Imperial Rome Excursion

[billrco90278]

I am an ancient Rome buff and the "Imperial Rome" excursion offered by Celebrity caught my eye. If you have gone on this one, any feedback you have will be appreciated. My wife is not especially interested in ancient Rome. Will this be a drag for her?

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

I am interested too as we have this booked. Maybe post this on the ports of call board we might get an answer.

[BKFlowerMound]

Bill - I haven't been on this tour myself but I've considered similar tours and the past but came up with a better alternative for the family.

 

What you'll do on this tour is take a bus with 50 other people to the Colosseum. You'll walk through the Forum (right next to the Colosseum) and walk over to the Trevi Fountain, etc. You'll do lunch (likely in a banquet room in a Hotel). Then you'll get back on the bus to St. Peters and go in the Basilica. You'll pay $200 each for this. You'll be following one of those numbered signs at all times with headsets on.

 

Last year, my wife and two sons and I considered a tour similar to the "Best of Rome Tour" that was nearly identically priced at about $350 per person. (The reason for the $150 price difference is that the Best of Rome goes to the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum). I was looking at $1400 for the tour with my family.

 

What we did instead was book a RomeInLimo tour. It was E500 for the Mercedes and driver. E150 for the Vatican Guide. And another E150 or so for the Colosseum and Vatican tickets. We eventually found another family to go with us. We changed the 4 person Mercedes to an 8 person Mercedes for an additional E100. We also paid about E20 for lunch at a very nice trattoria that couldn't have accomodated a large group. Our cost per person was under $200. More importantly, it was a MUCH better tour than we would've gotten on the ships tour. We saw way more and it was much more of a luxury experience.

 

If I were you, I would look into seeing if others on your roll call want to join you in a RomeInLimo tour.

 

Have a great cruise!!

 

 

 

P.S. - We'll be back in Rome this year on the Silhouette. We're planning on doing a deeper dive into the Forum and are likely going to take the train on our own.

[boogs]

Bill - I haven't been on this tour myself but I've considered similar tours and the past but came up with a better alternative for the family.

 

What you'll do on this tour is take a bus with 50 other people to the Colosseum. You'll walk through the Forum (right next to the Colosseum) and walk over to the Trevi Fountain, etc. You'll do lunch (likely in a banquet room in a Hotel). Then you'll get back on the bus to St. Peters and go in the Basilica. You'll pay $200 each for this. You'll be following one of those numbered signs at all times with headsets on.

 

Last year, my wife and two sons and I considered a tour similar to the "Best of Rome Tour" that was nearly identically priced at about $350 per person. (The reason for the $150 price difference is that the Best of Rome goes to the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum). I was looking at $1400 for the tour with my family.

 

What we did instead was book a RomeInLimo tour. It was E500 for the Mercedes and driver. E150 for the Vatican Guide. And another E150 or so for the Colosseum and Vatican tickets. We eventually found another family to go with us. We changed the 4 person Mercedes to an 8 person Mercedes for an additional E100. We also paid about E20 for lunch at a very nice trattoria that couldn't have accomodated a large group. Our cost per person was under $200. More importantly, it was a MUCH better tour than we would've gotten on the ships tour. We saw way more and it was much more of a luxury experience.

 

If I were you, I would look into seeing if others on your roll call want to join you in a RomeInLimo tour.

 

Have a great cruise!!

 

 

 

P.S. - We'll be back in Rome this year on the Silhouette. We're planning on doing a deeper dive into the Forum and are likely going to take the train on our own.

 

We are doing the same thing in October as you did. We will see much more, have a more personal experience, and will be able to go at our own pace, skipping or quickening through areas we have lower interests in, and spending more time at those we are more interested on. All for about the same price. And if you also book LimoInRome for multiple ports, they give a discount for each.

[zekekelso]

Another option is to pay 9 EUR per person to take the train into Rome. In Rome, you can either continue the cheapskate route (I say that with love) and tour the sites yourselves, or higher a private gide to show you around. A private guide will be *vastly* better than being part of a big tour group.

