Venice shuttle from ship to San Marco

[realnice46]

We are on Celebrity Silhouette June 15 for the Italy & Croatia cruise. We return to Venice on June 25 and disembark June 26.

 

On a past cruise the ship provided a free shuttle back and forth to San Marco. Is this still the case. We would like to go back into San Marco after dinner on the 25th.

[lydnsyd]

We are on Celebrity Silhouette June 15 for the Italy & Croatia cruise. We return to Venice on June 25 and disembark June 26.

 

On a past cruise the ship provided a free shuttle back and forth to San Marco. Is this still the case. We would like to go back into San Marco after dinner on the 25th.

 

The shuttle isn't free - I think they charged something like $20pp the last time. We walked from the port to San Marco.

Hope you have a great cruise - we get on as you get off.

[cruiser87654321]

The shuttle would only have gone to Piazzale Roma, not San Marco. The only way to get to SM is on foot or by boat.

[TMLAalum]

The shuttle would only have gone to Piazzale Roma, not San Marco. The only way to get to SM is on foot or by boat.

 

Celebrity offered a boat shuttle to San Marco in June last year. It was around $25 per person. With the proximity of the 1 euro People Mover from port to Piazzale Roma, there's no shuttle to there needed.

 

If you choose to take the Celeb boat shuttle, book your tickets early because the departure times are assigned on a first come/first served basis. We lost precious time in Venice because we didn't decide to use this service until the night before we docked.

 

Personally, I think a better option is to take the People Mover and board a vaporetto from Piazzale Roma. A 24 hour vaporetto pass works out to around the same as the Celebrity boat shuttle!

[cruisegirl1]

Celebrity offered a boat shuttle to San Marco in June last year. It was around $25 per person. With the proximity of the 1 euro People Mover from port to Piazzale Roma, there's no shuttle to there needed.

 

If you choose to take the Celeb boat shuttle, book your tickets early because the departure times are assigned on a first come/first served basis. We lost precious time in Venice because we didn't decide to use this service until the night before we docked.

 

Personally, I think a better option is to take the People Mover and board a vaporetto from Piazzale Roma. A 24 hour vaporetto pass works out to around the same as the Celebrity boat shuttle!

 

Exactly. - except the boat shuttle is now $30 - or at least it was on the Equinox in May 2013.

 

The people mover and vaporetto worked prefectly for us. We used the vaporetto like a hop on - hop off.

Enjoy the beautiful city.

m

[kevinyork]

We took the free port shuttle waiting by the ship to P.Roma (5 mins) and then a Vaporetto to San Marco. Its a stunning journey down the Grand Canal!

[vivi9909]

We took the free port shuttle waiting by the ship to P.Roma (5 mins) and then a Vaporetto to San Marco. Its a stunning journey down the Grand Canal!

 

Can you please elaborate on that "free port shuttle". Is it a boat shuttle or automotive? How do you compare it to the people mover in terms of convenience and time to reach P. Roma?

 

I agree with you that the journey down the Grand Canal is a kind of excursion in itself and a must in Venice and that the Celebrity shuttle is just a way to reach rapidly P. San Marco, if that is the purpose.

[cruisegirl1]

If there was any type of free shuttle, anywhere outside of the pier, on our recent Equinox 12 night Med cruise we missed it. They provided a bus to take passengers from the ship the short distance ( maybe I minute) to the paid water shuttle landing that takes you to San Marco area. We were direct to the bus (I guess because they assume everyone is talking their paid shuttle) but when we got off, we walked out of the pier area to the people mover. . We could have easily simply walked directly from the ship to the end of the pier but we were instructed to board the bus.

 

Many we talked to, did not realize that the paid ship water shuttle did not go down the Canal

 

m

[cshim]

I personally wouldn't bother with the water shuttle that Celebrity provide as it is expensive and you get a timed ticket.

