western med - start in Rome or Barcelona?

[alaska_planner]

Contemplating a 7 night western med cruise on the Harmony of the Seas this summer.

 

I'm considering two -

the one that's round trip from Rome

or the one that's round trip from Barcelona

 

it's exactly the same cruise/same ports/same ship, but one is round trip from Rome, the other round trip from Barcelona.

 

I just can't decide which i prefer.

 

What would you do?

1. round trip Rome?

OR

2. round trip Barcelona?

why?

 

all information/tips/warnings/etc. will be greatly appreciated!!!

 

thanks in advance! :)

Edited February 24, 2016 by alaska_planner

[Clarea]

If this is one of the mulit-port cruises, same exact cruise with some getting on in Barcelona and some in Rome, I'd base the decision on:

 

1) Airfare

2) Cruisefare

3) What city would you like to spend a few days before the cruise.

[alaska_planner]

If this is one of the mulit-port cruises, same exact cruise with some getting on in Barcelona and some in Rome, I'd base the decision on:

 

1) Airfare

2) Cruisefare

3) What city would you like to spend a few days before the cruise.

 

thanks..

i was just trying to price out the round trip rome..

and it's so weird...

i'll need 3 staterooms...

so i had no problem with the first two - two people in each one..

but then i got to the family with two kids (infant and toddler)..

and the cost was astronomical...

so i tried putting one baby in with two couples (splitting up the kids between two rooms of adults)..

and then the system tells me that there are no rooms for two guests..

when clearly there are, as i'm able to reserve 3 of them as long as i deep-six the infants...

so strange..

 

well...i'll just have to keep crunching the numbers...

 

as for airfare - probably about the same for us....we're on the european side of the atlantic....so barcelona/rome isn't much of a difference..

 

there are pros and cons to each city.....i don't recall ever being in barcelona so that might be interesting......

on the other hand, having the sea day on day 3 vs the last day seems better to me.....dunno,......decisions decisions....

Edited February 24, 2016 by alaska_planner

[A&L_Ont]

If this is one of the mulit-port cruises, same exact cruise with some getting on in Barcelona and some in Rome, I'd base the decision on:

 

1) Airfare

2) Cruisefare

3) What city would you like to spend a few days before the cruise.

 

I will add that Rome is much further away from the cruise port than Barcelona is. We stayed a few days previous to the cruise in Rome to adjust to the time change and be tourists.

 

Book early as less cruisers embark in Rome, so cabin selection is limited compared to Barcelona. Another factor might be flight availability from Rome VS Barcelona for example is it direct, length of lay overs, and as Bob noted price.

[kernow]

Unless you particularly want to spend time in Rome before or after the cruise I would choose Barcelona, the port is actually in the city so easy and fairly cheap to get transport. Also its not too far from the airport for transfers. There is no port in Rome itself, the port is Civitivecchia which is over an hour away so more complicated/expensive to get to (can be done with planning though).

 

We've cruised from both but Barcelona is just easier:)

[alaska_planner]

I will add that Rome is much further away from the cruise port than Barcelona is. We stayed a few days previous to the cruise in Rome to adjust to the time change and be tourists.

 

Book early as less cruisers embark in Rome, so cabin selection is limited compared to Barcelona. Another factor might be flight availability from Rome VS Barcelona for example is it direct, length of lay overs, and as Bob noted price.

 

do you have an idea of how long it takes from the port to the airport in rome?

 

i'll have to canvass the family - see what they say about pre-cruise in barcelona vs rome...

personally, i'm an italy fan, but i don't care one way or the other (truth be told, i'd be taking this cruise to be on the harmony, rather than the ports - though i'm happy it's the western med, not eastern - where we live)..

 

maybe i should just go for interior rooms....probably a better idea with toddlers...or porthole rooms...oh..but even the interiors on the harmony have a fake view....so maybe just go for interior and save a bit of change...

