MSC Musica - Venice, Italy

 

Venice, Italy:

Both the arrival and departure to and from Venice on the ship was magical.  We chose to take our ships water shuttle to St. Marks Square. It was just easier than trying to do it on our own and was well worth the money

We wondered around the streets surrounding St. Marks Square while they were still relatively empty and open. That quickly changed!  We found an outdoor café to have something to eat. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them.

I had done a little research on gondola prices and what to expect and it was right on. We found an area they were departing from…they are all over.  I think it was about 80 euro for about an hour. It was a combination of the back alleys and the Grand Canal. It was a bit crowded but still a wonderful thing to do. They took us by the Rialto Bridge and our driver pointed out important and interesting sights.

After, we just wandered around some more, had gelato and shopped.

The last time we were in Venice, St. Marks Cathedral was closed for renovation so I knew I really wanted to try and see inside on this trip. Again, I did research before and found a site online where you can book entry ahead. If you just show up it is free to enter but the lines stretched around the building. If you reserve online it is $1 each person but you are given a specific time frame on your specified date and you just show up and walk in. OMG, SO worth it!

Be sure to give yourself time to check any backpacks or bags. It is a short walk around the building to do this so you want to make sure you have enough time.

We took the ships water shuttle back and enjoyed the view of the city from the water.

It was fun to watch the tugboats help the ship leave the dock…a perk to having an aft balcony!