Vegetables FAQ

Cruise with a Venice Focus- Suggestions Please

Question:

   My wife and I would like to take a cruise sometime this fall which spends some time in Venice (the more time the better). We’ve just begun to look into the possibilities, and would like some advice. So far we’ve seen two possibilities that we like.     Oceania Cruises is offering a 2 week Barcelona – Venice (or vice versa) cruise in late September and mid-October. We like the itinerary, and we’ve been told we could add extra nights in Venice for an extra charge. We also like the ship very much – we sailed on it when it was a Renaissance ship, and we loved the elegant, relatively small ship ambiance and the cabin with veranda we had.     The other possibility we’ve come across so far is a weeklong "cruise" on a river ship that spends 5 nights in Venice and 2 days exploring the Po River. This cruise tour is operated by Uniworld. We like the amount of time spent in and around Venice, and the price is 2/3 that of Oceania, but we don’t know how it would compare in other respects. We’d appreciate any feedback from anyone who has taken this cruise (or any other European river cruise offered by Uniworld). And of course, we’d welcome any additional suggestions.     Thanks a lot!     Doug Litten

Response:

Did a Uniworld through Germany at Christmas this year, loved it,  and looked seriously (and still am) at something else with them this summer.  Loved it. We looked at the Venice cruise, and would probably prefer a cruise that started or ended in Venice and we would add on a few days.  Venice is one of those places I would want to be for a few days, not someplace where I would want to have to leave by 5:30 for the ship leaving at six.  I really don’t see the advantage to the Venice river cruise that spends so much time in Venice, at that rate you may be better with a hotel. .

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->    My wife and I would like to take a cruise sometime this fall which > spends some time in Venice (the more time the better). We’ve just begun > to look into the possibilities, and would like some advice. So far we’ve > seen two possibilities that we like. >     Oceania Cruises is offering a 2 week Barcelona – Venice (or vice > versa) cruise in late September and mid-October. We like the itinerary, > and we’ve been told we could add extra nights in Venice for an extra > charge. We also like the ship very much – we sailed on it when it was a > Renaissance ship, and we loved the elegant, relatively small ship > ambiance and the cabin with veranda we had. >     The other possibility we’ve come across so far is a weeklong > "cruise" on a river ship that spends 5 nights in Venice and 2 days > exploring the Po River. This cruise tour is operated by Uniworld. We > like the amount of time spent in and around Venice, and the price is 2/3 > that of Oceania, but we don’t know how it would compare in other > respects. We’d appreciate any feedback from anyone who has taken this > cruise (or any other European river cruise offered by Uniworld). And of > course, we’d welcome any additional suggestions. >     Thanks a lot! >     Doug Litten

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Did a Uniworld through Germany at Christmas this year, loved it,  and looked >seriously (and still am) at something else with them this summer.  Loved it. >We looked at the Venice cruise, and would probably prefer a cruise that >started or ended in Venice and we would add on a few days.  Venice is one of >those places I would want to be for a few days, not someplace where I would >want to have to leave by 5:30 for the ship leaving at six.  I really don’t >see the advantage to the Venice river cruise that spends so much time in >Venice, at that rate you may be better with a hotel. >.. >    My wife and I would like to take a cruise sometime this fall which > spends some time in Venice (the more time the better). We’ve just begun > to look into the possibilities, and would like some advice. So far we’ve > seen two possibilities that we like. >     Oceania Cruises is offering a 2 week Barcelona – Venice (or vice > versa) cruise in late September and mid-October. We like the itinerary, > and we’ve been told we could add extra nights in Venice for an extra > charge. We also like the ship very much – we sailed on it when it was a > Renaissance ship, and we loved the elegant, relatively small ship > ambiance and the cabin with veranda we had. >     The other possibility we’ve come across so far is a weeklong > "cruise" on a river ship that spends 5 nights in Venice and 2 days > exploring the Po River. This cruise tour is operated by Uniworld. We > like the amount of time spent in and around Venice, and the price is 2/3 > that of Oceania, but we don’t know how it would compare in other > respects. We’d appreciate any feedback from anyone who has taken this > cruise (or any other European river cruise offered by Uniworld). And of > course, we’d welcome any additional suggestions. >     Thanks a lot! >     Doug Litten

Hi, Doug. Just to offer a different two cents in follow-up to some of  Mike’s comments on Venice. (Have visited via independent land trip, never done the cruise) Factor 1: Because Venice has only a tiny resident population–most "locals" live on the mainland and come over only during the day to work in the tourist-oriented shops, restaurants, etc.–there is little in the way of nightlife other than dinner + quiet walks without the swarm of mostly English-speaking bus tourists + the obligatory gondola ride (which can be done at any other time of the day, cheaper than at night). I’m not saying that there aren’t some fine arts performances and nightclubs and the like–someone will no doubt pop up and say so. However, I, personally, don’t remember much in the way of indigenous evening entertainment (vs. made-for-tourists entertainment). Factor 2: Venice accommodations are pricey, particularly for what you get (think old and small, on an island where everything has to be boated in/out, which makes it more costly to renovate, maintain, furnish, do anything). I’m thinking back on our trips and have a gut feeling that, on average, Venice hotel properties are the most expensive considering value received in all Italy. For those two reasons, I, personally, have thought several times that using a cruise ship as a hotel and place to enjoy some of your evenings is more of an appealing idea in Venice than it would be in most places where you’d want to be a part of the nightlife. As for the Po river extension the Uniworld itinerary offers–all I can say is, if you’re a foodie, think long and hard before saying "no" to that trip! I’ve never eaten so well in all of my life…well, maybe in the Normandy region of France, which now that I think about it features much of the same/similar type of food! Lamb, pork, aged pork products–home of proscuitto, dairy, white cream sauces, butter, cheese–home of parmigiano-reggiano, gorgeous fruits and vegetables, and the best fresh pastas you’ve ever tasted. Plus, I adored the towns we made it to see in this region, esp. Bologna and Ferrara. Whatever you decide, enjoy! Diana Ball Near Houston, TX http://www.dianaball.net NCL Sea

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