Milan - Venice Cruisetour (5EB)

[cabo de hornos]

Looking for feedback on this Cruisetour that we've booked prior to our Millie Med cruise this November. Includes 2 days or so in Milan, half-day cruise on Lake Como, etc. and train ride to Venice. X hotel in Milan not known as yet.

 

Cabo

[cabo de hornos]

Just a bump to see if someone might have missed this. Would appreciate hearing from anyone who's taken or is planning to take this pre-cruise tour. Thanks.

 

Cabo

[JLDMED]

Haven't taken the tour, but have spent a lot of time in both Milan and Venice. They are quite a distance apart -- and Italian trains are not always on time...or in good repair. Is this a ship sponsored tour?

 

Venice was my favorite city in northern Italy. Be prepared to walk a lot , it's the best way to see the city. Also be prepared to get lost, it's a maze. Take a map of the city, and then when you've gotten sufficiently confused, show it to a shop owner and they will show you where you are. Don't miss St. Mark's Square, and go inside St. Marks. It is beautiful. Gondola rides are expensive at about $100 for an hour. Not worth it, IMHO. You can get anywhere (almost) by taking the vaporettos (water taxis). Not to be confused with individual boats for hire -- which are also expensive. You'll see the floating docks for the water taxis. It is a very cheap mode of transportation. Take a vaporetto out to the islands of Murano (venetian glass) and Burano (venetian lace). They are beautiful places. Shop, shop, shop -- buy a Ventian paper mache mask while you're there...cheap compared to buying it in a specialty shop here!!

 

In Milan. don't miss Leonardo di Vinci's "The Last Supper", in the refrectory of Santa Maria De la Grazzi church. Also the Galleria, and the La Scala Opera House. Of course, the Duomo is not to be missed. Take the stairs and go walk on the rooftop. What a gorgeous view of the city!

 

Have fun. I'm jealous.

[cabo de hornos]

Yes - it's an X tour package with the hotels, lake cruise, train and Venice transfers included (although we're arriving a day early in Milan with our own air, so that transfer to the hotel will be on our own).

 

How would you recommend getting from MXP to the hotel (don't know which one as yet, although X lists the Le Meridien Gallia near the Central Train Station and the Brunelleschi closer to the Doumo and Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel as "suggested or comparable" possibilities)?

 

Cabo

[Jack1]

We took this cruise tour last July before the Millie cruise. I couldn't find anyone who had taken this so we went into it blind. Small groups (less than 25) people in our group. Very well organized and great tour director. Email me with any other questions you might have. Faye

jdiacon@telusplanet.net

[cabo de hornos]

We'll be sure to drop you a note with any outstanding questions as we continue sifting through all of the guidebooks and maps, and find out more details from X. I can tell you that taking a "flyby" of these destinations using Google Earth adds quite a bit to the excitement - I prefer having some idea of what we'll be seeing, rather than total surprise. The Lake Como vicinity looks particularly stunning (without any fog of course).

 

Because we arrive a day early, we'll have a chance to rest up, and if everything works out we may be able to purchase tickets in July for a Tuesday matinee of Don Giovanni at La Scala, which appears to be during an "at your leisure" segment of the first day's tour anyway.

 

Good to hear about the tour organization/director. We also found this to be the case on X's 3-day excursion to Cuzco/Machu Picchu in March '04 - a truly memorable experience.

 

JLDMED - Thanks again for your suggestions. I've seen posts cautioning visitors to Murano re: the glassware tourist traps. I believe our pre-cruise segment in Venice (1 night in a hotel TBD prior to the embarkation night on the Millie) includes a trip to Burano, however.

 

Cabo

[JLDMED]

Yep, there are lots of very high priced glassware tours to Murano. We took one, but it was free -- and very interesting. The tour ends in the show room , of course, where all prices are explosive. We did not buy anything though, so if you are interested, GO, and just say no! I bought a piece of glassware back in Venice, at a fraction of the cost. IT was identical to a piece I had seen on the island.

 

Regarding your hotel question, I think I would stay near the duomo if I could. We walked all over the city from there. If you don't mind walking, it is not too far. We walked to all the sites I mentioned in my previous post, and more. It is pretty central, and there is an underground stop right there at the duomo. I can't remember the stop, but they'll tell you. When you get off the train at the main station, go to the tourist office (ask) and they will be able to give you a city map and mark all your points of interest. They will even mark your underground stops, too. Buy a pocket guide to the system too, it will help. We navigated very easily.

