Epic mediterranean question on excursions.

[kingstoncrusie]

I see NCL offers LOTS of excursions to Rome, etc. I just want to be dropped off by the Vatican no tours, and also see the Colosseum, what excursions could we take? I see some are $300 per person or so, and since I am buying X3 for each excursion if I can save some money (or NOT waste money) on excursions that aren't neccessary. Can anyone help please?

[cruisinginmay]

We used Rome in Limo. They can tailor your tour to exactly what you want. They picked us up at the ship, drove us around, and arranged a guide for the Colosseum. Not sure what the cost would be for 3, but taking you door to door for exactly what you want to see makes the best use of your time.

[ontheweb]

If it is the same as when we did the Epic (2012), you could book Rome on Your Own. (We did Florence on Your Own, and for Rome just took the public transportation there.)

 

The one thing that still pisses me off about excursions on that cruise is we were really looking forward (and booked and paid in advance) to going to Arles from Marseilles and it was cancelled because there were not enough signed up.

[BirdTravels]

You could DIY it and catch the train to Rome. But you must allow sufficient time to get back to the ship. One missed train on the way back will result in you missing departure. 

[matterdog919]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

If it is the same as when we did the Epic (2012), you could book Rome on Your Own. (We did Florence on Your Own, and for Rome just took the public transportation there.)

 

The one thing that still pisses me off about excursions on that cruise is we were really looking forward (and booked and paid in advance) to going to Arles from Marseilles and it was cancelled because there were not enough signed up.

This is what I would recommend if you are looking to save some cash and focus on what you want. There is a high-speed train from Civi to Rome that runs many times a day; as well as the standard train that seems to run hourly. Drops you off ~15 minute walk from Colosseum. You can subway to Vaticam - or uber - or walk - or use a HOHO all day for $25

[MeHeartCruising]

If you truly want an excursion for transportation only, the cruise lines almost always offer a "Rome on your Own" excursion which does that.  You will need to find your own transport between the sites in Rome.  When I did this years ago, the drop off point was very near the Vatican.  If that is still the case, then you would need then only need to get to the Colosseum on your own.  I would use taxis for that.  Although, I have walked it before, but it's quite a walk and not time-efficient for a port day.

[mapleleaves]

We were on the Epic in Sept 2019.  We did Rome DIY, via the train. 

We took the train to the SanPietro stop, where it's a 15 walk to the Vatican ( you;ll see Vatican roof tops from the station; so easy to find).  Then you could catch a cab to the Colossum.  We thought the Ostiense station would be easier to negotiate than Termini so we took a cab to Ostiense. 

 

We also included stops at Castel SanAngelo, Piazza Navone, Trevi Fountain, Parthenon (as well as pizza and gelatto). Caught a train around 9am and ret'd on the 4pm. Since you only want to see those 2 sites you'll have plenty of time.

 

p.s. we were a group of 4 ( 60-70 yrs old) and our total for train and cabs was under $100. 

Edited June 12, 2022 by mapleleaves

[kingstoncrusie]

Thanks all, I just discovered the Train by the port and $10 RT is a heck of a deal. I also hear there are buses or metro that goes from the Vatican area to the colosseum.. You all saved me almost $1k with a ship excursion.

[kingstoncrusie]

Any recommendations for getyourguide they offer inside Vatican tours with "skip the line" for about $50 a person... Sounds a too good to be true deal"

[mapleleaves]

There is a non stop express train for cruise passengers. This yr it only runs once a day in each direction.  Only stops at S Pietro and Ostiense.  Makes it so easy for sightseeing. 15E RT.  

And there's a shuttle from the pier to the train station for about 3E.

 

Civitavecchia Express: non-stop train for cruise passengers | Port Mobility Civitavecchia

 

Since your questions are specific to Rome, you might want to check out the Italy forum for lots of helpful info. 

[ontheweb]

41 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

If you truly want an excursion for transportation only, the cruise lines almost always offer a "Rome on your Own" excursion which does that.  You will need to find your own transport between the sites in Rome.  When I did this years ago, the drop off point was very near the Vatican.  If that is still the case, then you would need then only need to get to the Colosseum on your own.  I would use taxis for that.  Although, I have walked it before, but it's quite a walk and not time-efficient for a port day.

As I wrote in an earlier post, we did a Norwegian Florence on Your Own excursion, but a do it yourself Rome from the Epic. We did save money for Rome that way, but there was a negative also. For Florence we had an air conditioned bus. For Rome, the train back was packed and very warm on a very warm summer day. And that was before a fight broke out on that train making it even more uncomfortable!

 

DW did say afterwards, maybe we shold have done it as an excursion.

[Pacman44]

I have reserved 3 people in a mini van with AC..Takes you to Rome and the Vatican with guide. They also include Colosseum and all surrounding things to see..check out Italytours.eu..99€ Pp for a 8 h trip.