Required to use NCL hotels on pre and post cruise stay?

[Jea267]

Hello.  I've looked all over the boards for this answer, to no avail, so hopefully someone can help me with this question.  I'm booked on NCL Epic for the Western Med leaving out of rome on a wednesday (June 2021).  Booked air to arrive a couple days prior and depart couple days post cruise.  As it's still early in my booking, no hotels are available through NCL.  My question is, am I obligated to use the NCL hotels (which wouldn't be my first choice), or can I pick my own and still get the reduced air perk?  NCL didn't make it clear if transfers were included with their hotel package so does anyone have any thoughts on that?  If I do have a choice in Rome, any ideas for central rome hotels?  Close to the Pantheon, or Trevi, etc?  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[CruiserBruce]

As this is a NCL policy issue, and would potentially apply to all their flight arrangements, not just to Rome, I would be asking on the NCL board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/64-norwegian-cruise-line/