Itinerary Has 2 Days at Port Each...for Both Rome & Florence. How Does This Work?

[ajtraveler66]

We're looking at some Mediterranean cruises for next summer.  

 

I noted on a few of the NCL cruise itineraries that there are two successive days in Florence (Livorno) and two successive days in Rome (Citivecchia).  That really looks like a wonderful option to me.  But I was wondering how that worked.  

 

As a for instance:  Could one go into Florence and spend one night at a local hotel?  OR could one go into Florence and return to the ship thru public transportation on their own at any time ... and then go out again the next day from the ship?

 

I hope I'm explaining myself here.  Really the only person who can answer this is someone who has experienced such an itinerary.  I know how things worked in Bermuda with multiple nights, but this is Europe ... and there may be a different set of rules/regulations.. 

[euro cruiser]

In Bermuda, where the port is fairly close to town, we returned to the ship each night.

 

In Florence and Rome, however, it's not as easy to get back and forth.  I'd be tempted to spend the night in the city in order to enjoy dinner in town and not have to rush back, as well as early morning before the day trippers arrive.

[CruiserBruce]

Very unique schedule. Never seen this before in Rome or Florence,  not to mention BOTH!

 

There shouldn't be any special arrangements,  other than booking your hotel if you stay in Rome or Florence. One suggestion...perhaps give some thought to touring outside Florence on one of your days...Tuscany  is superb, Sienna, etc.

[euro cruiser]

Good idea.  If you spend the night you can get a full day in Florence, then spend the second day touring Tuscany on the way back to the ship.

[cruisemom42]

I've had some experience with overnights offered in European ports. But of course, these were pre-COVID. 

 

Wherever I've had such overnights (Livorno for Florence, Athens, Istanbul, Venice) we were allowed to come and go freely throughout the first evening. I do not know if there is some cut-off time but I am quite sure that if you returned to the ship by midnight, the gangway would be open and manned.

 

In the past it was also allowed for passengers to spend the night ashore during these overnights. (Some lines even offer overnight or 2-day tours). Some lines didn't care whether you told them you were going to not be onboard ship during the evening in question, others did want to know -- I assume in case there was any sort of emergency where the ship had to leave the port prior to the scheduled departure.  My assumption would be that it is still allowed, but you probably should verify the details with whatever line you'd be sailing on.