HAL still insists our Oosterdam cruise in August will dock, depart and return to the Venice Island cruise terminal

[terrydtx]

It is a well known fact that Venice has banned large cruise ships from docking on the island of Venice for over a year. We have a 14-night Oosterdam  cruise in August from Venice but I know that it will not be going from Venice Island. We are making pre and post cruise hotels and tour bookings and need to know where the ship will dock. Most other cruise lines have moved their cruises this year from Venice to either Ravenna or Trieste ports. A couple like Viking are using the industrial mainland, Porto Maghera. So, I called HAL customer service to find out what is going on. The representative I talked to insisted that the Oosterdam will dock and depart from the Venice cruise terminal, or will we use Porto Maghera? I asked what about the cruise ship ban from Venice and she kept saying we will depart as scheduled from Venice Island cruise terminal and if that changes, we will receive notification from HAL. Maybe this rep hasn't been informed about a change but surely HAL know by now where we will dock. I am very frustrated with HAL and when I looked where the Oosterdam will dock next year, the HAL web site shows Trieste. 

[chengkp75]

I assume that the cruise is still listed as departing from Venice, and that is where you will actually check in.  I've heard that the cruises using Marghera will check in at Venice cruise terminal, and then bus everyone to Marghera, so the agent, who likely doesn't know Venice from a hole in the ground, is seeing that the ship departs from Venice (Marghera is in the municipality of Venice).

[KirkNC]

Unfortunately HAL has always struggled with communication and the pandemic has done nothing to improve that.  Some lines are docking at other ports but still using Venice cruise terminal to clear all the passengers.  Of course that means a bus ride to the ship which depending on the port could be a two hour ride.

[terrydtx]

11 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Unfortunately HAL has always struggled with communication and the pandemic has done nothing to improve that.  Some lines are docking at other ports but still using Venice cruise terminal to clear all the passengers.  Of course that means a bus ride to the ship which depending on the port could be a two hour ride.

Thank you, I guess I shouldn't be too upset, I read earlier today on the Oceania CC forum that people on a cruise May 1 just found out this week they are going to Ravenna instead of Venice and are on their own to get from Venice to the port and back unless they bought air through the cruise line. O will reimburse them up to $300pp for any flight changes but will not pay for hotel changes. A lot of unhappy Oceania customers on that forum.

Edited February 27, 2022 by terrydtx

[4966and556]

My TA told me the ship will actually be docked in Trieste.  We will get picked up at the Venice airport for our HAL transfer in October.

 

[gigianne]

We are on a fall cruise from/to Venice.  Everyone who calls their TA or direct to HAL gets a different answer.  In time, I am sure we will find out what we do.  Until then it's become a guessing game.  

[terrydtx]

13 minutes ago, gigianne said:

We are on a fall cruise from/to Venice.  Everyone who calls their TA or direct to HAL gets a different answer.  In time, I am sure we will find out what we do.  Until then it's become a guessing game.  

Sounds like no one knows for sure, which is very concerning over the lack of planning by HAL

Edited February 27, 2022 by terrydtx

[john2003]

This is a very similar problem to the one I have with Antarctica. I have been unable to get any clarification from HAL on the impact of the new Polar Code on their sailings. There is numerous speculation so you would think they would want to clarify, but no. It is a strange approach to communication. I realise there is a lot of uncertainty these days but appearing to stick your corporate head in the sand is not a solution.

[Sharon in AZ]

We are on the Oosterdam in June and Venice is our disembarkation port after an overnight stay.  I read somewhere (sorry but I don’t remember where, just been reading and planning too much to remember) that Marghera is where the ship will dock this year and that it will be Trieste next year. I checked the schedule on cruisemapper and sure enough the Oosterdam is scheduled for Marghera for our cruise but I didn’t look past that point for future sailings. You might check out the schedule on the website— however, of course, anything is subject to change. BTW, I also asked HAL and was told that wherever it docks “we will get you where you need to be”. 
 

Sharon

[ski ww]

Our itinerary also states Venice as our arrival port for our July cruise but have heard that Marghera is the actual place where the ship docks.

[jlnprt]

We plan to visit Trieste just before our June cruise. Sure would be nice if that's where we were leaving from!

[kirbymuxloe]

We are on 8 May cruise from Venice and told it is margera.  Cruisemapper.com lists oosterdam from margera too.  We also booked paid for flights hotel venice so hoping this is the case.

[MikeD4134]

Just was on the Eurodam in October, Venice to Venice.  The ship was scheduled to be in Marghera, with check in at the Venice Cruise Terminal, 10-minute bus ride to the ship.  Very Industrial port no one is allowed entry or exit by themselves.  We arrived at the terminal and were informed because of the weather we were going to board in Trieste.  All of the check in process was done in Venice, then a 2-hour bus trip to the ship.  Upon our return we docked at Trieste and because we had a HAL transfer they put us on a bus and took us directly to the airport.  Folks with no HAL transfer were bussed to the Venice Cruise Terminal and were responsible for getting to their destinations.  Moral to the story is hope for the best, plan for the worst, HAL did a great job given they had 18 hours to put together the new logistics for boarding. 

[tjcox9]

We booked a cruise from Venice when on Rotterdam very recently. We asked the cruise consultant about where the ship would be docked and got a very round about non answer. Seems they might want to have them a bit better prepared for in person discussions............

 

[W Rovira]

Checking in today, for the Oosterdam sailing from Venice for the 12 Day Holy Land & Ancient Kingdoms cruise, I found my boarding pass says the embarkation port is Trieste. (Previously it did say Venice).