Trieste and Venice?

[daleandrews]

We are booked on the November 1 through 19 Mediterranean cruise on Marina, our first cruise with Oceania.  The cruise was originally scheduled to have two days in Venice, though we were not surprised to see the port changed to Trieste given the present docking restrictions in Venice.  We have never visited Venice and were planning to book an all day tour through Oceania, a couple of which were offered (without prices) for the last few weeks.  I note that today prices have been posted for offered tours but now none of the Trieste tours presently listed are for excursions to Venice.  We have never seen Venice and would hate to miss it.  Query:  Have others on Oceania cruises visited Venice from Trieste on O-offered tours?  Is it likely that Oceania will add more tours as we get closer to our cruise dates?  I know we could book independently but Marina is currently scheduled to leave Trieste at 6:00 p.m. and I am a little worried about booking with a company other than Oceania at this port for fear of, err, "missing the boat."

[Flatbush Flyer]

19 minutes ago, daleandrews said:

We are booked on the November 1 through 19 Mediterranean cruise on Marina, our first cruise with Oceania.  The cruise was originally scheduled to have two days in Venice, though we were not surprised to see the port changed to Trieste given the present docking restrictions in Venice.  We have never visited Venice and were planning to book an all day tour through Oceania, a couple of which were offered (without prices) for the last few weeks.  I note that today prices have been posted for offered tours but now none of the Trieste tours presently listed are for excursions to Venice.  We have never seen Venice and would hate to miss it.  Query:  Have others on Oceania cruises visited Venice from Trieste on O-offered tours?  Is it likely that Oceania will add more tours as we get closer to our cruise dates?  I know we could book independently but Marina is currently scheduled to leave Trieste at 6:00 p.m. and I am a little worried about booking with a company other than Oceania at this port for fear of, err, "missing the boat."

Oceania will have, at least,  3 Venice tours from Trieste.

[ShopperfiendTO]

If you go here, you can see the tours that could be offered for that port (In the "Ports" drop-down tab, click, scroll down and select "Trieste"):

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/shore-excursions#shore-excursion-search

 

The Venice tours from Trieste are the last ones, TRI-008, -009 and -010.  Note however that these are likely going to be classified as "OS" (they are classified as such on our cruise, which has Trieste as a port), and so if they are OS for your cruise as well and you have O-Life and chose the excursions option, these would be not able to be selected as one of the free excursions. 

Edited April 7, 2022 by ShopperfiendTO

[Aloha 1]

You can always take Trenitalia from Trieste to Venice. 2 hour trip out and 2 hours back.

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, ShopperfiendTO said:

If you go here, you can see the tours that could be offered for that port (In the "Ports" drop-down tab, click, scroll down and select "Trieste"):

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/shore-excursions#shore-excursion-search

 

The Venice tours from Trieste are the last ones, TRI-008, -009 and -010.  Note however that these are likely going to be classified as "OS" (they are classified as such on our cruise, which has Trieste as a port), and so if they are OS for your cruise as well and you have O-Life and chose the excursions option, these would be not able to be selected as one of the free excursions. 

But, if you book enough ship tours to hit the minimum requirement for YWYW on your cruise (the O Life ones count toward that minimum!) those OS paid ones are 25% off.

[Robjame]

15 hours ago, Aloha 1 said:

You can always take Trenitalia from Trieste to Venice. 2 hour trip out and 2 hours back

This is the key - whether by car, taxi, bus, train - expect a two hour trip one way. This was a deal breaker for us.

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, Robjame said:

This is the key - whether by car, taxi, bus, train - expect a two hour trip one way. This was a deal breaker for us.

That’s public transportation. Expect to wear a mask!

[Benthayer Gonbak]

On 4/7/2022 at 5:43 PM, daleandrews said:

We are booked on the November 1 through 19 Mediterranean cruise on Marina, our first cruise with Oceania.  The cruise was originally scheduled to have two days in Venice, though we were not surprised to see the port changed to Trieste given the present docking restrictions in Venice.  We have never visited Venice and were planning to book an all day tour through Oceania, a couple of which were offered (without prices) for the last few weeks.  I note that today prices have been posted for offered tours but now none of the Trieste tours presently listed are for excursions to Venice.  We have never seen Venice and would hate to miss it.  Query:  Have others on Oceania cruises visited Venice from Trieste on O-offered tours?  Is it likely that Oceania will add more tours as we get closer to our cruise dates?  I know we could book independently but Marina is currently scheduled to leave Trieste at 6:00 p.m. and I am a little worried about booking with a company other than Oceania at this port for fear of, err, "missing the boat."

is your next port Ravenna?  That might allow you to stay overnight in Venice, but could also make a missed cruise more tolerable.   
 

