Disgusted with RC and not even on ship yet

[Hula Hips]

I'm about fit to be tied. My husband and I booked a very expensive vacation for our 30th anniv. royal Carribean land/sea pkg. we fly into venice, do venice, then to florence and rome and get on ship in rome. When we broke down prices we see the land portion is over 5,000 for 5 days so what do we get for that??? not much - expensive hotel we probably won't be in much because we'll be touring. breakfast, few walking tours (sounds like we could do on our own) and ONE dinner!! We still want to do cruise but do NOT want to pay for land pkg this outrageous. So now we're on our own. we have flight into venice in sept, no hotel booked, know nothing about where to stay. We want to stay in Venice for 3 nights and seems like we'll have to take a train to Rome for 3 nights. Don't kow where to stay in rome, want to be near everything but also need to get to cruise port after three days. I'm in tears and almost ready to cance. Travel agent has been NO help and royal carribean said they can't even send us the land itinerary and we owe over 7,000 this week. am ready to cancel everything unless we can figure this all out maybe with some help from others who have done this before?? where do we stay in venice? how do we get there from airport? how far and easy to train to rome? where do we stay in rome and have access to sights and ability to get to cruise port?? appreciate all the help i can get. thanks

[cb at sea]

Well....the "land portion" takes all the worry off of you....great for folks who don't know what to do or how to do it.

 

Your TA should certainly be more help.....perhaps, you need a different TA! Also, a guidebook on the places you'll be visiting can give you much needed info.

 

I certainly wouldn't want to be trying to piece this together with no info....go back to the TA, tell them you need more personalized assistance. If they can't do it, cancel, and find someone who WILL help you! Or, get the "land" portion back onto your booking....takes all the guesswork out of your travels.

[dsrdsrdsr]

Every hotel in Rome, pretty much, is equally accessible for Civitavecchia, because Civitavecchia is 60 miles away. So that's one thing you can ignore.

 

To find how close hotels are to certain attractions, use a website like Kayak that lets you sort them. (I think I'm allowed to name general search sites like Kayak, am I? Apologies if not.) If you find a site near the Colosseum, then you're on the HoHo bus route so you'll be able to get everywhere, and you will also be within walking distance (if you're fit) of the Pantheon, Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, etc.

 

Make sure you can legally cancel half the holiday before you do it.

[grand isle joe]

There are so many travel sights on the Web you can do your research. With Google maps and a little planning you can do all yourself. There is also a number of travel companies that will sey up an itinery custom to your travel needs.On Cruise Critic you can find companies that you can arraign private tours as well as transportation. If you don't feel comfortable just find a NEW travel agent that is knowledgable in your needs. Travel in Italy is mostly rail and is easy to navigate. Don't worry and if you do your homework you can do it. Don't forget a word dictionary like Rick Steves sells to at least have some basic translations to help.

[Starry Eyes]

first take a deep breathe. It is a vacation and celebration...try not to make it a source of stress.

 

I fail to see why you are so angry at Royal Caribbean...they will take care of everything...for a price. if you do not like the price, I do not blame you, but you or your travel agent need to figure it out. if your travel agent is not helping, be angry at the travel agent...it is the agnet's job to help.

 

make a decision before final payment. No sense spending so much to be unhappy and angry. if you cannot work through it before final payment, and if you believe there are plenty of cabin available, you could cancel before final payment, do your research, then rebook when you are ready...maybe with a travel agent who will actually help you!

 

there is a Europe port of call forum here on cruise critic...visit that forum and you will find info on Rome and Venice.

[marco]

If it's not too late to cancel just the land portion, I'd do that. Then pick up Fodors, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet or similar pertaining to Italy. As they are major tourist destinations, you should find a lot of info specifically pertaining to Venice, Florence and Rome. All offer information on hotels, restaurants, points of interest, transportation information/options (IE: Airport info, train station, bus station, costs, distance, travel time, etc etc). Check out the "Italy" in the "ports of call" thread in CC, too. With a little bit of research and you should be fine.

