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LEARNING THE ROPES
What it takes to become a gondolier at The Venetian
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By Heather Turk
No trip to The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is complete without experiencing a gondola ride. More than 500,000 guests are serenaded by The Venetian’s talented gondoliers each year while aboard one of its 18 house-made gondolas, but it takes so much more than just natural singing talent to keep the popular Las Vegas attraction afloat.
“A gondolier spends quite a bit of time on a gondola with our guests, so they must be personable, love to entertain and have a desire to share their knowledge and love of The Venetian with our guests,” said Tina Peetris, vice president of retail at the resort, who handles the overall operation of the attraction. “The gondoliers are our ultimate ambassadors.”
The Venetian currently employs about 90 gondoliers, including one who has been working since the gondola attraction debuted in 1999. Each gondolier undergoes approximately a month of training before they can take passengers out on the water, including 40 hours of rowing experience navigating the resort’s challenging canals. Not surprisingly, all gondoliers have experience singing and learn approximately a dozen songs that they can
Float Strip-side past the resort’s replica ofDoge’s Palace
TheVenetian’s gondola attraction is perfect for families and couples alike
perform, like “That’s Amore,” “Bella Notte” and “’O sole mio.” The gondoliers also regularly participate in safety drills to provide passengers with the safest experience possible.
On a typical day, a gondolier performs about 20 rotations on either the resort’s indoor or outdoor canal. Peetris noted that the design of the resort is so detailed, one of the most common questions guests ask the gondoliers is where they reside.
“The Grand Canal is lined with facades that look like they could be Italian buildings, and we have many guests ask if that’s where the gondoliers live,” Peetris said.
That authenticity, though, is what Peetris believes makes The Venetian’s gondola experience “second to none” — outside of Venice, of course. venetianlasvegas.com/resort/ attractions/gondola-rides
