mapleleaves

For those of us in the planning stages, it would be wonderful to hear details about the ports; sights, excursions, DIY info, etc. Thx!

There's no shortcut to finding the best itinerary and cruiseline for your trip; you'll just have to do some research like the rest of us . Visit your library and borrow a few travel books. There are books specific to cruising. I bought Rick Steve's book "mediterranean cruise ports' and Anne Vipond's 'mediterranean by cruiseship'. Learn about all the different ports, their sights and activities, then it will be easier to make a decision about an itinerary. As you look at itineraries, be mindful of port times; you want to be in port long enough to participate in planned activities. Look at forums like Celebrity, NCL, RCI, Princess, etc and watch for trip reports. They're a great source of information. Have fun with your research and planning!

I was surprised at how many people were scrambling at the last minute to find excursions. They had done zero research and were asking other pax if their tour had room for one more couple. And by last minute, I mean 2 weeks before the cruise! So don't give up. Just thought of another option. Joe Banana Limo has Italytoursharing.com. They have many tour options from Naples and give people the ability to sign up and share the cost with others. Select one of the tours, go to your specific date and see if anything has been started Naples Port Shared Shore Excursion (italytoursharing.com)

When I researched for my 2019 cruise I read past trip reports to find recommended vendors, such as italytours.eu, joebananalimo, aldolimo, romeinlimo, and more. Most of these companies offer private tours and/or shared tours. However we decided on the private driver option so we could determine what to see, where to go, and how long to stay. For instance we hadn't heard great things about Sorrento so we skipped it, and we wanted a view from the sea so we took the ferry from Positano to Amalfi. We also paid for 1 additional hr to get the most of our day. In 2019 it was about 400-450E to hire a minivan and driver for an 8hr day. Many people use their Roll Call to find others to share the expense. We were a group of 4. The van held 8 but I think more than 6 might be tight. Check with the companies to see if they have smaller cars and perhaps a shorter day. Good luck!

At the top of the page it says DURATION 8 hrs. Since it starts at 8:30am, you wouldn't get back to the ship until 4:30p. (We hired a private driver for the day in Naples.. In 2019 the cost was 400E for 8 hrs. To get views from the water, we had our driver take us to Positano first, where we caught the ferry to Amalfi. We met up with the driver again in Amalfi and went on to Ravello. With your limited port time, you'd probably have to end your tour in Amalfi. To share the cost, look on your roll call for another couple to share.)

we were on the EPIC in 2019 and at that time NCL offered a shuttle from the ship to train station at $25pp RT. It's a pricey 10 minute ride, but given how economical the train is, it was very budget friendly day. I also looked into tuscanybus.com (for the drive only, no tour) but we wanted to see PISA as well, and their combo transfer didn't offer as much time at each location as the train would provide. ( And Tuscany bus didn't pick up at the pier either so the shuttle was needed.)

The train station is Santa Maria Novella, which is about a 10 minute walk to the Duomo. On trenitalia.com you would choose Firenza S.M.Novella for your destination.

Which cruiseline ? Look at your cruiseline's web site under ACCESSIBLITY to see which company they work with, or which equipment they have on hand ( usually a wheelchair or 2). Or try the disabled forum here on CC. This is the only company I've heard of, but have no personal information: Mobility Scooter & Wheelchair Rental | Scootaround

I had a knee replaced 3 months prior to the cruise, so I was sensitive to the fact that I might hold up the rest of the group. I said up front that we didn't need to spend every day, all day, with each other. We figured we would start the day off together with b'fast, take a transfer to whichever city, and then see how the day transpired. As it turned out, my knee was great, and we spent most of our time in port together. But we also had a few hours apart at a couple of ports and agreed it was nice to have time away, and it also added to the dinner conversation when we had different experiences to talk about. Good luck with your planning!

We all have different interests and travel styles. If your son/DIL have a large Must See list, they should peel off and do their own thing. No need for the group to cling together for the whole day. It would be terribly frustrating to be in Rome, so close to sites you'd love to see but miss them because others in the group weren't interested or able. You could meet up for the return trip to Civi and share your stories of the day! Our group of 4 was on an NCL cruise, 7am-7pm. We had a few Must Sees but weren't interested in tours of individual sites. Our list was: the Vatican, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, and Circus Maximus. But during our walk, we also saw Piazza Navone, Parthenon, Spanish Steps, and Castel San Angelo. We took the cruise express train to S Pietro then walked 15 minutes to the Vatican. After that we walked and also hailed a couple of cabs. When we were done, we caught a cab to Ostiense Station for the express train back to Civi. I think there were less the 10 pax in that particular train car so very comfortable . Using the express train made for a short day; caught the 9am train from Civi and left Rome around 4, but we saw what we wanted to see, plus a little more.

A car/driver for the day will probably run about 450/550E. You might achieve the same goal (and save money ) by using a transfer for Civi to Rome, then use cabs to get around from point to point as you need them, and another transfer to get you back to the ship. You may find another couple on your Roll Call to share the transfer cost. Go your separate ways once you arrive but share the expense. One way or RT.

Our trip was in Sept 2019, so hopefully someone with current experience will chime in. To make life easy we paid $25pp to take the NCL shuttle from the pier to the Livorno train station. (Otherwise, it appeared that we had to take a free shuttle from the pier to the port entrance, then a city bus to the station.) We went to Pisa then Florence.

