Senior Sailor Says:
A great piece of cruise advice is to arrive the day before your ship sails. An airline delay can mean missing the boat as it sails to its next port.
I took my own advice when I embarked on Viking Ocean Cruises’ “Empires of the Mediterranean.”
From the airport, my daughter, Olivia Moore, and I took a bus to Chioggia, Italy, where Viking Saturn would be docked the next day. We had a 15-minute walk to the hotel from the bus stop.
The town, located on a small island at the southern entrance to the Venetian Lagoon, is about 16 miles south of Venice.
We stayed at Hotel Grande Italia. The hotel, a landmark in this charming fishing village since 1914, is located in a beautiful area. It features a stunning view of “Piazza Vigo” and the Venetian Lagoon.
Soon after we arrived, my daughter and I ate at La Baia Dei Porci Di Ranzato Cristina. We had excellent seafood.
The next morning, we walked along Chioggia’s streets with centuries-old buildings. Its combination of canals, bridges, and fishing boats has lent it the nickname “Little Venice.”
The community of 50,000 dates back to the 6th century AD. Chioggia has a long history of cultural and economic ties with Venice, dating back to the Middle Ages, and is a scenic water taxi ride away from Venice.
We walked past shops and restaurants, dodging raindrops as we explored the area.
Although we didn’t have the time to explore any further, Chioggia has several medieval churches, much reworked during its period of greatest prosperity in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The church dedicated to St. Mary of the Assumption, founded in the 11th century, became a cathedral in 1110. It was rebuilt as Chioggia Cathedral by Baldassare Longhena from 1623 onward.
St. Andrew’s Church has a bell tower dating from the 11th to 12th centuries, the oldest tower watch in the world. The interior has a Crucifixion by Palma the Elder.
At 11 a.m., we headed back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and take a hotel shuttle to the ship.
No matter where you stay, arrive at least one day early before the cruise. If you choose to stay in Chioggia, I highly recommend Hotel Grande Italia. With polite, knowledgeable employees, spacious rooms, and a genteel charm, you will enjoy your stay.
For more information about Hotel Grande Italia, click here. For details about Viking Ocean Cruises’ “Empires of the Mediterranean”, click here.
