This seven day cruise (Oct 28-Nov 4) starting and ending in Venice fit perfectly in our schedule. After finishing our sightseeing "marathon" in Budapest, (some 400 miles in a straight line NE of Venice, but 800 miles the way we did - via Milan.) we needed to be on the ship, Costa Magica, in Venice by 4 PM on Oct 28 for a 5 PM departure.
Mon Oct 28 started very early. In Budapest, we woke up at 3:30 am to catch airport shuttle (2500 HUF, or $12) at 4 am. The airport was only 15 km away, but took half an hour to reach the airport. Our 6:05 am flight on Wizz Air returned us back to Milan Malpensa (MXP) airport on time, at 7:45 am. We landed at Terminal 1. My backpack was waiting at Terminal 2 - some 5 km away, at EasyJet's lost luggage office. (It wasn't really "lost," I just hadn't picked it up when we arrived at Milan two days earlier. I didn't need it for this one day trip to Budapest.) We took the Free Shuttle bus that runs between the two terminals every 10 minutes, to Terminal 2.
In Terminal 2, there was no one to talk to, or a white courtesy telephone that I could find. Arrival doors opened only one way, and no one was allowed to enter. So I walked over to the Departure baggage check-in instead, showed them my luggage tag and asked where I could pick my bag. The nice man at the counter made a couple of phone calls, confirmed that they have my backpack, and directed me back to Arrival. As I returned, two police officers walked in behind me. After checking my passport, they escorted me inside the Arrival Baggage Claim Area. There were just a handful of bags "Left" like mine. The attendant had me sign for the bag, and that was it. Took much longer than anticipated, but it saved me the trouble of hauling my backpack to Budapest and back. (Airports and Train Stations generally have a separate Left Baggage service, where you keep bags for, say, €5 for first five hours and 70 cents per hour after that - which adds up to €15-€20 per day. It is a great convenience, and we used it from time to time. Better and cheaper option is to drop your bags off at your hotel where you are staying that night. They will hold your luggage for the rest of the day.)
Like the previous time, we took Milan Malpensa Shuttle bus that runs every 20 minutes, and for €10, drops you just outside Milan Centrale (main) train station. After a nice 45 minute nap, we were in Milan. We still had a couple of hours before our 12:05 PM train to Venice. (We asked if we can take earlier train -- NO.) We spent that time just watching trains and people go by - an interesting way to pass time, if you can enjoy it. Each person, it seemed, was on a mission of their own, and they were going about it - unconscious of whatever else was going on around them. There were just as many people going left, as there were going right. They were locals going to work or school, or travelers hauling their luggage running to catch their trains.
Our train coming from Genoa was delayed by about half an hour due to some police action. Naturally. we were late leaving Milan. We had Economy First Class tickets (which cost the same as Regular Second Class tickets) - our assigned seats were spacious, reclining, with large window views. Food was available for purchase. The way major train terminus are set up - Florence, Rome, Naples, Milan, Venice to name a few - a train enters the station and dead ends. So when leaving the FRONT of the train becomes BACK. We were in Car #2 from Front in Milan - we had to walk only two cars to get to our seats. When we reached Venice, though, we were Car #2 from the back and had to walk 12-14 cars to get out of the station..
- VENICE, Italy: Our superfast train (No. 37) was to cover 264 km in about 2 1/2 hours, stopping at select stations like Verona, Vicenza, Padova (each of them could have been a nice 1/2 day sightseeing stop.) Scheduled arrival at Venice S. Lucia train terminus was 2:40 PM. We reached at 3:25 PM. The Cruise Ship was less than a mile (20 minutes walking) away, so we had enough time.
Once outside the train station, we crossed the first bridge on the right to get to P. Roma - the main bus station as well as stop of Veporettos (Venice's waterbus.) This bridge has a modern glassy transparent look, and has small steps as well as ramps for wheelchairs or luggage. The next bridge to the right, which connects Venice to the mainland, also connects to the cruise port (we walked back that way a week later.) Or, there is an automated People Mover that, for €1, would transport you to the Port/Docks. In the past, you'd have to take Veporetto for one stop (€6.5) to get to the port.
Although the ship was right in front of us, signs to Costa Magica pointed in a different direction. That's where we were to drop off our luggage (with our room number tags) before boarding the ship empty handed. It was about 4 PM, and it was finally time to relax.
