When we originally booked this cruise this last stop was advertised as Venice. By the time we took the cruise the ship was docking in Trieste, about a 2 hour bus ride from Venice. We were flying home from Venice as were most other passengers. We weren't scheduled to get into Trieste until mid-day. It was possible to depart the ship and head to Venice for the last night but we've already been to Venice and we've never been to Trieste so we decided to stay with the ship and leave in the morning.
I decided that since we weren't docking until mid-day that I would go to the Spa - a first for me, and get a manicure. It was relatively early when I made my way to the spa, and it was overcast so the pool area was quite empty of guests but overnight the staff had filled it with hundreds of sea animals - they were everywhere. It was pretty magical. They were made from small towels, large towels and even some blankets. It must have taken a really long time but everyone who happened upon the surprise got a big smile on their faces.
As we pulled into the harbor the captain got on the intercom to bring people's attention to a large and really strange looking yacht which was anchored in the harbor. Italian authorities had seized a €530m (£444m) superyacht owned by Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko as part of EU sanctions following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
News Release related:
Sy A – short for Sailing Yacht A – was seized on Friday evening in the port of Trieste after being identified by Italian police as belonging to the billionaire owner of EuroChem Group, a major fertiliser producer, and the coal company SUEK.
Sy A – short for Sailing Yacht A
We docked right next to the customs building where you needed to pass through each time you left and returned to the ship but with no luggage it was really just a quick pass through. We decided to head into town for lunch. It was a quaint little town with a few canals passing through it but nothing like Venice. I'm sure that some passengers were disappointed but we needed to get packed and ready to depart so it worked just fine for us. We wandered around town and had lunch at a nice little cafe.
Town square which greeted us shortly past the ship's docking place
Town square which greeted us shortly past the ship's docking place
Piazza Unità d'Italia
Piazza Unità d'Italia (English: Unity of Italy Square) is the main square in Trieste, a seaport city in northeast Italy. Located at the foot of the hill with the castle of San Giusto, the square faces the Adriatic Sea. It is often said to be Europe's largest square located next to the sea.
The Canal grande (English: "Grand Canal") is a navigable canal located in the heart of the Borgo Teresiano, in the very center of the city of Trieste, approximately halfway between the railway station and Piazza Unità d'Italia. Lots of outdoor cafes one of which we had lunch at.
Pretty church near the Grand Canal and near the cafe where we had lunch
After lunch we did a bit of shopping for gifts to take home and then headed back to the ship to get packed and have dinner.
Views from the ship as the sun set
After dinner we put out suitcases out for disembarkation. When we awoke in the morning we headed downstairs to wait for our group to be called. When we left the ship we found that our luggage was right at the foot of the gangway at the customs building in big piles. We had to sort through and find our luggage and then carry it from there through customs, and to the bus where it was stored in the underside of our bus. When we got to the airport we claimed the luggage at the bus and carried it the 5 minute walk to the terminal. we had 1 checked bag each, 1 carry on each and 1 garment bag and since you're carrying it basically from just outside the ship the rest of the way, it would probably have been easier to just keep it with us when departing the ship. This would have saved time digging through the piles outside of customs, but it worked out fine. We made it to the airport in plenty of time to catch our plane and had a nice trip home. All in all it was a very nice vacation. We loved Barcelona, and were happy that we spent the 3 days there that we did. We also enjoyed the cruise and all of the stops.