Travel by Train from Venice to Florence

Yes, direct high-speed trains serve Firenze Porta Prato. How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it but tickets are through www.trenitalia.com.

Laura, are you sure? I didn't see anything on the Trenitalia website for trains from S. Lucia into Porta Al Prato that didn't change to an urban train at S.M. Novella - in which case that's where I'd go and either walk or take a cab to the hotel. I'll look again...

There are NO High speed trains arriving at Firenze Porta Al Prato station.
Porta Al Prato serves only local commuter trains from/to Empoli.
Your high speed train will arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella.
From there you can catch the light rail tramway no. 1 for a short ride to your final destination or you can take a taxi. A walk is also possible, provided you are not hauling tons of luggage.

Kathy is right: both the DB and the Trenitalia websites show, as was to be expected, the train terminating at Florence S.M.N.

Not sure about the river cruise in Venice.
I know about regular cruises, which arrive at the Stazione Marittima, but maybe you are confusing river cruises on the Danube or Rhein river with Venice.
If it's a regular cruise ship from the dock you can take the people mover to Piazzale Roma and from there a short walk to the station.

Joy
I am pretty sure you can only go to SMN on the Eurostar or high speed train. I don't know exactly where you are on Viale Fratelli Russelli but that street isn't very darn far from SMN.

There is a cruise ship terminal near Piazzale Roma where ships dock. Not far from Santa Lucia.

The river cruise ships do not use the regular cruise ship terminal ( Marittima). They dock at smaller Santa Marta,am round the corner on the Giudecca Canal. Map:

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/santa-marta-pier.htm

Sorry about that. The DB schedule results (overview) showed 0 connections between those two stations, so I did not open up the details to see that they suggest walking 800 meters from SMN station.

You are all so awesome. This was all very helpful. Trains, planes, hotels and boat docks are mind boggling when one isn't familiar with the area. We will buy our tickets before we leave home and needed to know more exact locations.

Thanks!
Joy

Why don't you just change your Florence hotel to be closer to the Firenze SMN train station??

Already booked, non-refundable. It doesn't appear to be that far from the train station.

Joy, my husband and I can easily walk that distance and we're both 61 and travel with 24" roller bags (but not heavily packed; 3 week trips.) We actually walked farther than that to a Florence hotel. It all depends on how much baggage you have and /or how able to handle it you are. Raining or just plain pooped? Take a cab. :O)

Thanks, Kathy. We're a bit older than you. We walk 5 miles per day, are in fairly good shape. I don't think the walk will be a problem - just dragging luggage on cobble stone walks is a pain. Thanks for the confirmation of what over-60's can do!!