Inside the port entrance building, they checked our tickets, health questionnaire, then security check, then mandatory Ship photos, then walk up the ramp, finally reaching the entrance to the ship on Deck 3. Here EU citizens just showed their EU cards and walked in. Everyone else had to hand over their passports. It is a bit unnerving NOT to get your passport back right away. We were told that passports will be returned just before we disembark one week later. During the cruise, we needed one and only one ID card - the ship's card that also served as your room key, debit/credit card for on-board purchases and "passport" for shore excursions.
For those who boarded the ship earlier in the day, there was a Welcome Buffet lunch on Deck 9 from Noon onward. When we boarded at 4 PM, we did not know what to do or where to go. As it turned out, we just had to go to our rooms for further instructions. Our luggage would be delivered there shortly. The room had our ID cards - pre-printed with our names and room number, daily newsletter giving us all the details about the times and activities for the day, AND red Emergency Drill cards.
As required by international law, everyone on board must go through emergency drill before the ship sails. Remember Titanic? At 4:30 PM, we were directed to walk up to Deck 5 (where all the lifeboats are) wearing our life jackets, line up 5 deep, and listen to announcements made in five languages. We handed our red cards as we entered our designated muster station D as a proof of attending the drill. Soon we were dismissed, and the ship left Venice.
Best views of Venice are from the open decks 10, 11,12 of the ship. It was just getting dark and city lights were coming on. Gliding past St Mark's Square and around Lido, we were in open sea. Soon it was completely dark. Having nothing to see outside, people went around their business inside.
First thing is to do on a cruise ship is to orient yourself to the ship decks, event locations and amenities. Deck 9 for buffet and swimming pool/Jacuzzi; Decks 3-4-5 for Urbino Theatre and Dinner Venues are a good start. At 7:30 PM, we decided to check out the entertainment show Voyage. These daily one hour non-stop action-packed variety shows are great for passing time while waiting for your designated dinner time. After the show, there was still half an hour left before the doors opened for second seating at 9 PM. This was a good time to enjoy the piano in the 10 story atrium and check out your ship photos.
Our Dinner Table was 410 - we were curious to find out who our table mates were going to be. There were very few English speaking passengers on-board, but all six at our table were - all from the U.S. We hit it off quickly and looked forward to meeting at dinner daily to exchange stories and discuss next day's shore excursions. Jonny and Morgan had similar interests like ours, so we ran in to them often. George and Amanda were adventurous and spontaneous - like riding a scooter in Olympia and donkey ride in Santorini. Everyone except me had already been to Venice. I will get my chance next week. - BARI, Italy: Bari is roughly 150 miles straight East of Naples, and NOT high on our list of destinations. Several passengers began their seven day cruise here instead of Venice. It's all the same for the cruise line, since these cruise ships repeat the same itinerary over and over, like bus service. George and Amanda wanted to explore Croatia after the cruise - so they got off at Dubrovnik, a day earlier, and went on their way.
- All our destinations, except Santorini, had cruise ports large enough for our ship to dock. These days, Port (left) vs Starboard (right) distinction is not that meaningful. Cruise ships dock on either side depending on the availability of the berth. Bari has a large cruise port, so we docked close to town, and walked on to the places we wanted to visit.
- The old city is very close to the port, and has the most important monuments such as Saint Nicholas (inspiration for Santa Claus) Basilica, Cathedral and the Castle. The roads are narrow, winding and easy to get lost in the old city. It is not easy to spot even landmarks or which way the ocean was, once inside this maze. Our GPS worked well enough to find our way through. The Castle is now a museum. Beyond the old city, roads are on a grid pattern and easy to navigate. We walked by the shoreline some ways and returned to the ship. This was our first shore excursion - and without taking the guided tour with the Cruise. Now we knew how to manage the whole process - getting off the ship, reaching the town, finding out what to see in what order, when to return back to the ship, etc. Of course, each destination had a different twist to it, but we managed it just fine.
- Back on the ship, our routine was set. Have breakfast, go ashore, skip lunch, have evening tea, attend 7:30 PM entertainment show, and dinner at 9 PM. Swimming pools were tiny and crowded during the day, and cold at nights. Even the Jacuzzi were crowded even though the water was not warm enough. - KATAKOLON, Greece:
Starting Line at the original Olympic Stadium Katakolon is a small port founded in the first half of the 19th century and linked to the legendary Ancient Olympia nearby. Travel guides suggested that Olympia was far enough from Katakolon port, and not easy to get to. So rather than spend time figuring it out, we decided to take this (and the only) shore excursion through our Cruise Line (€52 per person.) If we had gone on our own, as Jonny/Morgan did, local bus would have been €8. George/Amanda rented a moped. Various possibilities.
