Excursion at ending port

[doolfan]

This is our first cruise and I’m confused on the logistics if an excursion is chosen for the final departure port. Our final port is Rome and my understanding is it’s about a hour from the dock to Rome. We have our own hotel booked in the city center in walking distance to most main attractions. My plan was to get off the boat with our luggage (I’ve never done a cruise so I’m not sure of how this works, do you carry it off with you?) and then take a cab to our hotel. I do see that there are excursions at Rome offered that say they include transfer. One basically takes you to the city and gives you a driving tour and then drops you for “time in your own”. If I chose this does that make getting off the ship easier? Will our luggage be taken into Rome and where would we meet up with it?  As soon as we get to the on our own time can we just head to our hotel?  I’m just trying to figure the easiest way to get us and our luggage from the ship to our hotel. Thanks!

[hallux]

Usually with post-cruise excursions (speaking of those in the US), you claim your luggage at the cruise terminal (or walk off the ship with it) and it is then loaded on the bus for the excursion.  The "time on your own" is usually given a deadline to return to the bus which then takes you to the airport.

 

Does it make getting off the ship easier?  Sometimes.  Excursions are scheduled to meet in a location on the ship, you are then escorted off the ship, sometimes through a crew-only area and skipping to the front of the debarkation line.

 

With the above info in mind

14 minutes ago, doolfan said:

We have our own hotel booked in the city center

You may be best off booking a car service (check the ports forum section as some may have suggestions there) to get you from the ship to the hotel.  You MAY be able to coordinate leaving the post-cruise excursion before the airport, but you'll need to manage getting your luggage to your hotel from where the "on your own" starts.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, doolfan said:

This is our first cruise and I’m confused on the logistics if an excursion is chosen for the final departure port. Our final port is Rome and my understanding is it’s about a hour from the dock to Rome. We have our own hotel booked in the city center in walking distance to most main attractions. My plan was to get off the boat with our luggage (I’ve never done a cruise so I’m not sure of how this works, do you carry it off with you?) and then take a cab to our hotel. I do see that there are excursions at Rome offered that say they include transfer. One basically takes you to the city and gives you a driving tour and then drops you for “time in your own”. If I chose this does that make getting off the ship easier? Will our luggage be taken into Rome and where would we meet up with it?  As soon as we get to the on our own time can we just head to our hotel?  I’m just trying to figure the easiest way to get us and our luggage from the ship to our hotel. Thanks!

You have the option of carrying your luggage off the ship on your own or having the ship's crew move it to the baggage claim on shore. 

 

A taxi from the port to central Rome is very expensive. Many will try to catch a train to central Rome. 

 

Post-cruise tours have a specified end-point, normally the airport (but could be an NCL post-cruise hotel). You can carry your bags off the ship or pick them up at baggage claim (there will be a special baggage tag for tours (usually black)). You take your bags to the tour bus that will take you and your bags on a tour of Rome and drop you and your bags at a designated end point (your bags stay with you on the bus). Regardless of where it drops you, you will need to catch a taxi to your hotel. You could arrange with the tour guide that at the end of the "time on your own", you get your bags off loaded from the bus and find your own way to your hotel. Or you could ask to take a tour that ends at a hotel in central Rome and taxi from there.