[Lsimon]

We didn't take the Imperial Rome tour but took the "Rome, the Eternal City" tour twice! We took this in 2007 and was so impressed we did it again in 2010 when traveling with friends who hadn't been to Rome before.

 

We don't usually go for ship's tours but did this time and we were glad we did. The tour was well organized had nice stops and a very knowledgeable tour guide and a great lunch. Yes we were part of a bus load of people but things were organized well. The tour guide who showed us around the attractions (Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Basilica, and Coliseum) was very good and used personal listening devices so we could hear his cometary among the huge crowds. (you'll run into huge crowds in these areas with any size ship or private tour - there are LOTS of tourists there!). We appreciated having a guide to show us around inside the attractions where as a lot of the private tours are really only a driver who drops you off and picks you up at each location and is not licensed to take you inside.

 

There are a lot of people who advocate taking only ship tours and others who would never consider them. We take a more balanced approach and consider both options and go with what we feel is best for us. While we usually go with private tours there are some ports or specific tours where we feel a ship's tour is the best option for us. Don't let anyone ever tell you to skip considering the ship's tours.

[Lsimon]

...What we did instead was book a RomeInLimo tour....

 

Just curious: Did RomeInLimo provide a tour guide who accompanied you into the attraction areas such as the Vatican and Coliseum and guide you through with explanations and commentary or did they just provide a driver who dropped you off at the entrances with explanations?

[Pat.bz]

We toured Rome on our own (subways, buses, Hop On/Off). Inside St. Peter's, Sistine, Colesseum and Forum we downloaded FREE Rick Steves 45 min tours from I tunes Shop. These tours are excellent! (and talk about about going at your own pace).

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Those are all nice ideas- but the OP asked specifically on that tour- as I would like to know, as we booked it for reasons I refused to argue with anyone on here.

 

Has no one taken this tour that can tell us about what to expect and about the lunch/wine included?

[boogs]

Just curious: Did RomeInLimo provide a tour guide who accompanied you into the attraction areas such as the Vatican and Coliseum and guide you through with explanations and commentary or did they just provide a driver who dropped you off at the entrances with explanations?

 

Because of union rules in Italy, drivers may not guide people through the attraction, only provide commentary while in the car. A person can hire a guide through RomeInLimo who will meet the car at the designated attraction and guide you through the attractions with full commentary. Rates quoted to us for our upcoming tours are E200 for 4 hours of personal guidance. The driver and car was E500 for a five passenger sedan, or E550 for a six passenger minivan. We chose the minivan even though there are only four of us so no one is stuck in the middle of a cramped back seat.

[boogs]

Those are all nice ideas- but the OP asked specifically on that tour- as I would like to know, as we booked it for reasons I refused to argue with anyone on here.

 

Has no one taken this tour that can tell us about what to expect and about the lunch/wine included?

 

Sorry, but no one is arguing with you. Some of us posted options because the op mentioned that the wife was not particularly interested in ancient Rome, and much of this ship tour is exactly that. A private tour can be customized to visit only those sights that are of interest, avoiding those that aren't, unlike a set tour booked through the ship. Touring on your own would provide a similar level of control.

[PNW Traveler]

We did the Imperial Rome tour last fall. There were less than 20 with our group, which is good for a ship's tour. It was a full day in Rome, from early a.m. to just before ship departure. I thought the tour was fabulous. We had two guides, one who was on the bus with us and with us for the whole day, plus a second guide who did the actual talks while we visited the sights in Rome. We walked right up to the entrance of the Coliseum to the head of the line and walked all though this amazing structure. From the Coliseum we walked through Rome and the guide was giving lots of information as well as some good stories. We also visited the Forum and various piazzas. There was about 2 hours or so of time on our own. Our tour did not include lunch, but the guide was good about recommendations and price sensitive. We strolled through the streets and walked along the river by Vatican City after lunch. The photos from that afternoon are some of my cruise favorites. I felt the tour was worth the $$. The traffic returning back to the ship was gridlock at times. I was happy it was a ship's tour because we arrived back less than 30 minutes before departure. It was dark and we were one of the last to board the ship.

