Cruise ship ports ( skip a night?)

Amanda,
That is a question you need to be asking Holland America, and (if permitted), you will likely need to arrange to be absent from the electronic roll call when the ship pulls out from its Rome stop.

Could what you propose be done...maybe if the train schedules work, and provided there is not some issue with the train, and likely you will need to catch a cab from the train station to get to the port. I personally would NOT try it. I would opt for the private car/guide, if the extra time is something you simply must have. Warning though: On some cruise lines, the passengers signed up for the ship's offerings are the first off at port, so you would need to make sure you are not delayed meeting your private driver.

If you want to see more of Rome, I would suggest catching a flight back to Rome and spending a couple of days before flying home ....or depending on where your cruise starts, perhaps fly into Rome for a few days, then catch the train (or a plane) to where your cruise starts, and then you will have just a few more hours once you make port in Rome later during your cruise.

One should think of a cruise ship port as an hors d'oeuvre.......a tiny little sampling of a location, but would need to spend more time there to enjoy the "full meal." Some ships have 2-3 days at certain ports, and those are the type (usually small ship) cruises we enjoy.

Or, just have the mantra of "Some of Rome is better than none of Rome."

Everything is a trade off in life.

The only source that can give you a definitive answer to your question is the cruise lime you are sailing on. Contact them on line or by mail and get the answer in hard copy or electronic form from them. I would not do it by phone or through a travel agent because it then becomes a case of 'he said, she said' if things go sour. It should be possible since people accidentally miss sailings all the time and they should have process for re-boarding after a missed departure but only they can fill in the blanks for you,

This is why cruise ships sell excursions. Yes, they are expensive. But, you’ll see some of Rome (not all, a day let alone a week is not enough) than you’ll get back to your ship. There are passport and security issues that will prohibit you from disembarking and catching up later. I’d be very surprised if the cruise line would entertain that idea and even if someone there tells you it’s OK, check with the folks on board who have the final say.

Be aware you’ll be vying for the same resources that your fellow shipmates as well as the passengers on other ships will want. That could be nearly 10,000 people all trying to rush to Rome at the same time. Between disembarking and returning, you’ll have just a few hours in Rome.

I highly doubt your plan would be allowed. It sounds like a logistical nightmare. I think your best bet is to sign up with whatever the ship offers.

I sincerely hope you’ll get to return to Italy. Nothing you can do from a cruise ship can match actually spending time in the country.

Cruises are great for visiting places that are otherwise hard to get to, not so great for big cities not on the coast. Livorno is not Florence and Civitavecchia is not Rome, as you are aware. I would go for a less expensive excursion, such as a basic transfer, rather that the $2000 private tour. In general I would not go it on my own when the place you ar visiting is an hour or more away. One of the benefits of an excursion booked with the cruise line is that the ship will wait if you are delayed.

Generally I recommend choosing cruises that go to ports were you are actually at the place you want to visit. I really hope this is not your only time to Italy. On the plus side, I have cruised with Holland America a couple of times in Europe and recommend them highly.

This issue comes up a lot for Israel. Typically there are two port stops, in the north and the south. Jerusalem is not close to either so an overnight avoids several hours of travel, especially to get back to the ship in plenty of time (and often in rush hour traffic) before it sails. Since this is often suggested, I can't imagine it being a problem. You just have to let the ship's crew know in advance of your plan. Do check with the cruise line in advance to be on the safe side. The only financial downside is that you have to pay for a hotel night and a dinner.

Note that Florence is some distance from the sea. The nearest cruise port appears to be Livorno. It takes over an hour by train. I looked at the Trenitalia site, it appears that the fastest way from Rome to Livorno is with a train change in Florence. This still gives you more time to see both cities. Book your Rome-Florence train as soon as you can to (hopefully) still find discounted fares. Make sure you have a hotel reservation in Rome first. The Florence-Livorno train is regional so you don't need to buy in advance, but it's a good idea to pick them up at the station when you arrive in Florence so you don't get stuck waiting in line when you leave.

If you tell us what your absolute must-see sights are and the date the ship is in port at Civitavecchia, folks may have some specific, helpful, suggestions.

