One of Royal Caribbean’s most popular cruise embarkation ports in Europe is Ravenna, Italy, and if you’re cruising from the port this summer, here’s how to get there.
In 2021, the city of Venice, Italy banned large cruise ships from entering the Venetian lagoon. This ban came with major implications for the cruise industry, which frequently offered cruises departing from the city to visit ports in the Adriatic Sea and Greek Isles.
Instead of stopping cruises in this region altogether, Royal Caribbean began offering itineraries departing from Ravenna, Italy instead of Venice. Yet while itineraries may still call Ravenna the “Venice” cruise port, the reality is that Venice is located roughly 90 miles away from Ravenna.
The majority of passengers cruising from Ravenna fly into either Venice or Bologna, Italy, and it can be challenging to figure out how to get to the cruise port from these cities.
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In this guide, we’ve compiled the most up-to-date information on how to get to and from the Ravenna cruise port so you can start your European cruise vacation without any stressful setbacks.
Option #1: Royal Caribbean shuttles from Venice to Ravenna cruise port (and vice versa)
From Venice to Ravenna cruise port (embarkation day)
The easiest way to reach Ravenna’s cruise port from Venice is by booking a Royal Caribbean shuttle.
Royal Caribbean offers a shuttle service from two locations in Venice. The first is from Marco Polo Airport, and this is the best option for those flying to Venice on the day their cruise begins. As of 2023, the shuttle cost $45 per person.
Note that it takes around 2.5 to 3 hours to reach Ravenna from Venice, so if you are flying to Venice on the same day as your cruise, it’s crucial that your flight arrives before 11 AM. To avoid the risk of missing your ship, it’s recommended that you arrive as early as possible on embarkation morning.
Alternatively, the safer option is to arrive at least a day before your cruise begins.
The second location to catch a shuttle from Venice to Ravenna is from Tronchetto, a parking and bus station in the historical city center of Venice. This option is ideal for those who are spending time in Venice prior to their cruise. As of 2023, this shuttle cost $58 per person.
The shuttle location in Tronchetto is a twenty minute walk from Piazzale Roma in Venice, or you can take a people mover for €1.50 per person.
Shuttles must be booked by calling Royal Caribbean or your travel agent, upon which you can find the most up-to-date schedules for the shuttle buses.
From Ravenna cruise port to Venice (disembarkation day)
Royal Caribbean offers a shuttle service from the pier in Ravenna to Venice's Marco Polo Airport on disembarkation morning, but only for flights departing after 11:45 AM.
As of 2023, this shuttle was priced at $45 per person, and it takes roughly 2.5 to 3 hours to reach Venice’s Marco Polo Airport on the shuttle.
If you are not headed directly to the Venice airport from Ravenna, there is also the option to be dropped off in Tronchetto instead. As of 2023, this shuttle service cost $58 per person, and is a convenient option for those spending time in Venice after their cruise.
Option #2: Take the train from Venice to Ravenna (and vice versa)
From Venice to Ravenna cruise port (embarkation day)
In addition to a shuttle bus, another way to get from Venice to the Ravenna cruise port is by train. Taking the train from Venice’s Santa Lucia station to Ravenna’s train station takes a little over three hours and comes with an overall cost of around $40.
The train from Venice to Ravenna is not direct, and it requires a change in either Bologna or Ferrara, Italy. Although having to change trains might seem stressful, you will find train stations easy to navigate and with plenty of signage.
Because the train is not direct, you will not find “Ravenna” listed on the train platform in the Venice train station. Instead, look at your ticket for the correct train number. If you have to make a change in Bologna, you will first board a train to Bologna, not to Ravenna.
Train tickets can be purchased online through Trainline or on the Trainline app. Alternatively, you can book tickets upon arrival to the station, but it’s recommended to book in advance.
Once you arrive at Ravenna’s train station, you can reach the port either by booking a Royal Caribbean shuttle bus or by taxi. The taxi ride should cost around €25 from the train station to the port.
If you would prefer to book a Royal Caribbean shuttle bus from Ravenna’s train station to the cruise port, contact Royal Caribbean or your travel agent for more information.
From Ravenna cruise port to Venice (disembarkation day)
Royal Caribbean offers shuttle buses from the Ravenna cruise port to Ravenna’s train station on disembarkation morning. It takes twenty minutes to reach the train station, from where you can hop on a train to anywhere in Italy.
These shuttle buses cost $10 per passenger and can be booked at Guest Services once onboard your ship.
Like en route to Ravenna, you will need to make a change in Bologna or Ferrara, Italy to get to Venice. Most transfer times in this direction are around a half hour, which gives plenty of time to make the connection.
Taking the train to Santa Lucia station in Venice drops you off directly in the historic center of the city. Therefore, this option is convenient if you plan on spending time in Venice after the cruise. If you’re simply heading to the airport, one of Royal Caribbean’s shuttles is a better option.
Staying in Ravenna before or after the cruise
One benefit of taking the train as opposed to a shuttle bus is that you have the schedule flexibility to spend time sightseeing in Ravenna. As a small Italian city, Ravenna offers a quaint, walkable city center and is famous for its elaborate mosaics and Byzantine architecture along with its fresh cuisine from Italy’s Emilia Romagna region.
For those interested in exploring a more local side of Italy before or after their cruise, Ravenna is worth a short stay.
Option #3: fly into Bologna instead of Venice
Even though Royal Caribbean refers to Ravenna as the Venice cruise port, there are other major Italian cities within a similar distance to Ravenna, such as Bologna and Florence.
Arguably, in fact, it’s more convenient to fly into and out of Bologna when cruising from Ravenna as opposed to Venice. The city is located just an hour's drive or direct train journey from Ravenna, making it much easier to reach the cruise port compared to flying into Venice.
The downside with flying into and out of Bologna is that there are no direct flights from the city to the United States, so a connection will be necessary. Venice, on the other hand, offers direct flights to several cities on the east coast along with Chicago.
To get between Bologna and Ravenna’s cruise port, you can book a shuttle through Royal Caribbean or take the train. As of 2023, Royal Caribbean’s shuttle to Bologna’s airport cost $40 per person, and was only available for flights departing after 10:50 AM.
A shuttle was also offered from the cruise port to Bologna’s train station for $30 per person, which is helpful for those taking a train from Bologna to elsewhere in Italy.
Finally, another way to get to Bologna is by taking the $10 shuttle bus from the cruise port to Ravenna’s train station followed by an hour train from Ravenna to Bologna, which costs around $10.
