Live from the NCL Breakaway May 6-16, 2023 – Spring in Italy, Greece, Malta and France Roundtrip from Rome

[Happycrafter123]

14 minutes ago, Skjhoward said:

If you could see only one thing in Rome, what would you choose?

What about you, @Skjhoward - have you been to Rome yet or planning to pass through on your next cruise?  What has been or what do you think would be your top thing to see?

[podgeandrodge]

Are you getting cab to Civitavecchia? 

[Happycrafter123]

2 minutes ago, podgeandrodge said:

Are you getting cab to Civitavecchia? 

We arranged private car with bob’s limo, I find cabs can be a little unpredictable in terms of pricing and availability, and it doesn’t seem like Uber is as mainstream here as in Canada and the USA.  It was $135 euro to prebook the car service.

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Happycrafter123

[podgeandrodge]

Thanks. Interesting, their price on website now is €149 which is $165 approx.!

[Happycrafter123]

3 minutes ago, podgeandrodge said:

Thanks. Interesting, their price on website now is €149 which is $165 approx.!

Ah, I had booked it quite a while back.

 

the tour guide today mentioned this is the busiest it’s been going back to 2019, that this is the level of crowds they used to get during their peak of the summer—seems there is a lot of pent up demand and that is surely driving up prices for everything.

[Acordner]

13 hours ago, Happycrafter123 said:

Hi Allie! @Acordner  that is great we will be on same cruise!  Hopefully some others on the trip will chime in here.

 

on our last cruise with NCL we did the thermal spa.  I loved the warm pool and bubbling water and quiet spot, hubby found it boring.  This time we got the vibe passes so we will see how that is.

 

you can go to the excursion desk on the first day we board the ship and get your name on a waiting list for excursions as some people cancel.  Apart from that, many people do not do ncl excursions, either booking through third parties or just getting off and hiring a cab or walking around.  From what I saw on YouTube videos Santorini is definitely doable just on your own waking off the ship as is Cannes.  A couple of the others the ports may be a bit out of town so you will at least need to take a train or cab or shuttle.  Each port will be different—all new ports to me so hopefully others will chime in on options for you.

Thank you for this info it is helpful I will book the private lounge too

[Skjhoward]

13 hours ago, Happycrafter123 said:

What about you, @Skjhoward - have you been to Rome yet or planning to pass through on your next cruise?  What has been or what do you think would be your top thing to see?

Good morning. We've never been to Rome. Our ship will be disembarking in Italy on our NCL Getaway June cruise. 

[Happycrafter123]

We visited the coliseum (crowded, and a one and done for me), but the highlight was the food tour we did this evening.  For those of you arriving the day before the cruise and looking for how to spend the evening before embarcation, I totally recommend this food tour!

 

Food tour was with The Tour Guy, and was from 5:30-9:00.  We met, stopped at a charcuterie to sample wine, cheese and meat, then did a walking tour, went to visit a church, had an amazing dinner, then went for gelato.  Our guide was super knowledgeable tying in details on ancient history as well as pointing out items from the era of Mussolini.  It was a group of about 12 people and we loved chatting with and getting to know the others and having dinner together.  Food was great.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Happycrafter123]

We started this morning with an early morning trip to the Vatican.  I know a lot of folks are taking the two day deviation on air from NCL so if you are able to do this the day before the cruise I recommend it whole heartedly.

 We had booked Early Access Vatican Tour with Secret Room | Semi-Private Morning Experience
With LivTours, which started at 7:30 AM to have early morning access before the crowds.  It was supposed to be a group of no more than 6 but we were 7 adults and a baby, however the tour guide managed our group well.  We had ear pieces to hear well throughout.  Tour ended at about 11 so she allowed us lots of time to look at things and she really got to the heart of things, not just spewing facts.  She also made sure we were given multiple opportunities to use the bathroom at various points and found us spots to sit from time to time.  The real treat was exclusive access to a private room with amazing views and the best art.   This was a quiet and peaceful tour, despite the long lines and crowds in rome right now, we enjoyed the calmness and relative solitude to appreciate the art.

 

given how incredibly crowded the city is right now, and I shudder to think how crowded it will get through the summer, this is a great option for a pre or post cruise day, to enjoy so much with so much space.

 

 

 

 

[sherrihall128]

On 4/30/2023 at 4:56 PM, Skjhoward said:

If you could see only one thing in Rome, what would you choose?

We spent 2 days in Rome post-cruise last fall. I'd recommend the Colosseum and the Forum, or the Vatican Museum with St. Peter's Basilica. They're on opposite ends of Rome. If you're looking for a modern interpretation of ancient Rome, the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument is pretty spectacular.

 

There was also this cool 1-hour video experience called the Welcome to Rome Experience. It was a great way to rest our feet, learn Rome's history, and see 3D models of all the places we were seeing and what they looked like in their prime.

 

https://welcometo-rome.it/welcome-to-rome-experience/

 

Hope this helps!

 

[sherrihall128]

5 hours ago, Happycrafter123 said:

We started this morning with an early morning trip to the Vatican.  I know a lot of folks are taking the two day deviation on air from NCL so if you are able to do this the day before the cruise I recommend it whole heartedly.