 

Walk over to the People Mover (about 5-10 minutes) and it takes a few minutes to get to Santa Lucia Rail station and costs 1 euro each way. Much easier and cheaper.

[kevinyork]

Can you please elaborate on that "free port shuttle". Is it a boat shuttle or automotive? How do you compare it to the people mover in terms of convenience and time to reach P. Roma?

 

I agree with you that the journey down the Grand Canal is a kind of excursion in itself and a must in Venice and that the Celebrity shuttle is just a way to reach rapidly P. San Marco, if that is the purpose.

 

 

We only found out about it as we were on P&O and went to book boat transfers but my Mum was in a wheelchair so they said they could not take wheelchairs on the transfer boat and we should use the port bus.

 

When we got off the ship the port bus was waiting on the dock. It was a local yellow single decker bus that had P. Roma on the front. It shuttled backwards and forwards between the ship and P.Roma all day. Few knew about it as there were only a handful of people on it.

 

If worst comes to worst then you can always walk a little further to the monorail as others have said.

[Terpnut]

I don't get why anyone would pay the cruise line for a water shuttle for $25 per person when you can, as others have posted, take the People Mover to Vaporetto, just share a water taxi or use the Alilaguna Blue line. For ~€100 total, you can share a private taxi ride with up to 10 people and it'd be faster and cheaper than the ship transfer direct to Piazza San Marco. Or take the Alilaguna Blue Line from the cruise terminal to San Marco for just €8 per person. And no people mover and additional walking needed for either of the latter two options.

[ariawoman]

I would agree that the public transits are likely best HOWEVER word of caution - they strike OFTEN, so make sure you know if there are any strikes that day. We got off the ship one day and the place was on strike so we walked to St Marks from the port. We decided to take one of the operating water taxis back to the ship - and it stopped so often that we nearly missed the ship leaving port. It wasn't fun LOL. Thank GOD we didn't miss it, but we cut it VERY close as we didn't allot enough stop/start time for the water taxi.

[rubydoobydoo]

I don't get why anyone would pay the cruise line for a water shuttle for $25 per person when you can, as others have posted, take the People Mover to Vaporetto, just share a water taxi or use the Alilaguna Blue line. For ~€100 total, you can share a private taxi ride with up to 10 people and it'd be faster and cheaper than the ship transfer direct to Piazza San Marco. Or take the Alilaguna Blue Line from the cruise terminal to San Marco for just €8 per person. And no people mover and additional walking needed for either of the latter two options.

 

Because we believed the advice of the celebrity staff !!!

 

We were told the only was to st. Marks square was by the water taxi/bus whatever they called it, it was 25 dollars each and when we questioned the price we were told it was set by the port authority so it would cost the same whoever we got the tickets from.

 

She said we could try to walk but it was along way and we could easily get lost

 

We were given the same advice in Dubrovnik, we paid 12 dollars each for the bus to the old town or face a 90 minute walk uphill, we were told unless we had the local currency we would not be able to get a bus/taxi as the would not take euro

 

Hindsight is a great thing and because we only knew about this once we were there we paid

 

Did we feel like we had " suckers " tattooed on our forehead, yes we did !!!

[kassee55]

Unless you've been to Europe before or lived in or visited a city/area that has a good public transportation system, all these terms can be a bit confusing. Don't worry, your cruise critic roll call pals and fellow passengers will help you now and when you board the ship. You can also find info here and on YouTube which will show you lots of ideas on how to navigate Venice.

 

Arriving at the airport: After picking up your luggage, turn around and find a pole where there is a machine that has ATVO on it. Put in the code for English (121?). You'll have two options. Choose Venice. Choose the number of tickets and insert your Euros (6e pp). You don't need exact change. Proceed to Passport check then go through the front lobby and out the front doors under canopy. Crossover a few lanes to the ATVO bus which will be right in front of you. Right next to the bus is a pole with a box where you validate your ticket. Give it to the driver and he will load your luggage in the bin. You will arrive at the Piazzale Roma in 20 minutes. This is the square where all motorized vehicles must stop or depart.