Much of Rome is walkable, so private transfers to and from the port plus a taxi to get to or from the Vatican might be about as efficient as having a $$$ driver for the day. You can have a very nice day in Rome even if you don't manage all of your hoped-for sights.

I would decide the one thing I wanted to see most in Rome(for me it would be the Sistine Chapel) and see if the cruise excursion goes there. If not, I would take public transportation to Rome, and reserve in advance a skip the line tour for what I wanted to see. Then if I had lots of time left, I would add another site. I don't know how long it takes to get from Rome back to Civitavecchia(you need to find this out), but you don't want to cut it too close and have a snafu in transportation cause you to miss your boat.

$2,000 for the day sounds very high, but perhaps it's because you're competing with a lot of other passengers for a limited number of private cars. If the cruise line says "no" to your plans, consider taking a train to Roma San Pietro station and meeting a private car there. You'd have about 6 hours to visit sights before catching around a 3:00pm train from Roma San Pietro back to the port. That option should cost a lot less than $2,000.

Edit: Saw the post below suggesting use of taxis. While less convenient than having a car waiting, it's a good efficient alternative and much less expensive than hiring a private car, especially if using them only within Rome.

Rome in a day is hard. Will you have landed in mainland Europe by plane before the cruise? Then you’d have a Schengen stamp in your passport and be able to even consider an independent tour. Have you ever been to Europe before? Have you ever bought a train ticket? If not, risking missing the ship in either Civitavecchia or the port (please look it up and name it) for Florence is a bad idea.

Two hotel rooms and four train tickets to Florence are more than the four HA excursions to Rome. (But maybe less than 4 Rome excursions and 4 Florence excursions. Do you understand that the ship will wait for a late HA bus?

Is the 2000 cost booking thru the ship? If so, you will likely do much better booking a vehicle (or even taking different taxis/ubers, etc. from various point a-b, then c-d) throughout the day, IF you need to be transported.

If you have not already obtained a map with the locations of things you would like to see, I would suggest doing that....then see what is available via the limited subway in Rome. We went to the Vatican via the subway, then walking several blocks (but that took maybe 30 minutes of walking and then 30 minutes back).

Lines can also be long for some venues in Rome, if you are just buying on the spot.

I agree with the person who said to decide what you REALLY want to see and make that THE priority. But, add an extra hour's cushion for getting back to the ship....stuff happens.

Another alternative is to book a bus tour of Rome with a private company that meets you at the public transportation hub at Civitavecchia. This is much cheaper than booking a taxi, and they promise to get you back to your ship before it departs. One company is Civitatours (https://www.civitatours.com/en/). I've never tried them myself but I've talked the tourist office in Civitavecchia and they say that they are reputable. Also, Can’t Be Missed tours offers Rome guided tours in a minivan that meets you at the Civitavecchia transportation hub (www.cantbemissedtours.com). Good luck.

Your situation is a reason most posters here travel independently on land or on land only tours.

Amanda, I hope you report what Holland has to say. I’ve been curious about such a situation myself. Hope it works out for you.

As others have said, ask Holland America directly - they are the ONLY ones who can answer your "huge question"!

It's probably "water under the bridge" now, but if Italy was high on my priority list, I would choose a cruise itinerary that either starts or ends in Civitavecchia and spend time on your own before or after the cruise. You could plan that on your own, or with a travel agent, or the cruise lines often offer their own pre- or post-tour options. When we did a Med cruise, we made our own arrangements for stays in Venice and Rome, and when we were docked in Livorno, we chose to go to Lucca instead of going with the crowds to Florence. This is the type of trip where doing your travel research before booking the cruise pays off.

We did “Rome in a Day” with a Disney cruise excursion and were happy with it. It was about $100/pp and we did Colosseum exterior, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and St. Peter’s interior. I think using cruise line excursion is worth it just because of the traffic to and from Rome. Read about it here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/5-day-mediterranean-plus-3-days-in-switzerland-7-17-18-trip-report.3696022/

I agree with PP’s that you can’t do Rome or Florence “in a day” so you have to decide on your top priorities and do the best you can. Between Rome and Florence I like Rome better but others say the opposite too.