Like the Real Thing: Venetian's gondola rides offer patrons a slice of Italy

Massimo Reghetti pilots a gondola on the Grand Canal inside The Venetian.
Photo by Steve Andrascik.

      Massimo Reghetti guides the fiberglass and wood gondola under the bridge while tourists lean over the railing and watch it glide by on the canal at St. Mark's Square.
      A passing gondolier shouts to Reghetti, "Massimo, your mama call, she needs you to make bail."
      He shakes his head. The ribbing's all part of a day's work for Reghetti, 24.
      Not that anyone would mistake the Grand Canal Gondola Rides at The Venetian for a ride on the real thing in Venice, Italy -- for one thing, the water's cleaner here. You can actually see the bottom 3 feet below, and the coins people have tossed in.
      But for some Americans, it's as close to the real thing they'll ever get.
      "We had a woman, 97, who said she had never been able to go to Venice, and she was thrilled with the ride," says Becky Mills, assistant gondola manager. "It's a rare day when we're not sold out."
      Since it opened in July, 150,000 people have taken the trip that covers 600 meters, according to Mills.
      This week, two more boats were scheduled to be added to the four already plying the 350,000 gallons of Venetian waters. With the added boats, the canal has been extended, so the ride will last about 15 minutes.
      The attraction has hired 34 gondoliers, all of whom spend 40 hours learning to guide the boats over a 2 1/2-week training period. A gondolier spends about 5 1/2 hours a day on the water and rows about 11 miles a day.
      Plus, "Everyone got to sing. It's what the Americans expect," Reghetti says in an Italian accent. Classic Italian songs, such as "Volare," for instance, plus 12 others that comprise the core repertoire, including "Happy Birthday."
      Gondoliers get asked the craziest questions from tourists, Reghetti says.
      " `Where do you get the water for the canal?' Silly things like this. Or, `How do they do the ceiling?' "
      Others ask where the gondolas are made, and they're told they come from "the oldest gondola maker -- in Las Vegas," Reghetti says.
      The attraction has become popular with lovers, Mills says.
      "A day doesn't go by when we don't have an engagement. Sometimes they get down on their knees to propose. You need a steady gondolier for that."
      Weddings also have taken place on the gondolas. "We have them all the time," Mills says.
      A visitor asks Reghetti if anyone has drowned.
      "No drownings, but one reporter fell in," he says.
      Mills says, "We have had a gondolier occasionally slip."
      Being a gondolier has its definite up-side. "People offer them a place to stay in their cities," according to Mills. "And children send pictures they've drawn."
      Gondola riders can have their pictures taken for $10. They often have the 5-by-7 prints signed by a gondolier.
      "There is something very intimate" about riding in a gondola, Mills says. "People bond. It's a special experience."
      Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Same day reservations are required in person at the loading dock in St. Marks Square.
     
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      What: Grand Canal Gondola Rides
      When: 10 a.m.-10:45 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-11:45 Fridays-Saturdays
      Where: The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South
      Tickets: $5-$10