[Clarea]

thanks..

i was just trying to price out the round trip rome..

and it's so weird...

i'll need 3 staterooms...

so i had no problem with the first two - two people in each one..

but then i got to the family with two kids (infant and toddler)..

and the cost was astronomical...

so i tried putting one baby in with two couples (splitting up the kids between two rooms of adults)..

and then the system tells me that there are no rooms for two guests..

when clearly there are, as i'm able to reserve 3 of them as long as i deep-six the infants...

so strange..

 

well...i'll just have to keep crunching the numbers...

 

as for airfare - probably about the same for us....we're on the european side of the atlantic....so barcelona/rome isn't much of a difference..

 

there are pros and cons to each city.....i don't recall ever being in barcelona so that might be interesting......

on the other hand, having the sea day on day 3 vs the last day seems better to me.....dunno,......decisions decisions....

Unless you are staying a few days after the cruise, I'd much rather have the sea day on the last day to recover from the port intensive itinerary.

 

When you look to book staterooms, make sure you check both from Barcelona and Rome. There may be differences in availability and price.

[kernow]

do you have an idea of how long it takes from the port to the airport in rome?

 

i'll have to canvass the family - see what they say about pre-cruise in barcelona vs rome...

personally, i'm an italy fan, but i don't care one way or the other (truth be told, i'd be taking this cruise to be on the harmony, rather than the ports - though i'm happy it's the western med, not eastern - where we live)..

 

maybe i should just go for interior rooms....probably a better idea with toddlers...or porthole rooms...oh..but even the interiors on the harmony have a fake view....so maybe just go for interior and save a bit of change...

 

It takes just under an hour to the airport from the ship. We joined some others on our roll call and pre booked a minibus otherwise it can work out quite expensive. In Barcelona you can just hop in a taxi for around 40 euros.

 

Julie

[alaska_planner]

It takes just under an hour to the airport from the ship. We joined some others on our roll call and pre booked a minibus otherwise it can work out quite expensive. In Barcelona you can just hop in a taxi for around 40 euros.

 

Julie

 

thanks!!

[ken_nyc]

Julie, you will find that the pricing on both airfare and the cruise will most likely be higher than 7-8 months ago as I have been checking since I booked. We are arriving in Barcelona 2 days prior to our June 26th cruise which will help adjust to the jet lag and will sightsee those days. Be flexible with your flight dates as that may help save you some money not flying in and out of day of embarkation and debarkation, but you will have to see the cost for hotels if it is worth it. We are flying out the day of debarkation. Good luck and I hope all of you go and enjoy the cruise!

[griffy116]

We chose Rome to embark from on this same cruise two years ago. There were five of us and we found that booking transportation from the airport to the Rome Hotel and hotel to the port was VERY economical with a private car (or van). We booked through Bob's Limo as he came highly recommended by TripAdviser and on the cruise boards. They were spot on time, loaded all the luggage, drove up right at the tent (for the Rome port) and we practically walked straight onto the ship because more people start from Barcelona. We LOVED spending a few days in Rome prior to the cruise because there was so much to see and do (and the FOOD). We were able to adjust to the time change prior to the cruise. When we disembarked, we decided to spend one last day and night in Rome so the same driver picked us up at the port, drove us to the hotel, then picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the airport. Since you seem to have 6 adults and a baby, I would definitely recommend using a private driver like Bob's limo. In fact, if you go to their site, they give a discount for multiple pick-ups like this. There were five of us and they had a van for us each time. Clean, efficient, English speaking drivers and RELIABLE. One other thing to consider is that if you embark from Barcelona, it's convenient to the port, but when you arrive to Civitevecchia, you will have to travel an hour to Rome, then an hour back. That wastes two hours of your day in Rome and there is far too much to see in the amount of time you will have. We booked tours in Rome and in Barcelona ahead of the cruise too, which allows you to bypass many of the lines. Booking the private car is perfect for a family of 7. They get you in and out of the ports faster than the buses and they keep to YOUR schedule. We were so pleased when we talked with others that used different transportation because we had managed to see so much more. I can't recommend it enough for a group of more than four.

