phxmacbear

On 3/13/2023 at 4:46 PM, SCX22 said:

 

It would be great if Princess provisioned their ships with Lavazza or Illy.  Now you're talking.

In case you missed the announcement almost a year ago today:  https://www.princess.com/en-us/news/news-releases/2023/03/princess-cruises-announces-lavazza-as-official-coffee-partner

I had the same issue. Book for one. checkout. Then go back and book for the other passenger. That worked for me.

When we stayed in Venice for a few pre-cruise nights, we stayed at the Hotel Santa Chiara. It wasn't the cheapest, or the most modern; but it was reasonable, and clean, and included an in-house buffet breakfast.

But the BEST part is that it is located directly in the square where buses/taxis/cars enter the island. There is no vehicular traffic once you arrive in Venice. The road connecting the mainland to Venice ends the moment you get there. There is a small square for turning around, etc. Everything else is reachable only by foot or water taxi. Keep in mind that even a short walk in Venice will have you traversing the canals on footbridges at every turn.

This hotel is RIGHT at the entrance to the Grand Canal, and we spent our days watching tourists lugging their bags up and down footbridges, huffing and puffing, crawling out of water taxis, struggling, looking irritated, etc. (The poor newlywed groom who was lugging both his and the bride's luggage over the bridges still brings a smile to my face - it was truly charming).

Anyway, something to consider no matter which hotel you choose - look it up on Google Maps and zoom in closely enough to trace your path there. See how many bridges you have to cross from your dropoff location.

(The cruise ships depart from the opposite side of the main square, so it is very convenient on Cruise embarkation/disembarkation day - again no transportation required, just a short walk with no bridges!)