Goodbye Venice

[Saab4444]

17 hours ago, LXA350 said:

Can't the ships continue to be docked in Venice and enter and exit the port from the other side without having to pass through the Canal?

No, there is no channel for big ships. To deepen the Laguna on this side was one of the original ideas but much too expensive. It should be cheaper and easier to move the cruise port to Marghera.

[Saab4444]

13 hours ago, Blizzard54 said:

Banning most ships from Venice has been in the works for several years.  They may have taken this opportunity to move the date up a year of two but it was already going to happen.

It is much cheaper to dock in Ravenna or Terragona or Ilmuiden instead of Venice, Barcelona or Amsterdam, it is as simple as that..Those ports also make special offers to get part of the business now. 

[crazyank]

3 minutes ago, Saab4444 said:

No, there is no channel for big ships. To deepen the Laguna on this side was one of the original ideas but much too expensive. It should be cheaper and easier to move the cruise port to Marghera.

Moving to Marghera is a strong possibility. There will need to be some infrastructure changes first, that may be the reason for the move to Ravenna for 2021.

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

It is much cheaper to dock in Ravenna or Terragona or Ilmuiden instead of Venice, Barcelona or Amsterdam, it is as simple as that..

It would be interesting to know if the port fee reductions, if any, are passed onto customers.

Edited June 28, 2020 by Biker19

[A&L_Ont]

57 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

It would be interesting to know if the port fee reductions, if any, are passed onto customers.

Maybe in the past, but not in today’s economy.

[Norwich Cruiser]

9 hours ago, crazyank said:

Moving to Marghera is a strong possibility. There will need to be some infrastructure changes first, that may be the reason for the move to Ravenna for 2021.

It’s only about 10 to 15 minutes by train or bus to central Venice from Marghera.

But you obviously lose the magical sailaway.

[pstone1]

11 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

It is much cheaper to dock in Ravenna or Terragona or Ilmuiden instead of Venice, Barcelona or Amsterdam, it is as simple as that..Those ports also make special offers to get part of the business now. 

That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I received the email from RCL announcing the Port change.  Simply a cost saving measure in both cases (Terragona and Venice).  Don’t plan to cancel the cruises we have now from Ravenna, but might change future planning decisions regarding Port or cruise line. 

[pstone1]

9 hours ago, Biker19 said:

It would be interesting to know if the port fee reductions, if any, are passed onto customers.

 

8 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Maybe in the past, but not in today’s economy.

I thought that was a very interesting question and decided to investigate.  Our 10/23/21 Rhapsody cruise booked in January with Venice as the Port of embarkation had taxes & fees of $188.72 on our original invoice.  If I booked the same cabin today, from Ravenna, the taxes and fees are $242.26, an increase of $53.54.  

[Roger88]

3 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

It’s only about 10 to 15 minutes by train or bus to central Venice from Marghera.

But you obviously lose the magical sailaway.

Its a bit longer than that. Train is about 20 minutes, the bus is like 40-50 minutes. I took both. Water transport is a bit faster and much more comfortable (10-15 minutes right to your hotel). A friend of mine even took a walk from the airport to Venice one time. Yeah,, poor Venice. I ve been there 5 times during all seasons. I am afraid it will be really closed for this year for sure. 

[Viajera7]

Pstone1 said:  “thought that was a very interesting question and decided to investigate.  Our 10/23/21 Rhapsody cruise booked in January with Venice as the Port of embarkation had taxes & fees of $188.72 on our original invoice.  If I booked the same cabin today, from Ravenna, the taxes and fees are $242.26, an increase of $53.54.  “
 

Are you talking about the taxes and fees for 1 or 2? I rebooked my cruise with my roommate this week and each one of us paid $125.67.

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, pstone1 said:

If I booked the same cabin today, from Ravenna, the taxes and fees are $242.26, an increase of $53.54.  

Just goes to show that you can't assume some port other than Venice is cheaper.

[Norwich Cruiser]

2 hours ago, Roger88 said:

Its a bit longer than that. Train is about 20 minutes, the bus is like 40-50 minutes. I took both. Water transport is a bit faster and much more comfortable (10-15 minutes right to your hotel). A friend of mine even took a walk from the airport to Venice one time. Yeah,, poor Venice. I ve been there 5 times during all seasons. I am afraid it will be really closed for this year for sure. 

2 hours ago, Roger88 said:

Its a bit longer than that. Train is about 20 minutes, the bus is like 40-50 minutes. I took both. Water transport is a bit faster and much more comfortable (10-15 minutes right to your hotel). A friend of mine even took a walk from the airport to Venice one time. Yeah,, poor Venice. I ve been there 5 times during all seasons. I am afraid it will be really closed for this year for sure. 

Well we’ve done the journey for work at various times of the day and evening from the garden city of Marghera to Venice and the return on numerous  occasions by bus and train and traffic permitting it is definitely about 10 to 15 minutes.
 

