Anyone sailing from Venice faces a question that did not exist ten years ago: where exactly do I depart from? Since 2021 the largest ships no longer cross the Giudecca canal and St Mark's basin, and traffic has spread across several berths. In the 2025 season the port handled around 644,000 cruise passengers on 514 calls across Venice and Chioggia.
The possible berths
- Stazione Marittima: the historic terminal beside Tronchetto, now used by smaller ships and river cruisers. Linked to Piazzale Roma by the people mover in three minutes.
- Fusina: on the mainland lagoon edge, fully operational year-round after dredging and investment by the terminal operator. It takes the larger ships.
- Marghera: further berths in the industrial area, used by some lines.
- Chioggia: south of the lagoon, on certain itineraries.
How to find yours
The berth is not chosen by whoever books the transfer: it is stated on your cruise documents, along with the boarding time. If you cannot find it, the ship's name is enough to identify the terminal. It is the first thing to tell your driver — the wrong terminal on embarkation morning is a serious problem, because Marittima and Fusina are twenty minutes apart by road.
What time to be collected
Boarding normally closes 1–2 hours before sailing. The correct calculation starts there and works backwards: closing time, minus travel time, minus a margin for traffic on the causeway, which on summer weekends is real. From Marco Polo airport to the terminal is 16 km and about 22 minutes.
Disembarkation day
Disembarkation is staggered by deck: not everyone leaves at once, and the exact time is given on board the night before. Agree an indicative time and let us know of any change: the driver waits at the terminal exit with a name board.
Luggage
Cruise luggage is bulkier than airline luggage. A standard sedan takes three passengers with three medium cases; with trunks, or from four people, you need the V-Class. Port porters take charge of the cases at the terminal entrance: the driver carries them that far.
A day before, a day after
Many passengers arrive the day before embarkation — the prudent choice, since a delayed flight then cannot cost you the ship. That means two transfers: airport → hotel and hotel → terminal. Booking them together fixes both prices and guarantees the same vehicle.