- Cruise ships, of course, have shore excursion part organized well. That's how they make money afterall (and on drinks.) We were asked to be on Deck 5 by 1:30 PM, where we were given a sticker "C 29" for Costa bus no. 29. We were asked to proceed to Deck 0 to exit the ship after scanning our Costa Card. A row of buses were lined up in numerical order. Our tour guide collected our tickets, and after everyone was on board, we left for Olympia 40 km away.
- Our guide educated us on the history of Olympia and Greece in general. Greece's main exports are cotton, grapes/wine and olives. Tourism, certainly, is a big boost to Greece's economy.
- Within 40 minutes, we were in Olympia. We were given entrance tickets to the Archaeological Find, as the site is called. Germans led the excavations in the 19th century of this birthplace of Zeus, king of gods. The city is a pastoral site chosen by Zeus to promote his culture among the Greeks. Olympic Games originated here and, according to the Hellenic tradition described by the Greek poet Pindar, their origin is in honor of Pelope, a legendary character, after whom the Peloponnese was named. Only men participated in those games - in the nude. (Zeus's wife Hera held similar games for women.) Games were held every four years at summer solstice, lasted for a few weeks. During this time, all conflicts had to be suspended to enable the performance of the games. All competitors had to be Greek. Winners were awarded by public triumph - they were included in a golden register engraved in stone and a life size statue was erected for them. (Later, Nero took 20,000 of them to decorate Rome.) And of course the Olive wreath. After over 1200 years of continued history, the Games were stopped in 393 AD by Theodosius I, and started again in Athens in 1896 upon initiative of the French Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
- At the start of the games, women dressed in Greek attire (even today) would lit the torch in front of the temple of Hera, and bring it inside the stadium to indicate the start of games. These days, the torch is lit with solar mirrors and then taken inside the stadium. From there, it goes to the tomb of Pierre de Cubertin, and then to Panathenaic Stadium in Athens where these games were played for centuries. Now-a-days, International Olympic Committee decides how to take the torch to the venue of current Olympics from Athens. After 1896, games were held elsewhere until they returned to Greece in 2004. In 2004, one event - discus - was held in Olympia.
- The naturally sloping Olympic stadium is very impressive, with an audience capacity of up to 45,000. It is still possible to see the starting and finishing lines of the races in the stadium. The distance between those lines (197 meters) was called one Stadium. We ran the distance, and have photos to prove it! All archaeological finds are preserved in the adjacent Museum.
- After exploring Olympia Archaeological Find, we wanted to visit the museum (Not included in our tour.) So instead of taking the bus to the town for shopping, we ran over to the museum. It was small, but very well laid out. Most importantly, it gave us a much better idea of what Olympia looked like before it fell apart. Pediments, the triangular portion on top of the columns, of the Temple of Zeus - almost entirely complete, as well as statues, tools, weapons, toys, utensils are preserved here. This entire area was covered up by several feet of dirt on top. Thanks to the hard work of archaeologists, we now have a chance to experience this history.
- Jonny and Morgan were at the museum as well. We wanted to make sure that we don't miss our buses, but we all made it to the ship on time. - PIRAEUS (ATHENS), Greece:
Cradle of Greek civilization, today's Athens is a bustling, frenetic, modern city with six million inhabitants - nearly 1/3 of the total population of Greece. Port of Athens, Piraeus, is very much an integral part of the city. Although Athens is a huge, sprawling city, much of its political, historical and administrative life is concentrated in a small area including Syntagma (Constitution) Square, the Acropolis and Omonia Square.
Parthenon
- According to Greek mythology, the establishment of Athens was the result of a dispute between the goddess of wisdom Athena and her fellow gods, under which the city was given as a peace offering. In historical terms, the city was founded by the Phoenicians at least 2,000 years before Christ. The founding fathers of democracy, Athenians had to go into battle many times to defend their freedom and built up a mighty military strength.
- Between 400 BC and 1400 AD Athens had been raided, sacked, and burnt at least 30 times. Gradually, Athens was rebuilt and by the end of the 19th Century, its fortunes had greatly improved, culminating in the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896.
- The Acropolis, overlooking the city of Athens from the top of a rocky hillside, is the dominant monument of ancient Greece, the site of the first temple dedicated to the goddess Athena and the stunning Parthenon. Among the magnificent ruins of the Acropolis, and the fascinating artifacts of the Acropolis Museum, the ancient civilization surrounding the Parthenon, Herod Atticaus Odeon, Dionysus Theatre, Muses Hill, the Agora, Hephaestus Temple and the Apostles Church come to life.
