Staying off boat overnight...Mille 14 day Med

Staying off boat overnight...Mille 14 day Med

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Some thoughts on the plan....the Millen 14 day stays overnight in Rome...we plan to get off boat...train into Rome and stay overnight....do the usual tourist things.....then on day two instead of going back to the boat in the afternoon hop the train up to Florence and stay overnight...do the usual tourist things then hop the train to Pisa for a couple of hours then go to boat.....this means two nights off the boat...I imagine you will have to tell them you are not returning to the boat????

This way we get to Florence and have more time there and can walk about in the evening and see things in the am before all the boat people show up at 10 am...anyone done this....I think it will be cheaper than arranging tours off the boat with all the going back and forth and wasted time.....

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I would definitely tell them since they scan your card when you get off the ship, then scan it when you get back on. I don't know if they use that for a head count but I would tell someone (who?) anyway, definitely my cabin steward so he wouldn't worry, but also someone in authority for the reason I mentioned above.

I would just ask you to think about a couple of things...you have already paid for your "hotel" (the ship), so you're incurring unnecessary expense there (also the expense of the trains), and one of the nice things about cruising is that the ship moves from port to port while you sleep, so you don't have the inconvenience of transporting yourself (the train). Also, have you thought about what you are going to do with your luggage while you are sightseeing in the various cities?

Will get back as cooking burgers....Canada Day here...

I highly recommend your idea. Rome is so different at night and this will allow you to take advantage of it. 2 cautions though as I did this on the Millennium in 2000.

1. be prepared for a train strike as they happen at any moment it seems.

2. let as many people as possible know of what you are doing onboard. Your waiter, steward, security, etc. Even though I notified everyone I was staying overnight in Rome and there was no card check-in at that time, the ship did not go to Livorno as scheduled but went to Nice instead. Although a shock it just added to the adventure.

Overall it was well worth the extra expense of the hotel and restaurants. Now I did the same thing in Hawaii to overnight with some friends and that is quite another story. I do not recommend leaving the ship for the night in any US port. Passenger Services Act or Jones Act...whatever. Enjoy Europe!

jeff

just a question-does not the ship keep your passport when you board?will they be comfortable giving it back to you?

You have to ask the purser, but we had no problem getting our passports back. Of course there was only 2 days left to the cruise and it began and ended in Genova. I suppose if we still had to go to Turkey it would have been different. The hotels do require your passport to stay overnight!

jeff

Thanks, looks like the plan will fly.....get your passports though...I have never had the ship take my passport...is this only in Europe????we usually put them in the room safe.....anyways I think it may even be cheaper than staying on the boat and going back and forth six times on the trains or using the ship or private tours....the time in late Oct and into Nov...hotels are cheaper and food is quiet reasonable...we think it would be neat to be out and about in the evenings in Rome and Florence....way different than the herd like mentaliy of the day time tours.....thanks again

We have been on 3 European cruises and our passports were taken off us twice. We cannot remember if they were taken on our Transatlantic and Caribbean ones. Do not bank on anything going to schedule in Italy, its not that sort of place. Allow plenty of time for any plans.

We're on the Summit Med cruise in Nov 08 and we also overnight in Rome. We too, have been thinking of taking the train in and spending the night. Please keep us posted on who you talk to & how this works for you!!! I don't believe we will venture to Florence, but just do Rome!!!:D

We are just off the Millennium and they did not keep our passports, so that will not be an issue. I was happy to go back to the ship in the evenings, we were exhausted but I am sure that you will see a great deal more doing it your way. Have a great trip and enjoy!

Cheryl

This is a great idea as both Rome and Florence are at their best in the evenings, when the daytrippers have gone. You can enjoy the traditional passagiata and a glass of wine or a tartufo while lingering in one of the many beautiful piazzas.

I am partial to land trips to the Med as my favorite times are the early mornings and evenings. Rome is phenomal at night and I highly recommend a private night tour of Rome by private car. Pricey but unforgettable!

this means two nights off the boat...I imagine you will have to tell them you are not returning to the boat????

But why not just do some of the options you mentioned as a pre- or postcruise stay? Staying in Europe on the ground at least a week before and after our cruise works well for us, and it sounds like it would for you too because you want a ground stay in addition to your cruise. You can easily do this by train (or plane or rental car).

BTW, we were on the May 25th Millennium sailing and, unlike in year's past with Celebrity and other cruise lines, our passports were not kept by the ship's officials during the sailing.

Donna

Do not bank on anything going to schedule in Italy, its not that sort of place. Allow plenty of time for any plans.

Ditto. We go off on our own in port a lot but have to make a lot of contingency plans. We stayed in Italy for a week prior to our Millennium Med cruise last month. The local trains that we used (the Circumvesiana route between Naples and Sorrento) were the only ones that ran on time. Our trains from Naples to Milan, Como to Milan, Milan to Venice, etc. were all late by at least half an hour. Our hydrofoil to and from Capri was 15 minutes late coming and going. Arrival and departure times are just a suggestion in Italy. :)

Donna

Will keep the time questions in the back of our minds....doing the two nights gives us lots of leeward time....just figuring out costs and this is probably cheaper than doing all the ship tours and the six times in and out to the cities....gosh...that adds up to 12 hrs of sitting on the train or bus...as compared with max of 4 hrs now....two into Rome and two back from Florence.....Ken

Hi we are first time travellers and had the same problem in regards to leaving the ship overnight and rejoining at the next port. On princess lines when you pay your final payment you must ask for a "deviation from scheduled cruise" form which must be filled out and faxed to them and the original given to the purser on boarding it has details like names cabin no's contact number of hotel or tour company while ashore hope this helps as we didnt know we needed one but thanks to others on our roll call we aquired the forms filled them out and faxed away

If you are planning spending overnight time ashore, be SURE you can obtain your passports from the purser if required. (In fact, I take my passport whenever I am ashore.)

