Rome

Hi, not actually new to cruising but new to asking questions.

Has anyone used smartcruisetours.com in Rome? I am unable to find any reviews other than on their website.

We'll be in Rome on 4/2 and have never seen any of it. Previously boarded there and though the train was cheap we found it quite stressful. We'll be there from 8am to 7pm

Thanks for any help

Hi there - I would recommend asking on your specific Roll Call, which is a group of some of the people who will be sailing with you. Go to the Roll Call section, choose your ship and date, and there is most likely a thread already running for that sailing. You can ask there, set up tour shares, ride shares, etc.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34 <---Roll Call section, click here

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Go to the Ports of Call board here for Rome and ask your question there. Also check TripAdvisor...EM

Many people use RomeinLimo.com but all they provide is transportation. If you can stand to use the train to come into Rome, there are guides who will meet you at your train for a walking tour, which is honestly the best way to see Rome. The company we used was ThroughEternity.com. They will tailor the tour to your specific interests. You will walk quite a bit and take taxis or buses as needed - for example, we started at Roma Termini and then saw the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona and then the Fountain of Four rivers, the Pantheon, had lunch at a lovely restaurant, then saw the Trevi Fountain, then took a taxi over to the Forum and Colosseum and toured both Our tour guide walked us to the train to take us back to the ship at 3:30pm. We had no worry about making it back to the train in time as our tour guide knew exactly what we were doing, where we should go and how long we had at each location. She also knew exactly which train we should take, so we didn't have to figure it out. ThroughEternity.com can set up any tour you want to anything you want to see in Rome! And the tour guide was not just some kid who knows their way around Rome, she was actually a historian who knew a great deal about the history and told us many fascinating stories that most Americans will not have heard about the various sights. To me, this was the best day we spent in Rome ever and we've been 3 times. I would recommend doing this over any other type of tour and it was quite inexpensive.

However, the other thing I should mention is that the Pope has declared 2016 a special Holy year of Mercy. This means that Rome is expecting about 25 million tourists, compared to the 16 million they get in a normal year. The roads will be clogged with vehicles trying to to get into Rome and the limited parking will be even more limited than it is normally and the city is charging a premium for driving in Rome, which has caused many of these tourist car companies to have to charge their customers substantially more. Lines to get into the Vatican and particularly St. Peter's Basilica will be longer than normal and they are normally incredibly long but new security procedures will be added that will slow things down even more. Crowd control at the Vatican, even under normal circumstances is not the best. Expect to wait in line and then wait some more.

The other thing to understand about a Holy Year is that not only is it more crowded in Rome, but the question is if Rome is ready for the security that is needed to handle the situation. You see, the Pope doesn't coordinate when a Holy Year will be with Rome as the Vatican is a sovereign state, so then Rome has to prepare as best they can. Right now they have limited budgets and there is concern as to whether or not Rome is ready for this onslaught. The Mayor of Rome has resigned and the planning for this seems to be somewhat problematic. Here are some articles explaining what is going on:

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/12/07/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-holy-year-of-mercy/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/11882187/Rome-to-increase-tourist-tax-in-Holy-Year-to-ease-coach-congestion.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/world/europe/wary-of-risks-in-jubilee-year-rome-is-on-alert.html?_r=0

A Holy Year in Rome is comparable to when a city gets the summer or winter Olympics. If you have experienced the onslaught from that and all the attendant complications, you have a pretty good idea of how crowded Rome will be in 2016. Only you can judge for yourself if you feel comfortable dealing with something like this or if you prefer to travel in a more serene and comfortable way by going elsewhere.

My advice is that if you plan to be on a cruise which stops in Civitevecchia in 2016, you perhaps should consider choosing a different tour altogether outside of Rome. There are so many interesting sights in the countryside that will keep you out of the teeming hoards in Rome itself and out of the traffic going into Rome and you can avoid taking the train altogether by heading out into the countryside with a private driver. Ideas include:

Bormarzo Parco dei Mostri, Villa Lante and Villa Farnese

Lake Bracchiano

Ostia Antica

Assisi

Orvieto

Hadrian's Villa

Villa D'Este

Any of the above would easily take up an entire day and make a lovely excursion.

However, such a decision must be made on your own depending on what you are comfortable with. If this will be your only chance ever to see Rome, then it may be worth it to you to put up with the vast crowds. Only you know what is best for you.

I agree the best way to see Rome is on foot but they only have a day.

See the highpoints. Don't linger too long and grab a taxi between Coloseum and St. Peter's etc If you try to walk between, you won't see much.

Check the ports of call boards for Italy. There have been some reviews of the company you ask about but they are by no means universally positive. Especially if you are thinking of using them for a tour and not just for transportation into Rome. I seem to recall quite a few complaints from people.

Yes, Rome will be crowded -- but you will be there in April before the main tourist season is underway. I wouldn't skip Rome if there are things you want to see.

We did a Mediterranean cruise this past May and connected with our Roll Call members for all of our private tours. We used RomeCabs for the transportation and hired a guide through them for Rome and the Vatican. It was a small group of 8 and we saw so much in one day for about 50 euros/pp.

Start at the beginning of your Roll Call and read through it. You will see who is organizing tours and needs other people to join. It worked out so well for us and we got to meet a lot of really nice people.

Sue

Be sure to check out the Italy Ports Of Call Board.

Keith

Many people use RomeinLimo.com but all they provide is transportation.

Not true. They have guides as well.

What the OP needs to understand is, that according to Italian law, and some other countries in Europe as well, drivers and guides are two distinct, different jobs and licenses. Thus you will frequently see different people for those services.

Not true. They have guides as well.

 

What the OP needs to understand is, that according to Italian law, and some other countries in Europe as well, drivers and guides are two distinct, different jobs and licenses. Thus you will frequently see different people for those services.

Important to note, though, that the guide is an add-on cost, not part of the basic quoted price.

Such tours can be good if you have a group to split the cost but very expensive if you want to do the tour as a couple (or solo).

Thank you for the advice. I'll have a go. We cruising with Costa and I have not seen any roll calls for them.

The Costa Roll Calls are here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=488

Thanks Cruiserbruce. Never knew there was a roll call for Costa. 4 weeks tomorrow! really looking forward to cruising again.