Exploring Italy by Cruise with a Mobility Scooter — Any Tips?

You will be fine -- just slower. The ship excursions might be a better fit for since they would involve less walking (depending on the excursion) and more convenience for you. For example when you dock "in Rome" you are over an hour away via train and local transit. And maybe 30 minutes or more from Florence. You need to carefully research your ports.

I suggest you go to cruisecritic.com and do a search under the "community" tab. Check your cruise line for specific policies. They vary quite a bit. Some lines are more scooter friendly than others. I am sure you will be able to find someone with specific experience there.

We are not handicapped but have traveled with friends who use a scooter. On board use is not usually a problem. Leaving them outside cabins in the hallway is sometimes considered a safety issue, so you need to be able to get it into the cabin and, of course, charge it there. If the person is not able to walk up and down the boarding steps anticipate problems. Getting crew to help seems to be an issue on some cruise lines - liability questions. Some excursions allow wheelchairs and the description usually clearly specifies so but some do not allow them. I do not remember ever seeing a scooter on an excursion. And, finally, yes cobblestone streets can be a problem for scooters, wheel chairs and canes and crutches.

There are a few logistical issues, aside from cobblestones and narrow streets. First, unless you have booked a handicapped accessible stateroom, check that your cabin can accommodate a scooter. Some cabin sizes or configurations mean you can't get the scooter inside the cabin. And you can't leave them in the corridor. They are too narrow and it would violate fire regs. Next you need to decide how to get from the cruise port to wherever you want to visit. The ships don't dock in Rome or Florence, but in Civitavecchia or La Spezia/Livorno - a not insignificant distance. Ship transfers by bus generally won't accommodate a scooter. If there is one that specifically includes wheelchair users, it may allow a scooter, depending on its size. Not all Regional trains are accessible. The easiest, but most expensive alternative would be a hired driver with a vehicle capable of holding the scooter.

A key issue is how far the cities are from the ports themselves. You might want to consider shore excursions through the ship. Many cruise lines offer an accessible version of excursions that would make your logistics much easier.

Also, most cruise lines have companies that provide scooter rentals for the duration of the cruise. This might be a better option than purchasing. Also be sure to read your cruise lines specific rules about scooters in advance.