[Keith1010]

I too dud take a deep breath.

 

I don't quite understand why you are upset with RCI. It's nice they offer a package but most cruise line packages are expensive but you are paying for their convenience.

 

For information about Rome including where to stay visit the Port Of Call Board for Italy. You will get a wealth of information there.

 

Or if you have a TA get them to help you with this.

 

Keith

[luddite]

Your TA isn't doing his job.

 

Cruise Critic can be your salvation. You need to be reading here. A lot. Go to the Ports Of Call section and start reading about your....ports.. The Roll Call board will have threads from your itinerary. Read some of them for info on what others have done.

 

Research will save your trip. RCCL will do everything they promise. Once you're on the ship, you're in their hands. Off the ship, you're not their responsibility.

[Hula Hips]

here's Why I'm angry At RC (and travel agent) We booked this last year. We leave Sept 16. Last week they STILL did NOT have any idea what hotels we were even staying in??? Payment of over 7,000 is due tomorrow. When we asked yesterday for break down of land iterary they had NO IDEA!! and they want our money now??? don't think so. So we decided we hate being treated this way and will do land on our own. Only problem is we don't know where to start and what should be FUN planning this is now stressful because we're left out in left field to do all on own now with no knowlege of Italy. We hope people on this board will help us. we need hotels in venice for 3 nights then must get to Italy for 3 nights then to cruise port. We are seniors and thought we signed up for a vacation where they take of everything and by this time we should know exactly what we are doing etc... and we know nothing!! we'd appreciate any help. thanks

[luddite]

If you left the planning to them, why the agita?

[johneeo]

Your TA isn't doing his job.

 

Cruise Critic can be your salvation. You need to be reading here. A lot. Go to the Ports Of Call section and start reading about your....ports.. The Roll Call board will have threads from your itinerary. Read some of them for info on what others have done.

 

Research will save your trip. RCCL will do everything they promise. Once you're on the ship, you're in their hands. Off the ship, you're not their responsibility.

 

Yep.

 

Also, OP should get rid of the TA immediately, then get a good TA.

[sparky-elpaso]

Remember, that price includes more than just hotel. It's transportation between cities, a tour guide who will handle everything for you, etc.

 

I think you might find the price is a good one if you do some research and find out how much hotel rooms are in each city, how much transportation would be, etc.

 

We did a 5 day land tour in Alaska with RCCL and had a great time. While we could have done it on our own it was really nice to be able to sit back and relax and let someone else take care of all the details.

[awlpa55]

Hula,

 

I agree with Sparky...you are paying for the convenience and the security of the RCCL. I also agree pricing is not that far off what we paid last year on our own without transfers, without a travel guide, without a contact in case of emergency. I also agree your travel agent should have explained this package much better for you to understand what you were getting. My husband and I did a similar package to yours years ago with 5 other couples who had never been to Europe before. It was a lifesaver for us, RCCL handled several "mini emergencies" for our group. I personally think the money was well spent for the peace of mind we all had. Please enjoy your trip and Happy Anniversary.

 

Debbi

[sstepson]

I'm confused...when you booked it over a year ago, did you not know the cost of the land package? I can see where you would be upset because you don't have the itinerary yet, but as for the cost, I don't see how that's RCCL's fault. However, it does sound like your TA could have communicated much better than they did to let you know what you are getting into.

 

As far as the DIY aspect, you should be able to do this much cheaper than what you were quoted. 6 nights in very good hotels will run from $1200 to $1500. Train from Venice to Rome, maybe $200 for both of you. If you do a little research online, you will find that Italian cities are very walkable. If you buy tickets to popular attractions online ahead of time, you can avoid entrance lines. (at the Coliseum, for example)

 

As a starting point, check out anything by Rick Steves. He has numerous books and smartphone apps that will help the DIY traveler. His walking tours in the different cities are great, and has tips on what not to miss , as well as certain logistics along the way. Also, the CC community is a great place for advice!

 

Good luck!!!

