Venice in a few hours?

[wego21]

Hello! Hoping someone can help....we cruise out of Venice, flight arrives around 9AM, ship is set to sail at 530PM. We have transfers (through either travel agent or RC) to pier from airport. My questions are: can we check our luggage into boat without actually getting on it so we can go explore for a few hours? Is it actually doable to spend a few hours wandering Venice in that time period (giving ourselves enough time to get back to Pier and check in and not miss our sail, lol)? Thanks in advance for any help!

[Hlitner]

Perhaps, but you need to consider your carry-on luggage (which likely has your valuables). When you get to the Port you should be able to immediately drop your checked luggage. At that point you could simply walk away from the terminal (without entering) and take the People Mover over to the Piazale Roma and start a few hours in Venice. But you will still have your valuables which can be a pain. There is a paid luggage storage facility near the P. Roma People Mover station and I guess you could leave your carry-on stuff at that facility. But the question is "will you take the risk on checking your valuables?"

 

As to the timing, assuming your flight arrives on time it could be 10:30 - 11:00 until you even arrive at the port. It takes time to get your luggage at the airport, get through immigration, and wait until your transfer actually leaves the airport. With a 5pm Departure you certainly should be back at the port by 3:30 since you would still need to check-in. At best you would only get a few hours...but that is certainly better then no hours :).

 

The best solution is to fly-in at least 1 day early and spend some quality time in this interesting city. But it sounds like you are already committed to a same day fly-in

 

Hank

[edinburgher]

As above, but there will also be a mandatory muster drill before you sail which you cannot miss, so you need to ask what time that will be held and allow for enough time to check-in and be at your muster station by the time it begins as a roll call is usually taken.

[wego21]

Thanks! Unfortunately travel plans are set and can't be changed. And as Hank said, a few hours is better than no hours, if everything actually goes as planned with travel. Just wanting to be prepared!

[mskaufman]

Following Hank's advice, when you get to the P. Roma you can take the Vaparetta down the Grand Canal. If I remember correctly there is a company that runs a boat from St. Mark's Sq back to the port (more research required with respect to timing and where to pick it up. That would be my plan for 3 - 4 hours.

[roothy123]

There may be something other than this, but if you want to go from the port (specifically the cruise ship) to St. Mark's, one way to do that is to take the Alilaguna boat from the port. Their website (Alilaguna.it, I think) may give you more information. Their boats are yellow, and there is a stop right at the port, although the port is large, so it may not be obvious exactly where you would need to go. Also, I believe the Alilaguna boat drops you off a little farther along the waterfront near St. Mark's than the regular ACTV vaporettos. However, as you approach St. Mark's, you won't miss St. Mark's, so when the boat docks, just get off and walk down the waterfront toward it. It will likely be a crowded but straight walk, passing the Bridge of Sighs and going over one or two other small bridges across small bodies of water along the way.

 

I didn't actually take the boat from the port, so I can't tell you more - like whether you purchase a ticket right there, or what. But perhaps someone else can, or you could look at tomsportguides, Venice for Visitors, Rome Took Kit or some other online guide for information.

 

Just be aware that the Alilaguna is a different water boat from the ACTV white city boats. You might be tempted to take another boat closer to St. Mark's back to the area around the port, but you would need an ACTV ticket. You'd also have to find your way from the Piazalle Roma water stop to the People Mover that takes you to the cruise ships, so in the end, I would just stick to Alilaguna. If you're there on a Sunday, check the hours of the People Mover, as I think it closes a little early, although not likely before you're required to be back on board the ship.

 

I found walking in Venice confusing, so based on that, I would suggest keeping your plans simple.

[hal2008]

Unless you venture into tiny sidelanes/alleys, it is almost impossible to get lost in Venice. Plenty of signs for station/st mark/rialto. AT any forl, there is no sign (unlikely) just follow the crowd.

 

Venice gets extremely crowded in summer and is full of bridges. So carrying ANY luggage with you will be pain. Also, while not as bad as rome, it is still full of pickpockets.

 

Arriving on the day of cruise (leaving only few hours between check-in and muster drill), you have already made conscious decision to not giving much importance to Venice. But if you must then Alig. boats from port is much safer option.

[ollienbertsmum]

And don’t forget to take into account that you may be feeling jet lagged. You may not want to do a lot of rushing around - you are on vacation so be kind to yourself.

 

 

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[Got2Cruise]

Don’t even know if this is possible so no haters please. Lol. Why not hire a private water taxi directly from the airport to give you a little tour around and then bring you to port. It might cost some $$ but it will be worth it and very enjoyable.

 

 

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[NancyW12]

If it hasn't changed recently, there's a luggage check at the train station at the grand canal that might serve as a halfway spot rather than all the way to the ship and then back out again.