Cruises
We always schedule a cruise either before or after our inland exploration of Italy (look over our Itineraries page). We do this because there is so much to see in the area of the Mediterranean Sea both east and west.
As you can tell from our ‘Itineraries’ page, we cruise exclusively on Celebrity. Why? It just fits our idea of comfort and a bit of luxury. The food is outstanding and the amenities are to our liking.
As You choose a cruise to transport you “around the boot”, you need to consider the following: What can you see in one day? How do you get the most out of the shortened time you have?
The answer is: Be well-planned! Know what you really want to see and then go about finding out how to do it!
For example, we wanted to see the Sistine Chapel when our ship docked an hour and a half outside Rome, in Civitavecchia. How? We hired a shared ride from the port to
St. Peter’s and then we hired tour guides to meet us at the front of the line, tickets in hand. We arrived back at the port with time to spare!
We wanted to visit Florence from Livorno, without taking the cruise’s excursions. We took a taxi to the train station and took the train into Florence. Just be sure to check the train schedules before you go. We were able to go on a food tour and return to the ship in plenty of time.
In Santorini, Greece. we wanted to visit Oia without a time limit. We flagged a taxi and spent our whole day there among the white-washed, blue-roofed buildings, and took the bus back to Fira.
Planning is the key. Do we explore on our own or take an excursion off the ship?. We have done both and have loved our time at each port location.
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