 

There is a block of buildings where the People Mover station, ATVO ticket dispenser and luggage storage areas are. Across from it is the entrance to Venice!!! You can find the water bus or taxis in this area or you can walk your luggage to your hotel if it isn't too far or involves too many bridges!

 

We arrived in Venice at 3:15 and were checked in and enjoying a glass of wine at an open café by 4:15.

 

In Venice: We had a ship-overnight in Venice at the end of the cruise. We took the people mover in. After walking and touring the city-once you go over the Rialto bridge it's mayhem and expensive. Shop or eat before the bridge if you want to save money and enjoy peace. St. Marks is wild and a great place to people watch. There is a quiet park near the square and next to the waterfront if you turn right while facing the water. Instead of taking the people mover back to the ship, we walked over the car bridge. It felt good to burn off a few calories and see a little more of the city. Not a bad walk at all.

 

Leaving Venice: When we walked back to the ship we noticed several taxis in front of the Celebrity building. Drivers of taxi vans were offering 52e fares to the airport the next a.m. That amount was for a 6-8 passenger van right outside of baggage pick up. We figured 6 people with luggage which would come to 18e per couple. Unfortunately we had booked with Celebrity for 32e pp for a way too early bus ride to the airport. Too late to cancel. Also, the cabs are closer to the luggage and you don't have to wait to load and unload en masse.

 

If you want to save more money, but take a little more time, you can take the people mover and the ATVO back to the airport for 7e pp. Just make sure you buy your tickets for both the day before while your visiting Venice. Tickets can be purchased at the Piazzale. You'll avoid lines and save time. Storing your luggage is 7e per bag if you have a later flight.

 

Big Gripe: Why does the cruise ship give you such an early exit time and bus ride to the airport 4 hours in advance? (11:35 a.m. flight) Most airlines won't let you check in until 3 hours ahead of departure. At least the seats at Marco Polo Airport are more comfortable than our British American seats were!

 

We never used the water transportation. Hubby and friends like to walk and we had a wonderful sail away view the first night and breakfast with champagne on our balcony the morning we arrived back in the city. If you can, don't miss either the sail away or the sail into. Venice is stunning!

[realnice46]

Thank you all so much for all your suggestions. We will do it on our own using the people mover and our feet or the vaporetto.

 

We were on Celebrity 5 or 6 years ago in Venice and they provided free shuttle to San Marco. I guess they discovered another way to get your money.

 

We will enjoy the cruise anyway.

[Baseball fan]

We walked to San Marco from our hotel near P Roma and then took the water bus back. As others have said it is a great ride on the grand canal. But the walk there is great (just follow the signs). Venice is one of my favorite places.

[kassee55]

Because we believed the advice of the celebrity staff !!!

 

We were told the only was to st. Marks square was by the water taxi/bus whatever they called it, it was 25 dollars each and when we questioned the price we were told it was set by the port authority so it would cost the same whoever we got the tickets from.

 

She said we could try to walk but it was along way and we could easily get lost

 

We were given the same advice in Dubrovnik, we paid 12 dollars each for the bus to the old town or face a 90 minute walk uphill, we were told unless we had the local currency we would not be able to get a bus/taxi as the would not take euro

 

Hindsight is a great thing and because we only knew about this once we were there we paid

 

Did we feel like we had " suckers " tattooed on our forehead, yes we did !!!

 

You are so right about Dubrovnik. After we walked onto the dock, hubby crossed the small parking lot and asked the taxis the fare into town. It is regulated and costs 12e each way. We grabbed another couple and split the fare. 6e per couple! Taxis do take euro, however there was a long line exchanging Euro for kuna once we arrived near the gate. You don't pay to get into the city, but must pay to go up onto wall. Could have exchanged at the dock. The Hole in the Wall Bar took euro. A sudden but strong thunderstorm came through the city and we huddled in any nook we could find. Made a mad dash to the taxis and easily grabbed one as we passed a hundred people in the downpour waiting in line to board the buses. Shared the fare with the same couple and the cab dropped us off right at the canopy for the ship. Buses = 24e pp. Cab ride 12e per couple.

