Venice Shuttle

[TERRIER1]

Our cruise ends in Venice. Does anyone know if Azamara runs a shuttle to the Piazzale Roma for disembarkation? Does the ship dock at San Basilio or the mani terminal? Thanks.

[CintiPam]

Hi, Terrier1,

 

In completing my online check-in forms earlier this week for our RT Venice cruise in three weeks, I saw on the Azamara website that for all 2013 cruises, the Azamara ships are docking at San Basilio. I do not know the answer for 2014 cruises.

 

I also very much would like to know the answer to your shuttle question because although I have embarked in Venice (from the main terminal), I never have disembarked in Venice, and we have a train to catch to Milan.

[TERRIER1]

Hi, Terrier1,

 

In completing my online check-in forms earlier this week for our RT Venice cruise in three weeks, I saw on the Azamara website that for all 2013 cruises, the Azamara ships are docking at San Basilio. I do not know the answer for 2014 cruises.

 

I also very much would like to know the answer to your shuttle question because although I have embarked in Venice (from the main terminal), I never have disembarked in Venice, and we have a train to catch to Milan.

 

Thanks. That is the question I also need answered since we are catching a train to Rome and are trying to figure out if we should take a cab to Mestre or the vaporetto to San Basilio. Since you need to purchase train tickets inn advance I am trying to figure out which dock and if there is a shuttle.

[CintiPam]

Without relying on/knowing what, if anything, Azamara supplies, I plan to take the vaporetto to Santa Lucia station in Venice because I know there only are a very few stairs there to get into that station and none to catch the train while there appears to be a very large staircase to climb to get to the Mestre trains which I do not want to lug my one 25" suitcase up.

 

(Note also on the Trenitalia website that not every Venice train stops in Mestre.)

 

I found the Man in Seat Sixty-One train website very helpful when booking my trains for this trip because we go from Venice to Milan then on to Paris, where husband goes home and I get to travel on to Amsterdam to join up with fellow art museum docents for a week there. Only one airfare and one jetlag and I get two vacations! :)

[Bill Leiber]

Thanks. That is the question I also need answered since we are catching a train to Rome and are trying to figure out if we should take a cab to Mestre or the vaporetto to San Basilio. Since you need to purchase train tickets inn advance I am trying to figure out which dock and if there is a shuttle.

 

Hello Terrier1 and Pam -

 

I've passed on your questions to our operations staff for their input about the shuttle service and will let you know their response.

 

I'm confident that our onboard shore excursion concierge could arrange for your transfers.

 

Please stay well and stay tuned!

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

[Redtravel]

I have embarked and also disembarked in Venice. It may seem confusing. It is really so easy. Many people seem to think that you must take a boat from the ship to the airport. You can. You can also drive on land...and it is quicker and much cheaper. YOu can also take a taxi or the ship transfer. It is not far. Last fall, 4 of us prearranged a shuttle from VCE to the dock. Paid 50 euros total. Other people just took taxis at the the airport. If you plan on taking a vaparetto you can take the people mover. I got a lot of good info from the Venice tripadvisor forum. Have fun. Venice is beautiful.

[CintiPam]

I have embarked and also disembarked in Venice. It may seem confusing. It is really so easy. Many people seem to think that you must take a boat from the ship to the airport. You can. You can also drive on land...and it is quicker and much cheaper. YOu can also take a taxi or the ship transfer. It is not far. Last fall, 4 of us prearranged a shuttle from VCE to the dock. Paid 50 euros total. Other people just took taxis at the the airport. If you plan on taking a vaparetto you can take the people mover. I got a lot of good info from the Venice tripadvisor forum. Have fun. Venice is beautiful.

 

Hi, Redtravel,

 

If you reread the preceding posts, you will see that we are talking about transportation from San Basilio, not Marittima, and also that both Terrier1 and I are going to the train station after our respective cruises, not the airport. (From the airport, I always take the convenient and frequent bus to Piazzale Roma, and then the vaporetto to my hotel.) The people mover is located quite a long way from San Basilio.