Depends on what you want to see and do. And how do you define easy ? For some people, easy means the sights are within a block of stepping off the ship; for others easy means DIY with a 1hr train ride to a city. Perhaps you could buy or borrow a few travel books from your library to learn about the sights and activities in each destination. I highly recommend Rick Steves " Mediterranean Cruise Ports". Join your ship's Roll Call to see what fellow pax are doing at each port. Read other Roll Calls as well to get ideas. Look at the various Cruiseline forums to watch for Live Reports or Reviews. Read the Port Review forum. Have fun with your research !

There is a non stop express train for cruise passengers. This yr it only runs once a day in each direction. Only stops at S Pietro and Ostiense. Makes it so easy for sightseeing. 15E RT. And there's a shuttle from the pier to the train station for about 3E. Civitavecchia Express: non-stop train for cruise passengers | Port Mobility Civitavecchia Since your questions are specific to Rome, you might want to check out the Italy forum for lots of helpful info.

We were on the Epic in Sept 2019. We did Rome DIY, via the train. We took the train to the SanPietro stop, where it's a 15 walk to the Vatican ( you;ll see Vatican roof tops from the station; so easy to find). Then you could catch a cab to the Colossum. We thought the Ostiense station would be easier to negotiate than Termini so we took a cab to Ostiense. We also included stops at Castel SanAngelo, Piazza Navone, Trevi Fountain, Parthenon (as well as pizza and gelatto). Caught a train around 9am and ret'd on the 4pm. Since you only want to see those 2 sites you'll have plenty of time. p.s. we were a group of 4 ( 60-70 yrs old) and our total for train and cabs was under $100.

If it's hot and humid, consider hailing a cab between a couple of locations. It's fast, efficient, reasonably priced, and saves you from getting tired and grumpy! When your port time is limited, you want to make the most of it. Not sure which 3 locations you've chosen but we started at SanPietro for the Vatican then worked our way towards the Colosseum. We hailed cabs twice during our walk; Trevi Fountain to the Colosseum and the Colosseum to Ostiense Station. We purchased RT tickets for Ostiense, knowing that we could disembark early( SPietro). We thought Ostiense would be easier to negotiate than Termini for the return trip. Worked out great! Have a great trip !

The only issue could be crossing the Grand Canal if you can't easily manage your luggage over the bridge. The Calatrava Bridge is quite large; the steps are shallow but there are lots of them. If you can't manage steps, take a bus or cab to Mestre on the mainland ( 5 minutes from P Roma). Most trains from Venice stop in Mestre anyway.

Reading current trip reports will be very helpful. Any CruiseLine, any ship that has similar port stops as your itinerary. They usually are quite detailed with lots of info about excursions and vendors. Also, look at the Roll Call for your sailing. You'll probably find fellow pax who are trying to find a few people to fill up private excursions they are organizing. And look at other Roll Calls for your itinerary to get more ideas. I have Rick Steves book, Mediterranean by Cruise Port. It was helpful to learn about each port and the sights/activities available.

You might want to post this question on the Italy forum. Lots of advice there about timing, transfers, airport, disembarking, etc.

Look at the roll calls of any HAL ship leaving Trieste and you'll find discussions on transfers and testing. ie Oosterdam (June 13-25) has about 200 replies. Look at the last couple of pages to read questions and responses to your concerns

You don't NEED a tour to see Pisa; take the train and visit at your own pace. I think the train ride was about 20 minutes; 3 or 4 departures every hour. We took the NCL shuttle to the train station, then a cab from the Pisa station to the entrance. Ticket info: Opera della Primaziale Pisana: sito ufficiale – A few words of advice before you buy your ticket (opapisa.it) We considered Pompeii for our Naples stop but decided that Amalfi was our priority. If you read past threads you'll find that Pompeii is also very easy to reach on your own by train. But perhaps consider hiring a guide for INSIDE the ruins to get the most of your visit. Enjoy your cruise !

I'd be surprised if RCI didn't add another coach if they have a wait list ! Is the train not an option for you? The Padua option is definitely spendy. I had contacted the Ravenna Tourism Authority to get info on private transfers and Taxi service ( for a friend's elderly parents... they couldn't manage a train). The taxi company said 250-280E for the ride. Radiotaxi Ravenna (taxidiravenna.it) I didn't follow up on the car service but here's the company info if you want to pursue it. HIRE WITH DRIVER OF RAVENNA - Ravenna - Rhaama Service - About Us Please post with the info if you contact them. I'm sure others would like to know. Good luck !

I used Aldo Limos for a day tour when we docked in Naples. Don't know if they do transfers but you can check. Ask this of any of the tour companies. Another thought .... ask your accomodation in Amalfi for a recommendation. In 2019, friends of min were staying in Amalfi and asked their B&B for a suggestion. The owner volunteered to pick them up at Naples airport, 100E. Good luck !

I was reading a LIVE RCL trip report yesterday and the poster said the Port was running a shuttle from the train station to the port . $10pp. They didn't indicate the timing, but for such a short distance a cab might be cheaper and easier.

if those are the only 2 options, I'd choose 2. But you might also consider hiring a private driver for the day, and plan your own itinerary. For instance I would consider a long lunch in Sorrento and the limoncelo tour a waste of my time. I'd rather have that time to GO TO Positano, grab a slice of pizza and wander around, rather than see it from an overlook. It was reading the details of the excursion that made me choose to go private. You can find 2 other couples from your Roll Call to join you and share the cost. I got carried away with our itinerary and added an extra hr, but geez, I'm there, so why not see and do what I can, right?