Rare 81Zoomie Posted Wednesday at 06:20 PM #1 Share Posted Wednesday at 06:20 PM (edited) It’s that time again, and away we go! We are currently nestled in an ABNB in the San Toma section of Venice. First, how did we decide on this cruise? We were booked on a HAL TA on Rotterdam in Oct and decided that after flying ✈️ all the way to Europe, we didn’t just want to simply jump on a ship and sail home. After some cruise ‘surfing’ we decided this itinerary was a great option. It allows us to spend 3 days in Venice before the cruise and 3 days in Rome after. Then we will fly to AMS and catch our TA back to Port Everglades. We booked our US to Europe air with HAL because they had a better deal than Celebrity or direct with the airlines. Our Delta flights were on time and uneventful. The weather in Venice has been beautiful ☀️🕶️🌞! We have utilized a host of public transport to include the vaporetto, large gondolas, and busses. It’s quite easy to get around to explore the small cafes, bars, alleys, sights, and other islands. The food has been very good! What can I say, the wine 🍷 costs about the same as water 💦!!! Packing was a bit of a challenge because we are experiencing some warm weather, and then some cooler temps when we head up north. We met our goal of one checked bag 🧳 and one backpack 🎒 a piece. This was in anticipation of the bridges, trains, busses, and steps. Our bags weighed in at 43 and 46 pounds. Wheeling them through Venice was doable, but I would go smaller and lighter if we do this again. We have 31 steps up to our apt here, after many blocks of cobblestones, and steps on the bridges. I have always envisioned sailing through the grand canal on a cruise ship. Unfortunately, this is no longer possible on the larger ships. We will be taking the Celebrity transfer from Venice City Center/Tronchetto People Mover to Ravenna 🚍 on Friday. I will report on how that works. Our plan is to take the Vaporetto ⛴️ to Tronchetto because it avoids the bridges, steps, and the uneven surfaces. Until then, here are a few pics of our adventures so far! Edited Wednesday at 06:22 PM by 81Zoomie 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Galaxy2004 Posted Wednesday at 08:40 PM #2 Share Posted Wednesday at 08:40 PM Thanks for inviting us along! Constellation was our favorite ship for many years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chemmo Posted Wednesday at 08:47 PM #3 Share Posted Wednesday at 08:47 PM Soooooo looking forward to following… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted Wednesday at 10:33 PM #4 Share Posted Wednesday at 10:33 PM Hope you have a wonderful cruise and thank you for bringing us along. I did the opposite itinerary (Rome to Ravenna) in June and had a fantastic cruise. Enjoy! 🛳️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Stem to Stern Posted Wednesday at 11:17 PM #5 Share Posted Wednesday at 11:17 PM Great start including the pics! I am guessing the ducks aren’t Murano glass.😂😂😂 Love love love Venice! Spent 5 nights pre-cruise in the San Polo neighborhood, but could have spent 5 more easily. We had a pretty doable walk to Tronchetto. The ramps over the bridges helped. What a wonderful itinerary, too! Enjoy your cruise. Will follow you over to Rotterdam as I am HAL curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 81Zoomie Posted Thursday at 02:50 PM Author #6 Share Posted Thursday at 02:50 PM (edited) Let’s talk about one of the most important things…. Getting to the ship 🚢. We purchased transfers from the Venice City Center/Tronchetto to Ravenna. Like so many others, the paperwork from Celebrity was hard to find, and it was not entirely clear. (Please note that your departure time might be different.) Today was a rather unstructured day for us, so we decided to dry run our route and method to the bus meeting point tomorrow. We are staying in the San Toma area. It’s about a 15-20 min walk for us to Piazzale Roma where the public busses and People Mover are located. Our preference is to minimize the walk with luggage. This morning, we took the Vaporetto from the San Toma stop to Tronchetto Mercato. The key regardless of where you get on, is to get off at Troncetto Mercato. (Keep in mind the morning departure puts us in the Venetian commute time. The Vaporetto was fairly crowded and the canals looked like I-95!) The Tronchetto Mercato stop put us very close to the end of the People Mover where