[Tom47]

We did a Venice to Athens 9 day cruise last Oct. on Azamara, owned by  RCI.  Ship had 680 pax.  Az honors RCI status up to Diamond.  I believe small ships are still allowed in Venice.   Prices are higher, but drinks included.  Cabins/showers are small.

Service is outstanding.

[pstone1]

2 hours ago, Viajera7 said:

Pstone1 said:  “thought that was a very interesting question and decided to investigate.  Our 10/23/21 Rhapsody cruise booked in January with Venice as the Port of embarkation had taxes & fees of $188.72 on our original invoice.  If I booked the same cabin today, from Ravenna, the taxes and fees are $242.26, an increase of $53.54.  “
 

Are you talking about the taxes and fees for 1 or 2? I rebooked my cruise with my roommate this week and each one of us paid $125.67.

Taxes for two.

[pstone1]

Here is the link to a video filmed by another passenger on our Vision Cruise when we were sailing out of Venice in 2018.  The protest was planned in advance and we were warned multiple times to be careful while off the ship and not wear anything that ID’d us as cruisers.  It was crazy!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYzKRxFTAJ4

 

[mpk]

4 hours ago, pstone1 said:

I thought that was a very interesting question and decided to investigate.  Our 10/23/21 Rhapsody cruise booked in January with Venice as the Port of embarkation had taxes & fees of $188.72 on our original invoice.  If I booked the same cabin today, from Ravenna, the taxes and fees are $242.26, an increase of $53.54.  

 

Perhaps to pay for the "free" shuttle?   🤔

[lr657]

13 hours ago, pstone1 said:

Here is the link to a video filmed by another passenger on our Vision Cruise when we were sailing out of Venice in 2018.  The protest was planned in advance and we were warned multiple times to be careful while off the ship and not wear anything that ID’d us as cruisers.  It was crazy!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYzKRxFTAJ4

 

 

I remember that. They were shooting flares at the ship. 

[bobmacliberty]

20 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

It’s only about 10 to 15 minutes by train or bus to central Venice from Marghera.

But you obviously lose the magical sailaway.

 

I'm not familiar with the Venice area so I had to look at Google Maps to see where Marghera is located.  Unless the ship can travel up the Lagoon to get to Marghera, wouldn't it still need to use the same channel that is used today when docking in Venice?  If they can cruise through the Lagoon to reach Marghera, couldn't they also cruise through the Lagoon and dock in Venice?  The Marghera port area looks pretty industrial.  Do cargo ships in and out of Marghera also use the same channel going past Venice?

[Norwich Cruiser]

14 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

I'm not familiar with the Venice area so I had to look at Google Maps to see where Marghera is located.  Unless the ship can travel up the Lagoon to get to Marghera, wouldn't it still need to use the same channel that is used today when docking in Venice?  If they can cruise through the Lagoon to reach Marghera, couldn't they also cruise through the Lagoon and dock in Venice?  The Marghera port area looks pretty industrial.  Do cargo ships in and out of Marghera also use the same channel going past Venice?

When cruise ships arrive in Venice it’s actually along the Giudecca Canal not the Grand Canal and you pass by the island of Giudecca which is extremely laid back has a nice promenade many restaurants and up market hotels in particular the Molino Stucky Hilton which has an extremely roof top bar swimming pool and fabulous views its just about directly opposite St Marks Square.
 

The cruise port is on the mainland and indeed an industrial one situated to the west of the Venice Santa Croce cruise ports.

 

There is no reason as to why passengers could not then be transported to Venice in small boats or coaches.
 

Not ideal I know.

 

From memory the route would be entering the Venetian lagoon directly from the Adriatic Sea southerly of the existing one that the cruise ships are presently using.

 

I’m pretty sure the MSC Opera collision of 2019 hasn’t helped the cruise lines causes.

[mpk]

1 hour ago, lr657 said:

I remember that. They were shooting flares at the ship. 

 

Flares are not toys- someone could be hurt.  Or worse, it could cause a ship fire.  Is the world going crazy nowadays?

 

I wonder if zero tourism has toned down their "flare up".

Edited June 29, 2020 by mpk

[lr657]

1 minute ago, mpk said:

 

Flares are not toys- someone could be hurt.  Or worse, it could cause a ship fire.  Is the world going crazy nowadays?

 

As you can see in the video the police boats and police jet skis were doing their best to stay between the ship and the protesters. If I remember correctly, the Captain also had crew outside near the fire hoses. 

[loman]

wow , sounds like a good to place to visit .

I know what i am doing , lol .

[mitz18]

Is it just the RCL portion of the group?  It seems Celebrity & Silversea still showing Venice as calls in 2021.....

[Milwaukee Eight]

Where the bigger ships causing damage?

 

M8

[lr657]

1 hour ago, mitz18 said:

Is it just the RCL portion of the group?  It seems Celebrity & Silversea still showing Venice as calls in 2021.....

 

Seems to be only Rhapsody for RCI. Vision still has the Venice overnights on their 2021 12 night Mediterranean cruises.