A gondola ride seems compulsory with a visit to Venice & we were glad we did it. However, we didn't realise that there are plenty of Gondalas & Gondoliers just waiting for you to walk up to the booth and pay them for a half hour ride. We didn't really need to pay this much for someone to meet us & then walk us to the place where you then pay & ride.
We were greeted by a lovely lady, however that is where is ends. The gondola company were rude & requested we move for other passengers despite our booking. We were made to wait for over 20 minutes, then eventually when we got on our ride, it lasted 20 minutes instead of the advertised 30-35 minutes. We definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND. I was anxious gondolas would all be booked out in the height of summer, which is why I pre booked at a premium, but you are definitely better off just grabbing a gondola on the day for less elsewhere. PS No email response from Destination Venice.
Basic private ride. No singing (except for us). Canals get a bit crowded with work boats, Gondolas, and water taxis. Kinda like a Disney ride. Once we parted ways with the crowd the ride was quiet and romantic.
We had a wonderful time on our gondola tour, Feruccio was so nice, he kept telling us some curiosities about the places we went buy and about Venice in general - we just loved it!!
A gondola ride in venice is a must however they are very expensive. The gondoliers are earning a fortune.