This was our 3rd Celebrity cruise, but the 1st one in Europe.
We arrived in Rome 4 days before the cruise and spent the days touring Rome. For the morning of the cruise departure we arranged with 2 other couples that I found through the Cruise Critic Equinox Roll Call for a van with http://italy-inlimos.com to pick us all up at our respective hotels. Fabio was our driver and he was actually about 10-15 minutes early for the pick up. It was totally hassle-free and I would recommend Italy in Limos wholeheartedly.
The check in was quick, being in Aqua class helped, but the regular check in line wasn't too long around 12:30pm when we got there. The Oceanview cafe was open for lunch.