[uktog]

Hello Terrier1 and Pam -

 

I've passed on your questions to our operations staff for their input about the shuttle service and will let you know their response.

 

I'm confident that our onboard shore excursion concierge could arrange for your transfers.

 

Please stay well and stay tuned!

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

 

Thanks Bill

 

An early indication on the various plans for the 5th July 2014 sailing would be so very helpful as I need to sort out my pre cruise hotel in Venice and I am trying to work out the optimum journey on embarkation day given the number of steps and stairs at each bridge in Venice!

[Bill Leiber]

Hello Terrier1 and Pam -

 

I've received confirmation from operations that we'll be using the San Basilio Pier along with the caveat that all berthing is always subject to change!

 

Unfortunately, we do not operate shuttle buses on turn days.

 

I hope this information helps you with your planning.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

[SFL]

Hi All

Check this website. You can take the number 5 bus to Piazzle roma and then the people mover to the ship. It is inexpensive, fast, clean and safe when we used it

 

http://www.veniceconnected.com/node/6219

 

 

Then if time permits buy a 1 day water bus pass and ride the 52 boat for the best tour of the entire grand canal

 

Enjoy

[uktog]

Hi All

Check this website. You can take the number 5 bus to Piazzle roma and then the people mover to the ship. It is inexpensive, fast, clean and safe when we used it

 

http://www.veniceconnected.com/node/6219

 

 

Then if time permits buy a 1 day water bus pass and ride the 52 boat for the best tour of the entire grand canal

 

Enjoy

 

I am a little confused and need advice from those who have embarked on Quest or Journey at San Basilio, what is the best way to reach that dock (did not read that the people mover would help) and where would you stay the night before to minimise the stairs with the cases- happy to take a water taxi so that opens up opportunities but I read somewhere they cannot drop you off at San Basilio, though I may have that very wrong.

 

Was there anything Azamara did specifically to make this embarkation smooth (over and above all the usual they do re short lines and a nice glass of something on board)

[CintiPam]

Hi All

Check this website. You can take the number 5 bus to Piazzle roma and then the people mover to the ship. It is inexpensive, fast, clean and safe when we used it

 

http://www.veniceconnected.com/node/6219

 

 

Then if time permits buy a 1 day water bus pass and ride the 52 boat for the best tour of the entire grand canal

 

Enjoy

 

The people mover is way over at Maritima, not San Basilio. It is information about San Basilio that all of us posters are pursuing.

 

Looks like we are on our own, and I will be taking a vaporetto to San Basilio from my Venice hotel for embarkation and then from San Basilio to the the train station after disembarkation.

[CintiPam]

Hello Terrier1 and Pam -

 

I've received confirmation from operations that we'll be using the San Basilio Pier along with the caveat that all berthing is always subject to change!

 

Unfortunately, we do not operate shuttle buses on turn days.

 

I hope this information helps you with your planning.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

 

Thanks for checking, Bill. I am not familiar with San Basilio. Are there taxis right there when you disembark that one could take to Piazzale Roma? (And then I could use the "new" bridge to the train station.)

 

Also, does Azamara run a shuttle to town in Ravenna (also on our cruise itinerary)?

[spw1947]

We are coming from an apartment in Castello and will catch the #5.2 to Zattere and then either get the #2 to San Basilio (the next stop) or walk. For those leaving the ship, if you walk to Zattere then you can get the #5.2 around to the station.

 

http://www.actv.it/sites/default/files/Mappa_linee_02_04_2012_100x70%20copia%281%29.pdf

 

We looked at staying in an aprtment near Zattere vaporetto stop and the owners were advertisinf that taxis came within 5 minutes walk of the apartment.

 

Cheers,

 

Sue

[troywest]

The best and easiest thing to do is to take a taxi from the San Basilio terminal to the Venice Mestre train station. NOT the Santa Lucia station.

