Venice On Water Has Arrived

May 21, 2009 by Fractional & Shared Ownership Property News & Reviews · 3 Comments

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MAP Destinations, one of Europe’s leading vacation ownership marketing companies has embarked on its first development project which it is preparing to launch in the coming weeks. Venice on Water, which has been described as “one of the most unusual timeshare properties yet” by RCI, is about to set sail in Venice – Italy’s most celebrated province.

The project is based around a small fleet of custom-built luxury houseboats that will be moored in a strategic and central location within very close proximity of the iconic city of Venice. Apart from offering an innovative and easy way of cruising on the most famous lagoon in Europe, these houseboats also enable members to enjoy a luxurious boating lifestyle without needing to find the capital, maintenance and management costs to support full-time boat ownership. The first of 10 vessels which has been purpose-built in Malta shall be unveiled in June 2009, according to MAP Destinations Managing Director Mary Anne Pulé. For her, Venice on Water represents a long-held ambition to do her own thing and she was spurred on by what she sees as the lack of new timeshare developments in Europe.

This first houseboat shall be moored at the marina Darsena DEC which is only 5km away from the Venice city centre and offers guests various services and facilities including water and electricity supply and protection from winds and tides. The houseboats, measuring ten by three and a half metres, can accommodate up to six guests and are easy to manoeuvre and handle with no licence or experience required. Anyone wanting to jump aboard can hire their own skipper for an extra fee or can opt to learn the ropes in a couple of hours.

According to Mary Anne Pulé – “if a member can clearly pilot the boat and establish themselves as a good skipper, there is no reason why they can’t go further afield to explore the rivers of Italy. But for those wanting to stay in Venice, there’s lots to do. There’s the Lido and plenty of islands. We’re also planning to provide 25 itineraries to make it easier for members to plan their routes”.

The hulls have been fabricated from light aluminium which is more durable than other materials and is less expensive to maintain although the initial production costs are higher. The hulls have also been specifically designed for the shallow waters of the Venetian Lagoon and have been planned with safety in mind so guests may cruise in confidence. Each vessel is equipped with fenders to protect it whilst it is moored and lifejackets, fire blankets and extinguishers are also available on board. The inside layout of the houseboats consists of two bedrooms, one with ensuite facilities, a separate shower room, a full kitchen and living area, a rooftop sundeck and lounge area, a cockpit and private sleeping area for the skipper.

Apart from offering luxury 5 star accommodation on board, membership of Venice on Water also offers flexibility through its affiliation with the renowned RCI exchange network. Given that the houseboats enjoy a red seasonal time band across the year and have been awarded the exclusive Gold Crown status, members will also benefit from excellent exchange power. Dimitris Manikis, VP Business Development, Group RCI, Europe had this to say about the project…..

“We at Group RCI are pleased to welcome Venice on Water into our exchange portfolio which will allow RCI members to explore the canals of Venice or simply moor up and enjoy the many attractions of Venice from their floating home.

“This is a particularly exciting project as it represents a move for Mary Anne Pulé from marketer to developer. We are confident that she will bring many valuable learnings, drawn from her marketing experience, to her innovative water-borne project in Venice, one of the world’s most desirable vacation destinations.

“Everyone at Group RCI wishes Mary Anne well for the launch of Venice on Water and its future growth and success.”

About RCI
Founded in 1974 as an exchange service for condominium owners called Resort Condominiums International, Ltd., RCI quickly became a driving force for growth within timeshare, and has been at the forefront of the vacation exchange industry ever since.

Today, RCI has more than three million members worldwide, who enjoy dream vacations at RCI’s over 3,700 affiliated resorts in 101 countries.

These timeshare owners and resorts are a unique community of travel enthusiasts with the common bond of a lifetime commitment to quality vacations through timeshare.

An exchange vacation allows members to discover new places and enjoy the freedom of resort vacationing all over the world. RCI members also benefit from the knowledge, experience and resources of RCI’s Guides, who provide assistance in the planning of exchange vacations. RCI is a global provider of leisure travel services to businesses and consumers, and the worldwide leader in vacation exchange. RCI is a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation.

