Solstice Med 5/14 - Just back!

[merprincess]

Hi Mary,

Just wondering about the ship shuttle to Venice. Do you receive information on that whilst on board? Can't find anything about a shuttle on the Celebrity website. Also, we had read that the distance to the People Mover wasn't "near" but also wasn't "too far." About how long of a walk did you experience? Thanks for any help with these questions!

 

Hi musicmom - We did not know about the ship's shuttle to Venice until the evening before when we received the ship's newsletter. If we had known about this earlier, we may have used it. However, since we thought we had to figure out our own transportation because we were not doing a ship excursion, we had a plan already in mind. This plan was based on my research on these boards and the Rick Steve's Venice Book. I was under the impression that the process of getting off the ship and to the people mover, and then on to the vaporetto station would be clear cut. However, it was not.

The walk to obtaining either the ship's shuttle or other alternatives is fairly long (and we are in good shape) over pavement that became very hot in the sun. How long? According to the newsletter "please be aware that due to port congestion and our berthing, the distance to the shuttle boats is approximately 800 meters. The drop off point in town will be 3 bridges away from St. Mark's Square (about 500 meters) walking over cobblestone roads and 3 bridges with stairs. Wheelchairs cannot be accomodated on the shuttles."

 

There were Celebrity employees stationed along the walkway and they just kept on urging us to keep walking when I stopped to ask a question. They really appeared to not have a clue about anything.

 

Once we reached the area where you could get the ship's shuttle there was a lot of confusion amongst the passengers. There were long lines for the shuttle, again, in the hot sun and the temps. were only in the mid-70',s but on the pavement it felt quite hot. We were still committed to finding the people mover and do the vaporetto but no one could give us information. We stood in one line thinking this was where to get vaporetto tickets, only to be told once we reached the front of the line that this was not the company for the vaporetto. Finally, we asked an employee from RCI who was herding along his passengers, and he was able to point us to the direction of the people mover. We had to walk approximately 200 meters or so and reached the people mover station. It cost 2 euros, was not crowded and we were transported quickly to the station where after more asking for directions, found the vaporetto station. We purchased a 24 hr. pass which gives you unlimited on/off for 18 euros pp. We took the #1 vaporetto which is the long, slow ride all the way down the grand canal. We were able to exit right at St. Mark's Square which got us much closer than the shuttle would have. We had purchased tickets online for the last entry of the day to St. Mark's (1 euro and you skip the lines) and we did make it exactly at our 4:45pm time slot. The folks who also had purchased that time slot but used the ship's shuttle did not make it in time.

We enjoyed our time in Venice so much that we stayed late - so late that upon our return to the people mover station, it was no longer open. So, at about 11:30pm we had to hike it all the way back to the ship. It seemed long, probably because we could see the Solstice, but could not quite make out how to get back to her. Again, after asking a port guard for directions we made it back. It was quite the trek and made us decide not to attempt the same the next morning.

Honestly, the way we went had its positives. We were able to travel like the locals and did get right off near St. Marks. I wish someone who used the shuttle would post some comments to compare. If we had known exactly where to go and how to get there (people mover, vaporetto station) it probably would not have been so confusing.

My advice would be to talk to guest relations when you first get on the ship to get advance info. about the shuttle and compare that to any other options.

Hope this lengthy answer helps.

Mary:)

[hylasgirl]

I reread and found out the formal night situation... so never mind that question:)

[hylasgirl]

Maybe we'll have better luck with port congestion as we seem to be the only cruise ship listed for the port of Venice for both of our days there and I see where you were scheduled there with many! We really have a fantastic 12 days of port times with the fewest ships I have ever seen. Probably means it'll rain the whole time. :)

[jspirit]

Hi musicmom - We did not know about the ship's shuttle to Venice until the evening before when we received the ship's newsletter. If we had known about this earlier, we may have used it. However, since we thought we had to figure out our own transportation because we were not doing a ship excursion, we had a plan already in mind. This plan was based on my research on these boards and the Rick Steve's Venice Book. I was under the impression that the process of getting off the ship and to the people mover, and then on to the vaporetto station would be clear cut. However, it was not.

