Stay in Rome or Civitavecchia Pre-Cruise

[crusinmomwithtwo]

We arrive in Rome at 6:35 am July 4th, and board the next day.  Single mom with two girls 11 & 13.  Do you recommend we stay in Rome the night before, or just take the ride to Civitavecchia from the airport and stay there the night.  We will have 3 days in Rome post-cruise, so not concerned about that.

Edited April 21, 2023 by crusinmomwithtwo

[CruiserBruce]

Stay in Rome. One of the greatest cities in the world...there is never too much time in Rome.

[mar214]

With such an early arrival, you can start exploring Rome for an entire day! We have spent 11 days in Rome and still didn't get to see everything we wanted to! It's always a help to book your transportation to Civitavecchia in advance. Since you are traveling with your young daughters, you won't have to stress about getting to the port. Plan ahead for the Rome sites you want to see your day of arrival and after your cruise so you can maximize your time there. Your girls will absolutely love Rome!!! Enjoy!!

[mapleleaves]

are you thinking the kids will be too tired and grumpy for sightseeing Rome on a hot summer day?

If that's the case, Civi might be a nice option for easing into the trip and getting over jet lag, without the crowds of Rome. 

 

 

[crusinmomwithtwo]

55 minutes ago, mar214 said:

With such an early arrival, you can start exploring Rome for an entire day! We have spent 11 days in Rome and still didn't get to see everything we wanted to! It's always a help to book your transportation to Civitavecchia in advance. Since you are traveling with your young daughters, you won't have to stress about getting to the port. Plan ahead for the Rome sites you want to see your day of arrival and after your cruise so you can maximize your time there. Your girls will absolutely love Rome!!! Enjoy!!

thanks for the response. Recommendations for private transfers?  What time do people normally leave Rome for the port?

[crusinmomwithtwo]

10 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

are you thinking the kids will be too tired and grumpy for sightseeing Rome on a hot summer day?

If that's the case, Civi might be a nice option for easing into the trip and getting over jet lag, without the crowds of Rome. 

 

 

50/50 shot they will either be tired and cranky or excited. Rome might be the best bet in that case, so we can do either.

[CruiserBruce]

41 minutes ago, crusinmomwithtwo said:

thanks for the response. Recommendations for private transfers?  What time do people normally leave Rome for the port?

There are many threads here recommending transport, for example the large thread on the wonderful Rome in Limo. Its 75-90 minutes to the port, so it depends what time you can and would like to board.

[cruisemom42]

Civitavecchia doesn’t offer much of an intro to the wonders of Italy plus the hotels there don’t offer much. Stay in Rome.

 

You don’t have to be the first onboard the ship next day, but an actual time to shoot for would depend on when your ship leaves. Most hotels have a checkout time around 11am or noon. That might be a good time to think about departing for Civi.

 

[mar214]

Crusinmomwithtw - Based on the feedback posted here, we booked Rome Cab Transfer for pickup at the airport to get to our hotel in Rome, pickup the morning of our cruise to get from our hotel to Civitavecchia and pickup at the pier to get to our hotel after the cruise. There are other highly recommended companies to use that are mentioned here. We found Rome Cab Transfer to have great pricing. We always have transport pre-booked - it's great to clear Customs and see your driver holding a sign with your name on it waiting for you. They will help you with your bags and usually share local info with you during your drive to your hotel. It's especially helpful when you are dealing with lack of sleep from the overnight flight. I recommend you make a "wish list" of the top attractions you want to visit in Rome and pick one, maybe 2, for you to do on your day in Rome before your cruise. You might want to research a fun place for dinner that day - pizza in Rome is way better than anything you will get at home! You don't want to overdo it with your girls. Just walking around Rome eating gelato is a thrill. Feel free to post your questions - Cruise Critic people have great ideas and are happy to share. We have picked up so many tips!

[marazul]

16 hours ago, crusinmomwithtwo said:

thanks for the response. Recommendations for private transfers?  What time do people normally leave Rome for the port?

romecabs.com