that side, plus all of the various space on the several top decks, I didn't sense any major problems to get good views in different directions.

 

On the mask shop, I had not been planning to buy there, so I was not looking or focusing on those costs. These had very good quality items and many were used professionally. So, I'm sure they were not cheap. BUT, sorry, I have not a single clue on the price ranges there. Or, on the cheaper places offering the lesser-quality items aimed toward tourists. Sorry! When I'm doing pictures and not needing to buy such "things", my mind is kept wonderfully clear of such financial questions/worries. There are so, so many different shops in Venice selling things that it hard to soak up those kind of "details" in my small brain.

 

Let me know any other questions or photo needs for this wonderful city.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 96,032 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[SSAA33]

Every cruise ship we have cruised (more then 65) have more then enough deck space to accomodate anyone who wants to take pictures. Many cruisers are pretty lazy so we find that the upper decks are usually far from full. As to Venetian Masks, this is a difficult question since many of the tourist-quality masks are not even made in Italy (they come from Eastern Europe or Asia). Depeding on the size and quality you can get one of those phony tourist masks for as little as 20 Euros (maybe cheaper). On the other hand, you can also buy some amazing high quality Venetian Masks made by well-known local artists. These can be very expensive depending on the artist and your negotiation skills. We own one mask we bought about 25 years ago that cost us about $200. Our mask is actually made of paper mache with many coats of laquor and is framed by antique fabric. We were recently in Venice (2 months ago) and saw some masks that cost thousands of dollars.

 

If you want to get the cheap tourist quality mask you can probably find them elsewhere in Italy (or Europe) for less money then they cost in Venice. Of course you could simply buy them online from US sites such as http://www.venetianmasksociety.com/ where you will probably get them for lower price then in Italy. The combination of VAT taxes and high mark-ups in Venice make it hard to get a very good deal in Venice.

 

Hank

 

Hank

 

Thank you Hank! Glad I don't have to worry about the deck being too full :)

Thanks for clarifying about the range of masks available. I don't see myself spending a couple of hundred on one (too many other things I'd rather spend the $ on). I really just wanted to pick up a couple as souvenirs for younger siblings - I will keep an eye out for them in the other Italian cities we visit before Venice.

[SSAA33]

Thank you, Terry!

 

Glad I don't have to worry about the deck being too crowded. Since this will be my first cruise, I just don't know what to expect :confused:

 

Your focus on taking pictures truly shows in the wonderful images you've captured! If we come across that shop (or a similar one) it will be interesting to see but I don't plan on buying a high-quality expensive mask either. Some of the cheaper ones might make good souvenirs if we find them at a good price.

[Gordo]

Absolutely love your photos - we hope to see this wonderful view on a future sailing. Hopefully in 2013. Thanks for sharing!

[TLCOhio]

Absolutely love your photos - we hope to see this wonderful view on a future sailing. Hopefully in 2013. Thanks for sharing!

 

SSAA33: Thank you' date=' Terry! Glad I don't have to worry about the deck being too crowded. Since this will be my first cruise, I just don't know what to expect. Your focus on taking pictures truly shows in the wonderful images you've captured! If we come across that shop (or a similar one) it will be interesting to see but I don't plan on buying a high-quality expensive mask either. Some of the cheaper ones might make good souvenirs if we find them at a good price. [/quote']

 

Appreciate the very kind comments from Gordo. Good luck on your 2013 cruise to Venice, etc. Hope things work well for SSAA33 from NYC and glad to have Hank added his expertise. Keep the good comments and questions about Venice rolling along.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 96,664 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Mimi A]

Terry

 

You are a great photographer/writer as all the previous comments have noted. You should work for a Travel company!!!

 

Just wanted to let you know that your thread has found its way onto a new thread for cruisers headed to the E. Med November 8, 2012 on the Crown Princess. Someone from our forum posted the link and I find it most enjoyable for the photos as well as the wealth of information. I will definitely reiterate that this thread is worth viewing.

 

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME/EFFORT. :):):):)

 

Mimi A

Appreciate the very kind comments from Gordo. Good luck on your 2013 cruise to Venice, etc. Hope things work well for SSAA33 from NYC and glad to have Hank added his expertise. Keep the good comments and questions about Venice rolling along.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 96,664 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

Terry. You are a great photographer/writer as all the previous comments have noted. You should work for a Travel company!!! Just wanted to let you know that your thread has found its way onto a new thread for cruisers headed to the E. Med November 8, 2012 on the Crown Princess. Someone from our forum posted the link and I find it most enjoyable for the photos as well as the wealth of information. I will definitely reiterate that this thread is worth viewing. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME/EFFORT. Mimi A

 

Appreciate your nice and kind comments. Glad to be helpful. Happy to know you're a person of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make such generous comments. In Venice, all of the glory and credit goes to that wonderful city.

