Venice Cruise Port Location, Things to do, Excursions

Table Of Content

• Explore Venice on Foot
• Getting to Know the Surrounding Areas of Venice Cruise Port
• Rialto Bridge
• Arrive Early To Avoid Long Lines And Give Yourself Plenty of Time To Navigate The Terminal And Board Your Ship
• Grand Canal
• East Mediterranean Ports
• Transportation from the Venice Cruise Port
• Embarking and Disembarking

I’d recommend checking with your cruise ship in advance to clarify if they offer this service. They’re significantly more expensive than the waterbuses (around €90) but you will have the boat all to yourself. VeneziaTerminal PasseggeriThe official VTP site has basic English-language information about Venice's cruisefacilities, including a useful map of the Marittima and San Basilio piers.

Explore Venice on Foot

VeniceTransportation indexThese articles give detailed information on how to arrive in Venice and getaround the city by land or water. Take the vaporetto (see above) or walk along the Zatterewaterfront promenade to a small wooden bridge just past the San Basilio vaporetto platform. Cruise lines sometimes provide free shuttle boats betweenMarittima and San Marco, either at the beginning and end of a cruise or duringport calls in Venice. Take a taxi (if you can find one), or--better yet--ride the quick andinexpensive Venice People Moverone stop to the Marittima cruise basin. The city and its cruise-ship piers are inside the Venetian Lagoon,which is connected to the Adriatic Sea by a narrow entrance called the Porto diLido. The Teatro La Fenice, the Jewish Ghetto (and Museum), the Arsenale, the Riva degli Schiavoni (Waterfront Promenade), the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, the Ca' D'Oro, are among the top landmarks to enjoy.

Getting to Know the Surrounding Areas of Venice Cruise Port

If you wish to travel by water bus, then I’d recommend booking your day pass online in advance. There is so much to do and see in Venice that cruises calling at the port for one day will force passengers to choose carefully. The good news is that most cruise lines stay at least two days in Venice, allowing more time to explore this unique city. It is like a giant Hop On/Off cruising experience covering all of Venice, Murano, Burano, Lido all the way to Punta Sabbioni.

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Rialto Bridge

Despite these limitations, Venice remains a must-see destination for any traveler seeking history, culture, and breathtaking scenery. If the traveling on cruise lines like Seabourn, Silversea or Seadream, your ship will most probably dock at San Basilico. This is a small pier in the district of Dorsoduro, right before the beginning of the Fondamenta delle Zattere - a wonderful waterfront promenade on the southern edge of the city, facing the Giudecca. This is one of the nicest spots to Dock in Venice, within walking distance to many highlights and no more than 30 minutes away from Piazza San Mark on foot. Venice Cruise Port Terminal (VCT or Terminal Venezia Passeggeri) is Europe's 3rd busiest cruise port and world's 13th largest.

Arrive Early To Avoid Long Lines And Give Yourself Plenty of Time To Navigate The Terminal And Board Your Ship

This is a result of a 2021 ban on large cruise ships from docking in Venice. If your cruise ship doesn’t offer this service, trains, buses, and water buses are all available between Marghera and Venice. Venice,Italy used to be the largest cruise port in the Eastern Mediterranean,thanks in part to its long history as a maritime republic and shipbuildingcolossus. That changed in 2021, when the Italian government responded topolitical pressures by banning all but the smallest passenger ships from central Venice. Built upon 117 separate islands and held together by wooden beamed structures below water, Venice is as strong today as it was when first inhabited over 1500 years ago.

Grand Canal

Disembarking at Trinity Bridge allows for a tour of Basilica San Marco, which holds great significance in Christian history. Today, Venice is known for its beautiful architecture, art galleries, and museums. The city is home to many famous landmarks, including St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and the Rialto Bridge. Visitors can explore the rich history of Venice by visiting these landmarks and learning about the city's past.

She is also a dedicated National Parks enthusiast and loves to hike in these beautiful locations. To further her expertise in the industry, Chantelle has taken numerous courses to become a specialist in various destinations, including the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, and Alaska. Through her blog and advising business, Chantelle shares her love for travel and helps others plan their dream vacations. However, some large cruise ships are now stopping in Ravenna Cruise Port (a 2-hour drive south of Venice) and cruisers are journeying by bus to Venice. It's also possible to walk to the San Basilio cruise terminalfrom the Piazzale Roma in 30 minutes or less, but you'll need a good map and awillingness to haul your luggage over a number of bridges. You can take a public water bus to the Piazzale Roma and proceed from there by taxi, bus, or on footif you aren't traveling with too much luggage.