- We had an entire day in Athens. Metro to Athens comes about a mile from the port. As we exited the ship, we turned left following the curving road from our gate 12 to gate 5, until we reached the train station. A €4 pass, good for 24 hours, had to be validated just once. Ticket was checked only once when we switched from Blue line to Green line. Bus/tram drivers didn't bother to check tickets.
- The rickety train made many stops and took a long time to reach Athens. We got off from Green line at Monstiraki to switch to Red Line to go to Acropolis, but found out that we were near the Ancient Agora, which closes early at 2:30 PM, so we decided to visit that first. As we exited the train station, we were in the middle of what looked like a flee/farmers market (Agora?) Being in Greece, our Italian phone/GPS wasn't working. We didn't have a paper map either. Asking around, we found out that the Agora was only a block away. We also found a travel agency, and got a map.
- It is best to start the tour here at Agora, because there are no lines. In fact, it didn't even looked like it was open - though the gates were. One joint ticket for Agora, Acropolis and several other sites (€12) got us in. Temple of Hephaestus is the most complete standing temple in Greece. (Those in Sicily/Agrigento were even better!) The remaining buildings around are in ruins. Statues are archived in the adjacent museum.
- Exiting from the back, a 10 minute hike brings you to the entrance of Acropolis. There were plenty of tourists here, but the line to enter was not too long. Another 10 minute hike up the steps brings you to the top of the hill and the actual entrance to the historical Acropolis. During summer months, we were told that it is so hot that tourists avoid going to the top. There is so much history in Acropolis, but scaffolding and cranes come in the way. The place is being restored all the time. Like Olympia, most of Parthenon is empty - and we couldn't enter. To see what was inside, you visit the Archaeological Museum at the bottom of the hill. Within the walls of Acropolis, you have to read signs to understand the history of the place, unless you take a guided tour. Parthenon was originally a Pagan Temple, which was later converted to a church and then to a mosque, before becoming a tourist attraction. Even though the temperature was mild (70 degrees) it felt hot on the top of that barren rock.
- We walked down to the modern building of the Museum, which is built on top of archaeological digs at the bottom of the hill. Glass flooring at various spots gives a glimpse of life in Athens centuries earlier. A short walk a couple of blocks away is the remnant of temple of Olympian Zeus - as part of a large park. Further down, some distance away is the impressive Panathenaic Stadium - an all marble stadium - where the ancient games were played - and some modern ones. A short tram ride took us to the Constitution Square and the Parliament Building. We also walked through the adjacent park, but there was nothing to see. Having seen pretty much all we wanted to see in Athens, we returned to the Ship.
- Metro ride back to the port was uneventful. Just outside Metro station, the first bus that came along happened to be the right one. It dropped us next to our gate, so we were back on the ship in no time. - SANTORINI, Greece:
One of the Cyclades islands, Santorini is a spectacular jewel of the Aegean. Born out of a volcanic eruption in approximately 1500 BC, which formed the two islands of Aspronissi and Terrasia, Santorini is a magnificent mixture of dramatic cliffside villages, glorious black sand beaches and ancient treasures. Steep cliffs plunging into a crystalline sea distinguish the west coast, while the east coast is gentler, featuring a fertile plain and delicate bays, with the Profttis Ilias mountains in the background. There is even an airport there.
Oia
- Archaeological investigations have shown that the 69 kilometers of coastline of Santorini was probably inhabited in prehistoric times, while the first chronicled civilization to live on the island were the Phoenicians. Through the centuries, the island continued to fall under different rulers, including the Spartans, Athenians, Byzantines and Turks. Commencing in 1967, ongoing excavations near the pink sand beach at Akrotiri have revealed the ruins of ancient Thera, the center of population on the island before it was destroyed by the volcanic eruption. Among the extensive remains are ceramics, stone and bronze tools, ornaments and small artworks. A series of frescoes suggest a highly-developed community. Some researchers believe it is the site of the mythical lost city of Atlantis.
- On the North side, one of the prettiest spots on the island is the village of Oia (pronounced I-A), a network of narrow marble-paved alleys, lined with yellow and blue domed houses, and extraordinary views out to sea.
- We had only half a day (7 am to 1:30 PM), but wanted to visit both Akrotiri as well as Oia, on two opposite sides of the island. Shore excursions would take us to only one or the other. So, we decided to do it on our own.