[Keith1010]

Beth, I always recommend arriving a few days in advance so that you can not only tour the city but also get over the jet lag and not cut it tight where a delayed or cancelled flight can cause you to miss the ship.

 

Also the port is located about 90 minutes from downtown in Rome whereas it is very close in Barcelona.

 

If it was me I would start in Rome so I could tour the city a couple of days before boarding the ship.

 

Keith

[impatientlywaiting]

My vote is for Barcelona. We spent 3 days in Barcelona before our Med cruise and had such a wonderful time and wished we'd had more days there. It's a very family friendly city. As other posters have commented, it's close to the airport and the port is right there. Rome is between 1 1/2 - 2 hours from the port. We have also spent time there as our son/dil lived in Florence so we had the opportunity to tour the city but I would still vote for Barcelona! :)

[Clarea]

My vote is for Barcelona. We spent 3 days in Barcelona before our Med cruise and had such a wonderful time and wished we'd had more days there. It's a very family friendly city. As other posters have commented, it's close to the airport and the port is right there. Rome is between 1 1/2 - 2 hours from the port. We have also spent time there as our son/dil lived in Florence so we had the opportunity to tour the city but I would still vote for Barcelona! :)

The long trip to Rome from the cruise port would push me towards flying to Rome a few days early, doing some sightseeing, and then taking the long trip to the ship once. Barcelona is easier to see on a port stop because there is very little travel time from the port to many of the city's attractions.

[grandgeezer]

If this is one of the mulit-port cruises, same exact cruise with some getting on in Barcelona and some in Rome, I'd base the decision on:

 

1) Airfare

2) Cruisefare

3) What city would you like to spend a few days before the cruise.

 

I agree with this post. But, if you deem everything as equal I would vote for Barcelona. We love Barcelona. The airport is much closer and much easier to get around. If I remember right, the cab fare, for two was around 35 euros from the airport to down town. Because of the distance and not knowing the ins and outs, for doing Rome, we took the cruise line shuttle and it was about $90 p.p. There are probably cheaper ways. We found the airport in Rome much bigger and a bear to get through it.

I would air fare to be cheaper to Barcelona also.

[George C]

I love Italian food so Rome, but we are leaving from Barcelona since our Brilliance 12 day has 5 stops in Italy

[LeesSummitCruiser1]

Contemplating a 7 night western med cruise on the Harmony of the Seas this summer.

 

I'm considering two -

the one that's round trip from Rome

or the one that's round trip from Barcelona

 

it's exactly the same cruise/same ports/same ship, but one is round trip from Rome, the other round trip from Barcelona.

 

I just can't decide which i prefer.

 

What would you do?

1. round trip Rome?

OR

2. round trip Barcelona?

why?

 

all information/tips/warnings/etc. will be greatly appreciated!!!

 

thanks in advance! :)

 

I like sailing out of Barcelona. The port is easy to get to and the city is wonderful.

[LeesSummitCruiser1]

I love Italian food so Rome, but we are leaving from Barcelona since our Brilliance 12 day has 5 stops in Italy

 

You will love the food in Barcelona and Spanish olive oil is better than Italian imho.:)

[gadaboutgal]

Just a side note: not all Italian olive oil is the same. The flavor depends on the region the olives are grown in. We once spent a month in Italy tasting olive oils from the toe of the country to the far north. It was very interesting--liked the oil from around Sorrento/Naples the best.

[Nado44]

I would vote for Rome because you would then be able to spend several days, pre- or post-cruise, to see and do all there is. The Vatican, St Peters, the Colosseum, etc. It's an amazing city.

 

The port of Civitavecchia is also an easy 60-minute train ride with four stops from Roma Termini. Approximately five € one way.

 

With that said, Barcelona is equally as amazing!

Edited February 24, 2016 by Nado44

[TravelerThom]

...We booked through Bob's Limo...

Bob has a Limo service?

I thought he (clerea) spent ALL his time providing answers here on Cruise Critic:D

 

If I had never been to either Barcelona or Rome (both great cities), I'd board in Rome and spend time there pre and/or post cruise. It is possible to get a decent overview of Barcelona in a day port stop; it is not possible to get a decent overview of Rome in a port stop given its vast quantity of primo sites and its distance from the port.

