Join Me On a River Cruise in Venice with Uniworld & R Family Vacations!
Join me this October as we explore Venice and the Gems of Northern Italy! This fantastic journey features an incredible itinerary onboard Uniworld’s newly redesigned S.S. La Venezia with OPEN bar, daily excursions, amazing food, LGBT entertainers, parties, and more! If you have never been on a river cruise, this is the perfect one to sail into - literally :) Hosted by LGBT travel veterans Gregg Kaminsky and Kelli Carpenter, you will meet new friends, see beautiful sites, and spend a week with me! And, if you book by the end of the month, you receive additional savings.
When?
The sailing is October 4 - 11, 2020 with a pre-trip in Florence. (I can send you details on this!)
What to expect onboard:
Open bar
Daily Excursions
LGBT comedy
NYC-style piano bars
Special themed events
Cabaret singers
Dance parties
Three incredible meals each day
Cooking classes
Itinerary:
(More info about each stop below!)
Day 1: Venice
Day 2: Venice/RIva Sette Martiri including a morning walk in Venice and a private after-hours visit of St. Mark’s Basilica
Day 3: Venice, Porto Viro, & Polesella
Day 4: Polesella (Bologna or Ferrera)
Day 5: Porto Viro to Chiggia with a market visit
Day 6: Venice (San Basilio or Riva Sette Martiri) - Magic Island Day
Day 7: Venice with "Do as the Locals Do" Venice walking tour or "Venetian Painters at the Accademia" tour with art historian guide or Rialto Bridge and Fondaco dei Tedeschi.
Itinerary Highlights:
Venice
A major highlight is the private after-hours visit to Saint Mark’s Basilica. Uniworld guests have exclusive access to the Basilica after hours, and are led by an amazing historian. When guests enter, the entire Basilica seems dark, as we have turned many of the lights off… guests take a seat in chairs in the center of the Basilica, and as the historian shares the history (via audiovox radios with ear pieces so all guests can hear), we slowly raise the lights in the Basilica so all the golden glass-tiled mosaics come to life. It is stunning! After, we take our guests down to the crypt under the Basilica, which is not available for public tours.
Uniworld also plays a Venice themed movies on the top deck at night! It feels like we have Venice all to ourselves in the evening, as we are the only cruise line that docks right in the heart of Venice.
Chioggia
This quaint fishing village truly will remind you of Venice in the 1950s – there are no crowds and the streets/canals are lined with fresh flowers (flower markets). Chioggia is primarily known for its amazing seafood and one Uniworld excursion option in the morning is a walking tour that visits the seafood market and other highlights.
Bologna (from Polesella)
Enjoy an amazing walking tour of the local food markets – Bologna is the culinary capital of Northern Italy – and then an interactive pasta making class and lunch, which we hold at the Cantina Bentivoglio. This venue has a rich jazz history (they still have live jazz shows 6 nights a week). The class is fun and interactive, and after, you enjoy a delicious pasta lunch in this venue – where the walls are lined with Italian wine bottles and posters/records of jazz legends. UNESCO has designated Bologna a Creative City of Music and there is a jazz walk of fame you can find on the city sidewalks.
Torcello
This island in the Venetian lagoon only has 12 residents year-round, but it is home to the basilica of Santa Maria Asunta, the oldest church in the venetian lagoon (dating back to the 11th century). We visit the interior of this church privately with a local historian, and then enjoy a refreshment break in the gardens of a beautiful little inn (the only one on the island, in fact, this inn is where almost all the 12 residents work).
Mazzorbo
This island is home to a 14th century bell tower, a vineyard and a Michelin starred restaurant. The vineyard, Venissa, produces a gold wine from the Dorona di Venezia grape – a very rare grape that can tolerate the salt water of the Venetian lagoon. The deep gold wine is only produced on this island and its’ bottles have hand-applied golf leaf labels. Only 4000 bottles are produced a year, and we include a wine tasting for our guests!
Burano Island
This is one of the most famous islands in the lagoon because of its handmade lace. It is not exactly known when the needle lace making technique was created, but it was very popular in the 1600-1700s, produced for royalty. Lace makers on the islands still use these traditional techniques which have been passed down through the generations. This island is also known for its colorful houses. The legend goes that fishermen would paint their houses bright colors so they could find their way home with the lagoon was foggy. We are so happy that Uniworld will be the first ones docking overnight at this beautiful island in 2020!
Pricing:
Suite: $6,099 ($5,799 if you book by January 31!)
French Balcony: $4,899 ($4,599 if you book by January 31!)
Deluxe: $3,999 ($3,699 if you book by January 31!)
Classic: $3,399 ($3,099 if you book by January 31!)
Price per person based on double occupancy. Port charges of $190 are additional. Single Occupancy is a 150% surcharge.