- Santorini was the only stop on our cruise where the port was too small for our ship to dock. Instead, it was parked in the quiet waters in the caldera of this ancient volcano about a mile away, and tenders (small boats that could accommodate 100 people at a time.) would take us ashore. Those taking shore excursion were off the ship at 7 am. For the rest, we had to get tickets for 8 am departure.
- We were on the first tender, and enjoyed the 10-15 minute ride to the port as we approached this beautiful island. It is said that for views ONLY, the best place is in fact your cruise ship top deck.
- The water was choppy at the dock (it was much worse when we returned in the afternoon.) From here, we had a 500 meter climb to the top. Aside from hiking to the top, there were two other options - a donkey ride (€5) or cable car (€4). To optimize our time, we took the cable car and found our way through the alleys of town to the bus station.
- The first bus of the day to Akrotiri was at 8:45 am, and found a few others with similar interest as ours were going for the ruins of Thera. There were just a few locals on the bus. Within half hour, we were dropped in front of the Archaeological Find. It was open, and those who took the Shore Excursion were already there. A nicely built, privately funded museum showed how three story stone homes survived the volcanic explosion, and displayed other items found there. The remaining items, as usual, were stored in the Archaeological Museum in Fira - where we started our journey on this island.
- After the museum visit, while waiting for the return bus, we saw signs for the Red Sand Beach and followed the signs to it. It took us to a vista point from where we could SEE the beach - but the way to the beach itself was from another side.
Soon after we returned, the next bus arrived and took us back to the main bus station in Fira. Within minutes, bus to Oia was leaving. Though the distance to Oia was about the same as to Akrotiri, this bus ride took longer. It was later in the morning, and lot more locals were up and about as well.
Red Sand Beach
- Oia is well known for watching sunsets, but we wouldn't be here that long. Yet, it is well worth the visit for watching those white houses perched on the cliffs and amazing views on all sides.
- It was 1 PM. We rushed to get back to our ship on time, only to find that there were far too many people still waiting in line - first to get on the cable car down to the port, and then another long line to get on tenders. Water being too choppy in the afternoon, loading up was taking too long. Had we known beforehand, we could have easily hiked down the donkey path. Jonny and Morgan did just that. George and Amanda told the story of donkey racing on the way up to the top.
- We all have heard fascinating stories about Greek islands, and seen them in the movies. If you have to pick just one, Santorini would certainly make the list. - CORFOU, Greece: Corfu is the northernmost of the Ionian Islands, located in the heart of the Mediterranean. The Greek place name Kerkira was renamed Corfu by the Venetians, who paraphrased the word “Korifi” which was used.to indicate the towers of St. Mark’s fortress. Corfu is covered in lush vegetation, thriving in a climate that is tempered by the wind without being too dry. Its coastline is very long, seemingly never-ending: over 200 kilometers. The terrain is quite varied, at times sandy and at others rocky and broken up by Mediterranean bush, olive, cypress and citrus trees. Corfu has suffered a long and bloody history. Corfu embarked on a long period of being colonized by others from 700 B.C. onward, first by the Corinthians, then the Illyrians and the Athenians. Corfu suffered attacks from pirates while under Byzantine rule forcing the relocation of the city northward. This did little to halt the invasions of the Vandals and Visigoths, who repeatedly massacred the populations and razed their villages to the ground. The Venetians gave Corfu back its status as an important center of trade and with it a very wealthy market. Venetian rule lasted for more than 400 years, during which time the island was governed by a system of aristocratic rule. The Venetians began the cultivation of olives and to this day, Corfu is one of the main olive oil producing centers in the region. Once the Venetian reign came to an end, it was the Turks’ turn, then the French and the English, and on 21st May 1864, it was annexed to the Kingdom of Greece. During the Second World War, Corfu was again bombarded and suffered heavy damage. Most of its buildings were destroyed, such as the public theater and the Ionian Academy. Just a few outstanding buildings remain, scattered along the coastline and in the main town and jealously guarded by the local population. Kerkira is the capital, and accommodates around 60,000 of the 110,000 people who live on the island. The city has numerous Venetian fortresses and the English Royal Palace. The rest of the island is made up of small settlements, roads that stretch out high above the sea and splendid views of small bays and magnificent cliffs.
- After getting off the ship, we had an option was walking over to the old castle and Kerkira town, OR to take the local bus to the West coast of Corfu several miles away to Paleokastritsa for the peaceful cove and Monastery. The buses are coordinated to make sure that tourists get back on their ships on time. We had seen enough castles and old towns, so we opted for the second one.