The walk to obtaining either the ship's shuttle or other alternatives is fairly long (and we are in good shape) over pavement that became very hot in the sun. How long? According to the newsletter "please be aware that due to port congestion and our berthing, the distance to the shuttle boats is approximately 800 meters. The drop off point in town will be 3 bridges away from St. Mark's Square (about 500 meters) walking over cobblestone roads and 3 bridges with stairs. Wheelchairs cannot be accomodated on the shuttles."

 

There were Celebrity employees stationed along the walkway and they just kept on urging us to keep walking when I stopped to ask a question. They really appeared to not have a clue about anything.

 

Once we reached the area where you could get the ship's shuttle there was a lot of confusion amongst the passengers. There were long lines for the shuttle, again, in the hot sun and the temps. were only in the mid-70',s but on the pavement it felt quite hot. We were still committed to finding the people mover and do the vaporetto but no one could give us information. We stood in one line thinking this was where to get vaporetto tickets, only to be told once we reached the front of the line that this was not the company for the vaporetto. Finally, we asked an employee from RCI who was herding along his passengers, and he was able to point us to the direction of the people mover. We had to walk approximately 200 meters or so and reached the people mover station. It cost 2 euros, was not crowded and we were transported quickly to the station where after more asking for directions, found the vaporetto station. We purchased a 24 hr. pass which gives you unlimited on/off for 18 euros pp. We took the #1 vaporetto which is the long, slow ride all the way down the grand canal. We were able to exit right at St. Mark's Square which got us much closer than the shuttle would have. We had purchased tickets online for the last entry of the day to St. Mark's (1 euro and you skip the lines) and we did make it exactly at our 4:45pm time slot. The folks who also had purchased that time slot but used the ship's shuttle did not make it in time.

We enjoyed our time in Venice so much that we stayed late - so late that upon our return to the people mover station, it was no longer open. So, at about 11:30pm we had to hike it all the way back to the ship. It seemed long, probably because we could see the Solstice, but could not quite make out how to get back to her. Again, after asking a port guard for directions we made it back. It was quite the trek and made us decide not to attempt the same the next morning.

Honestly, the way we went had its positives. We were able to travel like the locals and did get right off near St. Marks. I wish someone who used the shuttle would post some comments to compare. If we had known exactly where to go and how to get there (people mover, vaporetto station) it probably would not have been so confusing.

My advice would be to talk to guest relations when you first get on the ship to get advance info. about the shuttle and compare that to any other options.

Hope this lengthy answer helps.

Mary:)

 

Thank you very much for your description of the Venice situation. It is very helpful to know about the Celebrity shuttle in advance.

If you take the Celebrity ( water) shuttle, then is it correct that we don't need the Vaporetto ? We have already been to Murano so would just wander around the main parts this time.

Thanks.

[merprincess]

Thank you very much for your description of the Venice situation. It is very helpful to know about the Celebrity shuttle in advance.

If you take the Celebrity ( water) shuttle, then is it correct that we don't need the Vaporetto ? We have already been to Murano so would just wander around the main parts this time.

Thanks.

 

You are welcome. Yes, you would not need the vaporetto - it would really be one or the other.

[Jobeth66]

We also did not use the Celebrity shuttle, we used the Alilaguna water bus, that picks up at the same location as the shuttle. Price was comparable (I think it was €7 one-way, €13 for a round-trip, or €26 for a 24-hour pass) but the lines were much, much shorter for embarkation and the boat stopped right at San Marco. If you didn't want to walk to the shuttle point, Celebrity WAS running a bus from the ship to the shuttle, but it was slow and filled quickly, and seemed to be taking a long time to get back and forth. We didn't use it.

 

The disadvantage to Alilaguna is that the last trip to the cruise port left Plaza San Marco at 7:30-ish, so if you wanted to stay later you would have to get a water taxi back to the port, and I'm not sure what the cost of that would be.

 

If you wanted to use that route, when you walk up to the area where the shuttles are, there is a ticket stand for Alilaguna. Get your ticket, then go through the long line of people waiting for the Celebrity shuttle to the little yellow awning area on the dock, and wait for the boat. They were really quick.

[sccat]

Terry... there are some great snacks at happy hour in the Wine Cellar. They offered breadsticks and different cheeses. I loved going in there. There are really too many places to have great happy hours. I've never seen a charge for any of the snacks or appetizers.

