Hotel stay in Venice

Hello,
I would think two nights prior to the cruise would be plenty, but that will depend on what you want to see and what time you're expected to be on the ship on departure day.
I've never taken ship excursions, since most Mediterranean ports are easily done on your own. But again, that would depend on what you want to see and your comfort level with local transit. If you have a single day in port in Livorno or Civitavecchia, for example, and really want to see Florence or Rome, the cruise excursion may make sense for you (since you're guaranteed to get back to the ship). In both cases, we've been comfortable with local trains.
If you have questions about specific ports, feel free to post a follow-up!
In terms of hotel in Venice, you can get a sense of what's available on Booking.com. Search for twin rooms rather than doubles.
Happy New Year!

Thank you much for quick response
You made my first time on this forum worthwhile and pleasant
Happy 2026 to you as well

I would definitely spend 3 nights in Venice. A 4th night would be even better.

We loved our stay at hotel Agli Alboretti in the dorsoduro district. It’s a one minute walk to the accademia bridge and vaporetto stop. Very convenient location but not as crowded as San Marco.

You need at least two full days (3 nights) to see Venice and to allow you to recover from the flight, assuming you are coming from North America. Stay in Venice itself, not in Mestre on the mainland. Which port does your cruise leave from? No where in Venice is far from the main area, look for hotels closer to the Grand Canal. There are many smaller hotels along the side canals feeding into the Grand Canal. I would suggest looking at the Cannaregio or Dorosuro areas, I use booking.com to research hotels. You can filter by type of hotel, cost, area etc. and when you find a few that appeal, go to their website and book directly. I have done this a lot, but also booked through booking.com with no issues. You sometimes find booking.com will show no vacancies but dealing direct there are. Venice fills up quickly so it’s not too soon to be looking.

As cruise ships no longer are allowed in Venice itself the day of departure may involve a train trip to the departure port; does the cruise line offer a transfer from Venice?

Regarding cruise ship excursions it really depends on the ports you are visiting and what you want to see and how far the port is from the city and what you want to see. For example, Naples, yes to cruise if you want to go to Pompeii. If you can let us know which ports you are stopping at, we can give you better info.

Enjoy the planning, anticipation is an exciting part of the journey!

Pleasure to meet you, @creedenm23!
A few other random thoughts as you consider your options:
I neglected to offer a hotel suggestion: we've stayed (twice) at the Istituto San Giuseppe, which is a religious "hospitality house" very near to St. Mark's (https://sangiuseppecaburlotto.it/case/venezia-istituto-san-giuseppe/). It's spotlessly clean, comfortable and inexpensive.

If your cruise ends in Venice, will you stay there overnight and fly out the next day? If so, count that extra day when thinking about how you'll spend your time.
There's a TON of great advice on this forum about Venice, including how to get to and from the airport and how to make best use of the vaporetto service.

In terms of August-specific advice I'd offer three things: First, it's hot. You probably already know that. But it's humid, shirt-sticking-to-your-skin hot. Air conditioning will be your friend. The many beautiful churches that you can pop into are a delight. The Lido -- Venice's beach -- is actually worth a couple of hours.
Second: Huge suitcases can be a big challenge if you have to drag them any distance over the (many) bridges in Venice. I did this exact trip with family a number of years ago. The people who ignored advice to travel with carry-on bags struggled. If you're going with big suitcases, perhaps find a place that has its own dock to facilitate water taxi service to get you from the airport and as close as possible to your cruise terminal.
Third: carry your own water bottle and seek out the (many) public water fountains ["fontanelle" or "nasoni'] that you can use to fill up your bottle. You'll find them all over Rome, too.
Happy happy New Year!

With regard to excursions offered by the cruise line, think about the following:

We've taken many, many cruises (including ones in the Med.). but rarely is one able to get off the ship for at least an hour (or two) after the arrival time. Your days might not be as long as you think.

In small places such as Malta, Mykonos, and others using a private guide or doing something on your own and getting back to the ship on time might not be a big risk. In places such as Athens, Istanbul, and Rome, it is a whole different set of circumstances. There can be traffic delays, train delays, as well as road construction delays

If you are on a ship excursion, the ship will wait for you. Not so if you are on your own or with a private guide. Three or four times we've seen people literally running along the pier as the ship departed. Yes, ship excursions do cost a bit more than doing it on your own or with a private guide. But they are a lot cheaper that getting yourself to the next port to catch up with the ship.

Our rule of thumb is "Can we get back to the port or tender dock by hoofing it?" Depending on what you plan is (and how far afield you plan to go), some places can be done on your own or with a private guide. In other places, the ship excursion will be a lot less stressful than doing it yourself.

Don't mean to sound like Debbie Downer, just offering some thoughts for consideration.

Stay in a convent !! Great conversation item when you get back home and on the cruise. My wife and I have stayed twice at Istituto San Guiseppe. Great location midway between Rialto and San Marco. Good price. Take a look at the listing at monasterystays.com. You can book thru monasterystays.com or directly which is less expensive. No religious requirement.