cruisemom42

I'd recommend getting to Ravenna and spending your pre-cruise night there. Ravenna is well worth spending some time in. It has wonderful mosaics dating from the 5th century AD when it was one of the capitals of the Roman empire. Easy to walk around and see most of the sites if you book a hotel in the center. The food is also wonderful.

Context Travel offers some small group Venice tours; may be a bit heavy for an 18-year-old though, depending on interest level. Honestly I would advise booking one of the guided tours for the Doges Palace, which gives a fair amount of background about Venice's history and how it was governed. Also very interesting for my DS (mid 20s) and I was booking one of the official tours of the Jewish ghetto that includes entry to several of the synagogues and a good guided tour that provides history for that particular part of Venice. The rest can be covered by judicious use of a guidebook, in my opinion.

Tazza D'Oro ("Cup of Gold") also known as the Casa del Caffe ("House of Coffee") is one of the most venerable coffee houses left in Rome and luckily for you it is right alongside your hotel -- just turn right when exiting the Senato and you'll walk right to it. You definitely should try one of these coffee houses one day, just be aware that if you go at a busy time you'll need to be pretty aggressive about ordering (always at the bar, and it's best to stand and drink it). @slidergirland I differ on this, but I actually prefer the coffee and ambiance at Sant Eustachio, which is also close by. It's less frenetic. I've been known to go and hang out there if I arrive too early into Rome on a flight and my room isn't ready. Again you order at the counter but let them know if you plan to stay and sit outside (or inside) as there is a premium added for this. This practice is very common in Italy. The other place she mentions is great if you want to grab a quick sandwich for lunch on the go or even just some makings for a light snacky dinner in your hotel room after a long day. The name is Antica Salumeria. Directly across the piazza from the front door of the hotel. The owners are from Norcia and if they have their porchetta sandwich available, you absolutely must try it -- it's a specialty. They carve the meat right off the fully roasted pig for you -- you can ask for more or less, it's charged by weight.

Day Three. I love your Day Three. It's nice to get out on a Sunday to the Appian Way and few people get to the Aqueduct Park, which is a great photo op. Eat a hearty breakfast at Albergo del Senato. (I've been known to take one of their rolls and stuff it with the salami and cheese offered -- it tends to fill you up. Are they offering lunch somewhere along the way? When you return it may be another opportunity to visit some of the areas close to your hotel in the evening. Sunday nights are pretty quiet in Rome. Visit the Pantheon, if you haven't already (I think it closes around 7pm daily but Sunday may be different.) Also Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Largo Argentina. All are easy walks from the hotel. Another possibility is to walk to the old Jewish ghetto and look around a bit before eating dinner in one of the traditional restaurants there. It's been said that these restaurants serve the closest thing to ancient Roman recipes, and the Jewish version of the famous carciofi (artichokes) are famous for good reason -- they are DELICIOUS (although you are a bit out of season). Ba' Ghetto is one I like for the Jewish (fried) artichokes. More spendy traditional places include Piperno and Giggetto. A new one to me, La Reginella, was featured on the Stanley Tucci series and looks great -- I plan to try it on my next visit. If you're ever looking for something to fill a quick few minutes, the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva is just down the street from your hotel. (Look for the beloved statue of the "elefantino" with a small obelisk in front). This church doesn't take long to visit but has a Michelangelo sculpture inside and one of the few gothic interiors that wasn't re-done during the Renaissance or Baroque period. It just received a wonderful restoration in 2019-2020 so everything should look fabulous and it's well worth a visit.

At a hundred degrees I think make-up just melts anyway! Try to keep cool!!

That's a tough one. I feel you're getting guided tours of the really heavy sites already. I generally opt to tour on my own without a guide but I bring notes with me. I seem to recall that Castel Sant'angelo does have some placards and information at the site. Rick Steves gives short shrift to the site. I like the information from the Oxford Guide to Rome, if you can find it in your library and make a copy of the relevant pages.