 

There are also some great snacks offered at Cafe Baccio. They are free of charge as well.

 

Other than those at the Wine Cellar, I don't know of any other snacks offered in the bars.

 

I really could spend 24 hours a day at the Sunset Bar (good weather of course) and it's so hard to spend time anywhere else for cocktails.... even though my favorite are at the Molecular Bar. I just love all the outdoor space on the Solstice so it's hard to be indoor in nice weather. The Wine Cellar has a great wine list and the wine machines are fun!

 

 

The Wine Cellar sounds like a fun place to go! Do they have wines $8 and under ? I have the Classic bev pkg now for my Sept Solstice trip. Still wondering if beverage pkg is worth it or pay as go?:confused:

[TLCOhio]

We had starboard...the view is amazing for the sail in to Venice (St Mark's Square) as well as during sail out from Kotor (the village of Perast and Lady of Rock Church). The views weren't great while in most ports. Then again I don't believe port side has great views while in port either.

 

We will be on starboard, too, having that great view as we sail into Venice. Sounds great and wonderful for a view. Glad to get this "heads-up"!!! Should be an exciting sail-in and sail-out. Have never done such a cruise-way to reach and/or exit Venice.

 

I'm still struggling and totally confused on the ship shuttle versus doing the vaporetto. I want the later night and early morning flexibility. The lines and distances seem to be less than ideal with the ship shuttle. Mary noted: "Once we reached the area where you could get the ship's shuttle there was a lot of confusion amongst the passengers." Hopefully, others will post more background info to help make that decision.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our last July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now at 42,641 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Ma Bell]

Terry, we may be docked in a completely different place since we will be the only ship in on that day. I think it's something we just have to wait to see.

[merprincess]

We also did not use the Celebrity shuttle, we used the Alilaguna water bus, that picks up at the same location as the shuttle. Price was comparable (I think it was €7 one-way, €13 for a round-trip, or €26 for a 24-hour pass) but the lines were much, much shorter for embarkation and the boat stopped right at San Marco. If you didn't want to walk to the shuttle point, Celebrity WAS running a bus from the ship to the shuttle, but it was slow and filled quickly, and seemed to be taking a long time to get back and forth. We didn't use it.

 

The disadvantage to Alilaguna is that the last trip to the cruise port left Plaza San Marco at 7:30-ish, so if you wanted to stay later you would have to get a water taxi back to the port, and I'm not sure what the cost of that would be.

 

If you wanted to use that route, when you walk up to the area where the shuttles are, there is a ticket stand for Alilaguna. Get your ticket, then go through the long line of people waiting for the Celebrity shuttle to the little yellow awning area on the dock, and wait for the boat. They were really quick.

 

The price for the vaporetto (public water bus) is 6 euros pp per ride or 18 eruos pp for a 24 hr. pass. I think there was other pricing available for different periods of time. A water taxi (different than a vaporetto) is like paying cab fare versus bus fare. The water taxi can run around 50 euros - not sure how many passengers it can accomodate or what the hours of operation are.

 

Venice at night is absolutely beautiful. For me that was my favorite part of the visit - being able to eat at a small neighborhood cafe away from the crowds, take an evening gondola ride and be in St. Mark's to listen to the live music. The crowds diminish at night and it feels less touristy. Even though there were hassles involved, I would do either the vaporetto, the ship shuttle or if economically feasible, a water taxi. I would not want to limit myself to getting back by 7:30pm.

Mary

[GoreeGal]

Celebrity Solstice 5/14-5/26/11

 

We just returned from the 5/14/11 Celebrity Solstice 12-night Mediterranean cruise, from Barcelona-Barcelona.

 

First - overall we had a wonderful time!

 

Details:

 

Ship Transfer - we chose to use Celebrity's transfer service from BCN to the port. Very easy, when you exit customs, go right and the Celebrity staff are there to check you in. They'll take your luggage and when they have enough people, you board the bus for the port, drive-time is about 20 minutes. Luggage was delivered to our staterooms by 3pm.

