Venice - Boarding Options

[marving9999]

We are on the Ruby Princess - May 16. Boarding on the ship is allowed from noon on Saturday, the 16th. The ship departs Venice Sunday Morning, May 17 around 8 AM. We are flying into Venice on the 14th so we can spend a few days there. My question is:

 

How easy or difficult is it to get to the pier where the ship leaves from. We were initially thinking that on the 16th we would check out of our hotel and go to the ship with the luggage, board, checkin, and then leave the ship, and spend the rest of the day and/or evening in Venice.

 

The 2nd option is to check our bags at the hotel after we checkout, spend the day in Venice and then go to the ship when we are ready.

 

What have others done in that situation, I would like some advise as to which is the best way to do this. Which way is easiest and or cheapest.

 

All responses are appreciated. Thanks

 

Marvin & Judy

[sea-explorer]

In some ways you have struck lucky as there will be a free port shuttle serving the Costa & MSC ships to take you and/or your luggage from Piazzale Roma to the port on both of your dates. Anyone can use these shuttles but as the ships leave at 17.00 & 18.00 I suspect the shuttle will run until about 4pm.

 

Also, in Venice, you check your luggage (first) at a different building to ship's check-in so it would be perfectly possible to check in your luggage & then take the free shuttle back to Piazzale Roma, & check-in later if you wished.

 

Your other option is to leave it until later in the afternoon after spending the day in Venice, check in, have a meal onboard & then head out again in the evening. This may depend upon what you would want to do during the day & where your hotel is located. If you are staying near Piazzale Roma perhaps it would be easier to check in your luggage first, but if near St. Mark's & you will be in that area during the day, it may be better to leave your luggage at the hotel & pick it up later in the afternoon before heading to the ship as the journey along the Grand Canal will take about 30 minutes each way.

[nparmelee]

It will partly depend on what hotel you are staying at. We are staying at the Locanda Orseolo so we plan on checking out after breakfast and leaving our bags with the hotel and going out for more sites. We are meeting another couple back at the hotel at 4:00 and sharing a water taxi to our ship, checking in, getting settled a bit, then we'll head back into Venice for the evening. This lets us see more of the San Marco area before going to the ship and not really breaking up the middle of the day and lets us explore the others areas a bit as we wander from the ship.

[marving9999]

We are staying 5 minutes from Piazzale Roma and right on the Grand Canal. Thank you for the information on the shuttles. I had previously heard that the shuttles do not run when Princess ships are in port.

 

If we stayed in Venice past 4 PM, would we be able to get a regular taxi from Piazzale Roma to the ship or what would our other option be.

 

If we check in, we would want to board the ship and stow our carry on bags as well, so that might take some time.

 

I have to assume that the Hotel we are staying at, will allow us to check our bags for the day on Saturday, May 16.

 

Thanks

 

Marvin & Judy

[sea-explorer]

Shuttles are generally not available when Princess is in port, that is true, but Princess is not often in port at the weekends. :)

 

Info on the ships in port at Venice are here. There are always shuttles when Costa & MSC are in port as they perform 'home port' duties & therefore the port authoritities provide a free shuttle for them.

 

http://www.vtp.it/pages/calendario/ricerca.jsp

 

Yes, there will be taxis from Piazzale Roma. Other options are to either walk, or take the number 2 vaporetto to Tronchetto which is nearer to the port.

 

Map showing Tronchetto in relation to the port here.

 

http://www.vtp.it/pages/comeRaggiungerci/crociere.jsp?n=0

 

Finally, I believe there is also a bus (/6)? from Piazzale Roma to the port. Not sure how often it runs, sorry, as we used the shuttle.

 

Edit: Sorry, yes, I'm sure your hotel will allow you to leave your luggage. Ours did & I'm sure others will be the same. If in doubt give them a quick call or send them an email. (PS. If the Antiche Figure, I know they will. We didn't stay there but I'm sure I have read about others who have been able to leave luggage for the day.)

