Can someone help me understand the disembarkation in Venice?

Hello

We are on the Crown Princess disembarking in Venice on Sept 21, 2012 after sitting in port all night. Can someone who has recently done this sailing with Princess explain to me how they disembark the ship after being in port all night?

1) Is it self disembarkation after sitting there all night, and you just leave the ship when you need to. (We have a 6:50am flight, and I have prearranged a taxi for 3:30am)

2) Do they give you luggage tags and call the colored tags the morning of disembarkation for people with later flights and do not need to get off ASAP. (we have friends who do not have early morning flights)

3) Since the ship does not leaves the EU do you have to clear customs?

Any help with this for a better understanding on how this process works would be wonderful and greatly appreciated!

thanks in advance!

Shelley

I don't think you clear Customs until you're back in the US or Canada or whatever country you fly to that's outside the EU. Keep in mind that you'll have to do this at your first airport of entry, even if you're continuing on. At least in the US, you have to pick up your checked luggage and re-check it if you have a flight after that in the US. Hope others can answer the additional questions.

Yes, you can do self debarkation at any time after the ship arrives in Venice. I would check with the Passenger Service Desk just to be sure the gangway is open at that time.

For others, they do give luggage tags and call colors like on other cruises.

Please correct me if I am wrong but I think the airport in Venice does not open until 5 am?

Please correct me if I am wrong but I think the airport in Venice does not open until 5 am?

We have a flight at 6:50am and its telling us we have to check in 2 hours before depart time for International flight, so not sure?? Hope someone can help with this.

Yes, you can do self debarkation at any time after the ship arrives in Venice. I would check with the Passenger Service Desk just to be sure the gangway is open at that time.

For others, they do give luggage tags and call colors like on other cruises.

I am thinking it should be open 24 hours like in Bermuda?

Princess Choice Air also has flights leaving at this same time, so I am thinking

they will be disembarking the ship around the same time for people who are taking the Princess Transfers.

I will call Princess just to make sure, but when I entered our flight information in my cruise personalizer it was all

approved with Princess as correct/approved flight times for disembarking the ship.

3) Since the ship does not leaves the EU do you have to clear customs?

Croatia is not in the EU (scheduled for memebership in 2014). Likely your passports wil be held until you leave Corfu to receive the exit stamp from Greece and distributed back that evening before your stop in Split. So as the non-EU port is the last one before disembarkation I would expect there to be a customs form you need to fill out.

Please correct me if I am wrong but I think the airport in Venice does not open until 5 am?

Thanks so much for this information. After reading this I have done some research and found out that flights around 7:00am, check in counters do not open until 5:30am, and they are still able to process you and get you on your flight for a 7:00am departure. On our tickets it says International flight check in 2 hours before, but this is likely just a standard term and conditions that go on all emailed confirmations, no matter which airport your flying.

I contacted our pre-booked taxi and changed the pick-up time to a 5:00am pick up. The extra hour sleep will be much appreciated, as I am not a morning person!! lol

thanks to everyone who has posted!

Shelley

I am thinking it should be open 24 hours like in Bermuda?

Princess Choice Air also has flights leaving at this same time, so I am thinking

they will be disembarking the ship around the same time for people who are taking the Princess Transfers.

I will call Princess just to make sure, but when I entered our flight information in my cruise personalizer it was all

approved with Princess as correct/approved flight times for disembarking the ship.

Bermuda airport isn't really open all night - the staff stay till the last flight is in (usually AA from JFK about 8.45pm - plenty of overtime if it's late as it so often is) then they go home and come back in the morning. US immigration pre-clearance opens at 6am. I presume they can call in staff if there's an emergency landing during the night.

Bermuda airport isn't really open all night - the staff stay till the last flight is in (usually AA from JFK about 8.45pm - plenty of overtime if it's late as it so often is) then they go home and come back in the morning. US immigration pre-clearance opens at 6am. I presume they can call in staff if there's an emergency landing during the night.

Sorry if my post was not clear, but I was not talking about the airport in Bermuda, I was talking about the Cruise Ships leaving the gang plank open for people to come and go 24 hours while in port. Its always open while the ships are in Bermuda, so I was assuming or asking if it would be the same way in Venice while the ship sits there all night. I was hoping to hear from someone who has recently sailed on Princess and stayed the night in Venice who might know these answers.

Hello

 

We are on the Crown Princess disembarking in Venice on Sept 21, 2012 after sitting in port all night. Can someone who has recently done this sailing with Princess explain to me how they disembark the ship after being in port all night?

 

1) Is it self disembarkation after sitting there all night, and you just leave the ship when you need to. (We have a 6:50am flight, and I have prearranged a taxi for 3:30am)

 

2) Do they give you luggage tags and call the colored tags the morning of disembarkation for people with later flights and do not need to get off ASAP. (we have friends who do not have early morning flights)

 

3) Since the ship does not leaves the EU do you have to clear customs?

 

Any help with this for a better understanding on how this process works would be wonderful and greatly appreciated!

 

thanks in advance!

Shelley

We recently did this on Crown Princess.....we sailed into Venice around noon on one day. We disembarked and did some touring, returning to the ship that evening. The next morning, we disembarked just as if the ship had just arrived....by colored luggage tags. Nobody seemed to be checking what color tags we had as we disembarked, however. Our luggage was waiting. We boarded an Alilaguna boat and went to our hotel.

I have no idea how you are going to disembark at 3:30 AM! I can't imagine that the gangways will be open, but maybe they will be....waiting for those who are enjoying the sights of Venice very late.

