Has anyone booked HAL precruise stay in Rome?

[SeaCruiser_1]

A friend and I have plans for a HAL Mediterranean cruise this year. We are contemplating just booking the cruise lines pre cruise package to have hotel, airport transfers and transfer to ship included. In the past I have had no problem booking pre cruise stays myself in Fort Lauderdale, Seattle etc. but I don't have a clue about Rome. We want to minimize stress and surprises.

 

I am interested in any feedback from cruisers that have experienced the HAL package in Rome.

 

Thank you all

[0bnxshs]

You might try browsing the port threads for Italy located here: Italy threads.

 

We are in the process of planning a pre-cruise stay in Rome also, for Nov. '14. I called HAL about the cost of their 3 night pre/post cruise add-on and, not surprisingly, it is very expensive. There are a lot of good suggestions and ideas about hotels, tours and transportation on the Italy port threads.

 

Have a great cruise! :)

Edited January 3, 2014 by 0bnxshs

[sail7seas]

It has been some years but we once or twice did a pre-cruise stay through HAL in Rome. We had been to Rome many times and had chosen various hotels during those stays so were relatively complacent about where to stay on those subsequent visits. They were using Hotel Majestic at that time and it was fine but that hotel has some really good rooms and some much lesser, or they did at that time.[We were very lucky to have a wonderful room but a few others were less satisfied.] The location of the hotel was fine, it was very clean and of probably around 4 star. They offered an included adequate breakfast and we were with a group of friends so it worked out well for us.

 

The transfer from the port was convenient and we did not regret our decision to book that post cruise stay with HAL.

 

That being said, we almost always booked our own hotels.

Edited January 3, 2014 by sail7seas

[CJcruzer]

You can get recommendations for Rome hotels through Italy port boards, on your roll call, trip advisor ratings, travel guides such as Rick Steves, Fodor's, Frommers,etc.

 

Perhaps there are other cruisers wiling to share transportation, we have done that in the past and it worked out much cheaper than going with the cruiseline.

[iancal]

We have been to Rome a number of times.

 

We find that the prices for pre and post cruise hotel packages in Rome (and in Europe in general) is exorbitant for two people given what we can always book on our own. It is not just HAL, all of the cruise lines seem to be the same.

 

Keep in mind that you get pot luck with a tour company hotel booking. It is like an expedia booking when it comes to giving out the rooms.

 

Like others have said, check out the Italy forum. Lots of information about hotels, transfers. Do not be intimidated by a foreign country-language will not be a challenge in Rome.

[innlady1]

I would do as Rich suggested and explore the Italy board here on Cruise Critic. There's a wealth of information there...it's what I used when we did our recent cruise: Italy and Spain mostly. Someone recently did a lengthy review here that included their post cruise stay in Rome and lots of lovely photos...you might check for that. I believe it was in November...it was after we returned home from our cruise end of October.

Edited January 3, 2014 by innlady1

[sail7seas]

When choosing a hotel in Rome, IMO, location is as important there as most any other city. Rome is a very large city and you should try to stay in the area where your interests will be met best. Plan to walk, walk, walk....... it is the best way to see a city so loaded with attractions as is Rome.

 

I agree with the others who say you pay a very high price per person when booking cruise line arranged hotels. You can decide under which circumstances that might be worth it to you.

[puppycanducruise]

We were on a HAL cruise out of Rome last spring. We thought the HAL prices for hotels to be a little high, but we decided that HAL's transfer from Rome to ship would be easier than arranging our own. So we booked another hotel for 2 nights and toured Rome on our own. On the day of the cruise, we took a cab to the hotel that HAL used, and boarded the bus to the ship.

[Love the beach]

You can get recommendations for Rome hotels through Italy port boards, on your roll call, trip advisor ratings, travel guides such as Rick Steves, Fodor's, Frommers,etc.

 

Perhaps there are other cruisers wiling to share transportation, we have done that in the past and it worked out much cheaper than going with the cruiseline.

 

We are 3 women, possibly 4 who are also planning on this cruise. I was on the Noordam Med cruise in 2011 and we stayed in the Piazza Navona area (rented an apt) and I arranged transportation for those on our roll call group who wanted to join us. We had 3 vans going and they picked us up at our various hotels, etc. Planning to do the same for this cruise...just waiting to join the roll call until we actually book it.....

Marge

[Barrheadlass]

I stayed at HAL's hotel in Rome in November pre my Prinsendam cruise, it was the Visconti Palace. I was traveling alone and didn't want to deal with transfers from the airport and to the ship on my own, but of course paid dearly for the convenience. The hotel was nice, and I liked the location, as SAIL said I walked, walked,walked. When I got to the hotel, I met up with a friend who'd stayed there for several nights, for WAY less money than I had paid.