[Hermione60]

Don't panick! There are very good hotels in Venice and in Rome. Go to Venere.it and find one - just make sure they are close to the historical center of the town (in Rome, many hotels are in the Termini neighborhood, near the central train station, and it's definitely not a very interesting neighborhood). Last time we were in Rome we went to Hotel Rafael - 5* and rather expensive but really nice and well situated. For transportation from Venice to Rome, use the train, it takes less than 4 hours (from city center to city center). The site of Trenitalia, the Italian railway Company, is http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD

 

And if you really don't want to do it yourself, find a TA who will do his job and book the hotels and train for you.

[paul929207]

At this point, you are not likely go get all the answers you want by tomorrow. So you have choices.

1. Stick with the plan and assume the hotels will be great, tours delightful, etc.

2. Cancel the land tour and do it on your own. It really does not sound like this is an option for you at this time.

3. Cancel the land tour and change the flights to arrive in Rome a day or two early.

4. Cancel the whole thing.

[aquilegia]

You have already posted twice on this subject in this forum over the last couple of days and people have given you all sorts of good advice, some of it quite specific. Don't understand why you are posting yet again.

[Mar56]

You have already posted twice on this subject in this forum over the last couple of days and people have given you all sorts of good advice, some of it quite specific. Don't understand why you are posting yet again.

 

Yes that!

[CapeCodCruiser]

Touring Europe on your own is really not as difficult as people think - I think some folks make it harder than it is.

 

Take a breath and do 1 thing at a time

 

List what elements you need

 

You have flight to Venice, Correct?

 

Hotel Venice

 

Train from Venice to Rome

 

Hotel Rome

 

Train from Rome to Civitavecchia

 

There are cabs at the Civitavecchia train station to take you to the port & ship.

 

Your hotel's concierge will help you with what to see & do in each city if you are not a pre-planner, they can recommend a guide or self tours.

 

Rick Steves is a wealth of info for self touring a city or private guides. Visit a local book store and spend some time in the travel section looking at books for your destinations - or if you have E reader see what is available to down load.

 

TripAdvisor is a great resource for hotels - and private guides as well.

 

You can do this and have fun

 

qusetions? please ask

[PennyAgain]

I think this is a typical case of buyer's regret. The price for the land portion for 2 people with full escort is not awful. RCI does this all the time.

 

The Travel Agent has sold this cruise and tour out of the book and has no idea what it is.

 

A new travel agent would be a good idea but RCI may not allow the booking to be switched.

 

DIY is possible, of course, but Europe is very expensive and it will take money to get the job done.

[DWW-cruiser]

We are looking into doing something similar but with a big emphasis on art for my wife. We found that Tauck has a 8-9 day tour of those 3 cities for about $12,000/couple - very expensive. We also found less expensive tours that did not meet our need for an art emphasis for around 4-6,000/couple, but these were for around 8-10 day tours, not 5. So it sounds like you got a tour that is more like a Tauck tour than anything else - not a rip-off but certainly high-end. We are continueing to research our options and are leaning toward a private US tour operator who does a few small tours per year at specific times and we may fit a cruise in around one of those due to her art emphasis. However, a travel agent or some time on the Internet should turn up quite a few other tour options for you - I was particularly impressed with the approach of Avventure Bellissime.

[jasbo49]

I'm still looking for some justification for the title of this thread: "Disgusted with RC." What has Royal Caribbean done to earn your wrath?. Are they packaging these tours? Did they force you at gunpoint to buy them?

 

If you think they are somehow responsible, call them and ask them what the hotels are.

 

Jim

[weltek]

here's Why I'm angry At RC (and travel agent) We booked this last year. We leave Sept 16. Last week they STILL did NOT have any idea what hotels we were even staying in??? Payment of over 7,000 is due tomorrow. When we asked yesterday for break down of land iterary they had NO IDEA!! and they want our money now??? don't think so. So we decided we hate being treated this way and will do land on our own. Only problem is we don't know where to start and what should be FUN planning this is now stressful because we're left out in left field to do all on own now with no knowlege of Italy. We hope people on this board will help us. we need hotels in venice for 3 nights then must get to Italy for 3 nights then to cruise port. We are seniors and thought we signed up for a vacation where they take of everything and by this time we should know exactly what we are doing etc... and we know nothing!! we'd appreciate any help. thanks

 

1. The $5000 sounds like it would be worth it for your stress level. Though I agree, that sound like a lot of money. But, you get what you pay for. If I could afford it, I'd gladly give them the money and wait to find out the details until we were almost ready to go! They take care of everything, so there's no reason to know the names of your hotel now, IMHO, unless you are meeting friends.

