Has anyone cruised to Italy lately?

[wnwr12]

My husband and I want to see Italy, and are wondering if cruising would really be the best way, or if we should just fly in and see the sites. We want take some time to really see the Vatican. Can anyone give us some hints on things to see and do? Places that we absolutely don't want to miss etc.... Any advice would be helpful. Thanks, we're kind of lost with all this. Don't even really know where to begin.:)

[hipster1]

My husband and I want to see Italy, and are wondering if cruising would really be the best way, or if we should just fly in and see the sites. We want take some time to really see the Vatican. Can anyone give us some hints on things to see and do? Places that we absolutely don't want to miss etc.... Any advice would be helpful. Thanks, we're kind of lost with all this. Don't even really know where to begin.:)

 

Hi!

We are actually taking a Med cruise starting in Venice in September. Now, this will be our first European cruise so maybe I'm not the best to give some answers:rolleyes: but just wanted to share what we will be doing to give you some ideas. We will be spending around 4-5 days in Venice pre cruise and taking some day trips to Verona and Padua. Our cruise hits more of the Greek Islands but it does stop in Bari, Italy for a day.

[blueblock]

I did an Eastern Med cruise last summer, and will do another this fall. That said, my first trip to Italy was entirely on land and that's what I'd recommend for really getting to see everything. You can spend many days in Rome without getting to see all the sights, particularly if you want to spend some significant time at the Vatican; and there's much to see in Florence, Venice, and many of the smaller cities (I particularly liked Siena). I enjoy cruising too, but there's just no way to see or do as much when you have a limited amount of time in port and the city you want to see is an hour or two inland!

[Ashland]

We recently (August) did a western med cruise out of Barcelona and it gave us a wonderful first time overview of so many cities..We opted to do a private tour with RomeInLimo including using a private vatican guide..Now we know where we would like to spend more time on our next visit...

[Galveston Cruiser]

We stayed a week in Rome prior to our TA from Rome to Galveston. Our only plan was to stay in Rome as there is so much to see. The City is completely walkable. We rented an apartment on Via del Babuino near Piazza Popolo - fantastic area. Our next trip over is for 2 B2B cruises so will stay near the port for a few days and use the train to get around. In the future we will do go for the road trip around Italy.

 

Enjoy whatever you decide as it is a beautiful country.

[Kycruisefan]

thanks for the ideas!

[artypharty]

We have both stayed for a weeks trip in Rome and visited via the cruise ship. I am always torn between the two methods of visiting different cities.

 

I adore being able to stay in a city for a week or so. Walking, absorbing, enjoying, relaxing and really getting to know a city and feel part of it (even if it is just for a short time). :)

 

Then again, we have visited so many cities because of cruising, that we NEVER would have visited otherwise. I love the overview of seeing so many places.

 

We have gone back to cities we visited on cruises for land vacations...to spend more time.

 

It would be hard to pick which I like better, but for some cities (Rome at the top of the list) I am SO glad we had a land vacation and spent time there, becoming part of the landscape for a bit.

 

Whatever you decide...enjoy!:D

[beachnative]

We have done both land and cruises in the Med. They are completely different experiences.

 

Land: you are able to spend several days in one place and enjoy it during evening hours. We also like being able to rent a car and go off exploring the countryside then returning to a hotel and going out at night.

 

Cruise: you are able to get a taste of each of the locations that your ship visits and decide if you would like to return. Of course you can stay several days in your embarkation port and gain the feel of a land vacation.

 

Venice: sailing out of Venice is awesome. However, if you were pulling into Venice for a day or an overnight you could come away satisfied.

 

Rome: needs several days to enjoy. If is a port of call you will see a lot but not get much of a feel for the place. There is so much to do in Rome (as in Paris) that an excursion from the ship does not do it justice.

[Sequim88]

Were doing the TA from Miami to Rome in May and spending 2-1/2 days in Rome post cruise. Not enough time by far but all I can afford away from work. The cruise worked out not much more than round trip flight and gets us to some other interesting places too before Rome.

 

Plan at Rome is to get to hotel (near Pantheon & Trevi Fountain so very central) by Noon and have that afternoon and evening for nearby touring (Piaza Navona to Spanish Steps). Then next day for Vatican morning and Forum/Palatine/Colleseum in afternoon. Last day will be trip to Ostia Antica in morning with stop at Piramide & Protestant cemetary then afternoon for anything else. All subject to revision dependng on open/close times.

[Mines]

My husband and I want to see Italy, and are wondering if cruising would really be the best way, or if we should just fly in and see the sites. We want take some time to really see the Vatican. Can anyone give us some hints on things to see and do? Places that we absolutely don't want to miss etc.... Any advice would be helpful. Thanks, we're kind of lost with all this. Don't even really know where to begin.:)

 

Italy has a lot to see. We have done both methods, by land and by sea. As Italy is surrounded on three sides by the sea, it is an ideal country to see from a cruise. Rome, of course, deserves more than one day, so my advice would be to choose a cruise that starts or finishes (or both) from Rome. This way you can do a hotel stop in Rome for as long as you like and get the benefit of the cruise as well. Like Sequim88, we are doing the Mariner transatlantic, where you get a wonderful 7 night cruise with a free 7 night transatlantic crossing bolted on. If you have the time, a TA cruise to Rome is ideal.

