12 hours in Rome

My wife and I are going on the 12 night Mediterranean cruise this October on the eclipse. We invited another couple to join us, this being their first cruise (only our 2nd). There are a lot of ports on the itinerary, Rome being one of the stops.

I understand it’s about 90 minutes from the port to Rome, and from everything I’ve read people recommend doing a tour. We’d like to stick with a tour through celebrity, just so we know if something happens the boat will wait for our return. We are leaning towards one of the small group, or private tours. Does anyone have any personal experience with one of the day long private or small group excursions? I see many of them only costing ~$800 for a private group of 4... but then read that it’s mainly them just driving you from spot to spot and not providing anything other than entrance to the colosseum and Vatican City. Is it wise to have a dedicated tour guide, vs a driver that will get you to many of the major stops? We only have about 12 hours total, so we want to maximize our time and get the most out of Rome, without breaking the bank. Thanks for any advice!

I don’t have experience with a small group Rome tour, but we did a whirlwind, comprehensive Princess excursion in Rome a few years ago. As you were thinking, it’s well worth it. You don’t have to worry about missing the ship; we actually were in stopped traffic on the way back due to a horrific accident and were the last coach to return. The group provides you with skip the line access to all the sites, so you don’t waste time in lines. The guides are required to be masters level knowledgeable and certified, so they really know what they’re talking about.

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Our first med cruise I organized a group of 7 with Driver in Rome. It was the most perfect day. Subsequent trips we’ve done our own thing but that tour was amazing. We got right up close to attractions and saw so much. Have you checked out your roll call to see if there are any private tour openings?

I know you mentioned wanting (preference) to do a cruise ship tour, but I would not rule out non-ship tours. Consider looking into RomeCabs. They are very good and reliable.

Our first med cruise I organized a group of 7 with Driver in Rome. It was the most perfect day. Subsequent trips we’ve done our own thing but that tour was amazing. We got right up close to attractions and saw so much. Have you checked out your roll call to see if there are any private tour openings?

I will look at our roll call and see if anyone there has anything. Many of the tours are for groups of 4, which means the 4 of us going would make a full group. More looking for people who have experience with those kind of tours.

The description of them is what throws me off, because they say “full day tour of Rome” but then also specify the drivers speak English but are NOT tour guides and simply are to get you around to the different places. I’m not sure if it’s basically a full day taxi and we should expect nothing more, or if it’s an actual tour.

I know you mentioned wanting (preference) to do a cruise ship tour, but I would not rule out non-ship tours. Consider looking into RomeCabs. They are very good and reliable.

Thanks for the suggestion, I’m not 100% opposed to going through a non-ship tour. Just more nervous given the distance from port and the possibility of a breakdown or accident knowing the ship won’t wait for us since it’s a non sanctioned tour.

We have visited a number of ports in Europe and have never taken a ships' tour. I understand your reluctance "in case anything happens", but believe me, the chance of you missing the ship is as good as the ship leaving one of its own tours behind. (That did happen on one of our Med. cruises on Royal Caribbean.) The reputation of private tour conpanies depends upon them getting you back to the ship on time. Arranging your own tour means a smaller group, a customized experience, the personal attention of your own driver/guide and less money out of your wallet.

That being said, I have arranged almost 20 tours between these two tour companies.

Romeinlimo https://www.romeinlimo.com

Stefanos Rome Cabs http://www.romecabs.com/toursinitaly/rome/

I am not afiliated with them in any way, but have been very pleased with the exceptional service they have provided for my own personal tours, and those I have arranged for friends or cruisemates. You can read their reviews on TripAdvisor to see what others have to say. Visit their websites and take a look at the tours they offer, and the prices they charge. I can highly recommend either one without reservation.

Can't help you out with a Celebrity excursion - we stopped booking excursions a number of years ago when we realized there was an alternative of better quality and value.

Whatever you decide you will fall in love with Rome!

Hi

We use driverinrome.com

Remo and his son are great

Checkout his site

I too would strongly recommend a non-ship tour. So long as you opt for a reputable vendor (research on your roll call and the port of call board and/or trip advisor) your chances of missing the ship are infinitesimal. If you opt for Celebrity excursion your chances of overpaying and/or not seeing nearly as much are near 100%. Rome has so much to see; since you have so little time a reputable tour with a vendor you research and choose is by far the best bet.

Would you rather have a tour for 4 that costs less than a ship's tour or pay more for a tour of 40 or more?

We did Rome Cabs and had a group of 8 that we organized on our Roll Call. It was great and we saw everything we wanted to see. Paid extra for a guide in Rome and Pompeii and it still was cheaper than the cruise line. Did Florence on our own with just a guidebook.