 

2. If you want to do all this on your own, it's going to take some time and patience. I would recommend a site like Tripadvisor (a partner site to this one) that specializes in land vacations. We are cruisers here and thus you'll only get help from a handful of people that have spent more time in each of the locations you are inquiring about. I planned three weeks in Italy by myself and am very internet saavy. It took months to search out deals I was happy with and decide what sites I needed to see.

 

3. That being said, your travel agency should be happy to help you independently arrange your non-cruise land tour for an extra fee and I think this is your best bet to keep expenses down and less stress. State simply, "I'd like to hire you to help plan a few days on land in addition to our cruise." That way it doesn't sound like you are asking them to do all the additions for free. If it's an agency with a few staff, ask to work with a different agent if you aren't pleased with the response you get.

 

4. What about joining AAA and using their travel agency services? Or an agent AARP recommends?

[weltek]

I'm still looking for some justification for the title of this thread: "Disgusted with RC." What has Royal Caribbean done to earn your wrath?. Are they packaging these tours? Did they force you at gunpoint to buy them?

 

If you think they are somehow responsible, call them and ask them what the hotels are.

 

Jim

 

I think the OP is angry that RC wouldn't share these details with her/him 2-3 months out from the cruise. See the follow up post the OP made on page one.

[fleckle]

I'm about fit to be tied. My husband and I booked a very expensive vacation for our 30th anniv. royal Carribean land/sea pkg. we fly into venice, do venice, then to florence and rome and get on ship in rome. When we broke down prices we see the land portion is over 5,000 for 5 days so what do we get for that??? not much - expensive hotel we probably won't be in much because we'll be touring. breakfast, few walking tours (sounds like we could do on our own) and ONE dinner!! We still want to do cruise but do NOT want to pay for land pkg this outrageous. So now we're on our own. we have flight into venice in sept, no hotel booked, know nothing about where to stay. We want to stay in Venice for 3 nights and seems like we'll have to take a train to Rome for 3 nights. Don't kow where to stay in rome, want to be near everything but also need to get to cruise port after three days. I'm in tears and almost ready to cance. Travel agent has been NO help and royal carribean said they can't even send us the land itinerary and we owe over 7,000 this week. am ready to cancel everything unless we can figure this all out maybe with some help from others who have done this before?? where do we stay in venice? how do we get there from airport? how far and easy to train to rome? where do we stay in rome and have access to sights and ability to get to cruise port?? appreciate all the help i can get. thanks

First of all, just relax.

 

You can easily do Venice, Florence and Rome on your own without an expensive land tour.

You have plenty of time between now and September to figure out what you want to do and where you want to stay.

 

 

- Here is a link to the Cruise Critic forum for

Italy Ports

This is a great place to ask for recommendations.

 

 

- Here are links to the TripAdvisor sites for each city, giving places to see, hotels and restaurants.

 

Visiting City of Venice, Italy

 

Visiting Florence, Italy

 

Visiting Rome, Italy

 

 

 

- Also get the free travel guides for Venice, Florence and Rome from Tripadvisor from this link:

 

Travel Guides - TripAdvisor

 

 

 

- In addition, check out all the Italy travel books that are available from your public library, such as Rick Steves, Frommer, Fodor.

If your own library does not have them, ask them to request them for you from interlibrary loan.

 

Browse through them to see which you like. (Can also do this at a local book store.)

Then buy yourself the current version of the book/s you like best to take with you, or download them to your e-reader if you use one.

 

You will be all set.