This is Pullmantur's Rondo Venetian cruise, our opinion

At the outset you should know that until now I had not had the opportunity to take a cruise. but this summer I started with a cruise through the Adriatic that has allowed me to live my first experience.

They had never caught my attention Cruise and the most common way of traveling I have had, in which I have given top priority to car routes, was not compatible with them.

In general, I have planned each trip with the objective of delving deeper into a specific destination, and the dynamics of each day's cruises reaching a different destination in this regard had great limitations.

But knowing the great popularity that this travel formula has throughout the world, I admit that for some time now I have been curious to discover what a cruise is like.

As a preliminary condition, I have met people who are really passionate about cruises, and also people who denigrate them, but the truth is that until you live an experience it is difficult to have your own assessment of it.

This is the experience of taking the Venetian Rondo cruise

El cruise what I have done this summer is the Venetian Rondo Pullmantur, which covers a route through the Adriatic Sea.

Specifically, in our case the cruise began in Athens to, after a full day of navigation, reach the corfu island, and then go through Kotor in Montenegro, Dubrovnik y Zadar in Croatia, to end with stops in Venice and the end of Trieste, in Italy.

As a conclusion to the experience, here are some keys to enjoying this cruise.

Choose your route for the cruise

The first premise to take into account when making a cruise is that it is so big offer of routes and destinations covered by the various companies, you will have the possibility of choosing the alternative that best suits your preferences.

Thus, in the case of the cruise through the geographical area of Adriatic Sea What I just did, there are several companies that simultaneously make a similar route with stops at the same or other destinations on the route.

I can tell you that this cruise Pullmantur It covers really interesting destinations to visit.

Cruise objective

In order to choose both the route and the company with which you are going to do the route, it is essential to be clear about the objective of your cruise.

For example, it is not the same that your goal is to visit as many attractive destinations as possible than to spend a quiet vacation at sea enjoying the comfort of a cruise ship, its swimming pool and its entertainment offering.

Your favorite destinations on the route

The first great advantage that I have valued about the cruise experience is that in eight days of vacation you can comfortably visit a wide variety of destinations.

Specifically the cruise Venetian Rondo It offers the possibility of visiting several of the top destinations in Europe, and I am referring to Athens, Dubrovnik and Venice.

These are destinations that each one of them alone justify a tourism trip.

For this reason the Venetian Rondo It is a very interesting option if visiting attractive destinations is the main objective of your cruise trip.

Initial day in Athens

When starting in Athens the route of cruise Venetian Rondo, you can make your own planning to get to the Greek capital or to stay there, with the only condition of arriving at the ship during the time slot scheduled for boarding.

But in our case we had a flight charter with Iberia Express which by leaving Madrid early allowed us to have up to six and a half hours for a first excursion organized by Pullmantur.

In this way we were able to visit the Acropolis and Temple of Zeus, the two most prominent tourist places in the Greek capital.

Board the cruise

Another key moment of the first day is the time to board the cruise for the first time, especially if it is your first experience as cruise passenger.

El check-in on the ship it takes place during a long time period, between 13 and 21 p.m., with navigation beginning at 23 p.m., which makes it easier to avoid crowding.

More in the case of Horizon, ship with a capacity for 1.800 passengers, relatively small compared to other large cruise ships.

Right from the beginning, when boarding, you can appreciate the great attention that you will receive during the cruise from the entire crew, which makes your first contact with what will be your place of stay for eight days much easier.

In the case of our cruise from Athens to Trieste, the second day was just navigation, without any stopover, which gave us time to get to know the ship well, as well as all its pool services, bars, restaurants. or entertainment.

In short, a true day of seaside holidays.

Cruise, vacation hotel

Another great advantage that I have been able to appreciate with this way of traveling, which is taking a cruise, is the comfort of getting to your cabin and being able to unpack your suitcase so as not to move during the eight days of travel.

In other words, you will discover very different destinations…without changing rooms, and without packing and unpacking your suitcase every day. A very comfortable combination.

Comfort on the cruise

When taking the cruise, depending on your finances you will be able to choose your preferred comfort level.

If the comfort of the boat is one of your main conditions, the wide range of routes and cruises available will allow you to find the most suitable one for your needs.

But even on the same ship you find different levels of comfort in the cabins, as well as levels of service during the cruise.

So, in the HorizonWith small price differences, you can choose from the cheapest interior cabin, to the most comfortable exterior cabins on the upper decks, and even the most exclusive suites with terrace.

Vip Club The Wave

One of the characteristics of cruise Venetian Rondo is that it has the formula of All Inclusive.

In this way all passengers have included the buffet lines free for almost the whole day, of course dinner in the main restaurant and all drinks and drinks in the bars, including the most well-known brands.

With a surcharge you can also enjoy a special selection of alcoholic beverages, and also, as was our case, you have the most exclusive option of the Vip Club The Wave.

The most select service on this cruise Pullmantur (for 60 euros per day and person) offers a series of advantages that allow you to do the cruise with the maximum level of comfort.

For example, having a room reserved for breakfast, choosing your dinner time every night, enjoying a reserved space in the pool area and, above all, a comfortable bar with a Wireless For use only by members of this club.

It should be noted that both the Wireless general of the cruise (payment option) like that of the aforementioned The Wave Club, in the cruise Venetian Rondo It worked much better than I expected.

Of course, how this satellite connection works on a cruise ship depends on the navigation circumstances, but at least on this route it provides a service that we can consider sufficient, of course, except at very specific times.

Advantages of excursions in destinations

As previously said, for us the main objective of this cruise was to get to know its very attractive destinations.

For this, the availability of time, the good use of it and the facilities to be able to get to know the destination are key.

Although cruise passengers are free to organize our hours of stay in different destinations, without a doubt the best way to take advantage of them is by signing up for one of the various excursions than own Pullmantur offers in each of them.

You will leave immediately once the ship has docked at the port, which is usually done between 7,30:10 and XNUMX a.m., depending on the destination.

With the excursion you have organized the bus transfer to the excursion location, as well as the visit accompanied by a tour guide in Spanish.

You will also have some free time to walk, do your shopping or eat, if it is not included in the contracted excursion.

If you prefer to do a more exclusive excursion, in a minivan and with a schedule more tailored to you, you have the private excursions like the ones we enjoy, which is undoubtedly the best way to take advantage of the stopover to get to know the destination.

Finally, after the All aboard, if the departure time arrives and you have not yet arrived, the boat will not wait for you...unless you are going on an organized excursion and an incident has arisen that has caused a delay.

Leisure and entertainment

With hours of return to Horizon between 15 and 17 p.m. (except in Athens and Venice, where the All aboard it's later), you have the afternoons and evenings of the cruise for leisure time and entertainment.

The swimming pools take center stage, as do the bars and other leisure services.

At cruise Venetian Rondo you can see you have in the theater a musical show different every night, whose schedule is combined with dinner time.

And if you want to extend the day, the nightclub is open until late.

Gastronomy

Finally, I want to highlight the cruise Pullmantur an aspect gastronomic. beyond the standard buffet lines free of the pool area.

Specifically, the very wide and very rich offer of elaborations of the dinner menu designed by the prestigious Head Paco Roncero.

Honestly, it was a very pleasant surprise because perhaps you do not expect it on a cruise in which one of its characteristics is the All Inclusive.

In short, a pleasant experience on our first cruise, which has removed certain prejudices from us. We will surely repeat.