 We had booked Early Access Vatican Tour with Secret Room | Semi-Private Morning Experience
With LivTours, which started at 7:30 AM to have early morning access before the crowds.  It was supposed to be a group of no more than 6 but we were 7 adults and a baby, however the tour guide managed our group well.  We had ear pieces to hear well throughout.  Tour ended at about 11 so she allowed us lots of time to look at things and she really got to the heart of things, not just spewing facts.  She also made sure we were given multiple opportunities to use the bathroom at various points and found us spots to sit from time to time.  The real treat was exclusive access to a private room with amazing views and the best art.   This was a quiet and peaceful tour, despite the long lines and crowds in rome right now, we enjoyed the calmness and relative solitude to appreciate the art.

 

given how incredibly crowded the city is right now, and I shudder to think how crowded it will get through the summer, this is a great option for a pre or post cruise day, to enjoy so much with so much space.

 

 

 

 

 

We did the same tour, and it was worth every penny. Our tour guide said it was the best way to avoid the hordes!

[Happycrafter123]

2 hours ago, sherrihall128 said:

We spent 2 days in Rome post-cruise last fall. I'd recommend the Colosseum and the Forum, or the Vatican Museum with St. Peter's Basilica. They're on opposite ends of Rome. If you're looking for a modern interpretation of ancient Rome, the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument is pretty spectacular.

 

There was also this cool 1-hour video experience called the Welcome to Rome Experience. It was a great way to rest our feet, learn Rome's history, and see 3D models of all the places we were seeing and what they looked like in their prime.

 

https://welcometo-rome.it/welcome-to-rome-experience/

 

Hope this helps!

 

Thank you @sherrihall128 I will check out the welcome to time experience, my feet need it!!!

[sherrihall128]

28 minutes ago, Happycrafter123 said:

Thank you @sherrihall128 I will check out the welcome to time experience, my feet need it!!!

 

Hope you like it! We wished we had done it on our first day, as we thought it really added to the experience of seeing ancient Rome in 3D. Enjoy the rest! We walked over 30K steps on both days in Rome. 😵

Edited May 2, 2023 by sherrihall128

[southern reader]

We are on the same itinerary for July.  We are trying to figure out where to stay near the airport the night before we fly back to the states along with how to get to the airport the next morning for a party of 5..  Have you heard of any good recommendations?

 

[southern reader]

Happy Crafter, may I ask what ride service you used and if you would recommend them?

 

[southern reader]

Hi Amypintx, It looks like we will both be on the July cruise.

[Skjhoward]

6 hours ago, southern reader said:

We are on the same itinerary for July.  We are trying to figure out where to stay near the airport the night before we fly back to the states along with how to get to the airport the next morning for a party of 5..  Have you heard of any good recommendations?

 

I read somewhere that there are two hotels in the Rome Airport! 

[Happycrafter123]

6 hours ago, southern reader said:

Happy Crafter, may I ask what ride service you used and if you would recommend them?

 

We used Bob’s limo.  I would use them again.  Good service handled professionally.

 

Taxis are also available, see taxi rates below

 

warning that I took a taxi cab today and he made a big fuss about not wanting to take credit card and also told me he could not give receipt.  The taxi was not a great experience.

[spit0000]

@Happycrafter123 We are on the May 26 sailing of the Breakaway, and I want to thank you for your reports! As previously mentioned, the menus and Freestyle Daily posts would be super helpful! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this! I hope your feet get some rest and you have a fabulous trip!

[Happycrafter123]

For those of you debating on what to do the night before the cruise, we went on another food tour last night, with a different company than the night before, for comparison.  I really liked the first one, but this one was definitely superior.

 

This one was with LivTours, and called Food Tour of Rome Italy | Semi-Private Experience.  It was a smaller group, only 4 of us, and we stopped and sampled more foods and wines, and learned a lot more history.  In particular our guide focused on the food history of the Jewish quarter, which transitioned over time to what is now considered Roman food.  We toured the area know as the Jewish Ghetto and then moved into an area outside of that which had been similar to a military garrison where Julius Caesar was assassinated.  In total we stopped for street food (artichokes, cod and zuchinni flower) with Prosecco, then another spot for charcuterie and wine, then another stop for pizza and beer, then another spot for pasta and wine, finally ending the evening with Gelato.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Acordner]

8 hours ago, Happycrafter123 said:

We used Bob’s limo.  I would use them again.  Good service handled professionally.

 

Taxis are also available, see taxi rates below

 

warning that I took a taxi cab today and he made a big fuss about not wanting to take credit card and also told me he could not give receipt.  The taxi was not a great experience.

Could you share the contact info for Bon limo I may use them as I am travelling alone and don’t want the hassle or to be abused as a women travelling alone- which is common with taxi drivers in my experience. 
 

allie 
 

 

[Acordner]

never mind found the website 

 

https://www.romelimousines.com/

[southern reader]

12 hours ago, Happycrafter123 said:

We used Bob’s limo.  I would use them again.  Good service handled professionally.

 

Taxis are also available, see taxi rates below

 

warning that I took a taxi cab today and he made a big fuss about not wanting to take credit card and also told me he could not give receipt.  The taxi was not a great experience.

Hi Happy Crafter, I just booked a shore excursion with Bo's limos https://www.romelimousines.com/  to take us to Pisa and Cinque Terre since our cruise excursion is full.  Have you heard anything about their reliability in getting us to the ship on time?  I am also hoping to use them for transfer to airport on our morning of departure which means a 6 am pick up time if they will do that early.  Any thoughts?  Thanks

[Happycrafter123]

Hi @southern reader I’ve only used bob’s limo for the one ride so far from airport to hotel so can’t speak to your question. maybe another reader here can comment?

 

I bet others are hoping you will report back on the experience of the excursion!

[Acordner]

I curious about that too as I wrote to them this am by WhatsApp but no response