[Terpnut]

One thing that I have learned over the years (and from all the stories here, so have others!) is that the cruise lines prey on the uninformed or ill-prepared passenger by charging 2-4x times as much for half the quality of service, and as a bonus, it will also take twice as long! :rolleyes: :D

[Lsimon]

Is the ship shuttle have timed tickets now? When we used it 3 years ago there were no timed tickets and the only time there was a real line was the afternoon of our arrival in Venice. It was a very long line but ended up only taking about 20 or 30 min to get to the shuttle and departed from right next to the cruise ship.

 

It seemed like a pretty good option to me and faster and more dierect, especially next morning, than walking to people mover, people mover to plaza, then either vaparetto or walking. It also ran much later than the other public boat transportation from the cruise ship area.

 

I'd take it again in a minute. I'd much rather spend a few extra euros for a more direct transportation to San Marco area. After spending many thousands of dollars for a European cruise I'm not going to spend extra time to save 10 or 20 Euros between the two of us.

[Terpnut]

...

 

I'd take it again in a minute. I'd much rather spend a few extra euros for a more direct transportation to San Marco area. After spending many thousands of dollars for a European cruise I'm not going to spend extra time to save 10 or 20 Euros between the two of us.

For the cost is no concern crowd, the water taxi is the most direct and fastest, but is the most expensive (€10-30pp depending on your group size). The Alilaguna is as fast or faster than the ship transfer yet much cheaper at €7-8pp. For the budget conscious, the People Mover/walk/Vaporetto can't be beat for €3-4pp. To me, these three options cover the entire range of needs from fast, direct & expensive for those with no budget concerns to slower but cheaper options--and every one of them are better values than the ship transfer!

[cpl100]

Last week the Celebrity shuttle (boat) was $20 pp and went from the ship to San Marco. They gave out 'timed' passes for the first 2 or 3 hours after docking and after that it was come and go as you pleased.

[holsagain]

Another factor to consider in is where the ship is docked. Last time we were in Venice I did it the cheap way but it was a very long walk to the people mover in the heat whereas the ships shuttle went from the bow of the ship. I looked for disabled transportation but although there was a sign I never saw a bus there.

[Peteymil]

Unless you've been to Europe before or lived in or visited a city/area that has a good public transportation system, all these terms can be a bit confusing. Don't worry, your cruise critic roll call pals and fellow passengers will help you now and when you board the ship. You can also find info here and on YouTube which will show you lots of ideas on how to navigate Venice.

 

Arriving at the airport: After picking up your luggage, turn around and find a pole where there is a machine that has ATVO on it. Put in the code for English (121?). You'll have two options. Choose Venice. Choose the number of tickets and insert your Euros (6e pp). You don't need exact change. Proceed to Passport check then go through the front lobby and out the front doors under canopy. Crossover a few lanes to the ATVO bus which will be right in front of you. Right next to the bus is a pole with a box where you validate your ticket. Give it to the driver and he will load your luggage in the bin. You will arrive at the Piazzale Roma in 20 minutes. This is the square where all motorized vehicles must stop or depart.

 

There is a block of buildings where the People Mover station, ATVO ticket dispenser and luggage storage areas are. Across from it is the entrance to Venice!!! You can find the water bus or taxis in this area or you can walk your luggage to your hotel if it isn't too far or involves too many bridges!

 

We arrived in Venice at 3:15 and were checked in and enjoying a glass of wine at an open café by 4:15.

