euro cruiser

Yes, when flying to Europe from the US you will go through passport control at the first place you land, but that's it. No luggage involved. For that matter, there really isn't a "customs" check even when you get to your final destination and collect your luggage. In Italy you just walk out through the line that says "nothing to declare". That's all there is to it.

Have you been to Rome before? Do you have a sense of what you'd like to see there? That might help folks make suggestions more tailored to your interests.

The charter of the site (Pompei) says that no one will wait more than 15 minutes in line. I've been there a half dozen times over the years and have never waited more than a few minutes, so my experience bears this out, but that's not statistically significant. The only time I know when there are guaranteed to be pile ups at the entrance are on the free days, the first Sunday of each month. I would avoid that like the plague, the crowds are not worth saving 22 euro.

In decades of flying to Europe the only time I had to collect and re-check luggage en-route was when I flew through Switzerland on two different tickets. That was just a dumb purchase on my part, anytime you buy through tickets, even with a connection, your luggage will be checked through to your final destination. Coming back to the States you must claim your luggage at the first stop in the US, if you're going on from there you have to recheck.

Ravenna has a good tourism web site, in English. If you look under "explore" you'll find a tab on the mosaics. Ravenna Turismo - Official tourist information site

The 50th anniversary summit of the G7 will take place in Italy this year, June 13 - 15: 50th Anniversay of the G7 Summit to be held in Italy 2024: G7 is June 13-15th 2024 - Group of Nations // G7 & G20 The summit will be in Savelletri, which is about halfway between Bari and Brindisi. If you'll be in Puglia during that time, expect to see some extra security. I was on a cruise that stopped in Naples during one of these summits about 15 years ago, the only difference I remember is that the cruise line collected everyone's passport the day before and held them until the day after we left Naples. They said it had to do with security for the summit, but that was all we were told.

I don't think 10 or 11 are used for cruise ships, they're too small. It's just 12 and 13, which each have a north and south berth. How long it takes would depend on several factors, but just the time it takes to load 60 or so people on a bus starts to add up. If you are all physically able, I'd just hike from the ship. I did this with the kids, they weren't happy about it (it was July and very hot) but they did it. You can do this from the 12 & 13 berths, if you're at 25 you just have to suck it up and deal with the bus. The distance on foot ranges from 1.25 miles to 1.75 miles, depending on the berth.

No, I don't think so, but things have been changing so I guess anything is possible. If you are docked at the far north berth (#25) I don't think you can get a shuttle to the fort area. They very deliberately list the piers the shuttle stops at and #25 is not included. They do include #18, #20, #21 and #27, which are all ferry docks. If you are at the southern berths (#12 - #13) you can get the shuttle at Molo del Bicchiere but, after the walk to get to that point, why bother? Molo del Bicchiere is the first stop in the loop, if you are at the southern berths (#12 - #13) you would have a long walk to that first stop, and a very short shuttle ride to the next stop, the fort. I haven't taken the shuttle since they redid the lines but it looks to me like they are pushing passengers toward the 6 euro bus that takes you right to the train station. The 6 euro bus does pick up at the cruise terminal. Scroll down on the page you linked to see where Molo del Bicchiere is located vis-a-vis the southern cruise terminal and piers.

Is this the end of your cruise or a port day? Also, where will you be headed to? You may not need to buy the train ticket in advance.

Sounds fine to me. The first fast ferry from Molo Beverello (adjacent to the cruise port) departs at 8:05, so you should have plenty of time to get your tickets. You can buy your return tickets at the same time, or wait until you're on Capri to do that. Since you're planning to return at midday, rather than at the last minute, you shouldn't have any trouble getting the return tickets. The crossings that arrive just before the cruise ships depart do sell out, those you cannot wait to purchase. You can read about things to see and do on Capri here: Capri: All You Need To Know | Boat Tours, Ferry Tickets, Hotels They offer good information on this site, but don't buy any tickets through them, the fees they add are practically usuary.

The folks who post here and on Trip Advisor are generally very helpful and knowledgeable, so if you're in doubt about the actual service provider, just make a post and ask. Someone will send you to the official site.

Another option for a quiet day would be to have lunch at Lake Bracciano, which is about an hour from the port by car, a bit longer by public transportation. There are lots of nice restaurants, some with lake views.

Or, for a really off the wall option, you could get on a train and head to Naples to give yourself two days to explore the area. Trying to cram Pompei and the Amalfi Coast into one day doesn't give you much time at either place.