After 14 cruises we never use the ship's excursions. The private tours know when you have to be back onboard and are very good at time management. Twelve hours is a long time to be in port and believe me, you are ready to return "home" after 10 hours of touring.

Sue

Please also post on the Italy Ports Of Call Board to get additional advice on Rome at:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=595

Keith

We have used Driver in Rome numerous times for port/airport transfers and friends we were traveling with used them for a comprehensive tour of Rome one day. We have all always been very pleased, hence becoming repeat clients.

Rome in Limo and Romecabs are great. Their business relies on getting their customers to the ship on time. You can see a lot with them in a short time. You won’t see it all, but pick a few places that really interest you. You can work with either company ahead of time and agree on a tour and time frame that you’re both comfortable with.

Do the small private tour companies have skip the line access? We used the ship excursion and skipped the lines. There was a two hour line up to get into the Colosseum, and we walked right past. We also walked through the Forum, and spent a couple of hours at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Don’t do anything without skip the line access!

Most of the companies listed are really just cab companies. For some people that works really well as all they want is to see the sites. I wasn't happy with that. I wanted a tour guide to show me the sites and explain them. In the Caribbean, we almost never do ship tours as I found we could either do the same thing cheaper, or a smaller, better tour for the same price. All over Europe, I found that it was much more expensive to get private tours if you wanted a driver and a guide. I don't remember Italy's rules, but in Greece certified tour guides have the equivalent of a master's degree. So it makes sense that it is more expensive. In Europe we did ship tours if it was far from port, some on our own with Rick Steve's audio guides if the attractions were close to port, and a few calmer days of vineyards, beaches, or wandering where we didn't need a guide.

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Most of the companies listed are really just cab companies. For some people that works really well as all they want is to see the sites. I wasn't happy with that. I wanted a tour guide to show me the sites and explain them. In the Caribbean, we almost never do ship tours as I found we could either do the same thing cheaper, or a smaller, better tour for the same price. All over Europe, I found that it was much more expensive to get private tours if you wanted a driver and a guide. I don't remember Italy's rules, but in Greece certified tour guides have the equivalent of a master's degree. So it makes sense that it is more expensive. In Europe we did ship tours if it was far from port, some on our own with Rick Steve's audio guides if the attractions were close to port, and a few calmer days of vineyards, beaches, or wandering where we didn't need a guide.

 

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This is a great post. I have tried all of them, ship tours, REAL private tours and the cab/driver tour options. The best are REAL private tours where it is truly small group, it comes with a driver and a guide or many guides - some contract with a local guide at different places of interest. The ones I like least are a driver/cab option because they do not go into the sites with you and explain. In much of Europe, tour guides hold a different license (and they have to pass exams), hence the cab/driver are not even allowed to act as a tour guide and enter the sites even if they want to.

My preference is private tours that come with a driver and a guide, followed by ship tours. I just would never want to use a cab/driver only option again.

Stefanos Rome Cabs is wonderful I have used them many times.

Most of the companies listed are really just cab companies. For some people that works really well as all they want is to see the sites. I wasn't happy with that. I wanted a tour guide to show me the sites and explain them. In the Caribbean, we almost never do ship tours as I found we could either do the same thing cheaper, or a smaller, better tour for the same price. All over Europe, I found that it was much more expensive to get private tours if you wanted a driver and a guide. I don't remember Italy's rules, but in Greece certified tour guides have the equivalent of a master's degree. So it makes sense that it is more expensive. In Europe we did ship tours if it was far from port, some on our own with Rick Steve's audio guides if the attractions were close to port, and a few calmer days of vineyards, beaches, or wandering where we didn't need a guide.

 

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I beg to differ with you in your categorization that the companies listed "are really just cab companies". Which of those listed have you used? In Italy, the drivers are not permitted to take you into the sights unless they are licensed guides. With both Romeinlimo and Stefanos (which is so much more than a cab company), you have the option of having them arrange a licensed guide at the major sites such as The Vatican, at a very reasonable cost. Those guides are frequently the very same ones that are hired for cruise excursions. On our many tours the drivers presented rich, knowledgeable narratives during our drives (so much more personal than a tour bus). On our many trips to Italy, and other areas of the Med, the Baltics, Norway and Greece, we have never paid more than ships' tours, even when we've added in a licensed guide in addition the driver.

FWIW - in Greece we paid a fraction of the cost of the ships' excursions for small private tours. In Athens we had a driver and a licensed tour guide for the entire day - she was an advanced degree archeologist. The cost per person was less than half of a comparible Celebrity excursion (and there were only 15 of us).

