Celebrity: Eastern Mediterranean & Rome - Very Detailed - Parts XI & XII

[CaribbeanBound]

Part XI - Disembarkation and Customs

A. Disembarkation

Two days before the end of the cruise everyone was given numbered luggage tags. Bags had to be packed, tagged, and set outside your cabin by 10:00 pm the night before Disembarkation. The number corresponded to a specific meeting time in an assigned lounge, and the system was based upon your travel arrangements. The folks that had the earliest flights or other arrangements were assigned earlier exit times. Meeting times began at 6:45 am. We were docked in Civitavecchia by 4:00 am and the ship received clearance to allow passengers to depart around 7:00 am. Guests were escorted by group number to the terminal to claim their baggage. An exception to the above called the "Self-Assist Program", allows passengers to skip this entire process, hang on to their bags, and walk off the ship at their leisure anytime after clearance.

 

Breakfast and coffee was available in Cafe al Bacio from 5:30 am - 8:30 am, Oceanview Cafe from 6:00 am to 8:30 am, Opus Main Dining Room from 6:00 am to 8:00 am, Blu from 6:30 am to 8:00 am, and Luminae from 6:30 am to 8:00 am. Room Service closed at 1:00 am.

 

Passengers were expected to be off the ship no later than 9:30 am. Disembarkation went smoothly.

 

B. Back to Back Passengers (B2B)

We were among approximately 56 passengers who had booked a back-to-back cruise. Some of the benefits included: $50 cruise discount on the second cruise, lunch in the Opus Dining Room on the changeover day, special passes that allow you to skip the general boarding process if you decide to leave the ship, the ability to stay on the ship, full access to your cabin if you keep the same cabin, and a genuinely easy immigration and changeover process.

 

We changed cabins and it also couldn't have been easier. We simply packed our suitcases, except for everything that was hanging in the closet and vacated our room around 8:30 am. Our bags and closet items were all relocated by ship personnel. Around 1:00 pm we moved into our new cabin.

 

We did not wish to leave the ship for an excursion. Instead we took it easy, stayed onboard, and basically had the run of the ship. All B2B passengers that stayed onboard met around 9:00 am outside Cellar Masters. We settled our bills, turned in our old Seapass cards (which they gave us back later as souvenirs), completed a new express pass and health form, got our new Seapass cards and had a new security picture taken. It took no more than 5 minutes per couple to complete. It was a ridiculously easy process which was greatly appreciated.

 

C. Customs Allowance

Each US citizen returning from Europe is permitted $800 worth of Duty Free goods, and adults 21 and older may include 1 liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, and 100 cigars. All you needed to do was to declare the total value. Anything greater had to be itemized (declared) and a duty paid.

 

D. Arrival into Rome: Customs and Passport Control at the Rome Airport

Most international flights arrive into Terminal 3. There are no Customs to be concerned with upon arrival in Rome if you have nothing to declare. You do need to get into a potentially long line to have your passport stamped prior to proceeding to baggage claim.

 

You’ll walk a couple of blocks from your arrival gate to the Passport control, wait in line to get your passport stamped, then walk another couple of blocks to Baggage Claim. No matter how long the Passport Control line is, you're likely to have to wait on your baggage. Once you retrieve your bags, it’s a short distance to the Customs and the exit. (For all of this, just follow fellow passengers and the signage.) You’ll exit through the “Nothing to Declare” door, and then you will be in the main arrivals hall where lots of drivers will be waiting with placards to pick up passengers.

 

E. Departure: Customs and Passport Control at the Rome Airport

Most international flights leave from Terminal 3. Once again there are no Customs to be concerned with when departing Rome if you are flying directly to the United States. We arrived early to the airport, yet we still encountered a 45 minute wait just to check-in at the airline counter and drop off our bags.

 

You’ll then follow the herd through security. If you have TSA Precheck, get in the line for "Fast Track". Everyone else will be herded into the regular security screening. Fast Track took us 15 minutes. Upon exiting security, follow the signage to walk a to the Passport Control for USA-issued passports, and wait in line to get your passport stamped again. This took just 5 to 10 minutes. Then just follow signs to your gate.

