We Head to Venice, Italy to Begin a Mediterranean Cruise

We had not travelled after we returned from our June trip to the Canadian Maritime Provinces, and the one trip we had planned, a motorcycle ride to Billings, MT, to attend a rally didn’t occur. One week before we were scheduled to leave, it started raining, and raining, and raining, and the rain gods decided to send us a 1000-year flood that took us out of the running. We were cleaning up when we would have liked to have been travelling. But we did schedule a Mediterranean cruise in December to make it look like we did something this year.

Waiting on the water taxi

The cruise was very similar to one we had scheduled with our Austin, TX, friends, Pam and Dayne, but one we cancelled because it started in Istanbul when it seemed like things were beginning to unravel in that country. Intrepid Pam and Dayne continued on with an altered itinerary focused more on the western Mediterranean, and killed us every day with their fun-filled posts. We found a very similar 14-day cruise for December, starting in Venice and ending in Barcelona with an extension to Madrid, and thought it would be really different to cruise these ports over the Christmas holiday. So we booked it.

With the cruise starting the second week of December, we found ourselves really scurrying to get ready to go. We again had booked a place in the Florida Keys to keep warm during January and February, and this year we wanted to take our motorcycle down.

Tight fit in the taxi

The owner of the house was gracious enough to allow us to store it at the house while we took the cruise, but it made everything tight with packing for the cruise and again for the Keys stay, closing down two homes for the winter, getting the motorcycle on the trailer and hauling it to the Keys, and making our way back to Miami to fly out for the cruise. But we managed, even though we are getting too old for this kind of high-heart-rate and short-tempered activity.

No high heels or Jethro shoes in taxi

To add to the everyday angst, we were flying to Venice on Lufthansa, and it seems the pilots were in a row with management and were having a fairly common tendency of walking out on strike for a couple of days every now and then.

Flying Miami to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Venice, we stepped off the plane and were greeted by really cold and foggy conditions. Wondering if we should have stayed in Miami, we took our first ride on a water-taxi that delivered us to our hotel to begin a two day pre-cruise tour of Venice. While the hotel, a Hilton was first class, we immediately realized that it was on Giudecca Island and separated from the heart of Venice.

Our hotel at night

This meant that to get anywhere we would have to take a water-taxi instead of just walking. Even with a complimentary water taxi, had we known this in advance (and the cruise lines never provide these kind of details), we would have opted to fly to Venice on our own and stay in the San Polo area. This would have allowed us to take more in with less expense ($8.90 for a cup of coffee, really Hilton!). But it was what it was, so we unpacked, decided it was too foggy to try and see anything this day, and elected to get some needed sleep.

Our hotel- an old flour mill

We had just traveled through 6 time zones and only had about two hours sleep in the last 24. We went to bed at 1800, woke up 3 hours later, read for two hours and slept until 0700 the next morning, awaking refreshed and ready to go.

The fog had cleared, the sun was brightly shining, the temperature was a little warmer, and it seemed like it was going to be a great first day for sightseeing Venice. We caught the first shuttle over to San Polo and headed for St. Mark’s Square—a Venetian must do—passing along La Serenissima (the Most Serene) to see waterside palazzos and piazzas, and peering down the narrow canals when we crossed bridges. Passing Doge’s Palace, we entered the square and found it and adjoining St. Mark’s Basilica to be absolutely breathtaking, as we had not really expected what we might see.

Doge's Palace

After walking through the square, we entered the Gothic-Byzantine basilica and were simply awed by the beauty. From the gold and cerulean blue painted ceilings, the intricate mosaic-tiled floors, and the incredible artwork, all combine to make a lasting impression. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed inside the church. We relished the sights for quite a while and were getting ready to leave, when we were treated to the singing of a boy’s choir during a mass. Their delightful voices resonated throughout the church’s chambers, and we stayed until the mass was over and they started to leave. What a treat we had.

The cruise line’s guide had recommended to ‘just get out there and walk,’ so that is what we did. Jane became aware that numerous shops lined the streets and alleys for several blocks around the square, as if she could smell them out there.

St. Mark's Basilica

With Capt. Larry in tow, we walked, shopped, and took in Venice’s marvelous sights for the next 5 hours. Assured by the guide that ‘you can’t get lost,’ we suddenly realized we were, as we were seeing the same sights and stores for the third time. It was lunchtime, so we found a little sidewalk enoteca bar and went in for some pizza, a panini, and beer. The owner was really entertaining, as he spoke very animatedly to some local patrons just before he cranked up some music and began booming out some opera. And he was good! Two singing treats in one day; it doesn’t get any better.

