euro cruiser

Yes! Waiting in line holding a bag from Italy, The Netherlands, Scotland etc. often leads to an interesting conversation with the person behind me.

I've been using my own bags in Italy for more than two decades, it's definitely the "done" thing. The really high end stores will want you to carry their bag but for market or small store purchases, your own is preferable. I probably have a dozen or so small bags (like this one from Ikea: SKYNKE Shopping bag, gray-blue, 17 ¾x14 ¼" - IKEA) that fold up into their own pocket, I leave them in each piece of luggage or handbag that I carry so there's always at least one available.

It would be such a shame to be in Rome and not see at least something, even if it's only for a day. No time in Rome is ever wasted.

You are much, much too early to look at trains in August 2024. Just look at a similar day of the week in the next week or two to see the schedule, it may change a little bit but it never changes dramatically. Note that you'll have to go through Rome and change trains there, no matter what you do. I would look for connections that include a seat assigned (IC or Frecce) train for the Rome to Civitavecchia segment both for comfort and to avoid the three block walk with luggage from the main track head at Rome Termini to the Lazio auxiliary tracks, where the regional trains to Civitavecchia leave from.

Venice is pretty compact and the key sites are mostly all within walking distance of one another. It is easily done DIY with a small amount of up-front research and planning (such as purchasing tickets in advance for certain visits, like the Doge's palace).

Washing machines are easy to find in rental apartments, but not dryers. They are slowly becoming more common in Italy, but space concerns in city apartments, and the extremely high cost of electricity, cause them to be fairly rare in rentals.

Confusing yes, but not necessarily contradictory. There are two shuttle buses at the Civitavecchia port, the free one that brings you to Largo della Pace, or the 6 euro one that brings you to the train station. Sad to hear that Livorno is still such a mess.

Just to be precise, you are hiring a car service, not a guide. The many companies that cater to the cruise business, including the one noted above, hire English speaking drivers who will offer a running commentary, but they are not guides. They cannot leave the car and escort you anywhere historic, but there isn't much/any of that along the Amalfi coast anyway, so no loss.

It's impossible to say, it depends on how long it takes to clear the ship and how easy or difficult it is to get transportation to the train station. If there are taxis available at the port it will be expensive, but it's the fastest option.

Yes, it's certainly possible. You can avoid the lines by prebooking: Deposito Bagagli KiPoint Roma Termini (kibag.it)

I tour hardly seems necessary: Venezia Nuova District in Livorno | Visit Tuscany The starting point of the walking tour detailed in the link above (Ponte di San Giovanni Nepomuceno) is only about 220 meters/one-tenth of a mile from the place where the cruise ship shuttle buses drop off at Piazza del Municipio in Livorno.

Ostiense is a little bigger, but basically the same layout. You'll be fine.

There is work going on at the Trastevere station: DA FS NEWS - RFI presenta il progetto di restyling della stazione di Roma Trastevere For those going to Trastevere, there is bus service provided during construction.

Years ago we took Alaska Rail from Anchorage to Whittier: Glacier Discovery Train | Alaska Railroad There is also a bus option: Anchorage to Whittier Alaska Park Connection Bus Line (alaskacoach.com)

A professional car service does this all the time, you just need to give them your flight information. Unless you have some reason to believe that you will be particularly slow, much slower than the average traveler, I don't think you need to do their job for them by deciding in advance a specific pickup time. Drivers aren't lone rangers, they talk to one another as well as their dispatcher. If there is a problem at the airport causing delays for arriving passengers, they'll know about it before you do. You may want to specify when you make the reservation that you will have checked bags to collect (but they will assume that for passengers coming from overseas).

The only easy ways out of Ravenna are a private car service or a ship transfer. There are public transportation options but they can be cumbersome and time consuming, not a great option if you have an early flight. The Bologna airport is about 60 miles from the port, while the Venice airport is 125 miles away.

No matter what you do from Venice you will have a change en route, assuming you are flying to Tampa International. Given that you have to change somewhere, I'd relook at Bologna as the exit point as it's much closer and easier to reach from Ravenna than Venice, and it's an easier airport to navigate. You can get flights on United to Tampa from Bologna with one stop at Frankfurt (code share with Lufthansa)

I think the increase in travel time is simply allowing for the bus connection to the port, if you look at ust the train schedule there is no change. The 6 euro Port Shuttle connection goes to the ship if in the outlying berths (#25), otherwise it goes to the cruise ship terminal. It does not drop at Largo della Pace.

There are, local (regionale), intercity (IC) and fast (Frecce) trains between Rome Termini and Civitavecchia every day. The regionale are the least expensive (4,60 euro) and most frequent trains, but they do not offer reserved seats, so it's a free-for-fall when you get on, and they leave from the Lazio auxilliary tracks three blocks from the main track head at Termini in Rome. They take longer to make the trip, between 60 - 123 minutes, and make several stops along the way (up to 12). IC trains are the most uncommon, only a couple each day. They are more expensive (11,50 last minute fare), offer assigned seats, and usually make only one stop en route. They depart from the main track head at Termini. Finally there are the Frecce trains. There are not many each day but they depart from the main track head, offer assigned seats, have more room for luggage, and make no stops between Termini and Civitavecchia. This is the most expensive option at 16,00 euro (base fare in second class) but you can get a better price by purchasing in advance. Only Trenitalia serves this route: EN - Trenitalia In all cases, if you choose Civitavecchia Porto as your destination you'll get a ticket for the bus (6 euro) from the Civitavecchia station to the port in addition to the train ticket.

Um, 50 people means somewhere between 50 - 100 pieces of luggage. Regardless of the port I think it's unrealistic to expect workers to tag that many pieces all at once, correctly.

In October I think your risk of morning mist is greater, I'd factor that into my decision.

I used to travel with someone who could not walk through ORD without eating an O'Hare dog, even first thing in the morning. 😬

No, it will not.

La Spezia is not a good port from which to visit Florence, regardless of how hard cruise lines try to market it that way, unless you are overnighting at La Spezia and don't need to race back. Livorno isn't great, but it's far better as a starting point for Florence. By car from La Spezia it's two hours each way, more with traffic, and you'd be driving in with morning traffic (but thankfully returning before the end of day commute). This may have changed, but it used to be that the port at La Spezia did not allow taxis or car service cars into the port, you were forced to use the port shuttle bus to the cruise terminal and be picked up there, taking away 15 - 30 minutes on the beginning and the end of your day.

As I said, simply not up to the standards of the rest of the HAL line, in my experience/opinion. Many aspects of the ship and the cruise experience were just off, not dramatically, but noticeably. Plumbing issues that defied repair for several days, rotted out doorframes, food arriving to the table tepid, not hot. The entertainment (other than the comedian) was not as good as I've seen on the other ships. All in all, we enjoyed ourselves on this cruise but will not choose the Noordam again, there are so many other great options in the line.