P&O Liverno to Florence excursion timings

[outofmydepth]

We're going on our first cruise on Azura in June and I want to book an excursion when we're in Liverno to Florence.

 

However, P&O only say that the excursion lasts 9 hours but I'd like to know a little more than that basic information which I'll list below:

 - Is the 9 hours timed from departing the ship and back again or is it the time in Florence with travel time on top?

 - What time do they leave typically?

 - Would it be better to catch the train or are they unreliable in Italy? We'll be there on a Saturday and if the UK is anything to go by then weekend timings can easily be messed up.

 

I'd be grateful for any help  or advice anyone can give.

[cruisemom42]

I've not been on P&O but on every line I've sailed (many) the excursion timing given is inclusive of travel time to and from the place of interest. Often the cruise line will ask you to gather in a certain place onboard up to half an hour prior to the departure time (and that extra time ISN'T included).

 

As to trains in Italy, they are pretty reliable. You can check timings from Livorno to Florence on the Trenitalia site (trenitalia.com); there is an English option. The difficulty often lies in getting from the port to the train station as it is not walking distance and the taxis lined up there often do not want to take passengers on the short trip -- they are hoping to be booked for longer jaunts.

 

[CruiserBruce]

I have not heard of a cruise line excursion where the length of time as described doesn't mean from departure from the ship to return to the ship. So a 9 hour tour might depart the ship at 8am, returning at 5pm. We don't know what time you are in Livorno, but I would expect a 9 hour tour to be one of the first one off the ship.

 

Trains are pretty reliable, to very reliable in most all of Europe. However, in a day where you have limited time in a port, arriving for and waiting for trains eats into your touring times. So, while trains are a very good way to tour, for a more complicated excursion like this ship's excursion, or much more efficiently, a private excursion, is probably the way to go in your situation.

[ColeThornton]

54 minutes ago, outofmydepth said:

We're going on our first cruise on Azura in June and I want to book an excursion when we're in Liverno to Florence.

 

However, P&O only say that the excursion lasts 9 hours but I'd like to know a little more than that basic information which I'll list below:

 - Is the 9 hours timed from departing the ship and back again or is it the time in Florence with travel time on top?

 - What time do they leave typically?

 - Would it be better to catch the train or are they unreliable in Italy? We'll be there on a Saturday and if the UK is anything to go by then weekend timings can easily be messed up.

 

I'd be grateful for any help  or advice anyone can give.

 

 

Welcome to CC.   FYI, here is the link to the P & O forum:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/22-po-cruises-uk/

[John Bull]

Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic,

 

Just to confirm what's been said above.....

 

Tour times are from ship & back to ship.

You'll be asked to meet up at a venue on the ship, or possibly on the quayside.

P&O aren't very forthcoming with times (do they even quote ship's arrival and sailaway times?) but it'll all be on your tour tickets and/or the previous evening's ship's newssheet. I'll hazard a guess at 8am or 8.30 or 9. A coach will take about 1 hr 45 minutes to Florence.

 

If instead you choose to take the train (its comfortably the cheapest option), Italian railways are reliable and there are trains direct to S.M.Novella station, conveniently right by the old part of Florence (Firenza). They do seem to have more strikes than elsewhere but like the UK these are known about in advance - there are no wild-cat strikes. I find the Trenitalia website pretty awful 😟.  

Livorno Port is big and cruise ships the size of Azura will be deep inside the port - you can't walk in or out of the port, you need a taxi or tour or ship's shuttlebus to the city centre (Shuttlebus doesn't go to the station, from the drop point you need a short hop on a local bus.

As cruisemom's post, some folk have difficulty getting taxi-drivers at the port to take them the 3 miles to Livorno Centrale station, though we had no problem.

 

There's also the option of booking a privately-operated bus or minibus to Florence, that will be pretty simple and cheaper (and probably better) than ship's tour. I only know of them not about them.

On this page, type  "Florence" in the little search box (top right) .

Click on "this topic" and change it to "this forum" then click on the spyglass alongside the search box. Give the magic a moment or two to work and you'll see all the posts that mention Florence. Search there for comments about independently-booked tours 

And ask that kind Mr Google.
 

JB 🙂

 

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by John Bull

[outofmydepth]

Thanks for all your replies, very much appreciated. As has been mentioned above there doesn't seem to be any published (even) rough timings for port arrival and departure times which I find a bit frustrating. As this would give me an idea of possible excursion timings.

 

Would it be better to ask port arrival and departure times in the P&O section to see if anyone has been on the same route?

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, outofmydepth said:

Would it be better to ask port arrival and departure times in the P&O section to see if anyone has been on the same route?

Wouldn't hurt!

[Wineinhand]

We are booked on what sounds like the same cruise, and went with the P and O tour, mainly because of the distance from ship, and not having been before. The site just says early morning to early evening which could mean anything. 
After hearing stories of people not getting back to ship in time, I worried so we booked at least then P and O need to either wait or get you to the next port.

also we are in Rome the day before so a leisurely coach to Pisa and Florence sounds better.

If you look at the rough times of the planned trips and make sure you head back in plenty of time then I’m sure you’ll be fine.