We spent the night in Venice, so I can't say much about getting off the ship and going directly to the airport, except that the we went to the airport to pick up our boarding passes the day we disembarked, since we were not able to check in or print them ahead of time. We were REALLY glad we did that! The airport seems very casual about most everything and the lines were quite long. We got there 3 hours ahead....way too long on the day we were there, since we already had our boarding passes. The airport seemed to get more crowded as the morning wore on....our flight was at 10:25 AM.

I have no idea how you are going to disembark at 3:30 AM! I can't imagine that the gangways will be open, but maybe they will be....waiting for those who are enjoying the sights of Venice very late.

 

Those with Princess xfers to the airport for early flights will also be disembarking about that time. No problem at all getting off.

(I do think you can get on and off all night long.)

I know with Ruby she does a similiar itinerary staying overnight. Princess recommends air after 6:00 am so I'm sure you'll be fine. Our flight is around 9:30, I was hoping to just book a Princess Transfer once onboard.

Croatia is not in the EU (scheduled for memebership in 2014). Likely your passports wil be held until you leave Corfu to receive the exit stamp from Greece and distributed back that evening before your stop in Split. So as the non-EU port is the last one before disembarkation I would expect there to be a customs form you need to fill out.

We just disembarked from this cruise. Our passports (US citizens) were not collected at any point in the cruise, though we were required to take them ashore with us in Croatia (other IDs and photocopies would not suffice). I have never received a passport stamp from any ports visited on a cruise and didn't receive any on this trip either. No customs to declare at the end of the cruise. Hope that helps.

Additionally, I know they collected passports from other nationalities because those passengers had to reclaim their passports on the last morning onboard, but am not sure which ones.

Those with Princess xfers to the airport for early flights will also be disembarking about that time. No problem at all getting off.

 

(I do think you can get on and off all night long.)

Thank you so much for this information, exactly what I was looking for as I thought it would be the same as in Bermuda. The gangway never closes and you can come and go 24 h. When a ship is in port they have to have security around the ship anyway so thought gangway should be open.

Princess Choice Air is selling this same flight at 6:50am and flight was approved by them, so they should be starting transfers to the airport this early as well.

I changed the time for our private taxi to 5:00am pick up as I have read check in counters do not open until 5:30am in VCE.

We just disembarked from this cruise. Our passports (US citizens) were not collected at any point in the cruise, though we were required to take them ashore with us in Croatia (other IDs and photocopies would not suffice). I have never received a passport stamp from any ports visited on a cruise and didn't receive any on this trip either. No customs to declare at the end of the cruise. Hope that helps.

Additionally, I know they collected passports from other nationalities because those passengers had to reclaim their passports on the last morning onboard, but am not sure which ones.

Thank you!! We cruised the Baltics and Norway last year and our passports were never held by the ship. We did however get passport stamps in Russia when we entered and again when we left showing the entry and leaving. They are neat to have and wish more ports stamped them.

we just disembarked inVenice. princess will set the time you need to leave the ship,gather your luggage and go tom the airport for the 6:50 AM flight. there is no customs in Venice to clear. The bus ride provide in the princess transfer ws 20 minutes to the airport.

we just disembarked inVenice. princess will set the time you need to leave the ship,gather your luggage and go tom the airport for the 6:50 AM flight. there is no customs in Venice to clear. The bus ride provide in the princess transfer ws 20 minutes to the airport.

Thank you so much for your post! This helps a lot to understand the whole over night in Venice disembarkation.

thanks

Shelley

We did this last year on the Ruby. Rest assured you will be allowed off as early as you need. We also had an early flight connecting in Madrid. We also used Princess transfers. Princess did things right but Iberia airlines personnel were terrible. They opened the counter about an hour late with only one counter agent. Of course the departing Princess passengers were lined way back. Iberia finally brought in a second agent. After getting to the counter the young lady told me that one carry on was too large. Our two were the exact same size. I had to get in another line and pay 50 euro before she would give us our tickets. There were many people with larger carry on baggage that carried them on while others had to check them and pay. Not a good experience. BTW, Iberia carry on sizes are smaller than US Airlines. You might check if this applies to you. While Iberia was a hassle to say the least I noticed that those booked on Air France were receiving excellent assistance checking in. be prepared.

Hello

 

We are on the Crown Princess disembarking in Venice on Sept 21, 2012 after sitting in port all night. Can someone who has recently done this sailing with Princess explain to me how they disembark the ship after being in port all night?

 

1) Is it self disembarkation after sitting there all night, and you just leave the ship when you need to. (We have a 6:50am flight, and I have prearranged a taxi for 3:30am)

 

2) Do they give you luggage tags and call the colored tags the morning of disembarkation for people with later flights and do not need to get off ASAP. (we have friends who do not have early morning flights)

 

3) Since the ship does not leaves the EU do you have to clear customs?

 

Any help with this for a better understanding on how this process works would be wonderful and greatly appreciated!

 

thanks in advance!

Shelley

Hi Shelley

We just did this last month June6. We also have a very early flight.

If you self disembark, you must carry you own luggage off tthe ship. Princess did offer a very early transfer but my DH want to get off earlier. We also hired a private taxi (van) it was not a mark taxi. So we missed it, but the driver found us. There is a new terminal at Maritime and if you are on that side of the dock the van will pick you up there. The taxi-van cost us half of what the ship charged and it was nicer not to be on the bus.

We cleared customs in Dallas. We went from Venice to Madrid to Dallas to San Diego.

Good luck with you transfer and have a great cruise.