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@euro cruiser thanks very much for the extra info re the bus. If it's a hot day a taxi may be the winning option! (The map I saw looked like the bus went right to Ostia Antica, not 2kms away).... You earlier mentioned cruise line debarkation day tours via Rome/airport, which I hadn't seen on the cruise's shore excursions. When I contacted NCL online chat to ask, I was told there were none. Having another look through cruise excursions today, I did see two options including Rome sightseeing and an afternoon airport drop off. That's twice now I've contacted NCL direct and been given the wrong advice! That's why these forums are so useful 🙂  

@Anoynmous Phoenix, @zqvol, @CruiseMH, @Travelling2Some, @yakcruiser thank you all for taking time to respond - I didn't think two hours every port sounded right! To those who commented on the 600 stairs, I had read the cable car was very busy. When I stayed on Santorini around 30 years ago we climbed up the stairs with full travel packs on so I thought I would be able to manage walking down sans luggage this time!    

Kia ora. I'm on a 10 day Italian/Greek cruise on Epic in September. This is my first cruise. I am looking at booking some local company shore tours, or getting independently to places such as Pompeii, rather than the cruise line excursions.

Can anyone advise what time the all aboard is generally on port stops? I contacted NCL's online chat and they replied two hours before departure. Given I have seen a recent video by a couple on Epic who caught train to Pompeii and then returned and wandered Naples, getting back to the ship only 45 minutes before departure, I asked the online chat if they were talking about embarkation day or every port stop, and they replied this was fairly normal at every port stop. 

Is this the experience of other cruisers - especially those who have done NCL's 10 day Italian/Greek cruise? For shorter stops this would mean fairly miniscule time in port - and I'm not wanting to get left behind on my first cruise 🙂

Any advice appreciated. Thanks. 

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@Denversail, @VMax1700 thanks for your responses. @euro cruiser I found the bus on Rome2Rio but will check out if it runs on Sundays. Thanks for the link to left luggage @VMax1700, that is what I had intended to do. @Denversail, your idea sounds good too. 

@TouchstoneFeste and @euro cruiser thank you for your feedback. Your sentiments are correct about not wanting to sit around all day before possibly the longest journey home ever!  I did not know about Ostia Antica but am now keen to visit there. I've booked a shared shuttle from port to airport and will deposit our bags there. Haven't found a convenient tour so will probably take the bus from the airport to Ostia Antica. Entry is apparently free on the first Sunday of the month when we will be visiting. (I did enquire with the cruise line re post cruise tours but they aren't offering any).  

Kia ora. My young adult daughter and I from New Zealand are on our first cruise, Italy/Greece on NCL that finishes at Civitavecchia at 6am on Sunday October 6. 

It's 30 years since I've been to Europe and she never has so it is a big trip for us. (We do a 10 day bus tour in Italy beforehand). 

Apologies if I am covering repeated ground (or posting in the wrong place) but I just realised transport to the airport isn't included.  

We arrive at Civitavecchia at 6am. Awkwardly, our flight out of Rome isn't until 7.30pm that evening. It will be a mammoth trip from Rome-Istanbul-Hong Kong-New Zealand so I am not wanting to spend nearly all day at the airport beforehand! We are in Rome (briefly) on our bus tour so I suspect we won't be wanting to squeeze in more sightseeing while managing luggage etc. (I did look to see if there are any half day tours that leave from the airport if we could deposit our bags but haven't found any). 

So, I am considering a day booking at a nearby hotel including: Isola Sacra, Best Western Rome Int Airport (closest), Mercure Rome. An alternative is booking an airport lounge.

I would appreciate any advice on this plan, and also suggestions on a reasonably stress-free but value for money way of getting from the port to the airport or airport hotel. We obviously won't be in any great hurry to get off the boat. I understand the train may be cheapest but reading through some posts it sounds a bit complicated...(now I'm showing I haven't travelled far afield for a while!).  

Thank you 🙂