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

We did the Imperial Rome tour last fall. There were less than 20 with our group, which is good for a ship's tour. It was a full day in Rome, from early a.m. to just before ship departure. I thought the tour was fabulous. We had two guides, one who was on the bus with us and with us for the whole day, plus a second guide who did the actual talks while we visited the sights in Rome. We walked right up to the entrance of the Coliseum to the head of the line and walked all though this amazing structure. From the Coliseum we walked through Rome and the guide was giving lots of information as well as some good stories. We also visited the Forum and various piazzas. There was about 2 hours or so of time on our own. Our tour did not include lunch, but the guide was good about recommendations and price sensitive. We strolled through the streets and walked along the river by Vatican City after lunch. The photos from that afternoon are some of my cruise favorites. I felt the tour was worth the $$. The traffic returning back to the ship was gridlock at times. I was happy it was a ship's tour because we arrived back less than 30 minutes before departure. It was dark and we were one of the last to board the ship.

 

Ours says we get lunch including champagne and wine.

 

Ours also visits a church- can't remember the name inside the Vatican- did you do this? I was wondering if we could wait outside if we were too tired at this point to go in???

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Sorry, but no one is arguing with you. Some of us posted options because the op mentioned that the wife was not particularly interested in ancient Rome, and much of this ship tour is exactly that. A private tour can be customized to visit only those sights that are of interest, avoiding those that aren't, unlike a set tour booked through the ship. Touring on your own would provide a similar level of control.

 

I didn't mean you. I have asked on the other board about different tours- what is in them, how much walking etc...

 

and instead of getting info of the tour- which I was asking for- I got a lecture on how I should do this or that... that is all I meant.

 

And the OP also stated they wanted to know what this tour involved so they could make an informed decision on if the wife would enjoy, which another poster has thankfully been able to provide.

[euro cruiser]

Ours also visits a church- can't remember the name inside the Vatican- did you do this? I was wondering if we could wait outside if we were too tired at this point to go in???

There are multiple churches inside Vatican City. The two most famous (and open to the public) are the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.

 

The Sistine Chapel is located inside the Vatican Museums and once you are in there, you're in.

 

If you are on a tour that includes both the Chapel and the basilica, odds are that you will go directly from the Chapel to the basilica, without going outside between the two. You could stand at the back of the basilica and wait for your group rather than walk around, I suppose.

[LDR]

I really appreciate the info on the ship's tours. My husband and I are on Solstice on September 8 and are looking at one of the ship tours for Rome since we've never been there and we do want to make sure we get back to the ship on time!

 

I hear so many good things about RomeinLimo, and if we had someone to share that with us I think we would consider it. Unfortunately, no on on the roll call seems interested in doing so in Rome, but fortunately we did find some others to share tours in some of our other ports.

[CruzCouple]

We took this excursion and it was, without question, the best excursion we have ever had, Maybe it was the tour guide who was perfect, or the great weather or the lack of crowds that made it just right. I don't know - but we still bring it up whenever the discussion turns to excursions. St. Peters was awesome and easy to get in for our group, they sometimes skip it if the lines are too long. Just thinking about that day is making me smile. Thanks for the memory. -Scott

[BKFlowerMound]

Just curious: Did RomeInLimo provide a tour guide who accompanied you into the attraction areas such as the Vatican and Coliseum and guide you through with explanations and commentary or did they just provide a driver who dropped you off at the entrances with explanations?

 

Yes and no. They will arrange guides. We had one for the Vatican/Sistine chapel. It was €150 extra for our group of 8. She was a fairly young college professor named Sofia. She had the headsets with her and she met us where the driver dropped us off. We got to set the pace. We could have arranged a guide for the Colosseum but chose not to after reading about it here.

 

The driver was very knowledgable. It was a wonderful day.

[Lsimon]

...Ours also visits a church- can't remember the name inside the Vatican- did you do this? I was wondering if we could wait outside if we were too tired at this point to go in???

 

There are multiple churches inside Vatican City. The two most famous (and open to the public) are the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.....

