Book the tour to the Vatican or try to go it alone?

Question

Our cruise in May is stopping in Rome and we want to tour the Vatican and such. Is it easier/cheaper to do it yourself or go with the guides from shore excursion? Is the wait to get it ridiculous?

Answer 1

i too am going on the this cruise.  i have been told that to book the vatican tour from the ship because it is one of the few who take you all the way instead of leaving you c"close by".  the rest of the tours oi am booking directly from a tour companies who will pick you up at the port.  or i have arrange for a car at some of the other ports that i am going to.

Answer 2

I have done the tour both ways and while booking the ship's tour is much more expensive than going by train and doing it yourself, the ship's tour is much better.

You are driven from Civitavecchia into Rome with an knowledgeable guide who points out all the interesting sights and guides you through the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Cistine Chapel explaining everything that you see.

If you are doing it yourself and something goes wrong and you are delayed, the ship won't wait for you, you'll have to make your own way to the next port to pick up the ship again.

If you are on the ship's tour, the ship will wait for all the tours to return.

Here is a good guide to Rome ( the section on Rome starts at page 259)

http://books.google.com/books?id=kVYmBn7...

Answer 3

Book your Vatican tour with the ship; do not try to do it on your own.

We did a Mediterranean cruise a couple years ago on a Royal Caribbean ship and the cruise ships stop at Civitavecchia, Italy which is a good hour or more bus ride from Rome.  When we did our tour of Rome we departed the ship about 8:00 AM and when we got to  Rome got stuck in a traffic jam/accident which delayed our arrival at the Vatican.  Then the line to get in was about 3 blocks long; we were actually down the block from the gate, around the corner and then down the block some more.

At the end of our tours in Rome, about 4:00 PM we were caught in rush hour traffic getting out of the city and did not get back to the ship until about 7:30 PM.  We missed dinner but the ship waited for our tour to get back before they departed.  If we had been on an independent tour we would have been left at the port.  

Although the lines will be long, you don't want to go that close and not go.  Our tour was of the Vatican and the Colosseum, plus lunch in an Italian restaurant.  All worth it.

My advice is go with the ship.  But if you want to go on your own here are some links:

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/M...

http://www.vatican-tours.com/?gclid=COCt...  

http://www.limousineserviceinromeitaly.c...

Answer 4

The wait to get into the Vatican is really really long. I saw someone standing in line for hours and she came close to missing the bus back to the ship. She was on a tour, but not to get inside. So if you are booking a tour, make sure it includes getting inside the Vatican. If so, I would for sure book that instead of trying to go on your own. By the way, it takes a hour ride by buss or van to go from the port to the city of Rome.