I am concerned about the "no problem" assumptions in some of the above replies.

I have had several different experiences on several different cruise lines, and they do NOT seem to depend on the ship, but rather on the countries visited on the cruise. On my last trip to the Med on QE2, they retained our passports on board: we were told that the Italian authorities required it. (On many QE2 voyages previously, this was never required.) I was able to obtain my passport for the day, but required to return it to the purser on reboarding.

On other cruises, I have been told "your ship ID is as good as your passport." Hmmm. Possibly legally (though I doubt it), but don't try to cash a traveler's check or (possibly) use a credit card without your passport.

If you stay ashore, you will probably be required to show your passport at the hotel. (They may retain it overnight ... be sure you can get it back at the time you plan to check out.)

Please ... for your own peace of mind ... check this out with the cruise line before you go, and make arrangements with the purser IMMEDIATELY when you get on board.

Have a great time!

just figuring out costs and this is probably cheaper than doing all the ship tours and the six times in and out to the cities

Hi Ken -I think it's a great way to maximize your time in port - how nice to have evenings and early mornings in Rome and Florence! Re cost, I don't think it will save money as return train fare from Civitavecchia to Rome, including subways/buses in Rome, is only 9E/pp, but saving travel time and having extra time in both cities will make the extra expense worth it. A port day in Livorno only allows about 6.5 hours in Florence ... not nearly enough. Enjoy your trip ... we loved our Millennium cruise! :)

I just read a post here on the Celebrity board that Millie suffered prop damage while in Villefranche and had to miss Florence in order to get to Rome to get it repaired!!!:eek: Just gives me another reason to only overnight in Rome on our Med trip instead of trying to go from one port to another!

MBZ Girl puts this into the right light. The thing to keep in mind is that ports can be missed due to various reasons. If you choose to leave the ship and rejoin it further down the itinerary, this leaves you in a bad position if the ship does not make the port. What's more important to you: more time in Florence; or not missing the rest of your cruise? As has been pointed out on these boards many times before, if a port is an 'absolute must', you may want to consider visiting it separately from a cruise.

I know what the OP is probably thinking..."what are the chances that Millie is going to hit a rock on MY cruise?"...and the answer is, probably very slim...but things CAN happen. Several of us have tried to be the devil's advocate, but if you're willing to take your chances, then what the hey, why NOT combine a cruise with a land trip?

MBZ Girl puts this into the right light. The thing to keep in mind is that ports can be missed due to various reasons. If you choose to leave the ship and rejoin it further down the itinerary, this leaves you in a bad position if the ship does not make the port. What's more important to you: more time in Florence; or not missing the rest of your cruise? As has been pointed out on these boards many times before, if a port is an 'absolute must', you may want to consider visiting it separately from a cruise.

I have no problem overnighting in a port where the ship overnights, but....port to port.....NEVER! Way too scary!

Yikes....hitting rocks and going slow....what a drag.....the ports are so close together you could easily get to the ship if it missed one....heck could get off in Naples and not come back until Villefrane....ha ha....anyways whatever we do it will be thought out....kind of exciting to roam about on your own...last time I did that was the hippy days in the 60's..I really think it is a waste of time and will miss shore time if we have to Rome...Day1....in and out...4hrs.... Rome...Day 2...in and out 4hrs....Florence ..Day 3 in and out 4hr....gosh a whole lot of sitting....and then those forced trips to factories to buy stuff...killing more shore time....just my thoughts......Ken

Hi Ken, I agree that if the ship doesn't stop at Livorno, or even Villefranche, that you will have no problem meeting up with it in Barcelona - a bit of adventure and expense, but isn't that what life is all about :)

But don't think of the ship's excursions as the only alternative to staying over night .... you can go by train and do it on your own if you want to do day trips (and no factory visits necessary) .... but you are still in for a couple of hours of travel time each way with no evenings or early mornings in Florence or Rome. Good luck with your plans and let us know how it works out.

Hi Susan....agree that you will still have some trave time.....2 hrs into Rome.....Rome to Florence 1 and half hrs on fast train....cost 27 euros....Florence via Pisa...2hrs.....sure beats the in and out three times...ha....plus we get two evenings in the cities that the others do not....the hotes we have are in the 110 euros a night and include breakfast.....we will have to buy lunches but those on tours will do that also....so we need to get two suppers in quaint ltalian cafes...neat...missing two nights on the ship is a no brainer for me...from what I have read the people on bus tours or private tours are so burnt out after touring for 8 or 9 hrs they are in bed by 10 PM....and then up at 6....not for me....this way we get off the boat at a reasonable time and back refreshed....Ken

we will have to buy lunches but those on tours will do that also....so we need to get two suppers in quaint ltalian cafes...neat...missing two nights on the ship is a no brainer for me...from what I have read the people on bus tours or private tours are so burnt out after touring for 8 or 9 hrs they are in bed by 10 PM....and then up at 6....not for me....this way we get off the boat at a reasonable time and back refreshed....Ken

Food and wine in the Med are outstanding and far superior to ship cuisine, IMO. This is another advantage of staying off the ship for a night or two. Unlike some folks who run back to the ship to take advantage of the included meals, in almost all ports the world over I take every opportunity to enjoy the local cuisine.:)