the private bus company/charter busses 🚌 park. There were busses parked to the left and the right. The sidewalk is smooth 👍. I expect it to be easy to find a Celebrity X Cruises sign. The trip took us 40 minutes from our apt to the bottom of the People Mover at Troncetto. Your timing will vary based on location. If you are close to Piazzale Roma, you can take the People Mover over to Tronchetto and arrive at the point I described. Think of the People Mover as a train at the MCO, ATL, DTW airport. The entrance to the People Mover is at the bottom of the white parking garage. It cost a couple of 1.50€. If you have a Vaporetto ⛴️ pass it is included! Since logistics is everything… - The are bathrooms at the end of the People Mover where the busses will be waiting. Cost is 1€. - There is also a small coffee shop store with some food. - And, what would Venice be without a few souvenir shops 😆 We feel a lot more comfortable after our dry run this morning. Hope these pics and experience is helpful to others. Edited Thursday at 03:00 PM by 81Zoomie 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 81Zoomie Posted Thursday at 03:22 PM Author #7 Share Posted Thursday at 03:22 PM What we left behind…. When you live in Florida, and other coastal areas in Hurricane season you never know what to expect. Flying in to your cruise departure port early is always usually a good call. Equally important is securing your home prior to departure. For all those affected by Helene, our thoughts are with you. Stay safe! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanjean80 Posted Thursday at 06:28 PM #8 Share Posted Thursday at 06:28 PM Thanks for this! I'm doing the same trip leaving October 18, and was curious about the location of the shuttle to Ravenna, very helpful! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcmagnum Posted Thursday at 06:33 PM #9 Share Posted Thursday at 06:33 PM On 9/25/2024 at 2:20 PM, 81Zoomie said: It’s that time again, and away we go! We are currently nestled in an ABNB in the San Toma section of Venice. First, how did we decide on this cruise? We were booked on a HAL TA on Rotterdam in Oct and decided that after flying ✈️ all the way to Europe, we didn’t just want to simply jump on a ship and sail home. After some cruise ‘surfing’ we decided this itinerary was a great option. It allows us to spend 3 days in Venice before the cruise and 3 days in Rome after. Then we will fly to AMS and catch our TA back to Port Everglades. We booked our US to Europe air with HAL because they had a better deal than Celebrity or direct with the airlines. Our Delta flights were on time and uneventful. The weather in Venice has been beautiful ☀️🕶️🌞! We have utilized a host of public transport to include the vaporetto, large gondolas, and busses. It’s quite easy to get around to explore the small cafes, bars, alleys, sights, and other islands. The food has been very good! What can I say, the wine 🍷 costs about the same as water 💦!!! Packing was a bit of a challenge because we are experiencing some warm weather, and then some cooler temps when we head up north. We met our goal of one checked bag 🧳 and one backpack 🎒 a piece. This was in anticipation of the bridges, trains, busses, and steps. Our bags weighed in at 43 and 46 pounds. Wheeling them through Venice was doable, but I would go smaller and lighter if we do this again. We have 31 steps up to our apt here, after many blocks of cobblestones, and steps on the bridges. I have always envisioned sailing through the grand canal on a cruise ship. Unfortunately, this is no longer possible on the larger ships. We will be taking the Celebrity transfer from Venice City Center/Tronchetto People Mover to Ravenna 🚍 on Friday. I will report on how that works. Our plan is to take the Vaporetto ⛴️ to Tronchetto because it avoids the bridges, steps, and the uneven surfaces. Until then, here are a few pics of our adventures so far! Have an amazing trip!! Your pictures bring back such great memories. Our first trip to Europe was on the Connie on the same cruise but it was back when cruise ships were allowed to leave from Venice. Enjoy the ship - we love her!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut head Posted Thursday at 06:39 PM #10 Share Posted Thursday at 06:39 PM Thank you for taking us along! Hoping that you have a wonderful time and enjoy every minute. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 81Zoomie Posted Thursday at 06:59 PM Author #11 Share Posted Thursday at 06:59 PM 30 minutes ago, meanjean80 said: Thanks for this! I'm doing the same trip leaving October 18, and was curious about the location of the shuttle to Ravenna, very helpful! Glad it was helpful! Enjoy your cruise 🛳️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hcat Posted Thursday at 08:01 PM #12 Share Posted Thursday at 08:01 PM Very nice start. We can't wait for the pics and updates re Connie.. Hurricane Helene is working its way up the Fl coast.. scary. Luckily our place in Venice is shuttered ..and we are not there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisclaire Posted Thursday at 09:28 PM #13 Share Posted Thursday at 09:28 PM 2 hours ago, tcmagnum said: Have an amazing trip!! Your pictures bring back such great memories. Our first trip to Europe was on the Connie on the same cruise but it was back when cruise ships were allowed to leave from Venice. Enjoy the ship - we love her!! Same for us! Such happy memories of our 1st cruise. Sailed out of Venice on Connie & I must say I shed a few tears, it was magical & I feel very privileged to have experienced that. Your photos are fab, love Burano, so pretty! And those ducks 😃😃😃 I'll look forward to your posts. Thanks! Will leave you with photo's you'll probably never see again........ 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraderSam Posted Thursday at 10:30 PM #14 Share Posted Thursday at 10:30 PM @81ZoomieI'm absolutely thrilled that you are doing this report as we leave for Rome next week and board Connie as you disembark. I shall be following along with great enthusiasm. Thank you for taking the time to include us all in your adventure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Altamar Posted Thursday at 10:51 PM #15 Share Posted Thursday at 10:51 PM Enjoy the cruise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 81Zoomie Posted Friday at 05:16 AM Author #16 Share Posted Friday at 05:16 AM (edited) Our ABNB host made a recommendation to take a Vaporetto ride at night 🎆. It was a GREAT suggestion! The canals were less chaotic and it was very serene! The lights were beautiful and we got a different perspective of the buildings. Definitely second this recommendation as a cost effective way to see the lights of Venice 🥰. We have had a wonderful stay in Venice. Highly advise to spend a few days here before or after a Mediterranean cruise. It’s a magical place ❤️. We are up early this morning to button up our suitcases🧳🧳, make our way to the bus 🚍, and board the Connie 🚢. Arriverderci Venezia 🎭, until next time… Edited Friday at 05:18 AM by 81Zoomie 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare villauk Posted Friday at 07:02 AM #17 Share Posted Friday at 07:02 AM Looking forward to reading about Connie as we’ve not been on her for many years but have a sailing booked for next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrgabriel Posted Friday at 08:38 AM #18 Share Posted Friday at 08:38 AM We are on the same cruise! Currently in the waiting room prior to boarding. (Not in the Retreat, they allowed everyone to come in and check in.) We stayed in a lovely little BNB in Ravenna last night and then just a 20 minute shuttle to the terminal. We were last on Connie in 2016 so it will be interesting to see how much it has changed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Chrissi3010 Posted Friday at 10:51 AM #19 Share Posted Friday at 10:51 AM I love the Constellation, too. We had the best cruises on her. One in 2016 out of Venice...we were priveleged to have that view: 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijscheer Posted Friday at 05:31 PM #20 Share Posted Friday at 05:31 PM On 9/25/2024 at 2:20 PM, 81Zoomie said: I have always envisioned sailing through the grand canal on a cruise ship. Unfortunately, this is no longer possible on the larger ships. Surely you know that this is/was/never has been possible. Loved the views of the Grand Canal at night. They brought back memories of out three pre-cruise stays in Venice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijscheer Posted Friday at 05:39 PM #21 Share Posted Friday at 05:39 PM 6 hours ago, Chrissi3010 said: I love the Constellation, too. We had the best cruises on her. One in 2016 out of Venice...we were priveleged to have that view: I love these views. In 2013, we did a