 

Don't know if you or others are going to either Dubrovnik and/or Kotor. Below are a couple of links for there that have proven to be fairly popular and helpful to others.

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 8,800 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

More on wonderful Kotor and nearby, check these postings. Have had over 8,175 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and commented.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 98,900 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[nellydean]

A neighbour of ours once described Venice as London with water, but she is a cultural philistine, so I didn't take any notice of her!

 

Love the city, hate the crowds, love the ferries. We visited during the Carnival one year, which was interesting, but unless you are attending any of the balls it's probably better to visit in the warmer weather.

 

Thanks for reminding me what a great place it is :)

[Hlitner]

Agree with Nellydean's post. We have long said that Venice is one of the great tourist traps on earth...but sometimes being "trapped" can be lots of fun.

 

Hank

[TLCOhio]

Agree with Nellydean's post. We have long said that Venice is one of the great tourist traps on earth...but sometimes being "trapped" can be lots of fun. Hank

 

Wise and fun comments by both Hank and Nellydean. Being "trapped" in a heaven-like place, like Venice, is wonderful. Being caught in hell and/or a lesser place is no fun. There's a lot of over-the-top tourist crap in Venice, but, overall, it is so unique and so totally special. Super love London, so much, too. Lots of great places in the world to visit . . . and go back to again, and again! London and Venice are both in the top five for that glorious category.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 98,900 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Edited August 20, 2012 by TLCOhio

[Mimi A]

Terry

 

Thanks for your kind comments & posting on our thread of the upcoming Crown Princess cruise Nov. 8. My husband & I had originally booked another cruise line which would have stopped at Kotor, but we are not scheduled to stop there on this cruise. I will still enjoy the thread you posted of Kotor I'm sure. I will be sure to book a cruise that stops there if we ever return to that area. There will be 3 ships in Dubrovnik -- the Crown Princess, along with Costa Favalosa & MSC Musica for a possible total of 9000 pax. My thinking was to take a Princess or preferably private tour there. Any suggestions on a private tour? Excuse me if you mention it in your Dubrovnik thread which I have yet to read. From what I've seen & heard of the port, it is well worth seeing & I don't want to miss anything. I had originally planned to DIY until I discovered the two additional ships in port.

 

Thanks for all your input into our cruise as I'm sure you must do this for others as you are informed of them.

 

Mimi A

Appreciate your nice and kind comments. Glad to be helpful. Happy to know you're a person of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make such generous comments. In Venice, all of the glory and credit goes to that wonderful city.

 

Don't know if you or others are going to either Dubrovnik and/or Kotor. Below are a couple of links for there that have proven to be fairly popular and helpful to others.

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 8,800 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Edited August 20, 2012 by Mimi A

[TLCOhio]

From the Seattle Times newspaper earlier this month, they have this headline: "Life in Venice: Tourist overload and old charm" on a detailed column by noted travel expert Rick Steves with this billing that he: "looks at the good, bad and beautiful of Venice, one of Europe's most romantic and distinctive destinations."

 

Among the column/story highlights are: "I've been traveling to Venice for more than 30 years. On my most recent trip to film two television shows and research my guidebook, the city felt different. While still one of Europe's most romantic and distinctive destinations, globalization and modern life are changing Venice — for better or worse. As I wandered Venice's meandering streets and canal-side walkways, it became obvious just how much the city is changing. A solitary local waved his hands while pacing back and forth across a bridge and talking on his cellphone. Litter grew out of the tops of garbage cans like bums with bushy heads of hair. More multilingual menus featured Russian, thanks to a huge increase in visitors from that part of the world. Tourism continues to keep Venice afloat — but it's no longer as lucrative. When I commented to locals that, despite the slow economy, I'd noticed no decrease in crowds, they responded, 'Yes, but spending habits are much different.' Many tourists blitz in for the day from cruise ships and cheap mainland hotels — meaning fewer overnights in Venetian hotels and fewer dinnertime customers at restaurants."

 

This is a very interesting and insightful column on Venice, how things are changing and evolving there. Well worth the read if you are planning to go there and/or are a big Venice fan like me. Rick Steves also offer other tips on what to do, see, etc.