[sjb317]

We did a TA from Rome on the Navigator in November and had a great time. We flew into Rome 3 days before the cruise and stayed at the Hotel Rex which is very close to Termini station. As someone else said, Rome is very walkable and easy to get around. After 3 days of intense touring, it was nice to take a bus down to Citavechia to board the ship and then cruise home with a few stops in France & Spain.

 

Sherri:)

[grgsuch]

We are doing a cruise in July, leaving from Rome. We will do a 7 night cruise with three days post cruise in Rome. Really looking forward seeing a little of Europe each day. Enjoy threads like this because we have no idea on what we should not miss. After losing my dad this fall, I promised myself I would take my mom on a cruise. My dad had parkinsons and my mom took such good care of him without a vacation for a very long time. She is so excited! My daughter is stationed in Italy so it was a easy decision where we should go.

[Cruzin-K]

I've seen Italy by land and by sea as well.

 

If you're cruising then I'd recommend a cruise (such as the one on the Crown Princess from Venice to Rome) that leaves from one port and ends in another. That way you can add a few days on each end and see those cities in greater depth. I spent two and a half days in Venice at the start, and two days in Rome at the end of my cruise. It was a fantastic vacation.

[co2stay]

We also are cruising this year but out of Barcelona and we have 3 ports in Italy. Rome is the one area we are stuck on how to get the most bang for our money and time as we will only be there for 12 hours and really we will have less time as not getting off immediately and having to be back on board before Liberty leaves.

 

Livorno, we will make it an easy day and not hit Pisa but probably Florence the day before Rome and we will probably just take an easy day in with a tour of Naples and surrounding areas but Rome - there is just so much to see.

[CRUIS4ME]

Our 2009 cruise out of Barcelona gave us visits to ports with access to Naples/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii; Pisa/Florence; and Rome (in addition to other Italian islands). It was great to see so much, no hassle of transportation and bag dragging or finding hotels and restaurants. We used CC to connect with others and managed to organize five private tours. The cruise offers a good overview and opportunity to see a lot. I would HIGHLY recommend private tours of Rome (in complete agreement with other suggestion of using rome in limo). In our one day we visited the catacombs; coliseum; forum; Pantheon; Spanish Steps; Palatine (sp?) Hill; and two and a half hour private tour arranged for the Vatican. Also a fabulous lunch in private restaurant. So worth it!

Also arranged a private tour of Sorrento/Amalfi Coast. We did our own excursion to Florence via train. With that in mind, we went back last year for a cruise out of Venice and spent five days in Florence beforehand.

Bottom line: cruise offers overviews and opportunities to get a "taste" of many spots - private tours can get in and out fast whereas bus tours take on the personality of the slowest tourist (IMHO). Land trips can give you more in depth immersion but take more time to organize the travel, hotel, tours, etc. Both are fun!

[critterchick]

We have done both land and cruises in the Med. They are completely different experiences.

 

Land: you are able to spend several days in one place and enjoy it during evening hours. We also like being able to rent a car and go off exploring the countryside then returning to a hotel and going out at night.

 

Cruise: you are able to get a taste of each of the locations that your ship visits and decide if you would like to return. Of course you can stay several days in your embarkation port and gain the feel of a land vacation.

 

Venice: sailing out of Venice is awesome. However, if you were pulling into Venice for a day or an overnight you could come away satisfied.

 

Rome: needs several days to enjoy. If is a port of call you will see a lot but not get much of a feel for the place. There is so much to do in Rome (as in Paris) that an excursion from the ship does not do it justice.

 

I've seen Italy by land and by sea as well.

 

If you're cruising then I'd recommend a cruise (such as the one on the Crown Princess from Venice to Rome) that leaves from one port and ends in another. That way you can add a few days on each end and see those cities in greater depth. I spent two and a half days in Venice at the start, and two days in Rome at the end of my cruise. It was a fantastic vacation.

 

I've also done both land and sea trips to Italy, and, while my preference is a land trip, there are itineraries with overnights in ports that make it the best of both IMO. But the one-way itineraries are also a great way to spend a few days in both the embarkation and debarkation cities. Venice and Civitavecchia would be my preference, too.

 

If you have the time to spend 2-3 days on either end of the cruise, look for a cruise that stops in some of the lesser known ports that you might not otherwise see on a land trip, where the "must see" items are near the port. We spent time in Ravenna, Taormina (Sicily) and Olbia (Sardinia). There are also cruises that stop in Malta, Mallorca and Corsica, to name a few.

 

Get yourself a good travel guide - we like Rick Steves and Eyewitness Travel books - to get an idea of what's out there. And have fun planning!