St. Mark's Square

We paid and asked the owner for directions back to the square. Turns out we were a lot closer than we thought, but then, we would not have had the great experiences had we easily found our way. Jane did some last minute shopping while we waited for our shuttle, and we returned to the hotel and settled in. tomorrow we have more touring of Venice and we board our ship.

The next morning delivers the unexpected fun part. Did we say FUN? Since we were departing the hotel today, we were told to have our bags outside our door at 0700 for pickup and to assemble in the lobby at 1000 for a transfer via water taxi to busses that would take us to the port of Trieste where we would embark our Viking ship.

Clock tower in the square

In order to get all of our things transferred without us hauling much luggage, we arose at 0600 to get ourselves ready, finished the final packing, and set our bags out for pickup. We kill time until 0830, then go down to have a leisurely (complimentary- thank you Hilton for something) breakfast before leaving the hotel. All goes well until we gather in the lobby where we learn that the ship is fogged in about 2 hours from port. Not to worry, it’s early and the fog should burn off as the day progressed. It did not, and if anything, the fog got thicker as we entered early afternoon. By now, the Viking tour guides were in panic mode and were burning up the airwaves with their calls to their Trieste counterparts and Viking headquarters. The agent’s previously accommodating tones and gestures were now becoming snappish, bordering on hostile, as the passengers tried to find out what was going to happen. By 1400 it became apparent that Viking didn’t have a backup plan to handle this. Finally it was announced that the 90 plus in the pre-tour group would be taken by water taxi to busses at another location, drop us off in Trieste, then bus us to lunch before returning to board the ship.

Arriving at the cruise terminal in Trieste, an Italian city and seaport located on a narrow strip of land in the northeastern-most part of Italy; and bordered by Slovenia to the east and south, we find many other cruise passengers who arrived by air waiting for the ship to arrive.

Luigi bringing the ship in

We wait for our next instructions. At 1500 a Viking guide holds up a sign with “Hilton” on it. We assemble and follow, but when other non-Hilton passengers see a large group starting to move, they join in. There are 3 busses for us in the parking lot, but as we try to make our way with our luggage through the passageways already jammed with waiting passengers with their luggage, and even more people trying to join our moving group, the situation becomes chaotic.

Crossing a canal

The Hiltonites literally have to push their way through a mass of humanity to get to their rides. This whole process which probably should have taken 10-15 minutes ends up taking around 45.

Busses loaded, we finally take off for what we think will be a short ride to the restaurant. We arrive an hour and fifteen minutes later at 1700—for LUNCH. For some reason our bus driver holds us on our bus while the other two buses empty. When we finally get inside, we are told that the restaurant is full with airport passengers and are questioned as to who we are.

The Grand Canal

We know that most of our group is eating, but the Viking airport guides won’t acknowledge us because somehow, a Viking Hilton guide didn’t make it on any of the buses to represent us. Tempers flare. Finally, Capt. Larry approaches what appears to be the head airport guide and says, ‘What’s going to happen when most of the Viking pre-tour passengers who are now eating are finished and about one-third of that group hasn’t yet eaten?

Another church

Also, you have to consider that we have been in Viking’s car since 1000 this morning. We haven’t eaten or had water and I’m sure there are a number of diabetics in the group. I would not think that Viking would want to deal with a potential medical emergency simply because one of our guides failed to get on the bus. But then, that’s your call.’ The guide consulted with what appeared to be the restaurant manager and amazingly, an adjoining addition was opened up for us. It may have happened anyway, but we ate, mostly drinking the free wine, and boarded our bus for a long ride back to Trieste.

Back at the terminal we found a docked ship and ensuing chaos.

Another church on the lagoon

There were 930 passengers getting off and 930 waiting to get on, 20+ busses in the parking lot, luggage strewn everywhere and people running around like a disturbed fire ant mound. It was around 40° and about one-half hour after getting off the warm bus people started to become uncomfortable.

Back street architecture

We wait patiently until suddenly the line starts moving quickly—much like an interstate traffic jam that quickly starts moving and one never knows why there was a slowdown—and soon find ourselves quite near the check-in desk. Over the next hour we manage to check-in, go through Security Checkpoint #1 (there weren’t any subsequent checkpoints) and board the ship as we are personally welcomed by the hotel director.

Season's Greeting's from Venice!

It’s 2100 so we head up to the lido deck seafood buffet, gorge ourselves on shrimp, sushi (a first for Capt. Larry, a never-do for Jane), crab claws and legs, and lots of wine. Back at our room we unpack our luggage then crash for a long winter’s nap. It had been an extraordinary day.