marazul

The smaller the ship the better. The longer the port times the better.

I agree with you about Fletcher's prose. It's witty and perceptive. And welcome back to CC! many of us had been wondering about your cruise and safe return to Oz.

You might want to consider a 4-wheel drive tour of Mykonos. They are lots of fun and stop at beaches for a swim. You can do a half day or a full day excursion. https://www.mykonosexclusivetours.com/met-adventure-tour.html There are now several companies that offer them and also ATV tours.

You can add an excursion to your transfer to the port, whether from FCO or Rome. For example, from Rome Cabs. https://www.romecabs.com/pre-cruise-tours-civitavecchia/

My first thought is to stay in Rome instead of the airport hotel, If you have not prepaid for that hotel, please consider a hotel in Rome. You will be able to enjoy the city in the evening and have extra time for sightseeing during the day and a half. There is nothing more dismal than an airport hotel in the evenings. There are many posts on this board on the subject. Look at the Rome hotel thread for ideas. Here are a couple: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2882786-late-nite-arrival-to-fco-for-ncl-cruise-next-day/page/2/#comment-64054438

Santiago is a MUST. The church is a MUST. Read a little bit about it and the "botafumeiro." Lugo is boring.

July. I guess that is the new rate.

Try Rome Cabs. It was only 50 euros.

And the head is at the Cathedral in Siena.

It was still closed for renovations this past July. I hope it is done by now.

Also, just two short blocks from the Albergo towards Piazza Navona, you will find the church of San Luigi dei Francesi. It has some magnificent Caravaggio paintings on the chapels down the left aisle near the front. Free admission. From there, just walk the short distance to Piazza Navona and walk around. With any luck you will be able to get to your room earlier than you think. A lot of people leave early for their flights or cruises. That was our experience this summer when we got our room around noon

Ibis is about as basic as you can get. Two skimpy towels and a miniscule bar of soap. Clean. It is fine for a late night arrival and early morning departure.

It was great, especially the idea on how to lift Venice.

And on a long port day, the OP can go to both Lucca and Pisa (in that order). Easy and inexpensive by train.

You probably have a long day in port. Go to Pisa. You will be bored out of your mind in Livorno. Spend a good bit of time exploring the buildings of Piazza dei Miracoli. There is a lot more to it than just taking pics of the tower. Check out these sites for more info: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-things-pisa-italy/ https://www.discovertuscany.com/pisa/ www.aboutpisa.info

You can get them at the door. I would have the ticket info with me and book a couple of days ahead when you know your plans. But there is no harm booking now. It's close enough.

Go to the Grill on embarkation day and ask about openings. We always get additional options. Ask if any of those are on formal night because you might prefer the Restaurant instead. If you are traveling with others, each suite can reserve a table for up to 6 persons, so just coordinate the evenings you want to reserve.

Yay! BTW - there are many hotels within walking distance of the train station - at all price points. It is not "the perfect" location for sightseeing, but all that means is that you may have to walk an extra 5-10 minutes to get to the most popular places. You are obviously in good shape and don't mind walking (carry-ons through Heathrow!) so that is not a problem for you. Have a wonderful trip.

No, it isn't. Look at it this way. From the airport to the port you have to take a train to Rome and then change to a train to Civitavecchia. It is best to get out in Rome and get a hotel there. The next day you will have plenty of time to take a train late morning or early afternoon to the ship. This lets you spend the day and a morning in Rome where there is plenty to do and see. There is little of interest in Civitavecchia itself and you have to take pubic transport to go anywhere else, or even to return to Rome for sightseeing. That question is asked very frequently on this board. Do a little search in the hotel threads. I would only recommend staying in Civi if you had been many, many times to Rome and if you were willing to rent a car to go sightseeing in the area around Civi.

Well, look at the bright side. Thanksgiving is not celebrated outside the US except by expats, so international flights will not be any more crowded than any other day. Also, the planes fly back and forth between the two destinations so any delays will not be due to domestic US traffic. You are leaving Wednesday night when most of the bulk of Thanksgiving travelers would have already gone through the airport. If your Wednesday flight to Heathrow is canceled, you can go on Thursday. On your original trip, if the Thursday fight is canceled you could miss the cruise. If the Heathrow-Rome flight on Thursday night is canceled or if you miss it, you can get one of many flights on Friday. On your original trip, a Friday night cancelation could get you to Rome on Saturday either too late for the cruise or with not enough time so you have to take a taxi to the port. Flying on Thursday and arriving late on Friday forces you to get an expensive room at the airport Hilton and any delays could force you to pay for a taxi transfer on Saturday. Flying on Wednesday and arriving on Thursday means that you can stay at a Rome hotel for two nights for less than you would pay at the Hilton. It also lets you take trains and buses instead of a private transfer. That's a savings right there. And best of all, you get to spend all day Friday and Saturday morning in Rome. And that is a good Plan B.

The flight contingency is what if you miss that flight? Or the first flight is delayed and you miss the connection and can't get anther one until the next morning? It happens. That is why it is prudent to give yourself an extra day if at all possible. Or to have a transfer company info with you so you can try to book a transfer to the port for a late arrival. Or to plan on taking a taxi directly to the port if you arrive late on embarkation day and were not able to book a transfer before you landed. Or to think about how to board the ship on the next port. To go to the train station it is best to take a train, not a bus. Trains also avoid any unexpected road traffic delays. Trains are frequent, but look for the timetables to give you an idea on the best connection times. Calculate the time that the "two trains and a bus" journey would take and how much it would cost. Then compare to the one-hour, no-hassle transfer from the airport to the port.

Do it!

Fletcher, You have a new fan. You are a gifted writer. Looking forward to many more posts. Thanks.

You have answered your own question. Think about your flight. You will be flying in from SFO - that is at least 18 hours on airplanes! You will be changing planes in LHR Hades - rolling your 50 lb carry-ons from one terminal to another! You will be dead on your feet when you arrive in Rome. That's certain. You might not clear customs until well after 11 provided your fight is on time. Public transport might not be available. Taxis cost more at night. By the time you add taxi costs to a hotel price, you would be better off staying at the airport Hilton. Not to mention that if you go to Rome, you would be checking in close to 1 a.m. or later if your flight is delayed. As others have mentioned, the airport hotel is the only logical choice at that time of night and after that flight. You will be able to get to it by simply walking no matter at what time you actually arrive. And you will get into bed a lot sooner also. Give yourself a chance to recover from the trip by booking a late morning transfer. Rome Cabs also offers the possibility of a sightseeing stop on the way to the port. That would help you with jetlag. romecabs.com

There are no road taxis from the tender port to Oia, only water ferries. The only road to the tender port is the donkey path. Once you get to Fira, the town on the cliff above the tender port, you can take a taxi to Oia. You get from the tender port to Fira by cable car or donkey path. There is no other way.