Hi all my family and I are visiting Rome for a couple days before going on a cruise in June (we arrive on a Fri). We plan to visit the Vatican museums on Sat, and on Sun we wanted to do a Colosseum/Roman Forum/Palatine Hill tour at 8:30 am which would end at 11:30am. We will store our luggage near the Colosseum and need to pick it up before then taking a private transport to the Civitavecchia port at 12pm. Our cruise leaves at 4pm and we are supposed to be checked-in and onboard the ship no later than 90 minutes prior to the published sailing time. Is this doable?
Posted by
martinez, ca, usa
3018 posts
hey hey lynn.drumheller
do you have your tickets to the vatican & colosseum yet? how many is "my family?" you are going HIGH HIGH crazy, busy, crowded worse than a can of sardines season and HOT HOT. pack light plus lots & lots of patience with long lines everywhere.
buy tickets direct from website, not third party resellers, skip the lines is no waiting in ticket lines but you still go through security line. when buying make sure you are on italian time which is usually middle of night & be ready, they go fast or sold out already.
sounds like you have luggage storage found, time to walk from attraction, get luggage and private transport meet you there.
many use whatsapp.com for calls (download it, so easy to use). hope you've booked private transport.
know that the port is about an hour 15 minutes away, exactly what port berth is your ship. thousands of others will be doing same as you and be grumpy, in a hurry, pushy been there done that. "they more important than you!! ha ha"
cruisemapper.com
unselect ships, click ports, type in your port, click month june 2026, scroll down to your departure day to see how many ships are there. also scroll down to ships in port to see capacity and what the crowds will be like.
have a great time and lots of fun, get you gelatos & yummy pastries. enjoy
aloha
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
24123 posts
You are proposing a tight schedule. Work you time back. If you are supposed to be on by 2.30. It is roughly an hour or so from Rome you should leave Rome no later than 12.45 to 1 pm to give you a margin of about 30 minutes. Personally I would prefer an hour. I am not familiar with an luggage storage near the Colosseum. -- but haven't looked either. Your lodging would hold your luggage for you. This assumes no restroom breaks or lunch. They will feed you as soon as your board the ship. Your taxi may or may not be able to take you to your check in point. In our five trips, the taxi could not go beyond the port entrance so we had to carry our luggage 30 feet or so through the entrance and to a shuttle bus inside that took us to the checkin. It can be a bit of a zoo especially if there is more than one ship in port.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8707 posts
We had Frank's experience, but boarding is faster if your ship uses the Cruise Terminal instead of just a spot on the (high-security, as he noted) pier. Our proprietary port shuttle bus (standard 49-passenger tour bus) served more than one ship. We sat, cooking on the engine-off bus until it was nearly full, then headed for the three smaller ships involved. Make sure you are on the right bus. Don't forget time for under-bus luggage handling. There is no room in the bus seating for roll-aboards. The overhead racks on busses are tiny.
I've never taken a Coliseum tour, but I don't think you can assume it will start and end on time. Bathroom option? Will you wait to eat until aboard ship? How many people? How obedient to stop taking pictures and get in the limo?
Posted by
Ashburn VA
1085 posts
How many people are in "my family"? How much luggage? What's the arrangement for meeting your private transport to the ship? How many passengers on the ship? From which terminal are you sailing? Check-in and boarding procedures can be time-consuming for the biggest ships. What's the first port call after you leave Rome?
Posted by
Atlanta
5693 posts
There isn't anyway to predict traffic, road construction, car problems. or ???. That being the case, I'd opt to forego at least most of your tour, and be sure to get to the port on time. Don't mean to rain on your parade, just offering food for thought.
Posted by
Washington
1146 posts
Having visited the Forum and Colosseum on the same day--and in a cooler and likely less crowded month than June--all I can say is pack granola bars/snacks and make sure you give yourself time to hit the WC (everyone in your party!!) before you hop in your transport. As others have said, this is a tight schedule leaving you little "gather everybody and get coordinated" time between 11:30 am and 12:00 pm. A morning in that part of Rome can be tiring even for fit folks.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for all the feedback, it's been helpful! We've decided not to do both in the same day.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
24123 posts
I do think that is being reasonably smart. On our first trip to Europe in 1972, my wife's constant comment was, "We can see that the next time." It slowed us down and we really enjoyed what we saw and did. It was 20 years and two sons before the next time but now it has been a dozen next times. Enjoyed them all. There are some people who like to say they have seen that and done that and move on .... but it is not our style.