[A&L_Ont]

The long trip to Rome from the cruise port would push me towards flying to Rome a few days early, doing some sightseeing, and then taking the long trip to the ship once. Barcelona is easier to see on a port stop because there is very little travel time from the port to many of the city's attractions.

 

We picked Rome for embakation for the exact reasons Bob stated.

 

The trip from Rome to the cruise port took us just under 1.5 hours with a driver going 140 km/h the entire time we were on the open freeways. We only had normal traffic for Rome and we left at 11 in the morning. As others mentioned the trip from the cruise port to the Rome airport was about 50 minutes once we left the port.

Edited February 24, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[ken_nyc]

Cannot wait to go to Barcelona before out cruise, we have friends that have gone different times (Summer, Fall) and wished they had more time there. They all loved it!

 

Side note for people considering these months, October is the wettest month followed by May and November from what I have read.

[dani negreanu]

Like other have said, Barcelona is a very easy port to do in one day and see many highlights.

Rome - you'd spend at least 3 hours traveling to & from.

We started in Rome for this very reason, arrived 2 days before, and left one day after the cruise.

We used for (private) transfers Civitavecchia Car Services, reliable and value for money, from airport to hotel, hotel to pier and vv, and then again to airport. You don't pay in advance,and they wait for you at the airport.

In Barcelona, we managed to see a lot during a one day stop, and for us, it was enough.

Also, the embarkation and disembarkation in Rome was a breeze.:)

[alaska_planner]

We chose Rome to embark from on this same cruise two years ago. There were five of us and we found that booking transportation from the airport to the Rome Hotel and hotel to the port was VERY economical with a private car (or van). We booked through Bob's Limo as he came highly recommended by TripAdviser and on the cruise boards. They were spot on time, loaded all the luggage, drove up right at the tent (for the Rome port) and we practically walked straight onto the ship because more people start from Barcelona. We LOVED spending a few days in Rome prior to the cruise because there was so much to see and do (and the FOOD). We were able to adjust to the time change prior to the cruise. When we disembarked, we decided to spend one last day and night in Rome so the same driver picked us up at the port, drove us to the hotel, then picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the airport. Since you seem to have 6 adults and a baby, I would definitely recommend using a private driver like Bob's limo. In fact, if you go to their site, they give a discount for multiple pick-ups like this. There were five of us and they had a van for us each time. Clean, efficient, English speaking drivers and RELIABLE. One other thing to consider is that if you embark from Barcelona, it's convenient to the port, but when you arrive to Civitevecchia, you will have to travel an hour to Rome, then an hour back. That wastes two hours of your day in Rome and there is far too much to see in the amount of time you will have. We booked tours in Rome and in Barcelona ahead of the cruise too, which allows you to bypass many of the lines. Booking the private car is perfect for a family of 7. They get you in and out of the ports faster than the buses and they keep to YOUR schedule. We were so pleased when we talked with others that used different transportation because we had managed to see so much more. I can't recommend it enough for a group of more than four.

 

that's a really good point about the time from the port into town making it better as the embarkation/disembarkation point...

thanks for the car service tip. i'm going to look them up!

 

Beth, I always recommend arriving a few days in advance so that you can not only tour the city but also get over the jet lag and not cut it tight where a delayed or cancelled flight can cause you to miss the ship.

 

Also the port is located about 90 minutes from downtown in Rome whereas it is very close in Barcelona.

 

If it was me I would start in Rome so I could tour the city a couple of days before boarding the ship.

 

Keith

 

i see lots of people thought of this point - about rome not being a good port visit stop, so better for embarkation.....it didn't dawn on me!

 

we always arrive several days before a cruise, as we're usually flying into the US - so i leave a minimum of 3 days, sometimes more...

into europe it's slightly less critical (since we're really close and can easily find an alternate airline/route in the event of strikes)...

nevertheless, we'll still come in at least 2 days early, whether it's rome or barcelona..