Day Two: Keep both booked tours as it's a good chance to see Trastevere as well as get your foodie tour fix, lol. Between the two tours, you could consider a visit to Castel Sant' Angelo, which is very close by. It started life as the tomb of Emperor Hadrian, then was transformed into a medieval castle and became the place where the Popes would hole up (via a secret passageway from the Vatican) whenever foreign invaders or unfriendly Italian rulers showed up in Rome. Featured in Angels and Demons, great views toward Rome over the Tiber, worth visiting both the bottom (crypt) and top (Papal apartments). You have a food tour later so probably don't want much lunch but you could check out Pizzarium, a hugely popular and inventive pizza place near the Vatican for a slice and a real experience. Read about it here: Pizzerium in Rome (foodtourrome.com) Try to get there right when it opens, which should work with your timing. After your Trastevere tour you may not want a full dinner. Popular in Rome now is what's known as "Aperitivo" (drink and snacks) or even "Apericena" -- which literally means a drink and dinner. You order a drink and you get (for free) various snacks sometimes quite filling, or even a buffet. Places tend to change but perhaps take a stroll around Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori areas (not very far from your hotel) to see what appeals. I also have found recently (well, just pre-COVID) that there is a hopping evening scene around the remains of the Temple of Hadrian, on the Piazza di Pietra, just a couple of blocks in the opposite direction and on the path to Trevi Fountain -- which I also recommend visiting in the evening when it is at its most charming. But in the vicinity you should ALWAYS be on guard against pickpockets. Salotto 42 is located in front of the temple and offers drinks and light bites. If you had enough food on your tour, you could also make your evening ramble a search for gelato. Several of the traditional gelaterie are located in the vicinity (between the Pantheon and Trevi) including Giolitti, Venchi, and my favorite San Crispino. There are also newer, trendier and more inventive places to look for if you are motivated -- see here, for example. Remember to get at least two different flavors together -- the traditional way.

This time I'm going to take it one day per post to avoid typing too much and losing it!! My philosophy is always to try to group things in the same area together to avoid losing time. If the suggestions I make don't appeal, there are other alternatives in the area to consider.... Day One: I would suggest keeping your Colosseum tour but canceling the other one. After your Colosseum tour ends, get some lunch nearby. I can recommend La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, a real "slice" of typical Italian food and well recommended. Check them out online and on Facebook -- if you like the idea, I'd suggest a reservation. Or if you want to go more low-key, the nearby wine bar Cavour 313 is a well-known local place that tries to use local ingredients to serve a limited menu with a number of daily specials -- which are always delicious. They also serve great local wines by the glass. For the afternoon: Check with your morning tour to see if the tickets for the Colosseum tour also include the Forum and Palatine Hill (some do, some don't) entry on the same day. If they do, I would suggest going back and just wandering one or both of these sites, as they give you a great idea of the splendor of Rome. There isn't a lot of signage at either place but I think Rick Steves has a self-guided tour in his book and also probably an mp3 tour if you prefer that. If your tickets don't include the re-entry, I suggest planning to visit one or more of the following (I included hyperlinks for more info) all of which are in the area: the Basilica of San Clemente, the Baths of Caracalla, and/or the Market of Trajan and Museum of the Imperial Forums (Musei dei Fori Imperiali, entrance very near the first restaurant above). Whatever you plan to do, check carefully regarding the need to pre-reserve or pre-purchase tickets. In this age of Covid, I'm finding that in Italy in particular tickets are being required at places where in the past you could just pay an entrance fee on arrival... In the evening you might want to consider a celebratory welcome dinner at Armando al Pantheon, very famous, very small (about 24 covers) and very near your hotel. They have two dinner seatings per night, early and late. It may already be too late to book, but take a look at their website & see if it appeals -- the Albergo del Senato may be able to check for you and see if they can get a reservation during your stay, if not on this evening.... (I will also just say that I have my favorite restaurants in Rome, but I like to try new ones as well. Unfortunately, the two separate times I have asked the concierge at Albergo del Senato for recommendations, I feel I got sent to a touristy place and I wasn't that impressed. Do your research ahead of time, but let them make the actual calls for you -- sometimes hotels have more pull than you as an individual if bookings are tight....)

I'm feeling a bit numbed this morning by the latest horrific school shooting in Texas. It's so terrible to think how young those kids were. I just cannot imagine being a parent and hearing such news about my child. I remember DS was just a toddler when the Columbine shooting happened, I believe that was the first "major" school shooting. I was shocked and then filled with dread, and things have only gotten worse. Prayers to all the families and to the community.

OMG, I just spent half an hour on a detailed reply and then CC burped on me and I can't get it back. In short I agree with the others about a bit too much focus on food tours -- you'll be in Rome for four days, you'll have plenty of opportunities to eat... I'll respond in more detail with some day to day suggestions tomorrow. Too frustrated right now. 🤬

Not necessarily the case if you put in the time to read and research in advance. I've actually gotten to the point where basic tours annoy me due to all the incorrect information and "myths" that are passed along as truth. I'm not trying to brag, but I've had tour operators ask me for copies of my notes. On cruise ships I like to dine with others in the evenings and often conversations turn to what we did that day. So many people I chat with, especially on European cruises, take ship or private tours that visit multiple sites -- and then at the end of the day cannot even remember the names of the places they visited that day. Going over something multiple times at home before arriving at the place and experiencing it makes it much more likely that I'll retain the info.

