Transport ideas for travel from Cruise ship to Florence

Welcome!

Which cruise ship port? There are several

(Probably train)

You can use the Trenitalia website/app to check schedules: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Be sure to use Italian place names (i.e., Firenze)

Thank you! We will be on a Celebrity Cruise ship. Looks like the train is the best option.

If the cruise offers a ship excursion, you might want to take that rather than doing it on your own. Yes, it will cost more, but if there is a problem with the tour, the ship will wait for you. Not so if you are off own your own. On at least three Celebrity cruises we were on, the ship did leave without some passangers that didn't get back in time due to traffic and other problems. The poor souls were actually running along the pier as the ship departed. Two of the incidents were in ports in Italy. Even though they cost more, the ship excursions are still less expensive than paying to get to the next port if the ship leaves without you. Just food for thought.

If you are going to DIY, pay close attention to the all aboard time at the end of the day. Plan on being back on board at least an hour before sail away, in case of unforseen delays. And read up on train travel in Italy if you haven't done it before. The Man in Seat 61 website is a good place to start. You likely won't want to make advance train reservations, since you won't have a firm handle on debarkation times. You will want to look up train times on the Trenitalia website. But if you want to see any of the Florence museums you have to have made advance reservations. You will want to take a taxi between the cruise terminal and train station.

Have a plan B in case you miss the ship. Not the worst thing in the world, since your next port of call likely wont be that far away. But you will need your passport and a plan for train or plane and hotel.

You still have not indicated what port you are docking at. Celebrity Cruise ship has nothing to do with it. Are you docking at La Spezia or Livorno?

I hope the port isn't La Spezia. That's an extra 30-60 minutes each way, compared to Livorno. And will always require a change of trains, usually in Pisa.

Docking at La Spezia.. I appreciate the feedback.

La Spezia is 2h30min to 3 hours from Florence by train; unfortunately, it is past the regional border, that means that most train solutions need a change somewhere - Pisa, Viareggio or S. Stefano di Magra. Some solutions involve changes in 5 minutes that look risky to me. Using the official cruise transfer looks like a good idea.

What with needing to get to the La Spezia station, spend hours on the trains, deal with a train change en route, get acclimated in Florence, and then reverse the process....

My gut is that you're getting really good advice from the posters above to book a tour or transfer through your cruise line. It's just enough distance between the two to err on the side of caution and opt for ease + the assurance that you'll make it back to the ship on time. Additionally, are you at all familiar with European trains and how they work? If not, a port call with firm boarding deadline might not be the best choice for a 'first rodeo' by rail, although Italy's trains are not all that complicated. :O)

If you have a private car or a private bus, La Spezia to Florence can be done in a couple hours. But, as I have already said, La Spezia being just past the border with Liguria, Tuscany won't pay setting up a commuter service to Florence so you are bound to combine a commuter train to a nearby town plus a inter-regional train for the last leg.
A quick change of trains usually is not overly dangerous - if you lose the second train due to a delay to the first, or due to slowness in finding the right track, another train will eventually come. But if you are bound to be on board at a set time, you cannot afford being delayed.

I thing the shore excursions will be our choice. I appreciate all the information!!

Lucca can be just a bit over an hour away by train from La Spezia - for a short day, may provide a more pleasant experience.