Tbird58

Thanks! The NCL rep said I could buy the Flow water if I wanted. Just surprised there was a charge..I feel like I'm paying more & more with all FAS 'extra charges compared to other cruise lines. But, this was the itinerary we wanted. It will be fine I'm sure ! Yes, I always use a clean glass to fill Yeti.

We're booked on the Pearl - April 2024 & it's the first NCL we've done for years. Regarding water with the FAS Bev package (not Premium -just regular)... can only get water in a glass? NCL rep said we cannot get water in a bottle, can or container to take to our room unless it was offered when we booked, or if we upgrade the package. I was shocked!!! If that 's the case, is there water available through dispensers like ice or tea? I can fill my Yeti for the room. We always upgrade the bev package on Celebrity since we nicer wines & hubs likes the varieties of scotches & whiskey's. But I can't see upgrading hundreds of dollars for water!!!

We usually have left over EUROS from travels and I keep for the next trip. But if you don't have any, DON'T get a huge amount exchanged at a bank or the airport. You lose a lot. I would suggest maybe 50-100 EUROS to start and then use the ATM for more if you need them. We always notify any bank debit & any CC when we travel to avoid issues of not being able to use them. I love the Capital One 360 card. It's a debit card with no fees. You load it with as much as you want and it's accepted everywhere. Just remember your pin.

I agree with Mapleleaves about starting and ending in different ports. Med/Europe cruises are awesome, and only do what you can do. I highly recommend booking tours with individuals -small groups that will allow you to do more customizing the day. I am not a fan of the ships big bus groups since they will not let you modify anything. You can get great suggestions from the CC ports page & Trip Advisor. If I remember correctly there are some ports (Naples) that does not offer elevators to take you to ground transportation level, but letting your tour guide know you will take more time doing the stairs will help. GO & enjoy all your moments! We travel often with another couple that are also in mid 70's and one has a small mobility issue. We have found lots of guides that accommodate us.

Last Sept we stayed at the Hotel Riviera in Fiumicino & it's about 15 min ride to airport. It was 2 blocks off the beach and we loved it. Hotel is a bit older, but large rooms & the area is quiet with lots of fabulous restaurants & surprisingly inexpensive food. We were ready for some down time after spending days sightseeing in Rome. If you want to stay by the Plaza Narvazza (sp) we recommend Hotel Della Argentina. Great location and the staff was wonderful within walking distance to Plaza and some local off the beaten path restaurants.

I highly recommend Hotel Riviera Fiumicino. Address: Via Licio Visintini 30, huge rooms. 2 blocks from the Ocean. Great restaurants within walking distance. And shuttle to airport. We stayed there 4 nights & would stay again. I booked on 3rd party site. I’m sure you can find it. Enjoy!

We've used the "Eating Europe - Rome" & did the Taste of Testaccio tour 3 times. Love it. Very fun, excellent food stops and you won't go hungry! I highly recommend them.

Unfortunately we ended up having to cancel our cruise that had this port. So I'm not sure. But, based on my communication with them via email, they were very receptive to all my questions...so I'm sure you can email them and ask. Have fun!

We used "Eternity Tours" and they were fantastic. Small group and very knowledgeable guide.

We stayed in Fumicino prior to leaving and loved the area. Right by the ocean with few people and great - reasonable restaurants. It was about 10 min to airport. And a nice change from the crazy of Rome. We stayed at Hotel Riviera & the rooms were quite large with a nice breakfast.

Last fall we stayed close to FCO airport in Fumicino & loved it. It was next to the ocean with so few people. A complete different vibe than Rome. Lots of restaurants to choose from and less expensive. We stayed at Hotel Riviera. Large rooms with nice breakfast. It's closer to the cruise port than center of Rome. We also stayed in Rome prior to cruise at Delle Tora Argentinia - it was wonderful. Great location, but a little pricey.

We have taken the train to Orvieto, rented a car at the train station & stayed for 3 days at Antica Olivia - agriturisimo. Then did several days excursions. Loved it! And away from the hustle of Rome. Also Tuscany is great, as is Lucca. Last trip we booked hotel by Fumicino & loved the slow pace next to the ocean with fabulous walking, restaurants & great prices.

No, there were 6 of us so we rented 2 cars and drove to Tuscany for 4 nights, then to Orvieto for 4 nights. Left the cars at the Train station (Hertz) & took the train to Rome. We were there 3 nights and were scheduled to board the ship there. I'm happy to recommend any tours groups we've used for shore excursions if you let me know where you're cruising. Everyone we have used has been great!