- Paleokastritsa is a nice, quiet community with calm beach and water for boating or swimming. Views from the Monastery were breathtaking. Certainly worth the trip. - DUBROVNIK, Croatia:
A charming port by the Dalmatian coast, set in front of a picturesque hillside, Dubrovnik is one of the most attractive destinations on the Adriatic Riviera. It has been extensively restored since suffering during the Balkan hostilities of the 1990s and, some would say, is more beautiful now than ever. The city’s style and architecture is strongly rooted in its historical Venetian and, to a lesser extent, Turkish influence. This part of the Dalmatian coast played a vital role in the success of the Venetian Republic.
Walls of Dubrovnik. Border of Bosnia Herzegovina just beyond the hills behind.
- The most attractive section of Dubrovnik is the old city, Stan Grad, lined with cobbled streets, fountains, museums and churches. The largely intact city wall, some of which was built 700 years ago, is one of the finest examples of its kind in the world. The importance of religion in the city’s past and present culture is reflected in a number of impressive Franciscan and Dominican convents and churches.
- As our ship approached the port of Dubronik, navigating through the narrow channel, we saw a bridge straight in front of us. It didn't look like our ship would clear under the bridge, but we weren't sure. Our ship stopped just short and then made a backward 270 degree turn so it was facing the way out of the channel. It then backed in and gently touched the port on starboard side and parked. And I have trouble parallel parking my car!!!
- From the ship, we took a shared taxi (€5) that dropped us just outside the old city. As you enter the city gates, one of the three stairs to the top of the wall are on the left. (€16) This is the best place to begin the walk on the wall - which goes only one way (counter-clockwise when seen from top) towards the ocean first. Ocean views are the reason to walk the walls. There is also a cable car outside the walls that takes you to the top of the hill behind. (€15)
- Although Croatia had just joined the Eurozone in July 2013, conversion of the currency to Euro isn't scheduled until 2015. In the meantime, Croatians proudly declare that they do NOT accept Euros, just their currency Kuna. This is not a problem where credit cards are accepted, such as at the walls.
- The day was pretty nice and clear, with some clouds floating through. The temperature was mild, though the winds made it feel much colder at the ocean front. It was a Sunday so most churches were having masses, but we were able to poke our heads inside for a quick look. For such a small town, there were plenty of churches to go around. It was also nice walking along the harbor. The rest of the scene looked just like Florence, Venice etc. - shops lined on both sides, tourists walking around and shopping or eating.
- Outside the old city, only a few hundred feet away is a small castle - more like a watch tower. You have to climb quite a few steps to get to the top, so not many people go there. Entrance fee to the Walls includes entrance here. That was the best vista point in town - and peaceful too.
- To come back to the ship, we exchanged some euros to get 24 Kuna change for the local bus. - VENICE, Italy: As usual, I went up to top decks to see the sunrise, and to have breakfast. We had to vacate our room by 8 am (so the crew can clean it up and get it ready for the next wave of passengers later in the day.) Venice was already in sight. Venice and surrounding islands lie within Laguna Veneta (Venetian Lagoon), with Lido - 7 mile long sandbar - separating it from the Adriatic Sea. There is so much traffic inside the lagoon and other dangers (shallow water, rocks or islands), that the ship slows down to 5 Knots, with a pilot guiding our ship to the port. Pilots - one in front, other behind - stay far (1/2 mile) away from the ship when they come to meet with the ship in open seas. But as we entered the lagoon, they were almost touching the ship - so no other boats could cross in front of our behemoth the ship accidentally. So the final few miles take a long time (45 minutes or so) to cover. That gave us opportunity to enjoy the view of Venice from different angles as the sun was coming up. Soon, seagulls started following the ship, eventually scrambling to eat any food left unattended on the top deck. We were scheduled to arrive at Venice at 9 am, and sure enough we were at the port on time. To avoid mass exodus, we were assigned colored luggage tags so only a handful of people from each floor would be getting off the ship at one time. For those carrying their own bags, like us, there was no assigned time. We wanted to get out as soon as possible to have the whole day in Venice (Rain was on the way later in the day, but we didn't know that.) So we went downstairs as soon as the ship docked. We had to scan our ship's ID card one last time to exit - and then keep it as a souvenir. We had already picked up our passports the previous day, after our last port of call in Dubrovnik. Great Cruise Experience (and, not to mention, too much food!)
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