Transportation from Rome cruise port to airport

Are you are in a big ship, using the bricks-and-mortar cruise terminal? Our 230-passenger Windstar moored directly at a pier, and only the cruise-company busses and cars could come ONTO the pier. You should be able to turn up a few names with the Search box top center. You can filter (after the results appear) for "Two years or less" if preferred.

Civitavecchia is famous for how annoyingly far from Rome it is. You definitely want to book a car service in advance. The lowest-budget public transportation seems to be a train all the way back to Rome, and then the Airport Express train. Probably two hours.

What transfer options are available through the cruise line? They usually rate quite high for convenience. They are more costly than bus/train, but probably less than a private driver unless your group is large. One advantage is minimal luggage handling and being brought directly to the airport.

I had several options to choose from in June - prearrange a private car, take a taxi, use the cruise line’s shuttle, or have the cruise line arrange private or taxi transport. Since there were about six ships arriving in port that morning and also because time was of the essence I had the cruise line arrange my transport. Yes, it was ridiculously expensive but guaranteed. There were no walk up options for a taxi that morning.

Availability and pricing of private transfers is highly dependent on the number of ships in port that day. It is not uncommon to have 4 or more ships disembarking at the same time - upwards of 10,000 passengers is possible. Therefore, book very early or take the ship bus. We have done both. It is somewhat faster and more convenient to use a private shuttle. Last time we were there on the Vista (this last June) our van met us on the pier. Lots of dudes with signs just outside the baggage collection tent. So, it was pretty convenient. Note also that the fees are per vehicle. A group of 8 or so in a van seems to be the most economical.

You can search for FCO to Civitavecchia transportation online. Roma Taxi is popular.

We were going into Rome after our cruise so we caught a local bus from the ship to the train station and it was about 45 minutes into Rome from there.

Thank you everyone.

How do you go about getting the cruise ship to book private transport. When we called Royal Caribbean they couldn’t even tell us what time the cruise shuttle was leaving.

I have only sailed Norwegian but on one of my cruises, I was told that I could not book transportation from the cruise port to the airport until I was on the ship. During the voyage, I was able to book my transportation from port to airport without any problem through guest services. I used the shuttle bus provided through Norwegian.

Do you have a TA or PCC? Call them and see if that is what you need to do? You might have to take the shuttle service offered through RC. It is a big ship and you are not going to be the only people needing transportation from port to airport.

amycnr, I should warn you that this newsboard does not particularly focus on cruises. I urge you to do some more general research before your trip, maybe starting with CruiseCritic. I mean so you can learn what happens if you are not back at the ship on time, even if you book a "shore excursion" yourself.

Your OP seemed to be asking about hiring what is called in the U.S. a "limo service" (in big cities, a "black car service"), which is completely independent of a cruise or anything else. You and your friends may have booked one for a Prom some years ago? The cruise company has no control over your own business arrangements. However, most cruises include a very firm port schedule long before you have even made your final payment for the cruise. Surely you have a schedule of the cruise stops, and at the end, it says something like, "Rome (Civitavecchia) 8 am".

They meant (in your citation) that THEY don't want to book their proprietary Airport Transfer (that's the name of the most popular shore excursion product at the final ("disembarkation") stop, until you are on board. (I prefer to book as many excursions as possible before I leave, so I don't get shut out.) It likely costs $125 to $165 per person. They probably offer private transfers for $225 or so. But I'd want to know if the private transfer can come onto the dock, if I'm not in the big cruise terminal (where you would pick up a car at a curb, like an airport.)

"8 am" means that their objective is to be tied up (or elsewhere, anchored) at that hour. This is even more important to the cruise company than it is to you, because they may have to LEAVE at 7PM that night with a new bunch of passengers. They have to unload the trash, load up food, get dozens of extra cleaners and repair people on board, and work madly for 8 hours, while much of the crew has shore-leave. Note that higher cabin classes often get priority in disembarkation. So if you have a flight before 1PM, you need to communicate that to the Reception Desk (or wherever ... ) as soon as possible. Normally, there is piece of paper you fill out with such needs, after a few days on board.

When you find a friend at home who has been to Rome this way before, maybe they can tell you about a reliable car service. I can't help you, because we usually stay a few nights in Rome, and our hotels often provide a free car, either from the airport, or to the boat, if we stay at least three nights. Last time, we took the train to Civitavecchia, to see what it was like. But that doesn't help you get directly to the airport.

To get the cruise ship to book a private transport to the airport speak to the concierge when onboard. They will either be able to handle such a request or direct you to the whomever does handle it. Probably best to do so early in the cruise as the availability of the service may dwindle as demand rises.

I am speaking from my recent experience with Celebrity Cruise Lines and from my disembarking and airport transport planning from Rome’s cruise port less than two months ago. Others traveling with me were headed into the city and were able to secure shared van service. We wanted private transport service.