We were originall supposed to end in Venice on another cruise line.  We were encouraged by our travel agents to explore Trieste as it was quite a nice place to explore.  But then, that was the end of the cruise so we could just add Venice afterwards. 

[su-arizona]

We are booked on a May criuse where our departure port was changed from Venice to Trieste.  We had already booked independent air and a three night stay in Venice.  We've been told that Oceania will provide transportation from the airport to Trieste on departure day.

 

Were I in your position, I would be furious that Oceania would require an OS tour to see Venice.  I'm sure Trieste is interesting, but I would not miss Venice, even though we have been there many times.  It is one of the most special of all the great cities in the world.  

 

After the port change, I had researched all the alternatives for Venice to Trieste.  Although trains are frequent, Italian trains are not the most reliable; and it's not very easy to get from the train station to Venice tourism sites.  Don't think you want to try an independent trip to Venice by train...  

  

I'm already very annoyed that Oceania will require us to take a Covid test in Venice before embarking when a test is no longer required to enter Italy.  But your situation is so much more annoying.  Oceania should offer a free tour to Venice for the inconvenience!

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, su-arizona said:

We are booked on a May criuse where our departure port was changed from Venice to Trieste.  We had already booked independent air and a three night stay in Venice.  We've been told that Oceania will provide transportation from the airport to Trieste on departure day.

 

Were I in your position, I would be furious that Oceania would require an OS tour to see Venice.  I'm sure Trieste is interesting, but I would not miss Venice, even though we have been there many times.  It is one of the most special of all the great cities in the world.  

 

After the port change, I had researched all the alternatives for Venice to Trieste.  Although trains are frequent, Italian trains are not the most reliable; and it's not very easy to get from the train station to Venice tourism sites.  Don't think you want to try an independent trip to Venice by train...  

  

I'm already very annoyed that Oceania will require us to take a Covid test in Venice before embarking when a test is no longer required to enter Italy.  But your situation is so much more annoying.  Oceania should offer a free tour to Venice for the inconvenience!

I understand your disappointment. But, your anger is misplaced. In fact, the world situation is such that your anger may even be unwarranted.

Oceania didn’t create the circumstances that have found them needing to reroute multiple 2022 cruises from Venice to Trieste (and Split). From Venice’s new attitude toward cruise ships to bolstered health (and safety) restrictions to the ensuing berthing/anchorage reassignment challenges (think “musical chairs”?) for local port authorities in the region, Oceania is in no position to say “No.”

 

We’re on an autumn O cruise that will now see Split and Trieste instead of Venice. Sadly in this case, “C’est la vie.” And, if anything, we are glad that O is adding some basic opportunities for folks to still use newly added ship tours to get to Venice if so desired. FWIW, read O’s T&Cs and Ticket Contract: They actually owe us nothing. The constant potential for port changes are part of the agreement and we’re seeing more of it now for all of the obvious reasons.

 

In fact, we did a short two week Caribbean cruise on Riviera this past January. Suffice to say, we aptly renamed it the “cruise to nowhere” for all of the obvious Covid related reasons. Again, “c’est la vie.” At lease we were able to go back to sea after a two year hiatus.

 

As for the pre-embarkation testing requirement, you should joint the vast majority of O regulars who understand the continuing importance of keeping Covid infected individuals off the ships. If you don’t want to take a test, don’t cruise. It’s a small price to pay for guarding public health. And, hopefully, you are fully vaccinated because, if you’re not, you’ve got a far bigger disappointment waiting for you.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

7 hours ago, su-arizona said:

We are booked on a May criuse where our departure port was changed from Venice to Trieste.  We had already booked independent air and a three night stay in Venice.  We've been told that Oceania will provide transportation from the airport to Trieste on departure day.

 

Were I in your position, I would be furious that Oceania would require an OS tour to see Venice.  I'm sure Trieste is interesting, but I would not miss Venice, even though we have been there many times.  It is one of the most special of all the great cities in the world.  

 

After the port change, I had researched all the alternatives for Venice to Trieste.  Although trains are frequent, Italian trains are not the most reliable; and it's not very easy to get from the train station to Venice tourism sites.  Don't think you want to try an independent trip to Venice by train...  

  

I'm already very annoyed that Oceania will require us to take a Covid test in Venice before embarking when a test is no longer required to enter Italy.  But your situation is so much more annoying.  Oceania should offer a free tour to Venice for the inconvenience!

While I probably wouldn’t use the trains to Venice, I don’t understand why you think it is difficult to get from the train station to the tourism sites.  The train station is across a bridge from where all land vehicles end.  From either place you can catch the water bus and get to most of the most popular sites.  We are meeting a couple, coming by car to Venice for a joint tour.  They’ve found another couple to share the 550 round trip car trip from Trieste. 
 

