Cruise Question- If the cruise is on a Monday, in Italy,Rome (Civitavecchia) and the ship leaves at 5pm,?

Question

thanks thomas 14

Answer 1

First of all it is highly recommended that you fly to your departure port the day before your cruise.  The reason for this is simple;  FLIGHT DELAYS.  I have been on 2 Mediterranean cruises out of Barcelona, Spain and one to the Baltic out of Dover, England and it was our experience that the $150 to $200 you spend to get there early and stay a night to rest up and adjust to the time difference, plus not have to worry about a delayed or missed flight is worth the price.

Second, Civitavecchia is a good hour on the highway from Rome. So when you get to Rome, collect your luggage and are ready to start to the port you will need about 2 hours, an hour or so to get there and another half an hour or so to get your baggage to the ship's porters and check in.  (most cruise line specify that you must be on board at least 30 minutes before departure time.  And if you have not completed the pre-cruise travel documentation (on line or by mail) you will need to be there 2 hours early.

Your flight out of NY to Rome will likely be overnight and you will get there at lets say 10:00 AM if its a direct flight.  If you have to go through one of London's airports it will be longer and you should avoid Heathrow if at all possible because it can add hours to your flight and is most likely to cause a delay or missed flight (been there and done that .... will never go through there again).

For your return flight, knowing that you will need at the very minimum an hour to get to Rome, I suggest that you book your flight back to the US late in the afternoon, like 3:00 PM or later.  If the ship docks at 9:00 Am its going to be about 10:00 AM before you are actually headed toward Rome.  Throw in some traffic congestion and you will be about noon getting there.  3:00 PM feels more comfortable to me than noon or 1:00 PM.

Answer 2

ask ur travel agent

Answer 3

I would give yourself a day before and after your cruise. You never know what may come about.  I would also purchase Insurance with this trip.