Venice gondolas/water taxis? Nervous?

You don't have to go on a boat to get from the airport to the city. A boat is one option, but you can take a bus or taxi from the airport to Piazzale Roma. From there you could take a boat to someplace close to your hotel, but you could also walk. You don't need to take a boat unless your hotel is on one of the outer islands like the Lido or Murano. The boats are an integral part of the Venice experience, but can be avoided. Oddly enough, boats don't bother me although I don't swim.