I think the most important part is the ability of the company to skip the line. We've done the Celebrity full Rome tours twice, and without the ability to not wait in line for the Coliseum and Sistine Chapel, I don't know how you could get both in.

I beg to differ with you in your categorization that the companies listed "are really just cab companies". Which of those listed have you used? In Italy, the drivers are not permitted to take you into the sights unless they are licensed guides. With both Romeinlimo and Stefanos (which is so much more than a cab company), you have the option of having them arrange a licensed guide at the major sites such as The Vatican, at a very reasonable cost. Those guides are frequently the very same ones that are hired for cruise excursions. On our many tours the drivers presented rich, knowledgeable narratives during our drives (so much more personal than a tour bus). On our many trips to Italy, and other areas of the Med, the Baltics, Norway and Greece, we have never paid more than ships' tours, even when we've added in a licensed guide in addition the driver.

FWIW - in Greece we paid a fraction of the cost of the ships' excursions for small private tours. In Athens we had a driver and a licensed tour guide for the entire day - she was an advanced degree archeologist. The cost per person was less than half of a comparible Celebrity excursion (and there were only 15 of us).

Hopefully, OP will come to realize that Civitavecchia is best done as a start/end port for a cruise, which then allows for a three to four day Rome stay pre/post cruise. In that case, the Rome hotel concierge can arrange a private driver and a licensed guide, generally at a total price less expensive than RIL and other popular web advertised companies.

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Hopefully, OP will come to realize that Civitavecchia is best done as a start/end port for a cruise, which then allows for a three to four day Rome stay pre/post cruise. In that case, the Rome hotel concierge can arrange a private driver and a licensed guide, generally at a total price less expensive than RIL and other popular web advertised companies.

 

 

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This would have been the ideal way to do it, unfortunately with the itinerary it’s RT from Barcelona, so we will be spending a few days there prior to departure. I’m hoping someday we will be back to Rome.

I greatly appreciate all of the feedback from you all, we will do some digging and see what we come up with!

This would have been the ideal way to do it, unfortunately with the itinerary it’s RT from Barcelona, so we will be spending a few days there prior to departure. I’m hoping someday we will be back to Rome.

 

I greatly appreciate all of the feedback from you all, we will do some digging and see what we come up with!

Ive been to Rome thee times and we always use Rome In Limo for our excursions. My first was very similar to your in and out of Barcelona and a 12 hr stop in Rome. Rome In Limo do a great private tour for 8ea and we focused on the Vatican and Colosseum and a few other main sites. Enjoy your visit to my favorite city in the world.

Ive been to Rome thee times and we always use Rome In Limo for our excursions. My first was very similar to your in and out of Barcelona and a 12 hr stop in Rome. Rome In Limo do a great private tour for 8ea and we focused on the Vatican and Colosseum and a few other main sites. Enjoy your visit to my favorite city in the world.

We liked what we saw from them, did you book any of the private guides at the Vatican or Colosseum? And when you stopped the colosseum did you also visit the underground portion?

I beg to differ with you in your categorization that the companies listed "are really just cab companies". Which of those listed have you used? In Italy, the drivers are not permitted to take you into the sights unless they are licensed guides. With both Romeinlimo and Stefanos (which is so much more than a cab company), you have the option of having them arrange a licensed guide at the major sites such as The Vatican, at a very reasonable cost. Those guides are frequently the very same ones that are hired for cruise excursions. On our many tours the drivers presented rich, knowledgeable narratives during our drives (so much more personal than a tour bus). On our many trips to Italy, and other areas of the Med, the Baltics, Norway and Greece, we have never paid more than ships' tours, even when we've added in a licensed guide in addition the driver.

FWIW - in Greece we paid a fraction of the cost of the ships' excursions for small private tours. In Athens we had a driver and a licensed tour guide for the entire day - she was an advanced degree archeologist. The cost per person was less than half of a comparible Celebrity excursion (and there were only 15 of us).

Off topic here, sorry... We are on Silhouette May 7 Scandinavia and Eclipse May 20 Norwegian Fjords, do you have suggestions for drivers/guides/tours similar to what you put together for the Silhouette TA back in Nov '16?

Off topic here, sorry... We are on Silhouette May 7 Scandinavia and Eclipse May 20 Norwegian Fjords, do you have suggestions for drivers/guides/tours similar to what you put together for the Silhouette TA back in Nov '16?

We did a Baltic 12 day with RCCL last June and used ALLA tours. Excellent choice for small private tour in all ports. Formed a small group on our Roll Call and we had a core group of 10 with a few extra in St. Petersburg.

Sue