Venice, don’t spoil me too much!!!

Encountered beautiful weather in Venice, the beauty is like a live photo straight out of intuition! The water in Venice doesn’t smell at all in good weather. If it’s after heavy rain, during tides or low tide, the water might smell. Venice was my first stop on the Viking cruise. Day 1: Board the ship and stay overnight docked in Venice. Day 2: Departure at 17:00. 🚌 Day 1 ✈ I took an early flight, arrived at the port at noon, and boarded the ship directly. The ship’s buffet lunch was already open, so I could eat right after boarding (there’s Chinese food!!) On the day of the cruise, there was a free shuttle bus between the pier and Venice’s old town. The latest return time to the ship was 5 PM, so you could grab a coffee and stroll around freely. 🚤 Day 2: ・We chose a semi-independent trip. Viking Cruises offers free basic shore excursions daily, and you can pay to upgrade to more in-depth tours (mostly half-day tours, leaving the other half-day free to explore or rest on the ship). ・Shore excursions need to be booked in advance! When boarding, the room card envelope included the shore excursion ticket (marked with a special group number). ・Every night, the room receives the cruise daily newsletter, clearly indicating the next day’s meeting time and place. Just follow the little red person when going ashore. - Venice Old Town: ・First, take a boat from the pier to Venice Old Town, about a 30-minute ride. There’s a small bar on the boat, so it’s not boring at all. During the ride, seagulls keep chasing the boat’s tail, creating a strong atmosphere! On our return boat ride, we even encountered dolphins jumping out of the water—very lucky!! ・The pier where you get off is super central: within a 10-minute walk to the Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark’s Square. Along the way, you can see various shaped boats, with gondolas being the most common. 💡 If you don’t want to join a shore excursion, you can explore independently: Viking provides free shuttle buses/boats for city walks. 📍 Ponte degli Scalzi (Barefoot Bridge) 📍 Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge), one of Venice’s landmarks 📍 Libreria Acqua Alta (Water High Bookstore), where books are displayed in bathtubs and look very photogenic 📍 Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), full of artistic atmosphere 📍 Campanile di San Marco (St. Mark’s Campanile): climb to the top (€10) for a panoramic view of Venice and the lagoon 📍 Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica), free entry, some areas require a fee 📍 Palazzo Ducale & Ponte dei Sospiri (Doge’s Palace & Bridge of Sighs), with magnificent interior murals 📍 Ponte dell’Accademia (Academy Bridge), overlooking the Grand Canal 🖼 Gallerie dell’Accademia (Academy Gallery) Check the schedule in advance and return to the ship before 5 PM. Arrange your Venice itinerary at your own pace with great flexibility—you can easily enjoy it all in one day!