That may be your definition, but on the Ports of Call boards, "Independent" usually means you are doing something totally on your own, for example using public transportation from the ship to get into the city and then walking around on your own or making your own reservations for museums or attractions. The other category is distinguished by saying "private" versus "shared" or "semi-private".

Sure, I check in just about every day unless I'm traveling. 😁

There will always be a fair percentage of cruise passengers who are either physically unable or mentally uncomfortable with doing things on their own. In some cases that's probably for the best -- I felt more comfortable as my cruise-loving parents aged, knowing that they were taking a shore excursion through the ship and in all likelihood someone would be available to take charge should they fall or get separated from the group. On my April cruise out of Southampton down the Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal, there were a majority of UK passengers onboard, most of whom seemed more comfortable than US cruisers with DIY. At almost every port it was easy to either walk into town and then get around via public transport, or the ship or port laid on a shuttle. At a minimum, this was an easy enough undertaking for most. However, I still met up with a few folks onboard who would not venture off the ship without the security of a shore excursion... Tourism depends on having tourists. And as we've seen in other areas, once demand picks up, supply will lag behind. Eventually it's likely that the equilibrium will be restored; be patient.

Very much appreciate you sharing your experience on the ground. It's true that there is a new drop-off point for the shuttles; it is supposed to be temporary. Honestly seems like they keep making it more difficult to exit the port and get to the train station on your own!

Yes, rooms are air conditioned at Albergo del Senato.

Oh that's got to be very disappointing, sorry to hear it. If you can take a few minutes to read through this thread, there are several hotels that I've recommended again and again at several different price points -- from my absolute favorite Albergo del Senato to the perfectly fine Albergo Santa Chiara and the more budget Hotel Smeraldo and Hotel Navona. All are very centrally located near the Pantheon (in the case of Hotel Smeraldo a bit closer to Campo dei Fiori).

I loved "the Mammas" too -- what a great concept. I want to visit that Mayfair Mercato -- looks like a similar idea to the Mercato in Florence. And I've walked by that Roman wall so many times -- never knew to look for arugula there. 🤣

To answer the original question, I was on the first Silhouette sailing out of Southampton in April. About a week before sailing I got a call from Celebrity basically kicking me out of Anytime Dining and telling me I had to select one of the fixed times. Needless to say I was not happy but they would not budge from this. I was told that once I was onboard I could "try" to get Anytime. I made this my first priority on Boarding and I was able to get them to switch me back to Anytime, so I'm not sure what the "we must change you" charade was all about. That said, once I was onboard and this was finally settled, I was unable to make a reservation on most nights for my desired times -- available times tended to be early or late only. My default was to show up at the MDR about 15 minutes before I really wanted to sit down -- most nights I was handed a pager and got summoned somewhere between 15-30 minutes later.

Thanks for sharing your very useful on-the-ground experience. It's definitely better to plan ahead and understand the process. I did the same when I was ending a cruise in England last month. I had a plan in place including hotel (tentative reservation for 5 days) should I have failed the test to return home. Self-quarantine in England sounds mostly like what you're doing -- you're not locked into your room but are requested to distance yourself from others as much as possible and wear a mask. The 10-day info is good to have confirmed for Italy. As for the testing requirement, not sure any of us can do anything about that, but probably felt good to get that off your chest, lol.

I'm a light packer -- try not to take anything I don't need with me. 😉

I had a similar experience in Japan and did end up booking 2 Viator tours there over the course of two weeks when I couldn't find an alternative and couldn't effectively do it on my own. The Viator tours there were both well run and I had no complaints. But I think that may have more to do with the Japanese ethos than with Viator in particular....

You mean such as those in the Church on Spilled Blood? Yes -- they are amazing as well. If there was a continuum of outstanding religious mosaics it would be the most recent set of masterpieces. But for some reason the modern never seems to touch me as much as the old. I think what appeals to me about the mosaics in Ravenna is that you can still identify the ancient Roman themes and styles of mosaics but with a thin overly of Christian imagery -- it truly represents the turning point between the ancient, pagan civilization and the new Christian-based one. Like how the ceiling of the Arian baptistery in Ravenna shows the disciples dressed as Roman senators and personifies the river Jordan as a typical Roman river god figure (the same way they'd represented the Tiber river or the Nile in the past).

Lots of practical info shared on the Ports of Call board for Italy here on CC, including a pinned topic on testing in Italy. I've listed this link several times re: finding places in Rome: https://thetourguy.com/travel-blog/italy/rome/where-to-get-a-covid-test-in-rome-this-year/ Almost ANY pharmacy in the historic area of Rome (where most tourists go and stay) will speak English.

Just a heads up that the shuttle has not been running since the start of COVID and there is no information given about when it might resume.