Rome on Your Own Times ?

[jimboc]

We're sailing on Celebrity Century and will be in Rome for a day. We've decided to do the Rome on Your Own tour so we'll catch the bus to and from the ship into the city.

 

Can anyone help me clarify the hours? I'm trying to jam a lot of stuff into the day but will need to make sure we're back at the bus pick up with some time to spare.

 

The excursion states the following:

Start Time: 8:10am

Duration: 9h 30min

 

So that leads me to believe the day will go something like this:

Leave boat: 8:10am

Arrive Rome: 10am (maybe a little earlier)

Leave Rome: 3:30pm

Arrive Boat: 5:10pm

 

Duration in Rome: 5.5 hours

 

The ship leaves port at 7pm.

 

 

So, does that sound about right? Has anyone who had done this comment? Thanks a bunch!!

[Keith1010]

We haven't done this on Celebrity but the way you have noted this looks very reasonable to me. Expect that it will take approximately 90 minutes from the port to Rome. Could vary slightly and also depends on where they drop you off.

 

Keith

[vjblk]

I think I would plan that you might arrive in Rome at around 10:30. Even though it states a start time of 8:10 this usually means this is when you will meet up for the tour in one of the lounges and then they will take you to your tour bus. And depending on if everyone meets at the required time, you might get going by 8:30. We did this several years ago on Celebrity and we didn't leave the pier area until around 9 and arrived in Rome about 10:30. And if I recall our meet up time in Rome was 3:30.

 

.

[twoatsea]

You may have called already, but you might see if the Celebrity 800# folks have that return time info. Makes sense that lots of people will need that info in order to reserve private tours, etc.

 

Also, if the 800# folks know where you board for the return trip, you could plan the last part of your day in that pickup area so you don't risk being late due to traffic, transportation, etc.

 

Don't know if you posted on the Celebrity board, but many of those people will have taken the trip, but just don't frequent the Med board unless they have an upcoming trip.

 

Good luck & enjoy!

[Belle]

When you took the tour to Rome

did they stop for a bathroom break

before getting into Rome?

 

I see some tours do this because

they don't open the bathrooms on

the buses. Some people liked this,

because it's a 90 min ride and others

thought the stop took to long.

 

Thank You

[Andym]

jimboc,

We have done this a couple of times with Celebrity and your timings are more or less on the ball. Try to get to the theatre early and that way you will be on the first bus to leave. Of course timings rely on people coming back on time and somehow there always seems to be a couple or two who wander back 10-15 mins late. But of course you are on a Celebrity tour so if you are late back , the ship will wait for you.

 

I think they try to avoid a tiolet stop as the traffic into Rome can get quite bad at times and they want to get you in there as quick as they can. If you need a restroom when you arrive, there is a small cafe on the right hand side about 30 yards from where the tour guide walks you to, facing away from St Peters. The coffee is great and a lot cheaper than the cafe St Peitro that the guides usually points you towards. (they must be on commission)

[jezzabell]

We just did Rome on our own by train coming from Citiaveccia from the Norwegian Gem. Your timetable is pretty on target. Expect to actually start touring at 10 or 10:30 and finish by 4pm. Pick the sights you absolutely must see and then rank them. You won't finish your list. We picked the Colosseum as our must see. The ticket lines were long, but worth it. We were also able to see the Pantheon, the Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona (the fountains are being restored and the plaza was not very beautiful this time around-if I had known I would've skipped it this visit) We stopped for a quick bite of pizza, and ended at St. Peter's (absolutely no time to go to the Vatican Museum unless that is your first stop, maybe only stop, of the day). I wanted to get to the Spanish steps because my husband had never seen them, but we ran out of time.

[twoatsea]

you may already know this, but as several posts have mentioned, there are ways to bypass the lines at the Colosseum & the Vatican Museums. Doing so will save you a lot of time so you can see more.

 

Also, there are various means of transportation to speed you from place to place & thereby allowing you to see more - transport other than walking, I mean! HoHo bus, metro, taxi, hire private driver, public bus

 

I suggest you schedule you last siteseeing in the area of your cruise bus pickup. That way you won't miss it due to traffic jams, etc.