We have done the majority of our cruising on DCL but as our boys aged we decided to try other cruise lines. We cruised the Med last summer with RC and we wanted to experience sailing the Adriatic and I especially wanted to experience Venice. After much research, NCL offered us the best itinerary. Port times were short but we did enjoy the variety of places we visited.

We stayed at Hotel Villa Rosa for a few days before the cruise. It is a short walk to the train station and about a 30-minute total walk to the port. We didn't use the people mover and found the walk easy. (I did notice it is still a 10-minute walk from the people mover to the port.) Venice is not a large suitcase friendly city and we saw many tourists struggling to navigate the many bridges with large suitcases.

We are a family of four (17 and 13-year-old boys) and we only travel with carry on luggage. This trip, including before and after the cruise was a total of 16 days (5 flights, 5 trains, 2 hostels, 3 hotels) so we have learned to pack light and travel with fewer hassles. We booked in an inside stateroom on deck 12. The room worked well for us. There was plenty of room for our luggage and the bathroom was roomy compared to some of the hostels we have stayed at. The location was a 30-second walk to the pool deck and the Garden Buffet. I do wish the in-cabin movie selection was better. I know most people do not intend to spend a lot of time in their rooms but we do enjoy watching a movie as a way to unwind after a long day. This is a great perk on DCL. The room steward kept our room clean and we had no issues. We did have him push together the bottom beds to make a queen size bed, but this does really limit space in the cabin. Read more