Rome Excursion

[Mikewa]

Okay - maybe a dumb question.  going on Royal's Odyssey of the Seas in September 2025.  Seems RCCL has great excursions in Rome.  If we arrive a few days prior to our cruse, can we use an RCCL excursion - even if we havent started our cruse yet?

[CruiserBruce]

Have you asked this on the RCI board?

 

Some cruise lines offer tours a day or two in advance, but not typically longer. 

[CCJack]

Not a dumb question, but a couple things to consider.  Some advantages of a ship's excursion (during the cruise) are:  1) priority on getting off of the ship early, 2) they guarantee return to ship on time, and 3) convenience of buses right at the ship gangway.   None of these would apply for days prior to cruise, so maybe also look at independent tours or private guides and compare to the RCCL excursion price... 

[CruiserBruce]

4 hours ago, CCJack said:

Not a dumb question, but a couple things to consider.  Some advantages of a ship's excursion (during the cruise) are:  1) priority on getting off of the ship early, 2) they guarantee return to ship on time, and 3) convenience of buses right at the ship gangway.   None of these would apply for days prior to cruise, so maybe also look at independent tours or private guides and compare to the RCCL excursion price... 

Stretching the story a bit here...at a docked situation, usually anyone can get off any time. So really no priority to ship's excursions. Tender ports, yes. Docked ports, no. Two, how can anyone guarantee getting back to the ship on time? Ship happens...there was a bus load of people on a ship's excursion that missed the ship due to heavy rain and flooding. They couldn't catch up with the ship for 2 days...thus missing their Panama Canal transit. The ship might wait for a late ship's excursion, if they can. Lastly, where the excursion buses pick up or drop you off depends on the physical layout of the pier/dock. Sometimes you have to walk through a terminal. Other times all the way to the land end of the dock. That can be a long walk.

[CeleBrat]

You can usually only tack on a pre-cruise excursion if you arrange your pre-cruise travel via the cruise line.  If you are traveling independently, then no.

[edinburgher]

On 6/18/2024 at 6:29 PM, Mikewa said:

Seems RCCL has great excursions in Rome.  If we arrive a few days prior to our cruse, can we use an RCCL excursion - even if we havent started our cruse yet?

If you are already in Rome, you could probably replicate these "great" tours with other providers. This means you could tailor your tours to your own personal interests (and timings) rather than having to follow the cruiselines "one size fits all" tours.

[euro cruiser]

What does the excursion offer that you want?  If you list the sites we can probably help you find a much less expensive Rome-based excursion or show you how to do it on your own.

[Mikewa]

25 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

What does the excursion offer that you want?  If you list the sites we can probably help you find a much less expensive Rome-based excursion or show you how to do it on your own.

Thanks.  Nothing specific, but there are several tours that include all the "touristy" things, running about 10 hours or so.  

[euro cruiser]

If you're staying in the city, a ten hour tour is kind of excessive.  From a ship that ten hours includes about 3 - 4 hours of travel time, which gets you back to a full six or seven hour tour.

 

September is still pretty hot, in terms of weather, and crowded, in terms of visitors.  One of the great benefits of a hotel in the city (vs. a port day visit) is the ability to take a rest in the middle of the day and not race around to make a specific return time.

 

I suggest that you look for a few more limited tours to check off your boxes, vs. one long, exhausting day when you don't need to do that.