Pre-cruise Hotel in Rome

[Chris41]

My wife and I did the Med cruise on the Freedom last month and we are planning on going back again next year. We are also planning on taking the advice of so many on the site and fly to Rome a couple days early. My question is is it better to book the hotel thru the cruise line or go it on our own. Any and all suggestions for accomadations would be greatly appreciated.

[katzeyes]

This spring when we were in Rome we stayed at the Hotel Giulio Cesare and it was a great hotel. The people were wonderful and very,very friendly and helpful. Room was great and the food was excellent. It was in a nice neighborhood -- we walked alot and never felt worried at all. It was close to the river so that was nice "locator" when we needed to find our hotel. Any questions, just ask.

Have a wonderful time!

[Bill S]

We did a 3-night pre-cruise package in Rome with HAL last year, and they put us up in the Visconti Palace. It is a very modern and conveniently located hotel. It is on the west side of the Tiber River, but not too far west. I don't recall what the going rate is if you book it on your own, however.

[6rugrats]

We did a post cruise stay in Rome this June. Instead of staying right in Rome, we got out of the heat and bustle at night, and stayed in a small town called Palestrina. It's about a 20-30 minute train ride. I highly recommend the bed and breakfast where we stayed - Anne's Place. Price for two was 70 Euros per night.

 

Check out the reviews for Anne's place on tripadvisor and look at her web page. Being out in the countryside was wonderful, and Anne will do everything for you, from pick up and drop off at the train station, to ordering you take-out pizza.

 

You will not find service like that in Rome for 70 Euro.

[agabbymama]

All depends on what you want to pay. I'm doing 2 days pre-cruise in Rome in Oct '08. Can't really book that far out right now, so I was using Oct '07 for comparison purposes. I'm finding $265 to 500 per night. I can't afford those prices, so started looking at B&Bs.

 

I've found a few. I have so many requirements (lift, smoking, twin beds, ensutie bathroom, etc) that it was difficult. I finally found one in Civitavecchia called Casa Mica, and two in Rome, one called Domus Aurelia and another called Domus Betti. They all got pretty good reviews. And while I can't smoke in the facility, there are terraces or balconies or gardens where I will be able to go to smoke.

 

I'm planning to try and book the first week of December. They are small B&Bs, so want to get it booked early, to be sure and get one of them secured.

 

Good sights to check are Tripadvisor.com/expedia.com/venere.com. I like venere.com for their maps/locations, expedia.com for their photos, and tripadvisor for their reviews.

 

Good luck and have fun planning.

[rkacruiser]

I, too, booked a pre-cruise hotel package through HAL and also stayed at the Visconti Palace. Very nice property, well located with many sites within easy walking distance, and lots of restaurants nearby. Front Desk staff was most helpful in answering my questions and provided two excellent restaurant suggestions. Breakfast included in the hotel rate was quite good.

 

One of the advantages of booking a hotel package with the cruise line is that there will probably be a local tour company representative stationed at the hotel during certain hours that represents the cruise line. They are there to help you plan your stay in the city and answer questions and concerns related to your trip. During my stay in April, the representative included in the information packet for me her telephone number in case I needed to contact her when she was not on duty at the hotel. Another advantage of the pre-cruise package is that transfers from airport to hotel to ship are normally included.

[Chris41]

Thank you everyone for your responses and advice I know I have a lot of time to plan but like to get a jump start on things. I believe I will look into all the different places you suggested especially the B&B. Tell the truth I hadn't even thought about going that route although we enjoy staying at them in the states. Well thanks again and happy sailing.