[TERRIER1]

The best and easiest thing to do is to take a taxi from the San Basilio terminal to the Venice Mestre train station. NOT the Santa Lucia station.

 

I am very curious as to why is this easier than taking the vaporetto next to San Basilio directly to the Santa Lucia station. Just curious. Thanks.

[CintiPam]

The best and easiest thing to do is to take a taxi from the San Basilio terminal to the Venice Mestre train station. NOT the Santa Lucia station.

 

Thanks, troywest. Have elevators been added to all the platforms now? Just a few years ago, it was a terrible amount of stairs to get to them, which is why I always go to Sta. Lucia station which has only a few easy short easy steps to the entrance and none at all inside.

 

When we embark our ship at San Basilio from our Venice hotel and disembark from San Basilio to Sta. Lucia in a few weeks, we definitely plan to take vaporetto 2 from the San Basilio stop, which is extremely close to the San Basilio terminal, and runs quite often at disembarkation time. (A google search led me to a lovely aerial photo showing all!) That way I also do not have to join what may be a very lengthy taxi line from that terminal.

[uktog]

Thanks, troywest. Have elevators been added to all the platforms now? Just a few years ago, it was a terrible amount of stairs to get to them, which is why I always go to Sta. Lucia station which has only a few easy short easy steps to the entrance and none at all inside.

 

When we embark our ship at San Basilio from our Venice hotel and disembark from San Basilio to Sta. Lucia in a few weeks, we definitely plan to take vaporetto 2 from the San Basilio stop, which is extremely close to the San Basilio terminal, and runs quite often at disembarkation time. (A google search led me to a lovely aerial photo showing all!) That way I also do not have to join what may be a very lengthy taxi line from that terminal.

 

Can you post your experiences after doing this as I am sure I and a number of others will find it very helpful for our planning next year. We are still making our pre cruise hotel choice and cannot decide whether to try and stay close and try and wheel things along or go for a far out - I love Murano so if I am going to have to use a water taxi anyway, this might be the time to stay there, it is magical after all the tourists go!

 

Are there facilities for the water taxi to drop you off easily and how far is the regular water bus from the terminal I suppose are my main questions

 

Thanks

[CintiPam]

Can you post your experiences after doing this as I am sure I and a number of others will find it very helpful for our planning next year. We are still making our pre cruise hotel choice and cannot decide whether to try and stay close and try and wheel things along or go for a far out - I love Murano so if I am going to have to use a water taxi anyway, this might be the time to stay there, it is magical after all the tourists go!

 

Are there facilities for the water taxi to drop you off easily and how far is the regular water bus from the terminal I suppose are my main questions

 

Thanks

 

I certainly shall. With all the vaporetto stops available, I never have seen any reason to try to stay close to the port because that area is not the prettiest, and it still will be a schlep over bridges with many steps and a long line to get aboard the people mover.

 

We embarked from Marittima in 2010 and took the vaporetto from our San Stae hotel to Piazzale Roma and then a land taxi from there, but when I googled San Basilio vaporetto stop to San Basilio terminal last week, the europe for visitors dot com website provided a lovely google map which showed that the vaporetto stop is very close. I will try to remember to ask about the water taxi stop for San Basilio.

 

I guess I should add that I travel with one 25" suitcase and a small shoulder bag carryon only no matter how long the trip. (Next week's I will be away for 3-1/2 weeks.) I learned my lesson when I actually took two large suitcases on our first cruise. Fine if perhaps you are going right from airport to ship and the reverse but we always add some time at least at one end of our cruises.

 

Our travel agent just forward me a notice from Azamara that 10 ships, including sister ship Journey, will be in Venice port on our embarkation day, but Azamara only is offering transportation from the airport, which does not help any of us who arrive before embarkation day. To me, that is another reason to avoid the mess and Piazzale Roma and the port and just take the vaporetto and arrive "at the rear".