If this was not already enough, members may also opt to split their week and enjoy one week-end and one mid-week break at different times during the year, plus, for the cruise enthusiasts there is also the possibility of trading-in their Venice on Water week against a cruise through ICE Gallery [International Cruise & Excursion Gallery] to which the project is also affiliated.

Michael Laws, Managing Director of ICE Gallery said….

“I am both thrilled and excited with the launch of this unique new product concept through MAP. I have
known Mary Anne for several years and was and still am always blown away by her very high levels of energy and creativity. So it doesn’t surprise me that in these challenging times it is Mary Anne who demonstrates to the industry that she has faith in the unique concept of Timeshare through the launch of Venice on Water. This is an incredible opportunity to “buy into” Venice, an area where it is nearly impossible to invest otherwise. Mary Anne shows the industry that Timeshare has so much more to offer today than it did 20 years ago.”

About ICE
International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE) is a worldwide travel and leisure organization that creates, supports and services a global network of innovative travel alliances among top corporations, resorts, cruise lines, vacation suppliers and travel providers. Specializing in value-added cruise programs, Internet marketing solutions and unique technology solutions, ICE is affiliated with more than 650 luxury resort properties and provides cruise and vacation fulfillment services to more than 150 major brands, servicing more than 100 million consumers. Headquartered in Phoenix, ICE has 700 employees worldwide.

Ultimately, the beauty of Venice on Water is that it allows members to create a holiday tailor-made to suit their preferences and each holiday can be a different one with new routes explored year after year. The Management Company will offer a number of suggested cruising itineraries, however it will be up to the members to organise the holiday to their liking and at their pace.

Venice Highlights
The Venice lagoon has a lot to offer visitors, starting with the magical beauty of the historic island of Venice. The heart of Venice is the area around St. Mark’s square and its famous five domed Basilica.
Of note is also the spectacular Doge’s Palace ‘Palazzo Ducale’ which together with the Basilica represents the core of the Serene Republic’s spiritual and political power plays. A visit to Venice is not complete without a stop to admire the famous ‘Ponte di Rialto’ and ‘Canal Grande’ where visitors may discover the incredible Venetian style Palaces and soak up the unique atmosphere whilst enjoying a strong espresso or a rich cappuccino at one of the many café’s.

Moving on from Venice, visitors may discover the lagoon by cruising around the three main northern island of Murano, Burano and Torcello which are characterised by their unique architecture and picturesque fishing villages. These islands give visitors an idea of the authentic Venetian way of life.

There are more than 80 islands in the lagoon, most of which can be visited, for example S. Francesco,
S. Erasmo, S. Lazzaro, Pellestrina and Giudecca. The latter lies immediately south of the central island of Venice and is one of the contracted mooring places available to Venice on Water members for day visits.

Another important location in the lagoon with mooring arrangements for Venice on Water houseboats is the famous Lido. This is an 11km long sandbar which hosts the renowned Venice Film Festival every September. At least half the Adriatic side of the island is constituted by a sandy beach, much of which belongs to the various hotels that house the summer tourists, however towards the northern and southern ends of the island there are two enormous public beaches. The Adriatic Sea is fairly clean and warm, ideal for children.

For those members who wish to navigate further afield the ‘Naviglio del Brenta’ is not to be missed.
This waterway links the Venice lagoon to the historic city of Padova and was a vital thoroughfare for commerce and for travel. Along the canal visitors may admire various important monuments which host works of art by Giotto and Galileo Galilei and magnificent 15th century villas, amongst which Villa Pisani and Villa Foscari.

Life onboard a Venice on Water houseboat is a truly magical experience and is ideal for everyone. Children revel in the sense of adventure that a boating holiday gives them whilst adults will not fail to appreciate the freedom and flexibility of having all the comforts at arms length wherever they decide to go.

But don’t just take our word for it, why not step aboard yourself? Contact MAP Destinations for more details and information about their special inspection visits on 00356 21347708 Monday to Friday between 10:00hrs and 18:00hrs or e-mail on info@map.com.mt

Venice on Water – a new world to discover!

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Tags: 5 star, Dimitris Manikis, houseboats, ICE, MAP Destinations, Mary Anne Pule, Michael Laws, owners, RCI, resorts, timeshare, Venice

3 Responses to “Venice On Water Has Arrived”

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