[thepriceisright]

Our family of 4 is booked for the Ruby Princess July 2-15, to celebrate our son's high school graduation.(2 boys 15 and 18) I would love any recommendations people have for ports or to meet others who will be on this trip. I am anxious to hear about the cruise once the ship is operating in the Mediterranean. THANKS!

[sea-explorer]

Our family of 4 is booked for the Ruby Princess July 2-15, to celebrate our son's high school graduation.(2 boys 15 and 18) I would love any recommendations people have for ports or to meet others who will be on this trip. I am anxious to hear about the cruise once the ship is operating in the Mediterranean. THANKS!

 

Hi,

There is a roll call for this sailing here where you will be able to talk to others who are travelling with you.

 

This link takes to to the first page and you can read through from there.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=813362

[kadey]

Hi Sparky1664!

We will be on the Costa Victoria on 6/6/09.Does Costa always provide the free shuttle from PR to pier or is there somewhere I can check the schedule to see if we have a free shuttle that day? Thanks! Kadey

[sea-explorer]

Ah kadey, you have caught me out a little there. :D

 

Theoretically if a Costa ship is in port which is just passing through & not using Venice as a boarding port for round trips, then no, there won't be a shuttle, but this happens very rarely & during off seasons when some of the ships are doing odd itineries before repositioning. So no, not necessarily always a shuttle when Costa is in port.

 

However, for your sailing there definately will be. In addition, MSC Poesia is also in port on that day doing round trips.

 

Sorry, the link I gave above seems to have 'timed out'. You can find the ships in port from this page here.

 

http://www.vtp.it/pages/calendario/calendarioFiltri.jsp?m=6&r=null

 

Just pop in your dates & press OK. (dates are day, month, year over here, but in your case it doesn't matter of course. :D)

[joan24]

It will partly depend on what hotel you are staying at. We are staying at the Locanda Orseolo so we plan on checking out after breakfast and leaving our bags with the hotel and going out for more sites. We are meeting another couple back at the hotel at 4:00 and sharing a water taxi to our ship, checking in, getting settled a bit, then we'll head back into Venice for the evening. This lets us see more of the San Marco area before going to the ship and not really breaking up the middle of the day and lets us explore the others areas a bit as we wander from the ship.

 

When will be at Locanda Orseolo? We're there from May 12 to May 15 for Insignia's Venice to Rome cruise. This will be our third stay at LO and can hardly wait to get there.

Joan

J

[nparmelee]

Joan24, we are a bit ahead of you, on the 5/2 Regatta Venice to Rome cruise. To the OP, since your hotel is right at P. Roma, it really depends for you on what else you are doing that day. I would likely try to leave the bags with the hotel as long as possible and then head to the ship, especially if you will be going to San Marco or Rialto for the morning. It all probably ends up being 6 of one or half a dozen of the other. Find a time frame that works for what you want to do that day. For our ship, we could board at 11:00, but would not be able to get to cabins until 1:00 or so, that means we'd waste time splitting our day up in the morning. For us anytime in the afternoon works, this just lets us concentrate on the areas near out hotel and then other Venice areas for the evening and the next day. Of course, the first morning after we board our ship is a Sunday so we may try to go to St. Mark's for mass the Sunday morning and blow that whole plan away...... Good thing we already bought our vaporetto passes so we can really come and go without thinking too much of it. Have fun whatever plan you go with.

[abouna]

We have the same situation on August 18th on the Ruby Princess and there is a Monet from Elegant Cruises leaving on the day we board. Will they have a shuttle from Piazza Roma too?

 

Otherwise, according to the above referenced website, the Ruby docks at 107 which is the first spot in the pier. With that in mind, it would be the shortest walk from Piazza Roma, but is it short enough (with luggage)?

[janchor]

Not really. I would take a taxi if there is no shuttle. You could walk it without luggage but I think it would be quite uncomfortable to haul your luggage all that way!!