[3dashers]

I arranged precruise travel for my parents. It was important to have them right there where HAL transport would be picking up. I called HAL and was told what hotel (sorry I can't recall the name), I booked it directly and my parents paid 50% less. Bottom line is call and ask. :)

[smokinmike]

I've stayed at the Hotel majestic a few times as well - it's a nice hotel, expensive and convenient to many tourist sites such as the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, Trevi and such. Personally though, I would suggest a small hotel between the Forum and Trastevere. You can still walk to the same locations and be near great food at night.

[kazu]

You might try browsing the port threads for Italy located here: Italy threads.

 

We are in the process of planning a pre-cruise stay in Rome also, for Nov. '14. I called HAL about the cost of their 3 night pre/post cruise add-on and, not surprisingly, it is very expensive. There are a lot of good suggestions and ideas about hotels, tours and transportation on the Italy port threads.

 

Have a great cruise! :)

 

Rich if you look at our previous Prinsendam roll call, there is some info there that may be helpful :D It's still on the 3rd page - OP is bluewhale and last poster doncarlos - It has nearly 1,000 posts. go to near the end. If I can help in any way, you know where to find me :)

 

Now for my 2 cents (the penny is extinct here so you know what this is worth).

 

We stayed in Rome precruise twice. HAL's pre cruise package is very pricey.

 

It is really not hard to plan a stay here. choose a good hotel with a good locale and arrange for a private transfer to the ship (ie Rome in Limo). With luck, you may have someone on your roll call who wants to share. It's a very nice way to get to the ship and, even if you are on your own, the total price will work out to be much better than HAL's. Plus, you do things when YOU want to do them. No waiting for the everyone else.

 

there is tons of info on the ports boards. Tons of info on Tripadvisor as well.

 

For what HAL was going to charge us we paid less to stayed at what was for us, a much nicer place, better locale, charming service and had an absolutely wonderful time.

 

The HAL precruise will work of course - but the options are endless if you do a bit of planning:)

Edited January 3, 2014 by kazu

[Essiesmom]

We did a post cruise stay in Rome. My friend wanted to do the HAL package, but mt TA went through a travel agent website (Travel Boubd), booking us a different, more central hotel, plus transfers, and saved us $750 each. It was 3 days. I'm sure it could been done independently for even less. EM

[sail7seas]

After what we spent for a previous stay at The Hassler Hotel, Majestic booked through HAL seemed like a fair price seeing it included transfers and breakfast. :D But, yes, it was more pricey than we needed to spend.

[LindaM]

We always use the cruiselines pre/post packages in Europe. In the US, we book our own. The cruiselines usually book hotels in decent locations. And, you can check them out on TripAdvisor.

 

When we are in Europe, I just don't want to have to think or plan. I don't want to call a cab or arrange for transfers. I am sure it is easy, but it's something I don't want to do. You will pay thru the nose for this priviledge. Just depends on what it important to you. I know we are overpaying, but that is something I am willing to do. I save money in other areas of my life.

[Alberta Quilter]

We did the HAL pre-cruise tour in Apr/13. It was pricey but my DM "wanted to be taken care of" by HAL. I will say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did a lot of planning for the actual cruise, arranging our private excursions, post transfer and hotel. I was thankful not to have to it for the pre-cruise stay.

 

For our cruise, there were two choices for the pre-cruise stay. One was Tuscany and the other was Rome/Vatican/Tivoli. We chose the Rome tour. We stayed in a very nice family run hotel in Castel Gandolfo. We had our own private patio looking over the lake right towards the Pope's Summer Residence in Castel Gandolfo. It was lovely but across the lake from the town so it wasn't like you could go out for dinner without arranging a taxi.

 

We were met right at the baggage claim at the airport and ushered to the van to take us to the hotel, after another couple arrived. Upon arrival we were met by our tour guide who welcomed us and gave us a bit of talk on some cultural differences that we may encounter (like getting funny looks if one ordered ice for one's drinks or ordering a cappuccino after 11 am - just because it is not done in Italy). We had the rest of the evening to rest up and have dinner (at the hotel at our own expense).

 

The next day was an extremely full day touring Rome in the morning and Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica in the afternoon. This was an extremely full day. I had actually not wanted to do Rome in a day but there was no choice with the HAL package. DM did fairly well but her leg seized up on the way back to the hotel. So, if you are at all mobility impaired, you may want to consider another tour although DM was accommodated with elevators where available. Dinner was at the hotel and was included in the package.

 

The second full day on the tour was broken into two parts. The first part was going to Tivoli and touring the house and gardens at Villa d'Este. The gardens and fountains are very nice and amazing to see. I was impressed with the organ that works by water. We had some free time in Tivoli after the gardens. We shopped a wee bit and walked around the town. We picked up some sandwiches to take back to the hotel for our lunch. We ate that on our private patio at the hotel. At 4:00 (after the siesta, we were taken on a tour of some small towns, including Castel Gandolfo) en route to our restaurant for dinner that evening. We had some free time in one of the towns for poking about in the shops. Dinner was at a restaurant that was in an old Roman aquifer. Great dinner, included in the package too. At the restaurant, they made their own balsamic vinegar, wine, olive oil, everything! We had some free time to make some purchases like purchasing wine for the ship. So it was another full day but we had a break in the middle to rest up.

