TRIESTE (VENICE), ITALY

Been to both places many times. We booked our air travel with Norwegian via travel agent. We flew into Venice the day before, got a nice hotel (via travel agent), and the cruise line paid for our transportation from Venice to Trieste, which was scenic and enjoyable. Your travel agent should have guided you through all this. Always get to your destination the morning before. Check in to your hotel (they will hold your luggage if you are too early to check in), and go enjoy the city. The ride is about 2.5 hours by shuttle and a little over 3 by train (as it makes a few stops along the way). We left Venice at 9:00 and got to Trieste and the pier in plenty of time to board. Boarding doesn’t start until noon even if you are in the Haven and you will most likely sit in the boarding area an hour or more before you can go onboard anyway. Once onboard you may not be able to go directly to your room as they are cleaning (I never rush them to clean, because I want clean). Sometimes they will encourage you to go to the buffet and eat while you wait. Just remember, they are telling 4000 other travelers the same thing. Some boarding areas have snacks or a small buffet. Take advantage if you can and don’t make the mistake of spending time in a long line to eat at buffet. At this point I think it’s important to mention that the buffet is buffet food. If you eat there with that expectation, you will have a fine meal. We stayed in the Haven, so after we walked around we went to our room and everything was unpacked. My shirts were actually already sent out to be pressed (included in Haven). If you understand these things and adjust your expectations accordingly, you will absolutely have an amazing experience. It’s a cruise ship, not a super yacht, and the staff is doing its every best to make sure you have a good experience. The embarkation day will always be the roughest as it is also called “turnaround day,” so be prepared for some unexpected delays and hiccups. My experience is that you should use a travel agent. They are paid to make sure there are no surprises, problems, or disappointments when you arrive and leave.

Some really imposing churches and buildings in the city centre core from multiple faiths. It's worth climbing the hill to visit the fortress and church of San Guisto and pay to go up the bell tower (only €2) as the views over the city are fabulous. Wander through the park or the old town maze of narrow streets. Enjoy people watching whilst having a coffee in one of the many cafes or grab a bite to eat. There's more to Trieste than simply getting on or off your cruise ship!

Disembarked here. Trieste is a lovely city and so beautiful with so much to see. My favorite Italian city. It’s a 2 hour train ride to Venice, don’t get them confused.

NCL has to disclose that departure is from Venice when in reality in costs hundreds of dollars to travel to Trieste to start the cruise. When I was in Venice I noticed there was a French luxury ship docketed there. I suppose NCL decided to use Trieste due to lower docking costs that has a financial impact on their passengers.

We embarked here and then stayed 2 days afterwards. Love the city. Took city bus number 24 up to the old castle and cathedral and also city bus number 6 out to the Miramare castle. The walk through the park area off highway 144 where the bus drops you is a bit of a climb but even us oldsters could do it. And the castle is so worth seeing.