 

Embarkation - Once we got to the port, check-in was about 5 minutes. No lines to speak of, and very well organized. We had already done our express pass & entered our credit card information online. She handed us our Seapass cards and we went on.

 

We got to the ship about 11:15, and boarding did not begin until 11:30. However, in the terminal they had tables set up for specialty dining, drink packages, and shore excursions. We signed up for the 3 restaurant plan and booked our times for formal nights. They give you you a card with the dates/times, but you also get a reminder at your stateroom the morning of your reservation. We had pre-paid the drink packages, so that was printed on our card (it says PALL). The woman we were traveling with bought hers at the terminal, and they put a sticker on hers.

 

Once the ship was open, we boarded (maybe 10 minutes), and they were offering champagne or mimosas as you entered. There were boarding photo opportunities if you wanted, but very easy to walk past if you did not. We headed immediately to Bistro on 5 and had some lunch. I would HIGHLY recommend this, as the folks I spoke with who went to the buffet advised it was crowded and hard to find a seat. The food at Bistro was wonderful, we were the first people there, and the service was superb.

 

Stateroom

Staterooms were open at 1:15pm. We were in room 1601 (Aquaclass, port side, hump cabin with large balcony) and the room was also very nice. Plenty of storage if you are

organized, and lots of room under the bed for luggage. Our stateroom attendant was Cyril, and he was always pleasant and helpful - he also got us priority tender tickets for our tender ports, we just had to ask. The balcony was fantastic and we loved hanging out there for sailaways and docking. LOVED the shower with body sprays, and access to the Persian Gardens was a huge bonus. Because our cruise was so port-intensive, and tours involved a LOT of walking, being able to lay on the stone beds and relax muscles was welcome.

 

Muster drill was easy - we went to the dining room and watched a video, no lugging vests, no standing outside.

 

The Celebrity/Cruise Critic party was at 8:30pm on the first day - no way we were going to make that, we were at dinner. We did have a group get-together at the Sunset Bar that was set up through our meet & greet, and that was fun.

 

Dining

Blu - Everyone says Blu is 'love it or hate it'. For us? We loved it. The food was wonderful, presentation was beautiful, and they were extremely accommodating. My husband has some severe food allergies, and is a bit picky, but we never heard the word 'no'. There was little he could eat or liked on the appetizer menu, but every night they got him a Caeser salad. Same for desserts - too many things with nuts. But after the first night they always had chocolate chip cookies for him. Unfortunately, I did not get

menu copies, and I'm sorry for that. Standouts for me were a summer roll appetizer we had one night and the filet mignon. I can't remember our waiter's name, but the assistant was Jorielee from the Phillipines, and the team was wonderful. The bottle of sparkling wine left in our room at embarkation was worth $28 against another bottle in Blu.

 

Bistro on 5 - We ate here several times, and enjoyed it every time. Breakfast crepes were delicious!

 

Buffet - Hit or miss. Some things were good, some were ok. Some vegetable dishes were bland and under-seasoned, which was a shame. But it's the buffet, and for what it was, it served. Lots of choices for ice creams and desserts. Seating, especially at breakfast and on sea days, was horrible. The big complaint here was the plates. They were always burning hot when you picked them up - no trays to help carry them.

 

Gelato/Cafe Al Bacio - We were here pretty much every day. Traveling buddy loved the coffees, and I loved the teas (Vienna Cinnamon was my favorite). Great spot to hang out. The Gelato stand there has an upcharge, but the girl running it (Roberta) was without a doubt one of the highlights of our cruise. Always pleasant, very happy to help. She does push the Rum Raisin gelato pretty hard, though. It's her favorite. :)

 

Mast Grill - Excellent burgers & hot dogs, good fries, and fantastic onion rings. You have to push for onion rings, though - every time we went, they wanted to limit you to a very small portion (like 5 or 6) unless you asked for more. Someone on a review I read complained of unmelted cheese, but asking them to melt it was absolutely no problem.

 

Murano - This was our least favorite of the spcialties. The service was just ok, but the atmosphere was stuffy, which isn't us. Saving grace for me was the venison, which was perfect, and perfectly cooked. We wouldn't go again.