In Sept we stayed at Hotel Arlecchino and loved it. We opted for a room without the canal view knowing we'd be walking around the canals. They have a wonderful breakfast & the hotel restaurant next to them was one of our favorite dinners. The airport bus takes you non stop to the Piazzale Roma that was mentioned above. Then you cross over a bridge and the hotel is on the corner. If you are taking the bus, you can buy your tickets in advance and show them to board. Very easy. Also, we did the 2 day ACTV water taxi passes & purchased before we left US. You activate the pass at a machine on the first use. It was great since it took us everywhere and unlimited uses over the 2 days. The first day we arrived we did lots of walking and didn't activate until the next morning. Have a great trip.

I highly recommend Italy Tour Sharing which is also known as Joe Banana Tours. We've used them multiple times and they're fantastic. If you go onto the Roll Call of your cruise and post for others to join you, the price is based on the number of people. I try to keep our excursions at a max of 16, which is still a bit more than we like. They have a great reputation and know how important it is to return to the ship on time. I usually request to be back at least an hour before sail away. They also will not let you book an excursion that might cause you to be too tight on your return. Good Luck,

I've been to these ports several times and I always set up my own excursions with recommended tour companies since I'm not into the big busses of 100 people in a group. 20 is do able - but you need to be organized. I can recommend tour companies I've used and they always get you back to the ship in plenty of time. They know their business is based on recommendations. Check out Joe Banana Tours, Italy tour sharing, Tiber limos. Once you get info on their sites and you can choose the tour you want, send to your friends. Pricing with all the companies is dependent on the number of people you have in your group. If you want to see the Vatican, check out Eternity tours. Good Luck!

Yes, We booked them when we went to the Vatican & Sistine chapel tour. They were wonderful! Very informative, smaller group and I would book them again.

I totally agree about changing hotels is you can. Take the Leonardo express into the city. Taxis will cost 60.00 EUR each way - we just paid that. I’d recommend some hotels we’ve stayed - Hotel Oceania, Hotel Sonya, Argentina Delle Torre. The later 2 are closer to the big sites. All 3 were great. I’ve used Rick Steve’s Italy book fir walking tours & he has great maps. For the Vatican - definitely book a tour. I’ve used Through Eternity tours & they’re fabulous. You can’t see all of Rome in a day & 1/2, so try to choose your most desired spots. Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain & Pantheon are close in proximity. The Roman Forum & Collisiem are close. Enjoy.

We stayed at Hotel Arlecchino for 3 nights and it was a nice hotel. Clean & great staff, with breakfast included. We did the prepay 14 days in advance for a better price. There's an airport bus that's a non stop to Piazzale Roma & the hotel is a short walk from that stop. I bought our tickets (2) online prior to leaving the US and it was 20 EUR for 2. You can find the bus info for tickets on ATVO.it Also I'd advise you buy the Valparetto water taxi prior to leaving. You can buy 1, 2, 3 day unlimited passes and it's the best way to see the city & lots cheaper than paying for each time you ride. Your time doesn't start until you activate the pass at a machine the first time you ride. Have fun!!

It was on the placards on all the taxi doors & the driver charged it too.

Prior to our trip, I contacted our hotel in Rome and they gave me names of 2 pharmacies close to the hotel. Only 1 did the supervised Antigen test. It was 22. EUR. We had to wait about an hour to get the printed out copy, but that wasn't a big deal.

We were there 2 weeks ago and the flat rate for taxi is now 60.00 EUR. Definitely drop your bags and walk to get rid of some jet lag. We visited the church San Luigi del Francesi on our trip and it was absolutely magnificent! You can leave there and walk towards the Plaza Narvona & watch the crowds do a million selfies in front of the fountain. Nice place to sit for coffee, wine, etc but most of the restaurants are over priced and not great food unless you go down the smaller side streets.

Yes, we're paying 280. EUR for 6 people. That's just for the driver, van & round trip from port to Taormina. We didn't want a "full tour" - just the transportation. They quoted me prices for 2 - 4 - 6 people. Very responsive.

We booked a van with Sicily Taxi Service for 6 of us to go from the Port to Taormina and return. They were fair in pricing. We didn't want a "tour" since this will be our 2nd visit. We just wanted the ride into Taormina. They were quick to respond and let me set my times for pick up and return.

We've taken the Eating Europe food tour two different times & loved it. They offer an evening one too. You will not leave hungry & get to visit some small off the beaten places with amazing food.