Luxury cruise vacations alongthe calm waters of the Venetian lagoon and the
beautiful canalised Brenta River.
La Dolce Vita, originally a Dutch vessel which has gradually made her
way through the canals of France and around Italy and up the Adriatic
to the calm waters of the Venetian lagoon. Our unique cruise not only
visits Venice's well known and lesser known attractions but also
encompasses the outer islands of Torcello, Burano and Murano, as well
as cruising the unknown and beautiful, canalised Brenta river.
La Dolce Vita is a charming 6 passenger vessel with a crew of three,
and she is the only hotel barge cruising our unique route. The lagoon
surrounding Venice, the Venice Lido beach, Hemingway's influence, the
faboulous Villas on the River Brenta all compliment the attractions of
Venice itself where one could spend at least 6 months enjoying the
amazing Renaissance architecture before venturing inside some of the
buildings to discover the works of Canaletto, Tintoretto, and many
other Italian masters. Weeks of research into our itinerary promise a
fantastic cruise aboard Italy's first hotel barge.
La Dolce Vita has three comfortable cabins, one twin,
one twin/double and one double. All are en-suite, the vessel is
air-conditioned and there is a good sized sundeck for outside dining or
just watching all that fantastic italian architecture floating past.
Venice of course is a jewel in the crown of the Venetian lagoon and our
route is a mixture of canal and river following the ancient trade
routes used by the Romans and the early Mediterranean settlers before
them. As well as the incredible delights of Venice itself, where the
history goes back over 2000 years with some architecural features
dating back even to the Byzantenial era, the additional opportunity
afforded by hotel barge travel becomes obvious as we create our own
schedule oblivious to the hustle and bustle of other visitors to
Venice.
2008 Itinerary
Sunday, Venice cruise Day 1 - Lido – Burano, from Venice to the Fishermen’s Island Guests are met at 5 PM at Best Western Hotel Villa Mabapa, where the
barge is moored and the crew is ready to serve you a welcome drink of
Prosecco. Sailing past the Fort of Sant’Andrea, the ancient Venetian
artillery defence base, La Dolce Vita hugs the coast of Sant’Erasmo,
Venice orchard and vegetable garden and then arrives in Burano, a
fishermen’s island in the northern lagoon, where we moor for a superb
fish dinner.
Monday, Venice cruise Day 2 - Torcello–Burano–San Francesco, The Still Waters of the Smaller Islands In
the morning we walk through the colourful streets of Burano and visit
the Lace Museum. We have lunch while cruising on Siloncello canal and
in the afternoon we visit Torcello, the first island of the lagoon to
be colonised 2000 years ago. We see the Cathedral of Santa Maria
Assunta, a beautiful example of Veneto-Byzantine style. We finally
cruise to Murano passing by San Francesco Monastery island. We moor on
the Grand Canal of the island of glass, where we have dinner on board
and spend the night.
Tuesday, Venice cruise Day 3 - Murano - Venice - Lido, Cruising the Grand Canal and Walking in Venice We
visit a glass-blowing workshop in Murano. Then we move on for a tour of
the Grand Canal in Venice aboard a water taxi and reach San Giorgio
island for our lunch facing Saint Mark. In the afternoon you have some
free time to visit Venice. We moor for dinner on Lido island at Villa
Laguna hotel.
Wednesday, Venice cruise Day 4 - Venice - Valle Zappa, Venetian Architectural Masterpieces This morning we take you on a guided tour of the Doge’s Palace and
Saint Mark in Venice. In the afternoon we have a relaxed and flexible
program. We can spend a couple of hours in Venice, then ride the
bicycle or navigate along Lido island to reach our evening mooring at
Alberoni or Pellestrina
Thursday, Venice cruise Day 5 - Brenta River to Dolo, Barging along the Venetian Villas This
morning we cruise up river Brenta to Mira, passing by Villa Foscari in
Malcontenta, a masterpiece of the Renaissance architect Palladio. Short
after lunch we visit Villa Widmann, a typical Venetian luxurious villa
with wonderful frescos. Before dinner we move on for 2 more hours to
Dolo, where we moor for the night. For those who like cycling, it is
possible to follow the barge on a bicycle Before dinner we take you for
a glass of wine at the old water mill of Dolo.
Friday, Venice cruise Day 6 - Dolo – Stra - Dolo, Cruising up the River Surrounded by Masterpieces of Architecture Further ascent of river Brenta to Stra, where we visit Villa Pisani, an
18th century masterpiece of Venetian architecture with frescos from
Tiepolo. During most of the day it is possible to follow the barge by
bicycle along the river. A short afternoon cruise brings us back to
Dolo for the Farewell Dinner at Villa Goetzen restaurant.
Saturday, Day 7 - Dolo – Venice,A Drive Along the Brenta After Our Farewell Breakfast After
breakfast you are transferred to Venice or to Marco Polo airport. By
that time you will be able to say if you truly appreciated the Venetian
style of living and… of barging!
This itinerary is subject to change.
2008 Departure Dates
Departure Dates (Sunday)
Season
April 6,13,20
`Value
April 27
Regular
May 4,11,18,25
Regular
June 1,8,15,22,29
Regular
July 6
Regular
July 13,20,27
Value
August 3,10,17
Value
August 24,31
Regular
September 7,14,21,28
Regular
October 5,12
Regular
October 19,26
Value
2008 Cruise Rates
Accomodation
Value Season
Regular Season
Stateroom per person
$2,850
$3,190
Suite per person
$3,300
$3,690
Single supplement
$1,250
$1,450
Charter 2 passengers whole boat
$13,000
$14,000
Charter 4 passengers whole boat
$15,000
$16,700
Charter 5 passengers whole boat
$16,000
$17,700
Charter 6 passengers whole boat
$17,000
$19,000
3-night Charter Cruises available throughout the season on request.
Contact us for special pricing
Contact us now to book this cruise or for more information Contact
Prices Do Not Include: Drinks or insurance.
For reasons of navigation and passenger safety, the cruise line and the Captain of the ship reserve the right to modify the itinerary of the cruise.
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