Unfortunately, the free COVId testing that was at the train station has closed.  That had been my plan even when Italy required testing.  I never expected cruise ships to stop requiring testing although I’d prefer that they were free at the port.  Apparently, some cruises are being offered complimentary tests at embarkation. 
 

COVID help Venice finally get the ship traffic reduced, they’d been trying for years, and when they had a chance to experience the difference it apparently became easier.  I don’t see how the larger ships had much of a choice but to change their port, to me they did the next best thing so that air travel etc wasn’t totally messed up. You can still dock in Venice it just has to be a smaller ship! 
 

We had a trip in 2020 that changed embarkation to a different country, but that still would put most in the terminal, for a connection, of the original port that supposedly was closed to outsiders.  As the year tells you it was cancelled so we didn’t have to inure out how to get to the next port!  And yes we all had tickets already.  Bussing would had been nightmarish as at the border everyone would have been required to change busses and walk through immigrations.  

[Robjame]

5 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I understand your disappointment. But, your anger is misplaced. In fact, the world situation is such that your anger may even be unwarranted

While I agree with you on this point, my disappointment with this booked cruise was the speed (lack of) that O took to announce this change. They advertised it as Venice for the longest time and we wanted to spend time in Venice, not a Balkan-like city.

Our TA warned us about O advertising Venice as a stop on itineraries (as did several in-the-know travellers on this forum). Said it would never happen. Four hours return spent in transportation was enough for us to cancel.

O knew that Venice was never possible.
 

[noelmarie]

We booked our cruise with an overnight in Venice long before the Venice port closure.   When that that announcement happened we realized our cruise may change.  About a month ago we got the notice.  I understand the necessity for the change.   I do think that charging OS prices for the

Venice tours out of Trieste is out of line.  Shame on Oceania for taking advantage of our known desire to see Venice.  They can, and should, be more accommodating to their very flexible passengers.

[RD64]

Trieste is hardly a “Balkan” like city. You may be pleasantly surprised - it is an Adriatic pearl. I say this from experience as I have been there numerous times - my relatives live there. Although it is not Venice, there is much to see from a tourist standpoint.

 

Did you know that Trieste has the largest piazza in Italy? And it overlooks the Adriatic. A warm July night sipping an Aperol Spritz in Piazza Unita at a quarter of the price of Venice and you may change your mind about this “Balkan” gem.

Why be a lemming? Spend a Sunday at the Castello di Miramare and spend some time touring the castle and the gardens. You just may be pleasantly surprised. I could go on, but believe me - Trieste and it’s hinterland are all Italian!!!!

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 hours ago, Robjame said:

While I agree with you on this point, my disappointment with this booked cruise was the speed (lack of) that O took to announce this change. They advertised it as Venice for the longest time and we wanted to spend time in Venice, not a Balkan-like city.

Our TA warned us about O advertising Venice as a stop on itineraries (as did several in-the-know travellers on this forum). Said it would never happen. Four hours return spent in transportation was enough for us to cancel.

O knew that Venice was never possible.
 

Azamara has also been advertising Venice cruises until a few weeks ago, when their arrangement to use Marghera was suddenly cancelled by the Italian authorities.  This is not the cruise lines' fault.

[RD64]

One more thing - go to Trieste during the first week of October when the Barcolana is held - a famous European boat race. If you are ever there at this time, this will completely change your idea of some Balkan Backwater that you read about.

[Robjame]

29 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Azamara has also been advertising Venice cruises until a few weeks ago, when their arrangement to use Marghera was suddenly cancelled by the Italian authorities

..and Royal Caribbean abandoned Venice in 2021 when in August, the decree to stop cruise ships from docking was upheld.

… and Costa Cruises has been changing from Venice to Trieste since 2020.

… and MSC announced, prior to 2020, that although they announced Venice as a stop they had no idea where they would be docking.

‘In 2020 the Italian government upheld the 2019 decree to ban cruise ships from Marghera

Azamara ships are half the gross tonnage so they may have hoped for special dispensation.

 

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/venice-cruise-ships-ban-2021/index.html   June 5 2021

 

 Numerous articles can be found summer of 2021, all reputable sources, announcing the ban. I cannot find one which counters that.

 

So although it is not O’s fault that the port has been closed, it is their responsibility to make alternate arrangements and announce them to its clients. We were scheduled on this cruise and there was much discussion about this topic and O’s not announcing alternate arrangements. Thanks to the knowledgeable people on Cruise Critic we were given the facts. Many, including us, cancelled. O would not even commit at that time to transport from Venice airport to Trieste for those of us who were not using O air. This cruise was last two days at Venice (Trieste) and I would wager many who did go on this cruise left the cruise that second last day.

