CURRENT info on Venice

We will be cruising in June. DW will be using a manual chair off-ship - basically cannot take more than a couple of steps and cannot do stairs at all. We have previously been to Venice (not on cruises) and have visited all the "usual suspects". What we'd like to do this time is quite simple: if the weather permits, take the vaporetto down the Grand Canal to the area of Bridge of Sighs, and in that area have a leisurely lunch and do some strolling along (that's euphemism for "shopping" I think LOL).

What I'd like to know is the mechanics of getting from the pier where the ship (Emerald Princess, if that makes a difference) will dock to the vaporetto terminal. On our first visit, I had a detail or two wrong which led to a difficult situation.

Can anyone familiar with current conditions lay out for us what is involved in getting from the ship to the vaporetto terminal? Unfortunately, I am no longer the great "pusher" I once was, and I feel that trying to do this with her full size scooter would not be advisable.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Shalom, Andy

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/venice-cruise-terminal-where-it-is-how-to-get-there.html

Unfortunately the Venice schedule this year does not list the pier where each ship is expected to dock...But in the past, Princess has most often docked where the Royal Caribbean ship is in the photo, in front of the ANEK Lines ferry. From there, you need to get to the People Mover ( elevator available) and take it to Piazzale Roma. Then maneuver your way across to the dock for the vaporetto. If I remember rightly, there is a ramp to get down to that level. EM

Thanks for the picture... it's a starter. May I ask what a "people mover" is? Never heard the term in any other context except the Times Square area in NYC, where it is merely an urban planner's pipe dream. Is it lie what's called an LRV these days, or like a flat escalator? And where does one find it?

Shalom, Andy.

The People Mover is an elevated railway that goes from Piazzale Roma to the Tronchetto - that artificial island west of the port that is nothing but a big parking garage. There are only three stops, and the middle one is the port. It costs one euro per person.

I'm hoping this site comes through with the view of the port. It's from Google Earth via Marine Traffic. Above the port, you can see two bare areas, one you can see is being used as a parking lot. Between them is a rectangular gray roof. that's the People Mover station for the port. The route ends in a building at Piazzale Roma that has cars parked on top.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/home EM

We cruised out of Venice in October 2012 on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. My DH has difficulty walking any distances, especially ramps.

We checked in at the desk in the terminal. There were no wheel chairs available to assist in boarding.

We were told it wasn't far to the ship, but we had to walk down several flights of stairs to get to the bus that drove us to the ship.

If it had not been raining, there would have been no bus and we would have had to walk quite a long distance with hand baggage.

Since the ship was over-nighting in Venice, we set off sightseeing the next day. It was a long walk for DH to the People Mover, a monorail type conveyance that will take you very shortly to the Vaperetto.

We did see a shuttle bus with the name of our ship on it, but when we asked we were told that it was not available. Later we found out that it was and we could have and would have paid for it.

I don't want to burst your bubble, but in our opinion, Venice is not a friendly port for those with mobility issues.

When we came home we wrote to the cruise line suggesting that when people file special needs forms because they have mobility issues, the cruise line should suggest another port.

I had a different experience in Venice. If you google "Accessible Venice" you will get one site with suggestions for routes which can be used by those with mobility problems. You can print maps that show these routes. I use a scooter and using the maps I found I could go where I wanted. I would not have been happy to have been cautioned about going to Venice by the cruise line. In fact we are going back this summer and expect to have another good experience.

I had a different experience in Venice. If you google "Accessible Venice" you will get one site with suggestions for routes which can be used by those with mobility problems. You can print maps that show these routes. I use a scooter and using the maps I found I could go where I wanted. I would not have been happy to have been cautioned about going to Venice by the cruise line. In fact we are going back this summer and expect to have another good experience.

I had information from Accessible Venice for touring in the city. I was addressing the port area only. If one can't walk down several flights of stairs to get to the ship, it's not mobility friendly. There is no elevator in the terminal.

I had information from Accessible Venice for touring in the city. I was addressing the port area only. If one can't walk down several flights of stairs to get to the ship, it's not mobility friendly. There is no elevator in the terminal.

We have docked two places in Venice, and never had to walk down to get to the ship, nor take a bus. Which terminal were you at? EM

We have docked two places in Venice, and never had to walk down to get to the ship, nor take a bus. Which terminal were you at? EM

I don't know the name of the terminal. We were the only cruise ship there. It was Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas.

There were no wheel chairs and we had to walk down several flights of stairs. The only reason, they told us, that there was a bus was because it was raining. The walk would have devastated my DH if there had been no bus.

Thanks for the picture... it's a starter. May I ask what a "people mover" is? Never heard the term in any other context except the Times Square area in NYC, where it is merely an urban planner's pipe dream. Is it lie what's called an LRV these days, or like a flat escalator? And where does one find it?

 

Shalom, Andy.

Andy, we did Venice last year and used the Vaporetto down the grand canal to St Marks, and it was exceptionally easy, just remember to reverse the wheelchair on and off the water bus, its much easier and safer.

Check this site for info on the people mover

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-people-mover.htm

We were on P&O and they provided an accessible shuttle bus to Tronchetto, which is where the people mover starts from, and we found this stop was much quieter than Piazzala Roma. So if Princess don't offer a shuttle I would take the people mover to and from Tronchetto.

The ticket office staff at Tronchetto spoke excellent English and will sort you out with tickets, a wheelchair user price is much lower than normal and you as the carer travel free. The Vaporetto you want does a circular trip so ensure you ask the ticket office to point you to the correct jetty for the Grand canal.

terrierjohn,

I have a question about Tronchetto. When I was in Venice last month, I wondered if it would be better from the ship to take the People Mover to the Tronchetto station & board from there (the vaporettos were so crowded). I picked up a local booklet from a hotel and noticed some vaporetto options that looked feasible, but with limited time didn't want to risk it.

From what you're saying, it seems like Tronchetto might be easier to get to & from San Marco than P Roma? I'm curious for next time. Thoughts?

terrierjohn,

I have a question about Tronchetto. When I was in Venice last month, I wondered if it would be better from the ship to take the People Mover to the Tronchetto station & board from there (the vaporettos were so crowded). I picked up a local booklet from a hotel and noticed some vaporetto options that looked feasible, but with limited time didn't want to risk it.

 

From what you're saying, it seems like Tronchetto might be easier to get to & from San Marco than P Roma? I'm curious for next time. Thoughts?

As you will have noted from my post we did not take the people mover to Tronchetto from Maritima, but I imagine it is just as easy as going to P Roma, again not certain where the people mover stops but I guess Google maps will show you.

Once at Tronchetto it is easy to book and board the vaporetto that goes down the grand canal to San Marco and the ticket office staff will point out which jetty to use, and as you comment the Tronchetto vaporetto stop is far less crowded than it is at P Roma.