We'll be arriving Venice on Oct 4th PM and are supposed to leave the ship on oct 5th early morning. Has someone gone through a similar experience? At what time luggage is available? Do you think we'll be able to check in at the hotel before 10 AM?
Thank you

Do not let the cruise ship handle your luggage .
Take it with you in the morning when you disembark...

get a taxi and head to the hotel .

I agree w/ Percy. To avoid a potential problem take it yourself. As for the hotel usually check in is around 2-3 pm. Check if you can get an early check in or if possible pay for the 4th. and tell them you arrive on the 5th. The other plan is to get to the hotel, have them watch your luggage until the room is ready and do some sight seeing.

Most of the time, you disembark in the morning after docking, usually before 8 or 9. It's very likely you will not be able to check into your hotel until after 3, depending on the hotel, but all the hotels will keep your luggage, so it's not a huge burden. It's not as if you are getting off a trans-Atlantic flight and are dog-tired.

Thanks for the answers, but my question is if I will be able to do a tour at 10:30 AM on the 5th from the hotel.

Yes you can do the tour. ( I was in Venice about 2 1/2 years ago)

Get off the cruise ship as soon as you can after breakfast..

take your luggage with you...........get a water taxi and head for your hotel.

You will have plenty of time for a tour from the hotel that starts at 10:30 AM.

is the tour already booked?

No,it's not booked, but I want to. When I have the answwrs I need about quitting the ship, I'll book it If I dont take the luggage with me does it take much longer to clear my luggage? Do I need took a water taxi in advance or there are plenty of them?

You are taking a chance inre to luggage if you let the ship handle it. At that early an hour it may mot ne ready so again its best and surest if you take it w/ you. No risk or chances then.

I agree, if you want to get off the ship nice and early, keep your luggage with you and just pull it off yourself as soon as they are cleared for disembarkation.

Simone you are getting good advice about the luggage.

1. Have and early breakfast on Ocotber 5th.

2.Dinning Room opens at 6 am

3. TAKE your luggage with you....just roll it down the isle to the elevator....get off on the floor where you disembark.

4. Say "Good- Bye " to the security guy at the disembarkment ramp.

5. Walk straight outside.

6. Wave for a taxi to come over ...there will be plenty there waiting dockside ....and the sooner you are off the more taxi choices you have.

7. Give him the name of your hotel.

8. You should be at your hotel by 9 AM easy.

Whatever you do DO NOT let the ship handle your luggage !!!

( Oh yes , be sure to take a Gondola Ride !!)

Actually Simone if you were to choose the ships disembarkation you may not know when you are allowed to leave until the night B4 and thus the uncertainty inre to the luggage. The day B4 you will be given color coded tags to put on your bags which are to be left outside your cabin no later than around 10-11 PM. Then you are called to disembark in a preset order and you won't know what that is until the day B4 as well. We had an 0500 arrival in Copenhagen once and an 0800 flight and chose to self-disembark with our luggage of course. easy. We were off the ship by 0515, found a waiting cab and were at the airport in no time. There is no question what I would do if I was in that situation. Good luck, Larry

As soon as the ship clears the port authority and custom, you can start to disembark. Princess has a self-carry luggage disembarkation and I love it. You have to be able to take all your lugagge with you without help. You do't need to put your luggage outsde the door the day before and you will also be given early disembarkation as part of the earliest group to leave the ship.

Since you are staying around anyway, it is best you want to be with a later group so you can sleep in a bit, have a later breakfast and leave. I think they want you out of the cabin by 9 am at the latest, although you can wander around the ship, have coffee, breakfast etc.

The ship will put your luggage at the luggage claim area at the dock. Once you are off the ship, get your luggage and take a cab. That would be your best bet.