Celebrity Edge Embark

[Verrazano278]

I am a first time cruiser.

My Delta Airlines Flight # 66 from Atlanta is scheduled to arrive in Rome Airport at 10:35 AM on Saturday Sept 30th.

What time do you think I should schedule my embarkation to the Celebrity Edge in Civitavecchia?

[CruiserBruce]

You are boarding the day you arrive? Definitely not recommended. You are missing one of the most amazing cities in the world. Jet lag will diminish the first couple of days of your wonderful cruise.

 

Clearing Immigration and claiming your bags can take an hour. Customs is the Red/Green system, takes a couple of seconds, literally. Its an hour drive to the port. 

 

So...1pm? 1:30?

[Ride-The-Waves]

NOT a good idea.  Scheduled - yes.  However, flight aware showing anywhere between on time (even early) and 1200 noonish.  Give one hour to clear immigration and Its one hour to Civitavecchia.  We always arrive a day early and have stayed overnight at the Hilton hotels at the Rome Airport.  Preschedule a car to the port - many companies provide transportation and are reliable.  Bon Chance!

 

[megr1125]

You're NOT flying in the same day??  If you are, you need to change that to arrive a day early.  

 

1:30 or 2 and arrange your OWN private transfer.

 

Fly in the day ahead please. Did you book with a travel agent?  If you did, and they didn't advise you to arrive a day early, shame on them.  If you booked via a big box store, they are order takers and NOT travel agents.  Sorry.

 

I HOPE you have travel insurance.

Edited September 8, 2023 by megr1125

[-Lew-]

Since many have answered the question not asked, I won't pile on... 🙄

 

We sailed on the Edge last fall embarking in Civitavecchia.  I can tell you nobody will care whether you check in at your scheduled time.  Our arrival a bit beyond our scheduled time caused no issues for us.

[John Bull]

Your ship is scheduled to leave  Cvitavecchia at 5pm, which means your latest registration time at the cruise terminal will be 3 pm or 3.30pm (your paperwork will show your latest registration time)

 

From Fiumicino (FCO) airport the drive should be a little under an hour, from Ciampino (CIA) airport it'll be a little over an hour, so you'd need to be away from the airport by about 2pm at the very latest.

With a flight arrival on-time at 10.35, as others have said you can expect to be clear of airport formalities and in the arrivals hall by 11.30 to noon.

So that gives you at least two hours wiggle-room.

That's not great, but it's workable.

 

I advise you against travel by train because there are no direct trains from either FCO or CIA - you have to do a dog-leg to a station in Rome and back out again on another train to Civi. And then you need a bus to the port gate, then a shuttlebus to your ship. Too much time and faffing around.

 

So I strongly advise you to pre-book a car from the airport. Perhaps book for 11.45am, but also give them your flight number & details - they'll track the flight.

Hopefully others can suggest private transfer operators.

 

You realise that you won't see Rome - does your cruise end in Rome? And have you allowed yourselves a few days in Rome port-cruise?

 

Most folk fly a day or more early, to give them time to see their embarkation city (in your case that's Rome, not Civi) and to allow for a major flight delay or cancellation.

If there's no significant difficulty or cost in bringing your flight forward by a day or three. I suggest you do it. But if that's not possible it's not the end of the world - put it down to the learning curve

 

BTW, I suggest you book an embarkation slot of 12.30. That's absolutely the earliest you'll arrive, and as @-Lew- has said there's no problem in arriving after your booked slot

 

Bonne chance

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by John Bull