 

One warning -- eating in Italy is a very leisurely process. Don't be in a hurry to get somewhere, or you'll be sad. If you are in a hurry -- buckle under and go to McDonalds or Burger King. It's the only way you'll get out fast.

 

You will want to get tickets for an english tour of the Last Supper ahead of time -- they sell out. We called and ordered them by phone. I would do this as soon as you know the date you'll be in Milan. You do not need to leave a credit card number, just a reservation number. Be sure you specify english. If the english tour is sold out for your date and time, you can get a headset. I have done it both ways -- and both are good. I think the tour is now 14 euros. Phone number: [+39] 02 89421146 (+39 is Italy's country code for phone calls). There is also a tour company site where you can order them by credit card and have the confirmation sent by email, but it costs more - 18 euros, I think. Website: http://www.initaly.com/regions/artists/lastsupp.htm We walked to the church from the Duomo, but it is about a 30 minute leisurely walk. There is an underground stop that can get you closer, but I can't remember which stop. Again -- the tourist office at the train station -- or I am sure your hotel can also help. The church is Santa Marie delle Grazie. I had the spelling wrong before. Not to be missed! Skip the Leoonardo di Vinci museum nearby though, it is all in Italian, and pretty boring, I thought. If I could have read something in english, it would have been better. I didn't know what I was looking at.

 

Lake Como is also very nice. George Clooney owns a house on the shores of Lake Como, and the house where they filmed part of the Star Wars Attack of the Clones is also there. Villa del Balbianello was "Princess Amidalla's (sp?) home. If they make a stop in Bellagio -- GET OFF and enjoy. It is a gorgeous little village right on the lake shore. We bought a beautiful hand carved nativity there.

 

Anyway -- I'll get off my travel guide soap box for today -- let me know how it all goes. Like I said, I'm jealous!

[cabo de hornos]

The only side trip on X's web site for the Cruisetour, at Lake Como in addition to the half-day cruise as of now, is the Villa Carlotta ("inside"). Guess you have to close your eyes while your outside? But we'll research the possibilities of seeing Hollywood Italian style, as you suggest.

 

I suspect we'll have a fair amount of time for meals (some of which are included in the tour package), so we'll take your advice to heart.

 

Thanks much.

 

Cabo

[jerseyblue]

Hi Cabo,

We did this cruise tour before our 9/7/05 sailing on the Milie. We enjoyed it very, very much. Our cruise director, Marta was excellent. Celebrity did a nice job the way they organized it. I'm sure it is probably still the same. The hotel we stayed in was near the train station and it was fine. As previous posts said "The Last Supper" was worth seeing. We bought tickets in advance since it was not part of the cruise tour. Lake Como was so beautiful and worth the price. Spent the afternoon in Bellagio with the tour on you own. It was a great place to see. The train to Vencie was fine. The tour in Venice was Doges Palace and the Cathedral San Marco. The hotel in Venice was Hotel Bellini (http://www.bosoclohotels.com). It was very nice near the train station. The tour included dinner in Venice with the group. It was really fun and nice. Our group was about 15 or so. We didn't know anyone just took a chance on this and were very happy we did. Any specific questions, let me know.

Have fun it's a great cruise and tour. I would do it again in a minute.

[cabo de hornos]

Thanks Jerseyblue for scrolling down and finding this thread.

 

Tried posting earlier today, but it apparently did not go through. This gave me the opportunity to check out the Bellini on TripAdvisor site. Mostly good reviews, cautioning one to request newer rooms on lower floors - not in the "attic". Seems to be situated well in regard to some of the sites, and doesn't appear to be that far from the embarkation point.

 

By any chance was the Milan hotel the Le Meridien Excelsior Gallia? It's posted as one of the potential hotels on the X site, and it is not far from the central train station, which makes sense given the itinerary.

 

We'll be sure to contact y'all as we pull more of our questions together. Glad to hear that you enjoyed this portion of the tour.

 

Cabo

[jerseyblue]

Cabo,

The hotel we stayed in was the LeMeridien Gallia. It's across the street from the train station. It's a really nice hotel. The only slight downside was that it was a little noisy at night. Our room faced the street/station. There's a lot of traffic going into that train station and it's very busy with people. Late into the night they sounded rowdy out there, but I was so tired from traveling, I fell easily back to sleep. The stay was only two nights then you walk across the street and get the train to Venice.

A primary reason why we choose to do this pre cruise tour was because we wanted to see more of Italy and Lake Como. This was our first time here and we didn't want to stress ourselves out by driving and trying to figure things out on our own. Buona Fortuna,(Good Luck) I'll try to check back in the future if you have any questions. Jerseyblue