Try www.hotelgalleria.it or http://www.aitagliapietra.com/

Have stayed at both and would recommend both.

It would help to know when will be your travel. The hotel rates change A LOT by seasons. In Venice, you would pay in low seasons as little as 1/2 or 1/3 of what you pay in high seasons

Try the Alloggi Marinella, that is where we stayed before our cruise. You can get a bus from the airport to Piazzalle Roma and walk a short ways to the hotel. The next morning just walk back to P. Roma and catch the People Mover (tram) to the port. Easy Peasy. It is recommended on the website Venice for Visitors. http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-cruise-terminal-hotels-piazzale-roma.htm

May 2013, we want to see Venice also. Not just fly in and cruise out.

For May 22nd, cruise on the 23rd.

I agree 100% with what Gundy recommends. Venice is not a place to be dragging a lot of luggage around with you.

Stay as close to Piazzalle Roma as possible so you can catch a taxi to the marina (usually around €10) the day of your cruise.

From the Piazzalle it is easy to take a vaporetto the entire length of the Grand Canal to Piazza San Marco.

Gundy---just starting our research so we appreciate the great website for Venice.

So, if I want to see Venice, like the Grand Canal and St. Marks, etc. is that doable from Alloggi Marinella? Currently, it is showing sold out for that night, but don't know if prices just aren't loaded yet? Any idea for price to expect?

Sorry Jim, missed your note about the vaporetto. Does anyone know a contact e-mail address for the hotel?

Here you are:

http://www.locandamarinella.com/

look for it on TA - they have 10% discount at the moment.

Thanks!

You have six months to learn how to pack for a cruise. There's a lot of information about this at cruisecritic.com, most of which will encourage you to pack as if your trip length is one week. Taking a lot of luggage on a cruise (especially to/from Venice) makes no sense. That may sound harsh, but you will be thankful for this advice should you heed it. Your comment about a gondola exit isn't relevant; gondolas aren't used to transport luggage. By the way, I write from experience. My husband and I sailed into/out of Venice last week on Celebrity's Solstice. Sailing down the Giudecca canal was something I'll never forget.

Betsy----sounds wonderful, any photos?

Thanks Betsy. This will be my 19th cruise, so I've got an idea about packing. Did Europe for 2 weeks last year with just a backpack, but when I cruise, I like to dress nice at dinner, with multiple outfits. Going on a 12 night cruise. A backpack won't cut it for this trip.