Brilliance August 2017 - Livorno or La Spezia?? Port Change?

I received an email from the tour operator that we have booked for our upcoming cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas in August. They informed me that the ship was no longer docking in Livorno but would be docking in La Spezia and they wouldn't be able to provide the tour out of that port. I immediately checked the RC website which still states we are docking in Livorno and I also contacted my TA who contacted RC and they gave us the docking address for Livorno as well. I also checked the Port of Livorno website and it was still showing the Brilliance docking there on August 7. So I contacted the tour operator and asked why they thought this was being changed as I had not been able to confirm it. They stated that the Brilliance was diverted last week at the last minute from Livorno to La Spezia and they thought that it would continue to dock there for the remainder of the season. Does anyone have any information regarding this possible change? Was anyone on Brilliance last week that could provide information as to why the port was changed at the last minute?

Thank you!!

It'll likely be La Spezia and not Livorno. Both ports are battling for RCL's business and it appears LS is winning.

On our last visit, we visited Lucca early in the am and spent the rest of the day in Torre del Lago, a nearby seaside town. All accessible by regional trains. Would do it again!

We got an email from RC saying we would be in La Spezia and had to change our plans.

We are sailing on the Brilliance in July.

When we booked the Brilliance was booked in to La Spezia and was changed to Livorno.

Now we are back into La Spezia.

Oh well, we'll get by.

Well I sincerely hope that any decision on changing ports is communicated quickly.

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Anyone have any recent experience on Brilliance with port change from Livorno to La Spezia?

Anyone have any recent experience on Brilliance with port change from Livorno to La Spezia?

I'm on the cruise currently, 12 days Brilliance out of Barcelona. The port was changed to La Spezia. They did it so people could go to Pisa/Piza. Livorno made it 3 hour drive to Pisa, La Spezia is 1 1/2 hour drive while Florence is a 2 hour drive from the port.

We did Florence only since Pisa is the Leaning Tower and not much else.

I'm on the cruise currently, 12 days Brilliance out of Barcelona. The port was changed to La Spezia. They did it so people could go to Pisa/Piza. Livorno made it 3 hour drive to Pisa, La Spezia is 1 1/2 hour drive while Florence is a 2 hour drive from the port.

 

We did Florence only since Pisa is the Leaning Tower and not much else.

My understanding is the other way round.

Florence and Pisa are much closer to Livorno and we have done both excursions several times from there.

La Spezia has a nice promenade but is much further from Florence and Pisa.

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My understanding is the other way round.

Florence and Pisa are much closer to Livorno and we have done both excursions several times from there.

La Spezia has a nice promenade but is much further from Florence and Pisa.

 

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You are correct. Livorno is closer to Florence and Pisa.

Cinque Terre is the best bet from La Spezia.

I'm on the cruise currently, 12 days Brilliance out of Barcelona. The port was changed to La Spezia. They did it so people could go to Pisa/Piza. Livorno made it 3 hour drive to Pisa, La Spezia is 1 1/2 hour drive while Florence is a 2 hour drive from the port.

 

We did Florence only since Pisa is the Leaning Tower and not much else.

When were you notified of the port change? Are you on the Greek Mediterranean cruise? Thank you!

My understanding is the other way round.

Florence and Pisa are much closer to Livorno and we have done both excursions several times from there.

La Spezia has a nice promenade but is much further from Florence and Pisa.

 

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Agree , loved our tour from Livorno, went to Pisa in about 30 or 40 mins then Florence which was another hour then a winery then back to Brilliance

I'm very upset. We're booked on this cruise/ship for October and initially it was LS then they changed to Livorno - perfect! and so we booked to do shore excursion to Cinque Terre and Pisa...then just this weekend they changed it back to LS!!! Not happy...can't find anyone to take us to Pisa and CT .... 60th birthday bucket list items I had hoped to fulfill...

I'm very upset. We're booked on this cruise/ship for October and initially it was LS then they changed to Livorno - perfect! and so we booked to do shore excursion to Cinque Terre and Pisa...then just this weekend they changed it back to LS!!! Not happy...can't find anyone to take us to Pisa and CT .... 60th birthday bucket list items I had hoped to fulfill...

The ships cruise planner will show excursions you can book but in the case of Pisa or Florence they are much further away from La Spezia but the ship waits for the official tour busses so shouldn't be a problem.

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The ships cruise planner will show excursions you can book but in the case of Pisa or Florence they are much further away from La Spezia but the ship waits for the official tour busses so shouldn't be a problem.

 

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Who wants to take RCCL "Official tours" I don't many of us book private tours that are better and cheaper than the Official ones

Who wants to take RCCL "Official tours" I don't many of us book private tours that are better and cheaper than the Official ones

Fair enough and a good idea as we often get taxis but the op is talking about a change of port which means a 2 hour journey to get to Pisa.

We were on Freedom in June and in Civitevechia (Rome) almost 200 passengers were over 1 hour late for sailing time getting back to the ship because of transport problems in Rome but the ship waited for them because they were on ships tours.

We saw several independent travellers turn up in taxis after the ship started sailing and were stranded at the dock side.

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La Spezia is further away from Florence and Pisa, but it is closer to Genoa and Portofino - much nicer in my opinion. Pisa is highly overrated.

La Spezia is further away from Florence and Pisa, but it is closer to Genoa and Portofino - much nicer in my opinion. Pisa is highly overrated.

True we have been to Pisa but not in a hurry to get back but Florence is Beautiful and well worth visiting more than once and this is about 1 and a half hours from La Spezia.

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