pre-cruise stay at a VRBO adjacent to the Molino Stuckey on Giudecca; feasted our eyes on this view for three days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Aurora Posted Friday at 06:05 PM #22 Share Posted Friday at 06:05 PM I also will be following! We will board the Constellation on October 28th for a B2B. We were last on her the fall of 2019 for a B2B2B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Scottishclover Posted yesterday at 06:45 AM #23 Share Posted yesterday at 06:45 AM Fantastic photos from your vaporetto ride at night. I will keep that tip in mind for the next time we are in Venice. Looking forward to reading the rest of your review. Enjoy your cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare villauk Posted 23 hours ago #24 Share Posted 23 hours ago 17 hours ago, Northern Aurora said: I also will be following! We will board the Constellation on October 28th for a B2B. We were last on her the fall of 2019 for a B2B2B. We are on that sailing and I imagine a good proportion of the ship will be on a B2B as the TA follows our cruise - unfortunately not for us. We were last on her in 2016, so are interested to see how the years have treated her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 81Zoomie Posted 21 hours ago Author #25 Share Posted 21 hours ago Transfer from Tronchetto to Ravenna In the military the thought process is that the ‘plan’ usually does not survive first contact with the enemy. Well…. In this case, the Vaporetto water bus system. We left our ABNB at 9:20, ten minutes earlier than our predetermined go time and walked 5 minutes to the Vaporetto ⛴️ stop. When we got there, the electronic schedule showed no #2 “busses” running. Those are the ones that are somewhat of an express and go the Tronchetto Mercato 😬. On to plan B, take the #1 to Piazelle Roma, walk across the plaza to the People Mover, and then arrive at the Tronchetto meeting point. The #1 was a bit crowded and stopped at every stop. It was slow, but reliable. The People Mover 🚊 is easy, and had an elevator and escalator to get up to the tracks. The instructions were to arrive at 10:30 for an 11:00 transfer. We finally arrived at Tronchetto at 10:20. We arrived to find hundreds of Celebrity passengers in 2 lines that snaked in opposite directions around the circular bus parking lot 🅿️. Fortunately, the weather was cool and a bit cloudy. There is no place to sit and no cover. Rain and/or extreme heat would have really changed the dynamic. We waited, and waited. Finally, at 11:15 the lines began to move and we boarded the busses in the other parking lot. A bit more 🧳🧳 dragging. I saw no porters or wheel chair assistants. If you are mobility challenged, this is probably not a good option. Our bus, one of 8 🚍, finally departed at 11:30. Good news is that the A/C worked well, and it was only about 70% full. The road south was 2 lanes without passing zones. Speed limit was 70 km/hr and drops through the small towns. This is why it takes so long to go 130 km from Venice to Ravenna. We drove by Choggia at the 1 hour point. Azamara sails from Choggia. After 2 hours we stopped for a bio break and had the opportunity to get some food. The bathrooms were .50€ or $1, and were more on the rustic side. The toilets were a mix of styles. The prepared food sanitary conditions (lots of 🪰🪰🪰) were not overly encouraging, so I opted for a banana. We then drove for about another hour to get to the port. Celebrity could not have found a more out of the way location. It is a fairly remote and very industrial port. Upon arrival at 2:45, we were told to sit tight. At 14:55 we were allowed to disembark. The bus did not pull up to where the baggage handlers were located. So, another 50-100 yard bag drag. Then passports, boarding passes, and security. We were surprised that the facility was a giant white tent. Once again, we had nice weather conditions. Heat and rain would really make this uncomfortable. This is the Retreat Lounge. The boarding process was relatively quick and we received our luggage by 4:00 pm. On board 🚢!!! However, it was a long day (essentially 5 hrs from when we arrived at Tronchetto to set foot on the ship, 10:15 - 3:15). We would make different arrangements next time, YMMV. From the distance, Connie appears to be in very good condition. First impressions are lasting ones…. She looks great 👍. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now