S.S. La Venezia Review

S.S. La Venezia started out as the more modest River Countess, built in 2003 and sailing the shallow Venice lagoon since 2013. Even before its current incarnation, River Countess was the most luxurious riverboat in Venice.

Now, the ship has been re-launched with even higher standards. In 2019, Uniworld completely renovated the ship, converting it into a "Super Ship," its most luxurious category, with new decor and furnishings, inspired by Venice and the surrounding area.

Uniworld’s Super Ships are always anything but generic, with extravagantly opulent decor and dramatic touches, from lavish chandeliers to swagged curtains and sumptuously textured wall coverings. La Venezia doesn’t disappoint, from the moment you step onboard into a lobby done out in black and gold and adorned with large potted palms, a circular sofa fringed with silver at its heart. Elaborate Venetian carnival masks adorn one end of Hari’s Bar, the main salon, where the bar is painted pale gold and the gilded chairs resemble small thrones.

While this sounds wildly over the top, the design works, and you quickly settle into what’s essentially an elaborately decorated floating boutique hotel. There’s certainly nothing snooty about the ship, despite its palatial appearance; the dress code is casual and the vibe jolly, aided by the free-flowing, all-inclusive drinks.

This inclusive pricing. -- and the fact that unlike Venice’s many hotels -- it moves, are what gives S.S. La Venezia the edge, all the more so since the 2021 ban of big cruise ships from the city center. During a week-long cruise, you really do get the best of Venice and the lagoon. Four of the seven nights are spent at San Basilio, or at the Sette Martiri mooring, even closer to Piazza San Marco. You’re in the heart of the city, either way, and are free to explore.

The other three nights depend on water levels in the lagoon. You are almost certain to go to  Chioggia, a fishing community at the far south of the lagoon, and Mazzorbo island, connected to pretty Burano by a foot bridge. The ship no longer sails into the broad Po River because of fluctuating water levels.

When you add up all the elements of the cruise — all meals, drinks, activities, gratuities and accommodation — it becomes clear what a competitively priced way this is to spend a week in Venice, in extreme comfort.