Transportation from the Venice Cruise Port

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She is the go-to source for tips, advice, and comprehensive information on cruising. As a tireless explorer and devoted family woman, Judith Eve embodies the essence of the adventurous spirit, inspiring readers to set sail and create their own sea stories. Passengers can find up-to-date information about their ship's schedule and arrival/departure times on the Venice Cruise Port website. The website also provides information about any changes or delays in the schedule. When I recently cruised out of Italy, it was from the Civitavecchia (Rome) port.

Cruiseships moor at the Porto Corsini, just inside the port entrance from theAdriatic Sea. Below are maps and brief descriptions of the ports that are nowbeing used for cruises that begin, end, or include a port call in "Venice." In this article, we'll show maps and give brief descriptions of these portlocations. Read your cruise documentation carefullyand confirm your ship's exact location with the cruise line if you'reuncertain about where your ship will be berthed.

Arrive early if possible and consider hiring a porter service to help with luggage transportation. To avoid long lines and give yourself plenty of time to navigate Venice Cruise Terminal, it’s recommended that you arrive early on the day of departure. This will allow you ample time to check-in, go through security, and board your ship without feeling rushed or stressed. Carnival Cruise New Orleans is a popular cruise line that offers a wide range of exciting and fun-filled activities...

November and December are particularly prone to high tides and flooding in Venice. Visitors should check weather forecasts before planning their trip during these months. To ensure a smooth check-in process and avoid any delays when navigating Venice Cruise Terminal, it’s important that you follow all instructions given by the terminal staff. These instructions may include where to go, what documents to have ready, and how to proceed through security.

The Bridge of Sighs spans the Rio di Palazzo or Palace River and was constructed in the 17th century by Antonio Contino. The purpose of the bridge was to connect the Old Prison with the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace to the then New Prison located across the river. Romantic legend has it that if a couple were to kiss while enjoying a gondola under the bridge at sunset, their love would last to eternity. Between the Basilica and St. Marks Basin lies the Palazzo Ducale, a pink and white Gothic style marble building. The Palazzo Ducale for over one hundred years was the main residence of the dukes of Venice who were the reigning body, for life.

With very few exceptions, all cruise ships dock at the Venice Passenger Terminal. This main cruise terminal is in an area connected to the mainland by road and train. It has excellent access for all cruisers embarking or disembarking in Venice. Venice is on the northern tip of the Adriatic sea, formed by the Italian peninsula on the west and coasts of Croatia, Albania, and Greece on the east side. Trieste and Ravenna are another two cruise ports nearby and also visited by cruise ships to explore Venice.

Until well into the 19th century, this was the only bridge that spanned the Grand Canal, originally built as a pontoon bridge. Today you find this graceful bridge lined with both boutiques as well as tourists. The bridge itself when proposed, had many famous architects applying for the job, including Palladio and Michelangelo himself, but it was a fairly unknown Antonio da Ponte that was awarded the job.

As a cruise guest in Venice, you’ll immerse yourself in a beautiful city full of rich history and culture awaiting exploration. From sightseeing to visiting landmarks like St Mark’s Square, don’t miss out on these activities in the most romantic city on the planet. I know I will enjoy the beautiful area surrounding venice when I finally do get to cruise out of the Venice Italy cruise port. The museum that now occupies the former residence of the Doge of Venice is a grand and beautiful example of architecture.

In fact, this is the last area where cars and buses can circulate before entering the maze of water canals and the exclusively pedestrian zone that Venice is. The controversy over whether cruise ships should be allowed into Venice was heightened right after Costa Concordia ship's capsizing near Giglio Island. Following the accident, the government issued a law banning cruise liners with gross tonnage over 96,000 GT from navigating the Guidecca Canal. The number of smaller cruise vessels (over 40,000 GT) along the channel was limited to 5 per day. In 2014, this law came into effect, just to be thrown out 2 months later by the Venice Court of Appeal. In September 2023, Fulvio Lino Di Blasio (Port Authority's President) announced that cruise ships will be allowed to use Stazione Marittima di Venezia starting in 2027-Q2.