Vaporetto transit in Venice...like a taxi or a bus?

You sound like you want a water taxi. It is about 60 to 75 euro for their exclusive use to the closest point on the canal to your hotel. That could be the door of the hotel, or if it is not directly on a canal, you may still have some walking to do. I believe there will be some at the train station, but since I've never taken them, I could be mistaken.
The vaporetti are like city buses. They go on a schedule and only stop at specific docks. They cost 7 euro per person. They do want you to have maximum one suitcase per person, although I get by with a small back pack as well.

Yes, vaporetti are exactly like city buses that stop at designated stops. The only difference is that instead of having wheels they float (they are basically like ferries).

But you are lucky because there are also water taxis. They are like regular taxi cabs that take you door to door like a taxi cab on wheels. Once again the difference is that water taxis are high speed boats like you probably have seen elsewhere. They can carry up to 9 passengers ( therefore more than a car), but they are significantly more expensive. If there are several of you sharing the ride, it is not so bad though. Even the vaporetto is €7 per person per ride (daily passes are a good deal though).

Yes, the taxis are high speed boats but not in the canals where they are restricted to a slow speed.

It all depends, Gina, on which you prefer - saving a lot of money or saving a little time.

It also depends on how many "we" is. The bigger "we" is, the better the taxi looks.

Water taxi stands are located at major vaporetto stops, there is one outside the train station. Taxis still have to dock, so if your hotel doesn't have its own dock, you may still need to walk.

The vaporetto pass is usually a good idea, especially if you want the freedom to just hop on-hop off the vaporetto. Remember to scan/tap it each time you use it.

To give you a visual this is what the water taxis look like.
Outside:
http://www.in-venice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/taxi.jpg
Inside:
http://www.motoscafivenezia.it/immagini_layout/foto/imbarcazioni/imbarcazioni_2.jpg

This is what the vaporetti look like

Outside:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4071/4702028863_9fb9aa9b87_z.jpg

Inside:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K1qphfhJOLg/UostKoMbWuI/AAAAAAAAN3s/0MbB1MrS-lw/s1600/1309250290.jpg

Thank you so much for explaining! This is the last part of our Honeymoon trip I had yet to feel "organized" about. The photos are fantastic! Wow...I very much appreciate them! It looks like water taxi is best for us when we arrive (our hotel is on the water), and then we can use the vaporetto to tour. And we'll be prepared for some sticker shock with the water taxi. Honeymoon...we'll go with convenience. :)

...Just want to thank Roberto for the fabulous photos! Sometimes a photo makes all of the difference...and answers questions waaay better than words.

Congratulations, Gina, and have a fabulous honeymoon!

Congratulations Gina and what a fabulous honeymoon-we loved Venice!

You might check with your hotel and see if they offer a water taxi service- doubt the cost will be any different booking through them- that way they are waiting at station/dock for you- no hassle on arrival finding/hiring a private taxi yourself.
When you say "our hotel is on the water"- make sure they actually do have a dock or water door.
All of Venice is basically "on the water" but not all locations totally accessible by water.

In 1995 we arrived in Venice, parked in the garage and took a Vaporetto to near (not near enough!) our hotel. On the Vaporetto a local woman was kicking our friend's suitcase (yes, it was too large but we all traveled with more gear back then). Leaving the hotel for the garage we took a water taxi. It was very nice and made us feel important (think of George Clooney's wedding photos). However, even back then it was pretty expensive (like $65 US) for a ride that probably last 12 minutes.

Hey, Roberto !!

Did you photoshop all the people out of the interior shot of the vaporetto?

Last October (2013) we dropped off a rental car at Piazzale Roma and needed transport to Rialto. Since there were 3 of us, we thought to inquire about price of a water taxi to compare with the vaporetto, which we knew was €21 for 3. The taxi cost was €60 so we chose the vaporetto.

But in your case, and given that it is your honeymoon (congratulations) I would definitely recommend the taxi. Boarding a vaporetto at the train station with luggage and without prior-purchased tickets in hand is not for the faint of heart.