catacomb tour in Rome

I enjoyed it.

I was very underwhelmed by the catacombs in Rome. They are nothing like the Paris ones. They're just empty tunnels with empty spaces where bodies used to be.

Our tour was combined with a tour of the Capuchin Crypts, which I thought was very interesting, but that wouldn't take a whole afternoon on its own.

It's not exactly clear which catacombs tour you booked (Walks of Italy? The Roman guy?) but we've done a tour of a catacomb out of the Appia (San Sebastiano) and thought it was very interesting. No, you won't see remains; out of respect for the departed, any which would have been visible in previously desecrated niches along the tour route have been removed. The same is reported to be true for San Callixtus/Callisto, San Domitilla and Priscilla; the 4 most-visited of the few catacombs open to the public. That was fine with us; no personal interest in the macabre.

So what was interesting was learning how and why these miles of underground cemeteries came about, and burial practices - both Roman (who largely cremated) and Christian (who did not) - of the 2nd - 5th centuries. Most contain some very early examples Christian art/iconography. The one we visited also contained 3 very large Roman mausoleums that had once been above ground, and a large room once used for memorial feasts. They were not used for hiding Christians or their services prior to 4th-century legitimizing of the religion.

Anyway, it was well worth doing for the historical value, IMHO! This is a pretty good Wikipedia synopsis of the subject which would be useful for advance reading?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Rome

If one wants to see remains, they go to the "bone chapels" of the Capuchin Crypt. The difference is that it's not the original burial location for many of those remains, and it's not particularly old (17th century) compared to the catacombs.

Thanks you all for your perspectives. I have decided to cancel the tour and look at other options.

If you are interested in the Capuchin Crypts, please be aware that it is so much more than a simple "macabre" curiousity. What I (completely not a fan of horror or anything horror-adjacent) found fascinating were the painstaking, intricate, and, yes, exquisitely beautiful arrangements of the bones. It's really an incredible sight. The reasons for the existence of the catacombs are interesting, too, and there are some thought provoking quotations about life and death. Also, if there isn't a service going on, you can visit the church. I liked the painting in the entryway in which the artist painted Satan with the face of Cardinal Pamphili.

Same with the Paris Catacombs, for anyone who hasn't been and is considering a visit. What is interesting about them is the time and care it took to move all those skeletons and arrange and label everything so carefully and respectfully. Of course, the reasons behind it all are interesting, too. I was impressed by the numbers of bodies that are there and how extensive it is (it goes for blocks and blocks). There are about as many humans interred there, more than 200 years ago, as currently live in Toronto, Canada's most populous city!

Of course, for those of us who come from a society in which death is sanitized and hidden away, these sights can seem bizarre and morbid, but they represent a time when everyone dealt with death and mortality on a regular basis.

It's good to have any number of fascinating things to see in Rome depending on interest, isn't it?

I only mentioned the macabre factor where the catacombs are concerned because of reviews from visitors whose sole interest was seeing remains and were disappointed that there weren't any on view. A number have also expressed annoyance that no video or photography is allowed (same for the Capuchin Crypt). It's just probably good to know in advance what to expect as a look at these (we thought) very interesting subterranean cemeteries might not be everyone's cuppa? Just different strokes. :O)

Sanitation: one of several reasons the Romans outlawed burials (with a few exceptions for notables) within city walls was to prevent spread of disease, manage inhumation odors, and reduce smoke and possible spread of fires from cremations to domestic, government or sacred structures.