 

Silk Harvest - Better atmosphere, food was very good - the ribs were great, I enjoyed the Pad Thai after I put lots of chili paste in it, it needed heat. I don't eat sushi, but the person we were with said it was very good (she had eel, spicy tuna, and something else I don't remember.) I didn't care for the wok beef, which tasted like it had been curried. Chicken fried rice was ok, but nothing special.

 

Tuscan Grill - By far the best of the restaurants, and we would go again without question. The steaks were very good, as was everything else on the menu. The atmosphere was fun and the staff was very accommodating. Not a bad thing on the menu!

 

Breads throughout the ship were uniformly delicious. Desserts were almost as uniformly disappointing and forgettable. We had a few good ones in Blu (I liked the Grand Marnier and chocolate dessert they had one night) but it was the exception.

 

Shore Excursions/Leaving the ship

We did one Celebrity excursion, in Cannes. We went to Grasse (a perfume factory) and St-Paul-De-Vence, a medieval village. I had wanted to get away from Cannes due to it being the opening weekend of the film festival, and things were very crowded. The excursion staff was very nice, the Grasse factory was a big sales pitch. St-Paul-de-Vence was beautiful, and we spent a lot of time walking around the city.

 

In Italy, we did all our tours with Rome In Limo, and I would HIGHLY recommend them.

 

Getting on & off the ship, whether tendering or walk-off, was a breeze. Announcements of where to go and when to meet were clear, staff was on hand to make things go smoothly, and we never had any issues. Reboarding after being ashore was quick, there was always water, fruit punch, and cold towels available as you were waiting to get back in, as well as a small sitting area if needed, and a canopy if someone had to get out of the sun. I was very impressed with Celebrity in this area (and in almost all service areas).

 

Bars/Lounges/etc.

Celler Masters was wonderful, and the sommolier we saw most often (Stevan) was spot on for recommendations. We stopped there just about every night before dinner to pick up a glass to take with us.

 

Martini Bar - We liked this area, and the Almond Joy martinis were often substituted for dessert. The waiters here got to know us, and knew what we wanted as soon as we sat down.

 

Molecular Bar - Pretentious bartender made this area a dud, in our opinion. He was so full of himself (no idea what his name was - I believe he was from Australia or New Zealand), but he clearly thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. I overheard him at one point explaining to a group of passengers that HIS bar was like Bobby Flay's burgers - unique and wonderful - while every other bar on the ship was McDonald's. We were unimpressed with him and the drinks he was making.

 

The biggest complaint I have about the cruise was trying to get a drink. Unless you walked up to the bar, finding a waiter circulating anywhere was a challenge - whether it was the buffet area, the pool area, or in a lounge area. They just didn't seem interested or motivated - and it didn't matter whether you were on a package or buying individually. I never once saw a waiter in the Solarium.

 

Entertainment

We did not do any shows, but we did watch the Hot Glass show one night. Very interesting and impressive to watch! We did a wine tasting on the lawn that was supposed to be at Sailaway in Venice, but we got held up and so just had to drink wine with no sailaway. It was horrible. :) The bands on deck were ok, but VERY loud. The captain's daily announcement was ALSO very loud, almost painfully so. We would be playing a game in the card room or trying to read in the library, and the band 9 decks down in the Atrium was so loud it was sometimes impossible to hear yourself think.

 

Someone on our sailing decided to 'borrow' the 2 Scrabble sets for the entirety of the cruise, which I found incredibly rude. Someone else left a note in the card room one day asking them to please call so it could be shared, but my guess is that never happened. People, do NOT remove games from the game room - if you feel you need a certain game all to yourself for the length of your vacation, buy a travel version and bring it with you.

 

Debarkation - Almost as easy as embarkation. Luggage tags & instructions were left in your room the 2nd to the last day, and on the last night, luggage had to be out in the hallway by 11pm. They were collecting constantly, and I know that our luggage was gone within 10 minutes of our putting it out. Before debarkation, we met in the dining room at 7:10am, and waited for them to call our number. We were in Group 11, and we were off the ship by 7:20.

 

Again, no lines, no cattle call, very organized and calm. Our luggage was on the carousel in the terminal, and we were on a taxi to our hotel by 7:35am.