It would be interesting to know the cost of this service from RCI. The basis for comparison is 6 euro, the cost of the port shuttle to the train station.

Yes, that's the three block walk I mentioned. This is only relevant for regional trains, the IC and Frecce trains leave from the main track head. The track announcement is usually about 15 minutes prior to departure. Each train has a "planned" track but changes can and do happen, so knowing the planned track is only a starting point, you must wait for the announcement. The first time I took a train in Italy (more than two decades ago, but the same thing could happen today) the planned track changed at the last minute and I didn't hear the announcement (I didn't speak a word of Italian at the time). I wound up in Naples when I intended to go to Florence.

Part of the confusion arises because there are two completely different areas where cruise ships dock at Civitavecchia, about two and a half miles apart. Berth #25, which is usually where the biggest ships are located, is over a mile north of the Largo della Pace entrance/exit. You are not allowed to walk from this berthing location. The rest of the cruise berths are out on the spit, near the fort/southern entrance/exit (Varco Fortezza). You can walk from here into town, there are marked pedestrian walkways. The furthest out quay is #13 north, from here to the train station is about one and three quarter miles on foot. The closest in one is #12 south, from here to the train station is about one and a quarter miles on foot.

The details say that the tour enters the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and St. Peter's basilica IF the security lines are not too long. In other words, they've given themselves an out if the crowds mean you'd stand on line too long. No tour avoid the security lines, and that's the holdup. You might get actual experience with this tour if you cross post on the RCI board. September is still high season in Italy, but it's a tad less crowded than June, July, and August.

It would be absurdly expensive to pay for private transport to go one or two miles (depending on your berthing location). The free port shuttle bus takes you to Largo della Pace, which is one mile on foot from the train station. For six euro per person you can take the port mobility bus directly from your ship/the cruise terminal (again, depending on berthing location) to the train station. Civitavecchia Train Station | Port Mobility Civitavecchia

From my earlier post. The depot is a two-story brick building with a blue sign over the door that says "biglietteria - deposito bagagli - sala attesa

I'm sorry, I don't know about that.

Maybe you're just a bit ahead of the curve? This is the public bus line from Trieste to the airport. The start of the line, Piazza della Liberta, is about 450 meters/one-third of a mile on foot from the cruise port. Note that this is the winter schedule, check again closer to your date to get the summer/fall schedule that will be in effect when you are there. Linea-G51_Servizio-extraurbano_Inverno-2023-2024_modifiche-dal-25-09-2023.pdf (aptgorizia.it)

The place to ask for shares is the roll call for your sailing.

No, there is no new train station near the port. There is a new entrance to the Municipio/Porto metro station, which you can take to Napoli Centrale. For many people the train is an easier option because the stations are known and fixed, no need to guess if you're getting off at the right place, as you sometimes do with a bus in an unfamiliar place. I completely understand that, but in this case the stop is easy to identify because, as I said, it's the first one after leaving the autostrada, there's a big sign that says "Camping Spartacus", and because if you tell the driver where you're headed he'll shout out the stop (in my experience, anyway).

I think the public SITA bus is the easiest and most comfortable budget option. Of course a car service is the easiest, but also the most expensive. The bus depot, Varco Immacolatella, is about four-tenths of a mile on foot from the cruise port, within the port area. There is a ticket office right there, so getting tickets is easy. The bus drop off in Pompei is on Vio Plinio, you'll know it because it's the first stop after the bus leaves the autostrada and returns to surface roads. The stop is right in front of a place called Camping Spartacus, it's easy to find on a google map. From the stop to the main (Porta Marina) entrance to the ruins is a short walk of about two-tenths of a mile. The stop for the bus returning to Naples is directly across the street. Buses run every day except Sunday. There is a departure Monday-Saturday at 8:00 that arrives at 8:35, well before opening time of 9:00. The fare is 3,30 euro each way and you can purchase both outbound and return tickets in the morning at the depot. To see the depot on a google map look at these coordinates: 40°50'30.0"N 14°15'28.3"E Bus schedule here: 0 (sitasudtrasporti.it)

I have been where you are, leading a group of older folks, so I can sympathize with your situation. Pack lots of patience! It's pretty rare to find an apartment in Venice at ground level due to flooding, do you know how many stairs they'll have to climb to access it and if everyone is able to do so? I'm asking not to suggest you change the accommodations, but rather that I've found that managing expectations is an important part of a trip like this.