We just returned from a 7 day cruise from Venice to Athens. Background information: we have been on 30 plus cruises on Princess, RC, Celebrity, Holland America, NCL and Carnival. We chose this cruise for its length and ports of Venice, Croatia and Istanbul.

We flew from NY to Venice the day before the cruise left. After landing in Venice, we took a water taxi to our hotel. It is a little expensive but the way to go. We booked it on-line, Viator, greet and meet option. They meet you once you arrive, take your luggage and walk you to the water taxi. The boat ride into the city is wonderful.

We stayed at the Violino D’ Oro hotel. It is a small hotel and our room was overlooking a small canal where there was a gondolier station. The hotel is centrally located, close to St. Mark’s Square. It was reasonably priced and listed as a 3 star hotel. We loved it as it gave us a flavor of Venice. Read more