 

He also notes: "Venice is two cities: one garishly touristic and the other so romantic and tranquil that it makes you go fortissimo in describing it. Despite all the changes, Venice still awes me with its ethereal beauty and lovely views — which can hit you from any direction."

 

Full story/column at:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ricksteveseurope/2018815629_websteves31.html

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 99,408 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Cornishpastyman1]

To augment Terry's fabulous photos here is a video of the whole route of Venice's Grand Canal

from Piazzale Roma to San Marco (St Mark's Square). The actual trip takes about 35-40 minutes. The shot from above at the very end is taken from the ship as we sailed out of the Giudecca Canal.

 

Piazzale Roma will be the vaporetto stop you take if you have a hotel on the canal and are coming from the airport, and also where the People Mover shuttles to and from the dock area.

 

Riding the canal is a delight in itself, quite apart from being a way of getting from A to B. I bought a 24 hour vaporetto ticket (€20) which I acquired at Piazzale Roma. You can't get these tickets at most of the vap stops so get one here or at San Marco. If you are in Venice starting or finishing a cruise and will be there longer than 24 hours, as the 24 hour pass starts from when you buy the ticket, not from when you first use it you might want to delay your purchase an hour or so (walk around a bit ) if you think you will be needing your ticket in the hour before you finally leave Venice.

 

All the best, Tony

[TLCOhio]

To augment Terry's fabulous photos here is a video of the whole route of Venice's Grand Canal

from Piazzale Roma to San Marco (St Mark's Square). The actual trip takes about 35-40 minutes. The shot from above at the very end is taken from the ship as we sailed out of the Giudecca Canal. Piazzale Roma will be the vaporetto stop you take if you have a hotel on the canal and are coming from the airport, and also where the People Mover shuttles to and from the dock area. Riding the canal is a delight in itself, quite apart from being a way of getting from A to B. I bought a 24 hour vaporetto ticket (€20) which I acquired at Piazzale Roma. You can't get these tickets at most of the vap stops so get one here or at San Marco. If you are in Venice starting or finishing a cruise and will be there longer than 24 hours, as the 24 hour pass starts from when you buy the ticket, not from when you first use it you might want to delay your purchase an hour or so (walk around a bit ) if you think you will be needing your ticket in the hour before you finally leave Venice. All the best, Tony

 

Appreciate, Tony, your posting, video link, key suggestions, insights, etc. Very helpful.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 99,408 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[darkauf]

Thank you for all the excellent information and pictures. We will be visiting Venice for 2 days in 5/13 and will definitely do the waterbus on the canal. Venice is at the top of my bucket list and can't wait to get there.

 

Darlene

[nordski]

For those about to, contemplating or recalling a visit to Venice both Terry's and Tony's visuals are excellent resources.

 

Specifically, Tony's new video is superb for providing an overview of the Grand Canal. Whether planning a trip, or wishing to revisit good memories, the video is a superb resource.

 

We will be using both in the future.

 

Thanks again to Tony and Terry for their contributions to this board.

[TLCOhio]

Thank you for all the excellent information and pictures. We will be visiting Venice for 2 days in 5/13 and will definitely do the waterbus on the canal. Venice is at the top of my bucket list and can't wait to get there. Darlene

 

nordski: For those about to' date=' contemplating or recalling a visit to Venice both Terry's and Tony's visuals are excellent resources. Specifically, Tony's new video is superb for providing an overview of the Grand Canal. Whether planning a trip, or wishing to revisit good memories, the video is a superb resource. We will be using both in the future. Thanks again to Tony and Terry for their contributions to this board. [/quote']

 

Appreciate the nice comments from nordski and Darlene. YES, Venice is super wonderful. Be sure to spend time just "wandering around" in order to soak up the history, glory and joy for this great place beyond just the normal, known tourist places. And, if doing Venice on a cruise ship, hopefully, you can be up on top of the ship to get that spectacular sail-in or sail-out experience.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 99,695 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Cornishpastyman1]

Travelling in a party of 6 of varying ages and stamina I could not book a Secret Itineraries tour of the DP so I just walked up at about 2 pm on July 30. There was no queue at all and I spent just over an hour looking round and made this

 

There are a several areas where photography is not permitted so I didn't get all I wanted but it was still a fantastic experience. A must-see for all who visit Venice. It cost €16 for adults (seniors €8) with decent discounts for young children and families of 2 adults and 2 children (about €40). All the best, Tony