Timing of Getting off Ship in Rome and Through Customs

[JLMarietta]

Has anyone disembarked in Rome from a cruise and had to travel to the airport to fly home? If you have, how long did was it before you could get off the ship and through customs once the ship arrived in port, and how long did it take you to get to the airport? I'm finding that the flights out of Rome seem a little earlier than I'd like which might put me in a time crunch to get there. Has anyone taken the train back to Venice or another city to fly out? I know it's a little more of a hassle, but more flights leave later and the prices are better. Any suggestions?

[cruisemom42]

There are no customs for individuals to go through at Civitavecchia (the port for Rome). Your ship may arrive early a.m., but that doesn't mean you can count on getting off within a few minutes, especially with the VERY early a.m. arrivals (e.g., 5am); I'm assuming because port personnel are not necessarily available at that hour to complete all the procedures/paperwork. 

 

If your ship offers a walk-off option, that may be your best bet for getting off the ship among the earliest. What time do you dock?

 

At any rate, once they allow you off the ship it is simply a matter of locating your luggage and getting on your way. There is no 'customes' and your passport control will be at the airport on departure, not here. 

 

With a private driver, it takes a bit less than an hour to reach the airport from the port. For flights to the US, you should plan to be at the airport 3 hours in advance of your flight time due to extra security, crowds, long lines, etc.  Thus, I'd plan on about 4 hours from whatever time you reasonably think you can disembark.

 

Traveling to another airport may be possible but you have to allow significant time.  It is an hour by train to Rome's central train station (not including the time to get to the Civitavecchia station from your ship) plus even the fast trains take over 3 hours to Venice, and THEN you still have to get to the airport there.  (Plus the Venice airport is also a zoo and you should plan to be there well in advance, like with FCO in Rome...)

 

There are closer airports, but none are very convenient and for the amount of money you'd spend getting there, you might as well just book a room near the Rome airport for one additional day and take a flight out the following morning.

 

 

[JLMarietta]

Thanks so much for your information!  We will definitely take our bags with us and get off the ship as early as possible.  The arrival time is 5 am, as you thought, but no one has said how early passengers can get off the ship.  it seems the latest that all shuttles leave the port is 9:30 am, so that suggests we will have plenty of time to catch a 9:30 am shuttle.  But I don't know for sure and was just hoping someone had actually disembarked at this port and could provide some guidance.  Thanks for the suggestion of just flying out of Rome.  I'm sure it's the best option.  I'm just surprised there aren't many later afternoon flights unless we want to pay a fortune.  

[gnome12]

Presumably the expensive flights are non-stop to North America. The cheaper options usually require a change somewhere in Europe, and sp you need to leave earlier because most trans Atlantic flights depart Europe in mid-afternoon and you have to make that connection.

[JLMarietta]

Thanks.  I'll just keep looking and hoping!  LOL

[cruisemom42]

If you have private transportation I would feel comfortable booking a flight at 11:30 am or later given your arrival time.  If you plan to take the ship transportation, they can generally provide you with timing on what is the earliest acceptable flight.

 

Many airlines have set schedules for their TA flights so that planes arrive from the US in the early am (in the 7am to 10am timeframe, more or less)  and then after a short turnaround they will head back to the US from around 10am to 1pm. Schedules aren't set around cruisers' requirements!

 

Edited to add:  I just realized you are from Marietta so presumably flying ATL to FCO, which is a route I know well. Delta usually offers one nonstop around noon. As to fares -- they seem sky-high this year from ATL versus other airports, unfortunately, at least for the prime tourist season.

Edited January 29, 2019 by cruisemom42

[JLMarietta]

Thanks!

 

[dogs4fun]

39 minutes ago, JLMarietta said:

Thanks.  I'll just keep looking and hoping!  LOL

You are fortunate in that you are close to a hub - Atlanta. My european flights usually arrive early in the morning & I usually have a connecting flight from there (usually Frankfurt, Munich or London) to my final destination. European departures are always an issue for me unless it is a direct flight - my Budapest flight departed prior to 6 am with a  layover and 1:00 connection in Frankfurt. Good luck!

[JLMarietta]

Thanks!  I'm assuming we'll have a layover to lessen the price, but we'll see what ends up being the most reasonable in terms of time, hassle and cost.

[cruisemom42]

When looking at flights with connections, be careful to allow yourselves enough time.

 

Some European airports are huge and require significant transit time. Depending on your flight routing, you may have passport control (in your first European airport, coming from US) that takes time, plus -- depending on how you transit through the airport you may also have additional security screening.

 

Additionally there can be operational issues -- not just a flight that's a few minutes late, but it is common in some airports to park planes on the tarmac and bus passengers into the terminal from there, which can cause a huge delay (especially if you are back of plane, as you'll have to wait for additional tram coaches to arrive...)

 

Similarly, with heading home after your cruise.  If your schedule involves a transfer in the US, you will have to clear passport control at your first US stop, a process which can have HUGE lines at times. 

[JLMarietta]

Thank you for the reminders.

[Voelfgar]

Also remember if you are doing a connecting flight to reduce cost, that if you go through Dublin, Ireland, you have to go through US Customs Pre Clear there

[JLMarietta]

Ok, thanks, Voelfgar.

[2theship]

We've had great luck arranging a private transfer to the airport through Rome in Limo or Rome Cabs and sharing it with members of our roll call. We all met up on the ship in the morning and left together so all we had to do was grab our bags and put them in the van. But, even with simplifying the transportation issue you need to allow plenty of time - the Rome airport can be crazy.

 

Be sure to check your cruise line's air options. They often offer exceptional deals to and from Europe.

[JLMarietta]

Thanks, 2theship.  We did arrange for the transfer to the airport, allowing plenty of time.  We are just watching the prices daily for flights.  I'll check the cruise line's air options, too.  One would think they would be more expensive, but you never know.  I'd love to be pleasantly surprised at a good price!  LOL

[pfopma]

We had problems getting an afternoon flight that was non-stop from FCO to EWR. All non-stop flights were in the morning. We choose a flight with a stop over in Canada that leaves at 1:30 pm. I was told to leave a minimum of 5 hours from disembarkation time to the flight time. 

[JLMarietta]

Thanks for the information.  We ended up seeing a great price on air flights for staying overnight in London, so we won't even fly out of Rome until the evening that we disembark.  Therefore, our worries about getting to the airport after getting off the ship are resolved.