This was our tenth cruise on RCI and the first on Splendour of the Seas. It was a cruise that we chose because we fell in love with Venice when we ended a cruise on Celebrity's Millennium 2 years ago.

My wife and I flew to Venice on the Thursday night before the cruise and stayed at the Marriott Courtyard at the airport. It may sound strange but there is a bus (number 5) which runs from the airport and passes the hotel on the way to Venice. Cost is 1 Euro 10 cents each way. There is also the AliLaguna Water bus which runs from the airport to San Marco. With the dollar exchange being so weak, and the uncertainty of where you are booking a hotel in Venice, especially walking with luggage, this turned out to be a great deal. The hotel is well priced and is very comfortable. We would recommend it to anyone with a couple of days to spend in Venice.

The Iberia flight from Miami landed a few minutes late in Madrid, but still with plenty of time to catch our connection to Venice. We arrived in Venice mid morning on Friday. After checking into the hotel we took the bus and were in the city at lunch time. Read more