 

I am a great supporter of Oceania and it is our chosen cruise line but this is a case when the obvious and only decision (no docking at Venice) was not announced. 

 

 

 

 

[Robjame]

1 hour ago, RD64 said:

this will completely change your idea of some Balkan Backwater that you read about.

Who said Balkan backwater? As far as Balkan Trieste is located on the Balkan Peninsula. It was annexed by Italy after the War. It still has the largest proportion of Slovenes. 
‘It is no Venice.

‘Trieste is often described as Italy’s least Italian city.

‘Lots to do there. Enjoy.

 

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/trieste-italy-what-to-do-miramare-piazza-unita-coffee-caffe-san-marco-beaches-216752

[Robjame]

Anyone considering Trieste as a destination or embarkation point might want to visit the Marina, March 19 - April 3 2022, Miami to Italy, 47 page roll call, Some discussion of air arrangements added to the roll call at the end of the cruise.

 

Due to cancellations she sailed with 350 passengers from Rome to Trieste. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Robjame said:

I am a great supporter of Oceania and it is our chosen cruise line but this is a case when the obvious and only decision (no docking at Venice) was not announced. 

I never expected Oceania or Azamara to be able to dock at Marittima or San Basilio as in the old days.  What I know is that Azamara was promised docking in Marghera/Fusina for 2022.  And some cruise ships have indeed been docking there.  Why Azamara's permission was suddenly revoked is not known, but they did have a deal.

[RD64]

2 hours ago, Robjame said:

Who said Balkan backwater? As far as Balkan Trieste is located on the Balkan Peninsula. It was annexed by Italy after the War. It still has the largest proportion of Slovenes. 
‘It is no Venice.

‘Trieste is often described as Italy’s least Italian city.

‘Lots to do there. Enjoy.

 

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/trieste-italy-what-to-do-miramare-piazza-unita-coffee-caffe-san-marco-beaches-216752

Granted it is no Venice - it is it’s own beautiful entity and just as Italian as any other city. It is a city where pure Italian is spoken, unlike the unintelligible mess that is Neapolitan Italian.

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by RD64
Spelling

[Mareblu]

On 4/10/2022 at 6:53 AM, RD64 said:

Trieste is hardly a “Balkan” like city. You may be pleasantly surprised - it is an Adriatic pearl. I say this from experience as I have been there numerous times - my relatives live there. Although it is not Venice, there is much to see from a tourist standpoint.

 

Did you know that Trieste has the largest piazza in Italy? And it overlooks the Adriatic. A warm July night sipping an Aperol Spritz in Piazza Unita at a quarter of the price of Venice and you may change your mind about this “Balkan” gem.

Why be a lemming? Spend a Sunday at the Castello di Miramare and spend some time touring the castle and the gardens. You just may be pleasantly surprised. I could go on, but believe me - Trieste and it’s hinterland are all Italian!!!!

 

Oh, so very true.  La Serenissima is unique, and I completely understand your disappointment, but Trieste is indeed a jewel.  The Miramare is really worth a visit.  My husband is also from that region, but a little more towards the alps...Friuli in fact.  Here's a suggestion:  Friuli's regional capital, Udine, is only an hour by car from Trieste.  It is steeped in history, and its many beautiful buildings and galleries are not to be missed.  Also, the shopping is sensational.  Check out a Google map, and be adventurous.

Linda

[KS&JW]

On 4/9/2022 at 4:36 PM, Robjame said:

Anyone considering Trieste as a destination or embarkation point might want to visit the Marina, March 19 - April 3 2022, Miami to Italy, 47 page roll call, Some discussion of air arrangements added to the roll call at the end of the cruise.

 

Due to cancellations she sailed with 350 passengers from Rome to Trieste. 

Currently on Marina, Not sure where you got your numbers but it was announced there are 668 passengers on the Rome to Trieste segment of this cruise. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

OK, this wildly Off Topic excursion was fun while it lasted, but as they say in some version of Italian:  Basta!

[Host Jazzbeau]

Back on topic:  here may be an explanation for why Azamara was forced to switch from Marghera to Ravenna at the last minute:

 

From a new article on SeaTrade Cruise News: "The provisional landing site at PSA Vecon container terminal permits cruise ships on all Saturdays and one Sunday of every month. Their passengers will be transferred from and to the VTP (or Venice Airport), amounting to 32 calls in 2022."

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ports-destinations/large-cruise-ships-make-comeback-venice-through-marghera

 

The Marghera industrial port is probably too busy during the week to allow cruise ships safely. My cruise was schedule to begin with an overnight Thursday to Friday.  Because Azamara doesn't do 7-night loops, they may have found that too many cruises fail to fit that tight weekend window.