Private cab into Rome?

This is our first European cruise. I have been told to use private cabs versus booking the excursions from the ship. But Rome is 1-1.5 hours from port. What advice do you have to go to Rome? We want to do all of the awesome tour stuff. Thanks!

This is our first European cruise. I have been told to use private cabs versus booking the excursions from the ship. But Rome is 1-1.5 hours from port. What advice do you have to go to Rome? We want to do all of the awesome tour stuff. Thanks!

You can book a tour off the ship, "Rome on your own", that will get you to Rome, near the Vatican, by bus from the ship for about $100 per person round trip, then you can from there on your own.

Many years ago, when we were much younger, we took a cruise ship bus in and visited sites on our own, by taxi and local city bus, then took a train back to the port.

Would suggest you pick 2-3 sites you want to see, you can see it all. Have fun.

One more thing, i see your first cruise in Europe.... we did our first trip in l989... been back many times, lost count... so assume you will go back. Our first cruise was from Venice to London... over the years we have gone out Rome many times, Athens, Istanbul and Barcelona. So much to see and do.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. there are several places here to research this. First is the Ports of Call boards for Europe/Italy. Lots of good advice there. The second is your ROLL CALL. the Roll Calls are where you can 'meet' other CC members who will be on your cruise. They will be full of discussions about excursions and transportation, organizing groups. To find your ROLL CALL, go back to the main boards page, scroll down to ROLL CALLS, then click on your cruise line, then your ship, and look for a thread with the dates for your sailing.

The last piece of advice is to get a copy of Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports. He will tell you your options, how to do it from the time you walk down the gangway to the time you return. We took the train to Termini and used metro, buses, and our feet from there. EM

This is our first European cruise. I have been told to use private cabs versus booking the excursions from the ship. But Rome is 1-1.5 hours from port. What advice do you have to go to Rome? We want to do all of the awesome tour stuff. Thanks!

If it's not too late, consider an itinerary change that starts or ends in Civitavecchia and do a pre/post land visit of at least 3-4 days. There are far too many antiquities, museums and wonderful restaurants to even begin to scratch the surface.

Also know that, due to terrorism concerns, security lines for certain sites in Rome have grown significantly. On the wrong day in high season, you could wait hours for something like the Colosseum.

IMO, a "must see" is the Vatican Museum (whether or not you are Catholic). A decent tour could run about 3 hours and advance sale tix go very fast.

I agree with getting a Rick Steves guidebook. You may even want to at least look at the itineraries by top local tour outfits like "The Roman Guy." Last thing to remember is that a bona fide "licensed" guide (who can accompany you into a site and provide narration there) is not the same as a "driver."

The Italy board is here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=595

You will also see the option to use the train. Certainly cheaper.

If it's your first visit to an unfamiliar location, I'd take the 'Rome on Your Own' excursion offered by the cruise line. On both of our Med cruises with Princess, we did just that, at a very reasonable cost. There was a knowledgeable, friendly guide on the coach who offered advice on what to see and do, and gave us free maps etc.

The first time we went, my wife wanted to see St Peter's and The Vatican so we booked tickets for The Vatican museum online before we travelled which enabled us to bypass the massive queue and save some considerable time, important when you're only there for a few hours.

The second time, I booked the ho-ho open top bus which departed from where our coach dropped us off. This is, in my opinion, the best way to get around an unfamiliar city as you generally have time to do a 'lap' to see everything and can then go around again, getting off at the places that interest you.

It can be a lot cheaper to do it yourself, via train or cab. But, if there is a sudden problem like a strike you weren't previously aware of, or your cab breaks down, the ship will not wait for you. If your 'official' excursion coach does, then it will. I know that ships' excursions are more expensive but it's your holiday so why get stressed?

I hope you enjoy your first Med cruise - there are some stunning locations to marvel at.