5 night Mediterranean Cruise - too rushed?

[Mommb]

That itinerary will give you long, tiring days, but if that's the timing that works for you, go for it. I would strongly recommend using a private tour service for Rome, and maybe for Livorno as well. We were able to hit many highlights of Rome (Coliseum, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Vatican, and a few more) in a single day with a private guide. Not having to wait for everyone in the group to be ready to move to the next stop is an advantage, and having a car with air conditioning could help with the heat.

 

[Mirador]

That itinerary will give you long, tiring days, but if that's the timing that works for you, go for it. I would strongly recommend using a private tour service for Rome, and maybe for Livorno as well. We were able to hit many highlights of Rome (Coliseum, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Vatican, and a few more) in a single day with a private guide. Not having to wait for everyone in the group to be ready to move to the next stop is an advantage, and having a car with air conditioning could help with the heat.

Do you mind sharing which tour service you used?

 

[Mommb]

Do you mind sharing which tour service you used?

We used Rome in Limo for a full-day tour in Rome in 2013. We used Joe Banana for a full-day excursion from Sorrento and a half-day post-debarkation tour near Rome in 2019. Both companies were great and we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

 

[RedHead0186]

IMO that’s a must see.

Totally agree; Montserrat is a must-visit!

 

[MrMagoo]

I can only comment about your stop in Civitavecchia since I have not been to the other ports.
Do not expect to see much in Rome with that port schedule.

We stayed in Rome 3 nights before our Greece Isle cruise last year and that was not enough.
We had a private tour that started at the Vatican before it was opened to the main public but we started at 7am.
We saw the Vatican, Coliseum, Spanish steps, and the Forum and a couple of other stops on our tour. We were supposed to stop at the Parthenon and the Trevi Fountain but we ran out of time even though we had scheduled a full day tour. We were fortunate we stayed not far from them so we walked there on our own. The Coliseum and the Forum were time killers for us. So for your time listed for your port time, you would probably only get to see the Vatican, Coliseum and maybe something else. The Vatican and Coliseum are VERY busy places!
The tour company we used was Liv Tours and they were excellent and like Mommb we strongly suggest doing Rome with a private tour!

We had private transportation also from Rome to the port and I believe it took us about an hour and a half from Rome
to the port. So you will not be able to see much in Rome even though your schedule shows a 12 hour stop.

 

[ljhayes]

We ported in Civitavecchia on a DCL cruise and we managed visit the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and the Vatican. Look at the excursions on the Disney website to get an idea of what they are offering as a doable itinerary.

 

[tink1970]

We are considering a DCL Med Cruise this Summer. There’s a 5-night cruise out of Barcelona in July that works great for us in terms of dates of travel and the ports we want to see. However, I’m wondering if 5 nights may be too short for such a port intensive trip when traveling from the U.S. Has anyone been on a similar 5-night Med itinerary and can share their experience as to whether you’d recommend this shorter itinerary? We have been on the Dream twice before, so “seeing” the ship is secondary to us but still want to enjoy what the ship has to offer.

We did this itinerary in 2018 and while it was shorter than ideal, it worked with DH's short vacation dates that year. What worked best for us was private tours in ports and having very specific goals for those private tours, as well as an extra couple of days in Barcelona after the cruise. While it wasn't my favorite DCL (that's a tie between my first Alaska and Dover to BCN), it was definitely better than I expected, especially for a short summer Med cruise. I think planning and preparation was key

 

[auntlynne]

We did the port stop for Rome as a DIY. Train into the city. Then the subway and our feet around town. We “saw“ the Coliseum, but did not do an interior tour; niece wanted to see a famous arch in the Forum more. Spanish steps, multiple fountains in piazzas, including Bernini’s Four Rivers and the Trevi (including coin toss). The Pantheon with its hole in the ceiling . Lunch Al fresco. The Disney Store. Several churches with beautiful carvings (hard to call them statues, as many are whole scenes.

Our return train ride had a lot of fellow cruisers.

I so agree that you only scratch the surface. But it’s a beautiful surface.

 

[auntlynne]

Brings back good memories. This was nearly 14 years ago.

And, yes, it was hot, even in early May. I can’t imagine being there last year when Europe had such high temperatures.

If the cruise doesn’t work out for you, I hope you can get there some day if it’s important to you.

 

[DisneyMomJen]

That itinerary will give you long, tiring days, but if that's the timing that works for you, go for it. I would strongly recommend using a private tour service for Rome, and maybe for Livorno as well. We were able to hit many highlights of Rome (Coliseum, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Vatican, and a few more) in a single day with a private guide. Not having to wait for everyone in the group to be ready to move to the next stop is an advantage, and having a car with air conditioning could help with the heat.

Completely agree with this. We have done two DCL Med Cruises. One 10 night and one 7. Did one DCL tour this last cruise (7 night) and it was horrible. Wasted so much time waiting for others. We did a private tour in Rome both times and saw SO MUCH compared to what others said of the DCL tours. Cost wise it was much less expensive since there were 6-7 of us. Even it it were only 2 people a private tour would be worth it.

Also did private tours in Livorno both cruises. The first time to Florence and the second to Cinque Terre. Again, both were definitely worth it.

 

[brentm77]

We used Rome in Limo for a full-day tour in Rome in 2013. We used Joe Banana for a full-day excursion from Sorrento and a half-day post-debarkation tour near Rome in 2019. Both companies were great and we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

Can vouch for this company too - it is fantastic. The communicate well and are reliable. The drivers are friendly and knowledgably too. We used them several times during our trip.