[tactic]

Having spent lots of long weekends in different parts of Italy and cruised both sides, my advice would be to make a list of what you want to see: Vatican, colluseum, spanish steps etc in Rome for us absolutely more than a day. Venice we have spent 6 days in Venice we saw all on our list but we didn't see everything, remembering in Venice to get to murano, burano it's by boat , therefore takes time! Venice can not be rushed, then thinking about Pisa, Turin, Milan, Naples, Capri, Sorrento, san marino etc..... Maybe a cruise then landtour before and / or after...

 

Good luck with your planning and hope you have a great trip ;)

[rwright261]

Great feedback re Italy...thanks everyone.

 

We are cruising on the Indy in August from Southampton, stopping in Italy, as well as Spain, France etc... can't wait! :):):)

[tactic]

bit off topic but 46 days til the indy for us :D

[surreymum]

I completely agree with the suggestion of perhaps trying a Princess cruise starting in Venice and ending in Rome and adding a few days pre and post cruise. We live in the UK and so have visited Italy many times on land based trips and cruises. The last cruise we did we found, via CC, recommendations of a company called romeinlimo who offer experienced drivers to pick up from cruise ships and give guided tours. They were pricey but as we were travelling with our three children were a more comfortable way of visiting the major sites. Ships for Rome dock in Citavecchia (?) which is a 90 minute drive from the city. We were picked up from the ship and saw so much more than the ships tours had done as the car was able park right outside the sites in taxi ranks. We also used them for a drive along the Amalfi coast. They also offer escorted land based trips but I assume that would be very expensive as you would have the services of a car and driver.

I raved about how fantastic the company had been to the extent that CC deleted my post assuming it was advertising!! The lakes are absolutely stunning and are easily accessible from Venice. We stayed in Lake Garda and got a train in under an hour to Venice although this was years ago.

Whichever type of trip you choose I am sure you will love Italy.

[ST-UK]

Lots of great info on this thread. I am visiting Rome and Pisa on my next cruise, However I am also visiting Milan in July for a long weekend.

Thanks again

[Marysunshine]

We did a TA from Rome on the Navigator in November and had a great time. We flew into Rome 3 days before the cruise and stayed at the Hotel Rex which is very close to Termini station. As someone else said, Rome is very walkable and easy to get around. After 3 days of intense touring, it was nice to take a bus down to Citavechia to board the ship and then cruise home with a few stops in France & Spain.

 

Sherri:)

 

Hi Sherri: I've heard of taking the train to the port but have not heard of a bus that goes there. Do you know of a bus???

[sjb317]

Hi Sherri: I've heard of taking the train to the port but have not heard of a bus that goes there. Do you know of a bus???

 

One of the people on our roll call arranged for a bus to take us to the port. Don't know the name of the company but I'm sure he found them online. We saw buses arriving at the port so there must be others as well. I will check back in our roll call and see if I can find any info.

 

Sherri:)

[mjldvlks]

. . .

 

I adore being able to stay in a city for a week or so. Walking, absorbing, enjoying, relaxing and really getting to know a city and feel part of it (even if it is just for a short time). :)

 

Then again, we have visited so many cities because of cruising, that we NEVER would have visited otherwise. I love the overview of seeing so many places. . . .

 

I agree with what most everyone has said here, but I want to underscore what artyparty says above [and these principles apply to about anywhere you might want to go -- not just Italy]. Obviously, you are not going to get as much out of an 8 [or less] hour shore excursion as you would out of a week or two in one city or region. But then again, even in a week you are not going to see everything. I also want to underscore artyparty's second point. There are many wonderful places DW and I never would have even thought to visit absent the fact they were on a cruise itinerary we chose for other reasons. We have done both the extended stay and the cruise and we enjoy both. We even lived in Germany for three years [courtesy of my military duties].

 

So whatever you choose, enjoy. And whichever you choose, remember you can't do it all in a day, a week or even three years. So pick your priorities, enjoy what you see, and don't worry about what you've missed. And with today's digital cameras, if you are in Europe for a week and don't take 1000 pictures, you are not trying. You will enjoy them later.

 

I would also encourage you to do your best to interact with the local people. Everywhere we've gone in Europe lately, we have found the people to be warm, hospitable, friendly, and helpful. In the last 4 years, as a result of an Eastern Med cruise on Splendour and a TA on Independence, that includes Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, England, Germany, and France.

 

And I also echo what someone else above said -- sailaway from Venice is spectacular.

[GradGirl]

My best friend and I did our Girl's trip to Italy in September, 2011. We flew into Venice, spent 2 nights, took the train to Florence, spent one night, then took the train to Rome, where we spent four nights. Those 3 full days really gave us a chance to see really everything in Rome. Then we got on RCL's Navigator out of Rome for a seven day cruise of the Med (Sicily, Athens, Kusadasi, Crete). It was the perfect combo for us: we got to see a lot of Italy, which was our main priority, but the cruise gave us a chance to see additional places in a week's time frame, which we couldn't have done otherwise.