Venice cruise terminal

[Kittyonions]

We are visiting Venice on Marella Discovery in October. I have read suggestions of taking the people mover (which apparently may be a fair walk from the ships berth) to connect with a vaporetto down the Grand Canal to St Marks. As my husband has recently had a knee replacement would like to keep walking distances to an absolute minimum. Can we take a taxi to connect with the vaporetto instead? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Many thanks

[edinburgher]

There are two vaporetto operators.  Alilaguna has a water station either just inside or just outside the port.  They are not as frequent as ACTV but would involve less walking and that stop is closer than the People Mover and P. Roma where the ACTV vaporettos run from. 

 

Go to their website and the line you are looking for is the one which runs between the cruise terminal and the airport in both directions. It has a stop at S Marco.

 

Marella will probably also have a (paying) transfer by boat running to/from S. Marco.

 

Be aware that over the years we have docked several times in Venice onboard Marella ships. They are almost always on the quay which is furthest from the port exit. There is quite a long walk returning to the ship as all pax must pass through immigration and security checks and walk after that.  Depending on specific mobility issues, some could struggle with that.

 

Marella usually add info on this to all shorex they offer in Venice. so that pax are aware they will have to walk.

 

You could ask about docking location on the Marella Board in case others have had a different location than we have had.

[Kittyonions]

Many thanks for your helpful advice, will checkout the website as you suggest. Have checked ships in port, and we are only ship in that day. Hopefully, we maybe closer to the port exit than in your experience.

[Earl Rosebery]

the alilaguna blue line operates every 30 minutes from the port to SAN Marco.  You would miss the Grand Canal which is half the fun.  If mobility is a serious problem, you should consider a water taxi ride from the port to SAN Marco via the Grand Canal.  Expensive but maybe worth it.     For all your options, google Tom’s port guides and Europe for visitors/Venice 

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Edited July 31, 2019 by Earl Rosebery

[steamboats]

13 hours ago, edinburgher said:

There is quite a long walk returning to the ship as all pax must pass through immigration and security checks and walk after that. 

 

There´s no immigration in Venice as all ships must have been in a Schengen country port before. Security is in the terminal building. But there are several terminals in Venice. There´s a main basin where Isonzo 1/2 are located on one side and 107, 108, 109 and 110 on the other side. At the head of the basin is 103. That´s where the Alilaguna Blue Line is departing from. And there´s 117 on the canal opposite the parking lot Tronchetto. That´s the terminal where you also have to walk quite a bit to the Alilaguna stop. Sometimes they do offer a free shuttle within the port area (also to the people mover), sometimes they don´t...

 

steamboats

[edinburgher]

Kittyonions, my apologies. I should not have said "Immigration" only "security" although passports must be shown there.

 

If you are the only ship in that day you may be lucky and get a berth closer to the port gates. 

 

We have only ever been there on Saturdays when there have been several ships in, most recently in June (our 5th time).  Those on turnaround are usually berthed closer to the gates.  As Marella are only in Venice on a port call, we have always been at #117 looking across the canal to Tronchetto. This is the longest walk to and from the gates. No "in the port" shuttle has ever been running for Marella although we have on occasion seen them running to and from the ships on turnaround.

Edited July 31, 2019 by edinburgher

[steamboats]

9 hours ago, edinburgher said:

Kittyonions, my apologies. I should not have said "Immigration" only "security" although passports must be shown there.

 

Never had to show my passport... there´s no passport control within Schengen. You have to show your cruise card or your documents for embarkation.

 

steamboats

[Travelicious]

It seems like the line for the people mover on the morning of disembarkation would be extremely long.  Is that the case?  

Edited August 1, 2019 by Travelicious

[edinburgher]

I see you are based in Germany and may be subject to different ID rules.

 

The cruise card has no photo on it.

 

We had it written in our cruise news that passports must be carried in Italian ports, also reminded in the morning announcement.

 

Maybe rules for Brits are different even although we were arriving from within the Schengen area, and if so, could be because Brits are not  required to carry any photo ID at all when in the UK, but I know that in some countries it is a legal requirement to carry photo ID at all times, even if visiting. We are also not legally required to carry vehicle documents in a vehicle, again in some countries it is mandatory.

 

Most commonly carried photo ID in the UK is a driving license, but unless planning on renting a car at any port, these are most likely left safely at home.

 

We usually carry a photocopy of our passports in our money wallets, but copies rather than the originals are not always acceptable ID in every country we visit, and there are probably Brits who wander ashore with no photo ID at all.

 

 

Edited August 1, 2019 by edinburgher

[steamboats]

The cruise line usually tells you that you do need a photo ID when going ashore. But in Med ports there is no official passport control. It might be that the port staff will check your ID and your cruise card but that´s no passport control or immigration. And although the cruise line tells you you need a photo ID I never had a check.

 

And within Schengen territory there is no difference between Brits and Germans or Americans. When the ship is within Schengen territory there are no more official passport controls. The Schengen "visa" is usually stamped in the passport at the airport (at least for Americans as they need to fly in for a Med cruise unless it starts from Southampton) and Brits don´t need a Schengen "visa" (at least not until Oct 31st). And even if it was a cruise out of Southampton I doubt that Venice was the first Schengen port. When your last port was a Non-Schengen port they passport control happened onboard or would take place when you leave the ship but not when you return onboard.

 

steamboats

 

BTW my cruises out of Venice were on US cruise lines... Royal Caribbean or Norwegian. So no way to tell what nationality I am when boarding the ship. One cruise was an overnight one.

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2019 by steamboats

[edinburgher]

I am well aware of Schengen rules and that there are neither passport nor immigration checks once within the area.

 

As I said above, it is simply a way of ensuring that Brits have a form of photo ID  ashore with them should they be asked for one, and everyone will have a passport with them.

[steamboats]

As I said before all cruise lines tell you to take a valid photo ID with you when going ashore. But actually it´s not needed to reboard the ship. Legally you need it as you´re in a foreign country (and there it doesn´t matter whether it´s a Schengen country or not).

 

So it´s not a British thing US cruise lines do tell you this too (and German ones).

 

steamboats

[gvre]

We will be in Venice overnight in October on the Pacific Princess.

If I recall Princess runs a boat shuttle over to St. Marks and back.

Is this still the case?

Thanks,