 

F. Arrival: Customs and Passport Control back in the United States

Assuming you are flying directly back to the USA, without a change of planes in other country, you will need to go through Customs upon arrival. Upon exiting the plane, follow the signs to Customs. If you have "Global Entry" (which also includes TSA Precheck eligibility) you can shave your customs time from an hour or more to just 10 minutes. Get into the Global Entry lane. Walk to an open GLobal Entry kiosk, scan your passport and fingerprints and smile for a picture, and answer up to 8 yes or no questions. A receipt will be printed. This all takes 5 minutes. Flash your receipt to a Customs Agent and continue to baggage claim. If you have items to declare that are in excess of the allowance they may have questions for you. Claim your bags and take all of your baggage to yet another agent who will want to see your passport yet again and collect your receipt. Only then are you done being processed and are free to exit the airport.

 

Part XII - Praises, Gripes and Your Questions

A. Praises

Reflection's personnel are very attentive, friendly and helpful. Officers made themselves very accessible. Food was very good to outstanding, and the drinking water was excellent. The ship is clean, beautiful, in very good shape, and built with a lot attention to detail with a layout that makes sense. It's nice to see Celebrity still believes in live music for the production shows as the Celebrity Orchestra was outstanding. The perks for repeat cruisers are worthy. And we really appreciated Celebrity's smoking policy.

 

B. Gripes

We certainly didn't have much to gripe about. The internet is a bit slow. American sports rarely air on the ship. We would like to see a better selection of songs performed in the Reflection Theater. (Celebrity tends to perform a lot of obscure songs and broadway selections).

 

Feel free to ask any questions.

 

Complete review, parts 1 - 12 with images: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/eastern-mediterranean.html

[Wine-O]

Instead of providing 9 separate posts for one review, with a link to the review at the bottom of each, wouldn't it be easier to just provide one post with a link to the review?

[CaribbeanBound]

Thank you for that suggestion.

 

After my last cruise, I tried posting the entire detailed review in one post and folks suggested I break it up into more parts. LOL.

 

If you're suggesting I should have simply posted a link to my detailed review, I thought that would be improper. Sorry if I actually created more of a problem.

[BriScott12]

You have great information on the link, however both when clicking on Western the information for Eastern is there. So both are the same port information.

[CaribbeanBound]

BriScott12

Right you are. The Western Mediterranean information is still a work in progress. I posted a note near the top and I thank you for letting me know it's not very easy to notice. I should have the Western cruise info up within the next two weeks. Thank you.

 

I've figured out a better way to make this multi-part post more effective and useful for everyone. I'll do a much better job of titling when I post the Western review.

Edited June 2, 2018 by CaribbeanBound

[vadell]

Thank you for posting your very informative review.

[wendyam76]

Thank you so much - especially for the B2B information. Our changeover is in Venice so we are hoping to leave the ship. Would you have been able to leave the ship before the meeting do you think? Obviously each cruise is different but it may give me an idea to help planning!

[24acorns]

Thank you so much - especially for the B2B information. Our changeover is in Venice so we are hoping to leave the ship. Would you have been able to leave the ship before the meeting do you think? Obviously each cruise is different but it may give me an idea to help planning!

 

I would have a word with guest relations. I am sure that you would be able to leave the ship at any time after the ship is cleared, and then later check in as if you were just boarding.

It's only my opinion but I think 9.30 is quite late to be leaving to enjoy any meaningful time in Venice unless you have an overnight here then perhaps ok.

Venice gets very busy so the earlier you can be out and about the better also factor in how long it will take to get in and out, all aboard is sometimes earlier too.

I am sure you will not be the only guests on board on B2B hoping to enjoy time ashore. Have you checked your Roll Call.

[24acorns]

Thank you for posting this very informative review took me back to many happy memories.

Looking forward to part II of your adventure.

[wendyam76]

Oh I totally agree that 9.30 is far too late! As far as I can see on our roll calls nobody else is doing a back to back. Our sail away has been pushed back to 5.30 but we’d be back no later than 2!

[CaribbeanBound]

wendyam76...

We did not need to be present at the meeting. That was just for folks that were still on the ship. We could have gotten off around 7am when the ship cleared, or anytime thereafter. We had special passes to allow us expedited access / processing to get back on the ship upon our return if we had chosen to exit the ship.

 

Frankly I wan't to get off and go exploring. I was overruled by my wife who wanted a quiet day of R&R after a really long day in Naples (Pompeii and Herculaneum).

[wendyam76]

Thank you so much! I’d agree with your wife in not going into Rome on a changeover day but I can’t stay onboard in Venice!! I took a school group to those sites and I can understand how she was exhausted - after a week of 30 14 years I wanted to sleep all weekend - and the worst thing was we couldn’t drink that week!!