Pre-Cruise in Rome, Ports in Messina & Naples

My fiance and I are sailing on an Italy and Greek Isles cruise next summer for our honeymoon. The ship departs from Rome, so will be spending a few days there. We will spend one day each in Messina (Sicily) and Naples during the cruise.

For Rome, we looked in to the cruise line's pre-cruise package, but we think we'll be happier doing our own thing instead. That means we need to lots of our own planning. We need recommendations for hotels (gay-friendly), transfers, private or small group tours, restaurants/pizzerias/bakeries/gelato places, etc. We plan to do the usual tourist sites (Vatican, Colessum, etc) but what are the tips we need to know - best time to visit, pay for front of line access, etc.? What are the off-the-beaten things we might miss if we don't know about them in advance? And if we want to check out the gay culture, we should we go, where is the gay community?

We know nothing about Messina. What should we see or do during our day there? How should we do it?

Naples is our last day on the cruise; we disembark and come home the next morning. How should we end our trip? Capri or Amalfi Coast? Herculaneum or Pompei? Naples or Salerno?

Thanks.

I saw your post re Greece too...I would suggest that you do some reading re a guide book such as Rick Steves or anything pertaining to your ports,and then do doem extensive reading on these board as to what to do,how to do it(train,bus,taxi private car etc. ) and then come back and ask questions that you cannot find answers to. There is a wealth of information on these boards and most of your questions will be answered.Some of the ports are easy DIY and some may take it a bit of planning on your part. For hotels check out Venere.com as well as other suggestions on the Italy board. Good luck.

Hi Karen,

Yes, thanks for the suggestions. I'm at such a loss for where to even start planning, that any advice is good. A guide book sounds like a great place.

I'm going to wait for Rick Steves' 2016 editions to come out, but I will buy them as soon as they do.

Thanks

Hi Karen,

 

Yes, thanks for the suggestions. I'm at such a loss for where to even start planning, that any advice is good. A guide book sounds like a great place.

 

I'm going to wait for Rick Steves' 2016 editions to come out, but I will buy them as soon as they do.

 

Thanks

Rick Steves has a Mediterranean Cruise Ports guide which we studied a lot before our first Med cruise. In it he gives a thorough run down on most of the main Med ports including how to get to the town from the ship, sites to see, hotels to stay in, restaurants to eat at, and ways to avoid the lines at popular sites. It is an excellent resource and you might start there. Personally, if I had only one day on the Amalfi Coast I would book a private (or shared) tour to include the main cities along the coast (Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello). Capri is a highlight but I think it would be a shame to miss the drive along that beautiful coastline and the views from high above the sea. Just my opinion though.

Messina was one of the stops on our first Med cruise. We went to the small Museo Regionale to see very old religious art work, saw the astronomical clock go off at noon (we actually climbed up the bell tower just before the clock went off), had lunch on the boat and then took an afternoon ship's excursion to Taormina to see the Greek Amphitheater. It was a very enjoyable day.

My favorite thing we did in Naples was to take the train to Pompeii, walk around, and then on the way back stop to see Herculaneum. Herculaneum is much smaller and I think more well preserved.

While you wait for your guidebook (really?) you can look through Rome's tourism web site which is quite robust: http://www.turismoroma.it/?lang=en

For Messina, try using the search function to see posts about Taormina, a popular destination from that port.

While you wait for your guidebook (really?) ..

My reaction exactly. Rome is thousands of years old, not too much changing from Rick Steves's 2015 to 2016 guides. :)

Tom and Diane,

I appreciate the suggestion! Thanks.

Julie,

Thanks so much....I just heard a less than flattering review of Messina on a podcast (Sort of like - Palermo is better, Taormina is just where all the excursions from Messina go.), so I'm glad to hear a favorable review. Sounds like a nice mix of sightseeing and relaxing.

I'll look into doing both Pompei and Herculaneum. Could be interesting to compare the two.

Thanks.

My reasoning behind waiting to the buy guide book was less about the sites themselves and more about logistics like pricing, renovations, closures, etc. I'd hate to plan for something based on 2015 data only to find that the cost has gone up or the place is closed in 2016.

Think about your tools for different purposes. Guide books are great for an overview, understanding the layout of an area and what it offers as well as general information on how to get around, currency, etc.

For specifics on opening hours, prices, etc. the better tool is the internet because the information is current.

Do not overplan...really!!! You can set yourself up for all kinds of woulda shoulda coulda's. Rule of theumb is to take half the clothes yu packed and more money than you planned to spend...if you come home with money you did good:D

My reasoning behind waiting to the buy guide book was less about the sites themselves and more about logistics like pricing, renovations, closures, etc. I'd hate to plan for something based on 2015 data only to find that the cost has gone up or the place is closed in 2016.

Barry, I knew that, I just had to chuckle, given how ancient Rome is. But a note of caution: the prices in a "current" guidebook and other sorts of logistical info are not up to the minute, even Rick Steves's. In terms of important things like closures, you may want to get truly current info from the internet. I use a guidebook for getting the lay of the land and deciding what I'd like to do/see, but given the lag time in terms of printing, I don't take the logistical info as gospel.

I highly recommend downloading Rick Steves's free Radio Europe app onto your phone or other mobile devices, and downloading some of his general "guide interviews" about Italy and Rome, to get in the mood before you leave, as well as his free walking tours. We used the latter in the Forum and it was excellent. The walking tour will even have a map with it, so no need to cart around a book.