 

There were 3 formal nights on our sailing. The first was on Night 2 - Cannes, the 2nd was on the first at-sea day, Night 6, and the 3rd was on the 2nd at-sea day, Night 11. There were plenty of dark suits & sport jackets, some tuxes, and cocktail dresses to gowns for the ladies.

 

We did decide that 12 days is too long for us on a cruise, we were well ready to come home by the end. We also decided that if we ever want to cruise again, Celebrity is going to be the line of choice.

 

 

RE Your Port Side Room When you arrived did you see city and park seeing cities or did it vary port to port

[soe-tan-toe]

Regarding the price of water taxi. We took one to get back to the ship from Rialto Bridge. It was past 10 pm and we were all pretty tired from walking around. We were quoted 70 EUR. However, we managed to talk it down to 60 EUR. The water taxi route took us down the Grand Canal towards St Mark's Square and then onto Guidecca Canal towards the port. We were dropped off near the ship (5-10 minutes walk). For me it was the best part about our visit to Venice. The water taxi ride was relaxing and we got to see Venice without the crowds. For me at least, it was better than the gondola ride.

[hylasgirl]

The Wine Cellar sounds like a fun place to go! Do they have wines $8 and under ? I have the Classic bev pkg now for my Sept Solstice trip. Still wondering if beverage pkg is worth it or pay as go?:confused:

 

 

Your package will not include anything from the wine machines, but there may be something in there for $8. I'm just not sure. I did the premium package this next trip so I am looking forward to seeing what I'll be able to get in there.

[hylasgirl]

In Rick Steve's book "Croatia and Slovenia", he had some info. on Kotor in Montenegro. La Pasteria is the name of the restaurant. It was very good. There was a large menu. My husband had some local dish with seafood that he said was good. I shared a Pizza Margherita, also good. The waiter suggested a lovely local white wine (can't remember the name).

I work in a library, so for this trip I was getting all the pertinent Rick Steve's guides and made notes, or copies of information.

 

 

Awesome! Thanks so much! Just downloaded to my nook. YAY!:)

[Jobeth66]

RE Your Port Side Room When you arrived did you see city and park seeing cities or did it vary port to port

 

It varied from port to port, but mainly we were looking at water or industrial areas.

[John73]

We were also on this same trip. WOW! Everything was wonderful. If anyone planing is in decent shape and wants a hike in Kotor, I would highly recommend hiking up to the fortress on the top of the mountain. It costs a few euros, and the views are the most spectacular you could ever imagine. It is about an hour hike...1350 steps straight up!:D

 

Question... My husband and I are avid dancers and we saw people taking photos of us on the dance floor. If anyone sees this and has photos of dancers let me know!:)

 

Was that a Celebrity excursion or just on your own? I'm trying to figure out what to to in Kotor for my July cruise.

[Jo and Rob]

When we were in Venice (with Costa) we did a DIY tour and it was great and I recommend it.

 

The people mover from the port was easy and only cost about 1 euro (one stop to Piazzale Roma). We then caught a public vaporetto which took us down the Grand Canal which was a great trip and the children absolutely loved it. Having explored St Mark's Square and enjoyed an Italian lunch (down a little side street) we headed back to Piazzale Roma on foot through the little streets.

 

If you have an iphone use the "map" app as it was very useful for us finding our way and not worrying if we were heading in the right direction.

[TLCOhio]

The price for the vaporetto (public water bus) is 6 euros pp per ride or 18 eruos pp for a 24 hr. pass. I think there was other pricing available for different periods of time. A water taxi (different than a vaporetto) is like paying cab fare versus bus fare. The water taxi can run around 50 euros - not sure how many passengers it can accomodate or what the hours of operation are. Venice at night is absolutely beautiful. For me that was my favorite part of the visit - being able to eat at a small neighborhood cafe away from the crowds, take an evening gondola ride and be in St. Mark's to listen to the live music. The crowds diminish at night and it feels less touristy. Even though there were hassles involved, I would do either the vaporetto, the ship shuttle or if economically feasible, a water taxi. I would not want to limit myself to getting back by 7:30pm. Mary

 

Ma Bell: Terry' date=' we may be docked in a completely different place since we will be the only ship in on that day. I think it's something we just have to wait to see. [/quote']

 

THANKS for the added info from Mary. Very helpful!

