Venice Signature Experience

We are cruising out of Venice end of April 2018. We are treating ourselves to a Neptune suite for many reasons. It includes the signature experience for free. Has anyone done the Venice signature experience, if so how was it??

Also what hotels does HAL use in Venice, I hope we are close to the main areas like St Marks....

We booked the Bauer Hotel through HAL for a post cruise stay in Venice and were very pleased with it.

It is right on the Grand Canal and about a two minute stroll to St. Marks Square.

You can sit on the terrace and watch activity on the canal while you sip your drink.

Just go to google maps and do a search for the hotel and you will see how close it is.

My understanding is that these Signature Experiences are a new promotion for 2018 itineraries so I don't think anyone has experienced them yet.

In the past, HAL has used the Bonvecchiati Hotel, not far from St. Marks. EM

Notes on our Venice Signature Experience in Venice. Collect d baggage, put on cart, exited baggage area, met HA escort and walked 10 minutes to privat water taxi. Brought us to main harbor outside St Marks Square too get to our hotel, Concordia. Hauled bags across uneven surface thru th square about 2-300 yards. Escort not much help. Easy check in, friendly staff, nice room, HA help desk manned 9-6. A nice breakfast is included. We did not get any info in advance from our agent or HA about how we would be met or transported or anything about the Signature Experience. on second night at 5:30 we were transported by water taxi to house near Academia Bridge for wine and cheese and we are not sure that we met the Countess. People were arriving from different hotels and it was a production just to wait in the taxi until we could disembark. Nice house and garden. Return was schedule for 9, however we walked back to hotel. Men in sport coats and women dressy, requested attire was "elegant." Bags out by 8 this morning, transport to ship by water taxi 11 which is disappointing since once on board it is a hassle to return to Venice to walk around before we leave port. Also, make sure you list your flight info on HA online check in if you made your own travel arrangements. Our travel companions did not and had to purchase their own transport and probably will not be reimbursed. Interestingly, their water taxi dropped them only a few hundred feet from the Concordia Hotel. They flew in from Paris and were denied boarding by security, not Air France because their carry on bags were either too large or too heavy. They did not have time to go back and pay to check them. They were able to catch a later flight but it was costly with all the extra charges.