 

In Venice: We had a ship-overnight in Venice at the end of the cruise. We took the people mover in. After walking and touring the city-once you go over the Rialto bridge it's mayhem and expensive. Shop or eat before the bridge if you want to save money and enjoy peace. St. Marks is wild and a great place to people watch. There is a quiet park near the square and next to the waterfront if you turn right while facing the water. Instead of taking the people mover back to the ship, we walked over the car bridge. It felt good to burn off a few calories and see a little more of the city. Not a bad walk at all.

 

!

 

How long was the walk from St. Marks back to ship? Was it easy to navigate ?

[Lsimon]

...The Alilaguna is as fast or faster than the ship transfer yet much cheaper at €7-8pp....

We looked into this a few years ago and from what I saw at the time it didn't stop at the cruise port past around 7 in the evening - so it didn't help us with our plans to spend the evening in Venice. The ship's last shuttle back was at 11:30PM which worked out just right for us. Again - all my figures are three years old so they are worth re-investigating for someone planning a future cruise.

 

 

How long was the walk from St. Marks back to ship? Was it easy to navigate ?

 

It is about 2 1/2 miles and using the people mover would save a little less than 1/2 mile of that although I don't know if it would actually save time or not. While the walk always sounded nice to us we never did it as I figured we'd save our walking energy for the heart of the city. Here is a link to a Google Map where I calculated the distance: https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Piazza+San+Marco,+Venice,+Province+of+Venice,+Italy&hl=en&sll=45.437819,12.322783&sspn=0.014153,0.033023&geocode=FbRNtQIdos27AA%3BFYtEtQIdm0K8ACEb9v9ElrvQAimJhEFu17F-RzEb9v9ElrvQAg&oq=san+marco&gl=us&dirflg=w&doflg=ptm&mra=luc&t=m&z=16

[Hlitner]

After reading some of the posts here I thought we would post a few facts. Regarding shuttle service from the port to St Marks Square, X usually offers a regular water shuttle which costs $20 (unlimited use). The down side of this service is that it only goes to St Marks Square (this is just one place) and you might find yourself waiting a long time (30 min is not uncommon) for a shuttle. Another option is to take the Alilaguna boats that also depart from the port and will take you to many different places including St Marks Square. The Alilaguna costs 8 Euros per journey (times tickets are available but expensive). The down side to the Alilaguna is that they have limited routes although they are certainly fine if you want to spend 8 Euros to get from point A to point B. A third option is to take the People Mover (this is an automatic elevated train) from the port over to the Piazale Roma where you have access to the wonderful vaporetto system (also known as the ACTV). The People Mover station in the port can be a bit of a walk depending on your docking location, but the walk is flat. The People Mover costs 1 Euro per journey and it runs until around 11pm. Once at the Piazale Roma you can simply elect to walk to anyplace in Venice (walking is truly the best way to discover Venice). But you can also walk across the P. Roma to the large ACTV dock facility where you have access to darn near every vaporetto line. For those wanting to explore Venice and all (or some) of the other islands in the Lagoon...it really makes sense to purchase a timed Vaporetto Pass (they sell them for 12, 24, 36, 48, 72,......hours). These passes give you unlimited use of the vaporettos and they can take you to any island or just about any location around Venice. A single vaporetto ticket will cost you 7 Euros, but the times tickets can be great bargains. A 24 hour ticket is 20 Euros and a 48 Hour is 30 Euros. With that pass you have access to everything as opposed to the cruise line shuttle which only gives you access to a single place (St Marks Square).

 

I would emphasize that there is a lot more to Venice then St Marks Square. In fact, DW and I, having spent quite a bit of time in Venice, seldom even bother going to St Marks Square since the place is usually overrun with tourists and tour groups (this changes around 4pm when most of the day visitors leave Venice). For those that have no mobility issues we think walking is the best way to go. You will discover all kinds of interesting places in the narrow streets of Venice including interesting shops, restaurants, etc. And we also recommend, for those who are in Venice for more then 1 day, taking a vaporetto all the way out to Burano (our favorite island) and Murano. Lido also has its charms.

 

Hank