 

In Venice, the Solstice will be docked at Marittima, VE 18 berth, within a closer distance of the people mover and train station than other docking places. From looking closely at the Google and Bing maps, there is still some "complexity" in such a walk towards the main train station, but maybe it will work out OK. Still considering those two options. Might wait until we get on the ship and ask their personnel about those options of the ship shuttle versus the vaporetto. As we are docking on June 14 in Venice, the RCI Splendour of the Sea (2,076 passengers) will be departing. Might make an interesting picture. Fortunately, we are not in Venice when there are four or five large ships there.

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our last July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now at 42,675 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[merprincess]

THANKS for the added info from Mary. Very helpful!

 

In Venice, the Solstice will be docked at Marittima, VE 18 berth, within a closer distance of the people mover and train station than other docking places. From looking closely at the Google and Bing maps, there is still some "complexity" in such a walk towards the main train station, but maybe it will work out OK. Still considering those two options. Might wait until we get on the ship and ask their personnel about those options of the ship shuttle versus the vaporetto. As we are docking on June 14 in Venice, the RCI Splendour of the Sea (2,076 passengers) will be departing. Might make an interesting picture. Fortunately, we are not in Venice when there are four or five large ships there.

 

Enjoy! Terry

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our last July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now at 42,675 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Terry - Knowing what I know now after experiencing the people mover and vaporetto, I wish I could do it again because it would not seem so confusing. If you can nail down a few more details as to where the people mover is located at the port and proceed accordingly, it probably would be easier than it was for us. I unfortunately cannot even give you directions to the people mover because we were pointed in a direction and kept walking until a small sign with arrow showed us the way to go. If you look at Rob & Jo's posting, it seemed pretty straight forward to them, easy and enjoyable.

Also when we got to the vaporetto station we chose to go on the #1 route because Rick Steve's recommends it as a good overview of the Grand Canal. That might have been a good route to take when we were more relaxed, not when we were anxious to make a 4:45pm time slot at St. Mark's. The #1 stops at every stop, whereas other routes would be shorter.

Mary

[soe-tan-toe]

Was that a Celebrity excursion or just on your own? I'm trying to figure out what to to in Kotor for my July cruise.

 

You can do the climb on your own.

Here's the view from the top:http://www.flickr.com/photos/sutanto/5791593593/

 

[highbridger]

For the ship shuttle in Venice: It is best to buy the shuttle ticket on the ship before you get to Venice. Apparently, Celebrity stated that there would be people at the dock selling shuttle tickets. I am sure they were there, but we could never find anybody who could help us. It really was chaotic. With the help of a member of the staff of NCL, we were able to find the vaporetto (quite a long walk), and had a great day in Venice. The first shuttle the next morning was 8 am, and everything worked beautifully. It was only a 20 minute ride that Sunday, and we were told that the last shuttle that day was 12:00 pm. We attended Mass in St. Mark's which was lovely. Facing the church, there is a side door on the left side of the church where you can enter for Mass.

[wineluvr]

Thanks so much for the informative review! We agree with you about how great Tuscan Grill was and loved St. Paul de Vence too!

[trumpet56]

How far from the port to old town

Shuttle or taxi anyone help with cost ...........:cool:

[Dunmore2]

Does anyone recall the offer regarding eating at all 3 speciality restaurants? Thanks.

[TLCOhio]

For the ship shuttle in Venice: It is best to buy the shuttle ticket on the ship before you get to Venice. Apparently, Celebrity stated that there would be people at the dock selling shuttle tickets. I am sure they were there, but we could never find anybody who could help us. It really was chaotic. With the help of a member of the staff of NCL, we were able to find the vaporetto (quite a long walk), and had a great day in Venice. The first shuttle the next morning was 8 am, and everything worked beautifully. It was only a 20 minute ride that Sunday, and we were told that the last shuttle that day was 12:00 pm. We attended Mass in St. Mark's which was lovely. Facing the church, there is a side door on the left side of the church where you can enter for Mass.

 

Appreciate the helpful info. Depart mid-day Sunday for Barcelona. Keep those great ideas and tips from your cruise on the Solstice that matches our schedule.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our last July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now at 42,752 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923