Re "gay friendly" hotels, and I say this as half of a married lesbian couple, pick your hotel based on location and recommendations on here. In Rome, a hotel in the Pantheon/Piazza Navona area will let you walk to just about everything you are likely to want to see. Do a search in this forum for "hotels" and you'll find many threads recommending hotels in Rome. Last October, we stayed at the Albergo Cesari, minutes from the Pantheon, based on recommendations here, and we'd stay there again. Fantastic location, a large (albeit old) room, and wonderful breakfast on the terrace. Is it "gay friendly"? We were treated very well; obviously, I can't say how they'd treat a male couple.

And congrats again on your upcoming wedding.

Good point, euro_cruiser. Thanks for reminding me.

Karen,

Thanks. This is a very important rule of thumb to work by. I guess I just prefer to do lots of advance planning and make the most educated decisions I can regarding what to do and what not to.

Thanks, Turtles.

Yes, you make a good point. I suppose as the guidebooks are within a year or two they are great as a starting place. Roads and ruins don't really change their location!

Yup, I actually found Rick Steves podcast and electronic resources this afternoon. I had to delete a bunch of other apps and data from my phone to make room for all his files! Looks like I've found some stuff to listen to on my 45-minute commute.

Thanks for your thoughts on Rome hotels. Albergo Cesari is already on my short list, but your review will definitely give it some additional consideration. It sounds wonderful. Glad to hear that your experience was positive; I'll take it! I suppose I could always try emailing the hotel if I can find a contact person...

Thanks again.

Thanks for your thoughts on Rome hotels. Albergo Cesari is already on my short list, but your review will definitely give it some additional consideration. It sounds wonderful. Glad to hear that your experience was positive; I'll take it! I suppose I could always try emailing the hotel if I can find a contact person...

 

Thanks again.

Wherever you decide to stay, it was our experience that the prices were much lower the earlier you booked. We booked about a year out, and then monitored the price, which kept rising. Of course, if the price drops after you've booked, the hotel should give you the lower price.

Cruisemom42, an Italy expert who posts frequently in this forum, loves the Albergo del Senato, right across from the Pantheon. Typically pricier, but it's your honeymoon! :)

Here's the mail address for the Albergo Cesari:

info@albergocesari.it

But do read up more here on CC; sounds like you have already been doing your homework!

(BTW, Celebrity's S-class ships are simply stunning.)

Thanks, Turtles. We are really looking forward to the whole thing. I'll put Albergo del Senato on our list; I feel like I've heard it mentioned before, so that's another vote for it.

I'm spending a lot (maybe too much) time on CC.

So far we are happy with our itinerary choice, Celebrity, and the ship. There were lots of 7-night cruises to choose from that we would have enjoyed, but once we decided on a 10-night, this ship was clearly the only choice for us.

Barry -- one additional suggestion re your hotel. Unless you pick something obscure, it's quite possible that others from your Roll Call will also be staying there or nearby, enabling you to share a private transfer to Civitavecchia. (Also another good reason to join your Roll Call, if you haven't done so yet!) We did exactly that last fall; worked out very nicely, and made for a very good kickoff to the cruise.

Hi Turtles,

That's exactly what's been happening! I actually connected with another couple with whom we are planning to share a cab from our hotels to the port. We will probably even join them for dinner/drinks one night in Rome!

I hope it works out for us as it did for you.

Thanks.

Just booked our room at the Terrazza Marco Antonio luxury suites bed & breakfast!! It was a little more than we wanted to spend, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to stay there we after saw the pictures and reached out the manager.

Our favorite tour on our Med cruise was the Godfather tour here!

http://www.sicilylife.com/sicily-tours/sicilian-villages-and-godfather-tour

Also, if you plan a lot of do it yourself check out this strike announcement page.

http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp

Short duration strikes are very common in Italy, so check before any critical planning

Our favorite tour on our Med cruise was the Godfather tour here!

http://www.sicilylife.com/sicily-tours/sicilian-villages-and-godfather-tour

 

Also, if you plan a lot of do it yourself check out this strike announcement page.

http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp

 

Short duration strikes are very common in Italy, so check before any critical planning

That's great. I will look into these options a bit more!...Yes, I've been listening to Rick Steves' podcasts, and he's talked at length about the culture of strikes - more of a nuisance for a few hours, rather than the days- or weeks-long strikes we're used to here.

Thanks.

 

For Rome, we looked in to the cruise line's pre-cruise package, but we think we'll be happier doing our own thing instead. That means we need to lots of our own planning. We need recommendations for hotels (gay-friendly), transfers, private or small group tours, restaurants/pizzerias/bakeries/gelato places.

 

morning. How should we end our trip? Capri or Amalfi Coast? Herculaneum or Pompei? Naples or Salerno?

 

Thanks.

We are recently back from Rome and I would highly recommend the "Rome by Night" food walking tour. Several stops for a variety of food and some history too was the best of everything. Groups are small (16 or less) and the tour lasts about four hours.

https://www.foodtoursofrome.com

A trip to Capri will be a nice way to end your vacation but the Archeological Museum in Naples is also a gem. Either is easy to diy.

We are recently back from Rome and I would highly recommend the "Rome by Night" food walking tour. Several stops for a variety of food and some history too was the best of everything. Groups are small (16 or less) and the tour lasts about four hours.

 

https://www.foodtoursofrome.com

 

A trip to Capri will be a nice way to end your vacation but the Archeological Museum in Naples is also a gem. Either is easy to diy.

lilybob,

Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!! My fiance is a big foodie, so the thought of eating our way through Rome is absolutely perfect. These look like a great bunch of opportunities, and I'm sure that we will pick at least one of them!

I'm torn on Naples. Capri is supposed to be gorgeous, but we are big history people and might regret not seeing Pompei or the artifacts from there that have been moved to the museum. Going to have to make a tough call....

Thanks!