 

As Euro Cruiser said you will probably be at the Sistine Chapel and/or St. Peter's Basilica. The Sistine Chapel is where Michelangelo painted the ceiling in a project that took nearly 5 years in the early 1500's. The walls and ceiling are one of the most magnificent works of art in existence and underwent an incredible 10 year project of cleaning and restoration that was completed about 20 years ago leaving the artwork in bright and fabulous condition.

 

If you'd like to see an "official" Vatican 360 degree virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel follow this link and drag your mouse pointer around the images (you can also scroll to zoom in and out): http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html

 

Likewise, St. Peter's Basilica as the largest Catholic church and nearly everywhere you look there are magnificent priceless works of art including Michelangelo's famed sculpture the Pieta.

 

Out of all of Rome, I think these two Churches are the greatest attractions of all and it would be a big mistake to miss an opportunity to visit either one.

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

[quote name=Lsimon;33516400

 

Likewise' date=' St. Peter's Basilica as the largest Catholic church and nearly everywhere you look there are magnificent priceless works of art including Michelangelo's famed sculpture the Pieta.

.[/quote]

 

That's the one it says.

 

I understand women need a head covering to go inside Catholic churches??? I'm obviously not that religion. I will also be w/ my best friend and she has back problems and by the end of the tour may need a chance to sit down.

[LDR]

I'm not positive about the head covering but I do know that you are expected to dress appropriately. No short shorts and tanks, even for the guys.

[Lsimon]

That's the one it says.

 

I understand women need a head covering to go inside Catholic churches??? I'm obviously not that religion. I will also be w/ my best friend and she has back problems and by the end of the tour may need a chance to sit down.

RE St. Peter's Basilica

No head coverings were required but they did want shoulders covered. I think it was also required to cover knees (i.e. longer skirts or slacks).

 

That is not my religion either but I was awed by the condition and of this magnificent building designed by some of the greatest artists and archetects of the Italian Renaissance. This is one of the most important, if not the most important, buildings of the Catholic Church and little or nothing has been spared over the centuries to keep it in good condition and to make nearly everything inside a masterful treasure of art.

 

Can you tell I was impressed by it?

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

RE St. Peter's Basilica

No head coverings were required but they did want shoulders covered. I think it was also required to cover knees (i.e. longer skirts or slacks).

 

That is not my religion either but I was awed by the condition and of this magnificent building designed by some of the greatest artists and archetects of the Italian Renaissance. This is one of the most important, if not the most important, buildings of the Catholic Church and little or nothing has been spared over the centuries to keep it in good condition and to make nearly everything inside a masterful treasure of art.

 

Can you tell I was impressed by it?

 

Ok, Thanks for the info.

 

I usually wear pants or capri's for excursions and I dont do tank tops. My shoulders/arms get cold, so I usually wear 3/4 length sleeves anyways.

 

:)

 

Meg

[billrco90278]

Being the original poster (OP?), I thank all of your for the information. It sounds like this tour is a good option to consider. The Celebrity brochure says that lunch is at either a restuarant or "first class" hotel. Does have any feedback on the lunch? We would actually prefer to me on our own for the meal, but with an all day tour I suppose that is not practical.

[Lsimon]

Being the original poster (OP?), I thank all of your for the information. It sounds like this tour is a good option to consider. The Celebrity brochure says that lunch is at either a restuarant or "first class" hotel. Does have any feedback on the lunch? We would actually prefer to me on our own for the meal, but with an all day tour I suppose that is not practical.

 

Sounds like the same arraignment for lunch we did on the Eternal City tour. It was banquet style with table service for about 100 people (several tour buses from Celebrity) which which was the only time all the busloads of people doing the same tour were in the same place. We went to a nice hotel and ate in a dining room but it was a fixed menu. I think there was a salad, pasta, meat (veal) and dessert included with a couple bottles of wine on each table of 4 to 8 and and coffee and other beverages were included as well. Only cost was a gratuity if you chose to leave one. One hotel was a few blocks from the Vatican and one was about a 10 minute ride from the tourist area of Rome. Here is a photo from the second trip:

Click for Larger Picture