 

The final day was extremely leisurely. After breakfast, we completed packing and waited to be transported to the ship. In the previous two days, we had a small shuttle bus but on the departure day, we had a full motor coach because of the luggage. Our guide accompanied us to the pier. It takes an hour and a half to get to the terminal in Civitavecchia, barring any traffic issues. We were dropped off right at the terminal and didn't see our luggage until it arrived in our staterooms. Of course, we kept our carry on bags with us. I can't remember if we arrived in time for the embarkation lunch but I don't think we did, not that I remember eating in the Lido either.

 

If you have any other questions about this tour, please feel free to ask.

[ZSandy25]

Check out Rick Steve's book on Rome . IMO it is important to stay in an area close to the sites that are important to you. We stayed at a small hotel, I would think here in the states it would be considered a boutique hotel. We hopped on the hop on hop off bus the first day and enjoyed the affordable transportation.

 

As this was our second time to Rome and had taken all the highlights etc. we took a tour to Assisi, very enjoyable and set up by our hotel.

 

We walked to most venues, we met up with others from CC and shared the limo ride to the ship. Great way to help with the cost. I'm not sure I can mention a name here but if you read the threads on Rome the name will come up over and over. I think a prior poster named them. Having Walt give me a gentle slap I am very cautious.:)

 

We then hired the same service to transport us back to Rome proper for a couple more days. We stayed at the same hotel again.

[Hlitner]

We think the OP is thinking correctly based on his/her circumstances. We personally would never consider doing a Princess pre-cruise package because we know that a lot of money can be saved by simply doing it all on our own. But since the OP has no experience in Italy and wants to minimize stress, the package just makes lots of sense.

 

However, if the OP changes his/her mind and wants to explore other cost saving options there are quite a few of us waiting to help on the CC Ports of Call/Europe/Italy board.

 

Hank

Edited January 3, 2014 by Hlitner

[prescottbob]

...information but I'll go ahead and post it none-the-less.

 

We did the reverse, i.e. land touring after a cruise (it was a 22 day Prinsendam TA/Med).

 

I had arranged for our 'cottage' hotel to have us picked up in Civitavecchiahve at the end of the cruise. It was a private car and costwise was approx. 50 Euros (this was in 2007).

 

The 'hotel' was actually 4-5 apartments across the street from the Bank of Italy Depository (sort of like the Italian version of Fort Knox) with the Colossium & university just a few blocks away. The rate for the apartment at the time (kitchen, LR & Bdrm) was 65 Euros / night.

 

I can tell you that the three nights we stayed were wonderful. The local eateries were great and everything (all the sites pretty much) were within walking distance.

 

We spent a day at the Vatican and used the city bus from our digs. You really don't want to drive in Rome (parking is non existant).

 

Without getting into too much detail we went out to the airport to rent a car and toured Umbria,Tuscany and Elba Island for another week, staying at B&B's & seeing sites that I had researched. It was a blast!

 

I guess the bottom line is this: If you like doing research and customizing your tour (and saving some money) do your research through the CC Port boards, the Trip Advisor site and various independent sites on the internet.

 

If you have no wish to spend the time doing the research then utilizing your TA or a local Italian agency you might find on the internet for a hotel arrangements /land tours may be a viable option.

 

Utilizing the cruise ship to make your pre or post cruise arrangements would certainly not be my 'cup of tea' but everyone has their 'comfort levels'.

 

We just prefer staying away (as best we can) from the touristy hotels & big bus tours when travelling. It's just us and nothing wrong in doing so.

 

Regardless, have yourself a wonderful cruise & good luck.

 

Bon Voyage & good Health!

Bob

[SeaCruiser_1]

Thank you for all the thoughtful replies. Hlitner had it correct in that we are trying to minimize stress. My friend and I will probably come in on different flights since we live in different parts of the country. Our travel agent presented several options and honestly the HAL quote was slightly higher. We are also looking at insurance coverage for the whole package. I just was hoping to hear from others to assure us that those who booked it had positive experiences. I was perfectly aware of the Italy boards but I was after folks opinion that had recently experienced the HAL package.

 

LindaM I am with you in that I know I will be exhausted after the flight and I want things to be taken care of for me.

 

I will do the work planning for port excursions.

 

Thanks again!

[Alberta Quilter]

SeaCruiser, in my post above, I forgot to mention that there were only ten of us who did the pre-cruise tour with HAL. it was a great group, and a perfect size. One couple was celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary; they were the youngest of the ten. My DM was the oldest.

 

We really did have a great time. I don't regret paying the extra money to have someone else do all the arranging. We had private tour guides in the Vatican and Villa d'Este, in addition to the tour guide that was with us over the three days.