Equinox 5/24/10 - Eastern Med - Pre-Cruise??

[curtdesilets]

Just booked this awesome cruise. We will be on the resort deck, concierge class.

 

Biggest question: Airline from Los Angeles should be about $900pp, Celebrity wants like $1600pp. So we are going to wait for a sale and book our own air. 1) Is it best to get a morning arrival in Rome (US Air comes in about 845 am) and do the pre-cruise pick-up and tour through Celebrity?

2) Or best to fly in a day early and try to arrange through Celebrity a one-day pre-cruise package wherein they pick you up, take you to the hotel and take you to the ship?

 

My wife gets nervous, cannot sleep on a plane, and trying to negotiate the trains etc with serious jetlag would be a nightmare. So we want Celebrity to take care of everything, even though it will cost us much more.

 

Has anyone done the pre-cruise hotel through celebrity? :confused:

[cruiserfromohio]

While I have never booked air with Celebrity, I have with other other lines -- HAL Princess and Oceania. Generally, you get a better value by booking your own air and ground transportation -- lower cost, you get what you want with no last minute changes by the line and better ground service. In your case, I'd go to Rome at least a day early and book a hotel wherever you fell most comfortable -- in Rome, close to the airport, or in Civitavecchia. You can find plenty of recommendations for a good limo or taxi service and places to stay in the Italian Ports section of the Europe part of the Port of Call Board on this site. Heck go over three or four days in advance and see Rome. Whatever limo/taxi service you choose can arrange everything for you. Whatever you do, have a great time!

[curtdesilets]

Thanks for the info. I think with time limitations from my job, we will pnly be able to have a day in Rome.

[Duane T]

We just came off the Equinox last week. Like you, we had several concerns but we arrived two days earlier just to make sure. It was very easy to arrange a private airport shuttle via the internet who met us and took us to our hotel. Although I arranged our own airfare/shuttle to the hotel, I did book the hotel and transfer to the ship through Celebrity. If you stay/reserve a hotel through Celebrity, they will have a host in the hotel lobby who will give you instructions on the shuttle to the ship or they can also sign you up for a morning tour before going to the ship.

 

If you sign up for their air and transfer, Celebrity will greet you at the airport. We met several couples from the West Coast who arrived the morning of the cruise, took the Celebrity Tour in the morning and then went to the ship. They were exhausted but they did not have any flight interruptions or delays.

[curtdesilets]

We just came off the Equinox last week. Like you, we had several concerns but we arrived two days earlier just to make sure. It was very easy to arrange a private airport shuttle via the internet who met us and took us to our hotel. Although I arranged our own airfare/shuttle to the hotel, I did book the hotel and transfer to the ship through Celebrity. If you stay/reserve a hotel through Celebrity, they will have a host in the hotel lobby who will give you instructions on the shuttle to the ship or they can also sign you up for a morning tour before going to the ship.

 

If you sign up for their air and transfer, Celebrity will greet you at the airport. We met several couples from the West Coast who arrived the morning of the cruise, took the Celebrity Tour in the morning and then went to the ship. They were exhausted but they did not have any flight interruptions or delays.

 

 

Thank You Very Much. I'll check with my TA about at least a 1 night stay though Celebrity.

[nevadaliz]

We are on the Equinox 5/24 as well and have not been able to find airfare under 1500.00 we are going to wait. I use trip advisor to email fare updates.

Any other ideas?

[yearbook]

We flew to Rome about ten days before our Med cruise. Rested up a couple days, then hopped the train and went to Venice for a few days, Florence for a few days, and then back to Rome for a couple days. It was very easy traveling by train. We had perfect hotels. Totally saw everything at our leisure. Then took the cruise. Stayed a day in Rome before leaving for home. I would never think of arriving at a European port the day I was leaving for the cruise. What if there were a problem with the plane? Why be dead beat tired when you get on the ship? Besides, there's lots to see. In February we are flying to Barcelona and do the train thing to Seville, Cordoba, and Cadiz. Then back to back cruises in the Mediterreanean. Tons to see and do!!

[laer]

We are on the Equinox 5/24 as well and have not been able to find airfare under 1500.00 we are going to wait. I use trip advisor to email fare updates.

Any other ideas?

 

 

We are also 5/24/10 ,PH AFT CC , please try http://www.1800flyeurope.com/airfare.cfm:

$900 from MIA-FCO.

Chao.

[Catalina56]

We too are on the Equinox 5/24/10, CC2. We are arriving the day before on 5/23/10. We are being picked up at the airport and taken directly to our hotel in Civitavecchia (Pier/Dock). A superior room for two adults, one night and transportation from airport to dock is $250.00 Euros ($368.00 US $'s). We are staying three additional nights at end of cruise in Rome. I couldn't find any airfare bargains from the southwest (Arizona). Trying to find taxi/van fare from Civitavecchia to City of Rome.

 

Catalina56