We stayed in port as the children were very tired. Interesting castle opened at the dock. Very simple to go to Rome from the nearby railway station for under €20 return. Make sure you validate your ticket in the machine before you board! Ticket also give you free metro in Rome, accessible from Station Termini. I recommend Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Colosseum and Forum, in that order. You can get off earlier at the Vatican, but it’s a lot to do in one day so I would do one or the other. Read Less

civitavecchia is quite a pleasant place should you decide to wander around Read Less

Aside from the many history in the city Rome is by far our least favorite. People aren't friendly and everything even the transport system is out to scam you. If someone is trying to help you they got their motivations and would ask you to pay them. So just be alerted. Not to mention the train from Civitavecchia to Rome can be confusing if you didn't do your research before hand. So just be prepared and know where you're going. But I'd suggest you to board at Rome and arrive at least a day or two before to truly explore the city on your own. An 8 hour day is simply not enough. Read Less

Costa were charging €39 per person for a coach transfer into Rome - we went on the train for €9.20 each with afaster journey time and choosing how long we spent there Read Less

We took the free shuttlebus to the smaller city port then walked to the train station but was a fair detour so might have been quicker to just walk to the train station from the start. The city also offered a 2 Eu shuttle from the small port to the station which we caught back on returning to the ship. We caught a train into Rome Termini (36 eu for the four of us return - when buying ticket at Citavecchia take care to go into main train station to buy your ticket and not be diverted to tour operator close by who tries to dissuade passengers from the train and suggests a car tour instead) and then a metro to the Coloseum (we bought individual tickets from machines at the metro station) and then strolled back alongside the forum (not enough time to go in really due to long ticket queues but pre-booking these might help), then meandered back to the Trevi fountain and had some gelato, wondered around a bit then grabbed a taxi back as running short on time to Termini for the train back. If you are interested in the Vatican, the train stopped at St Peter’s on the way in so would have been easy to hop off there. If planning a day in Rome you would be able to do more by getting off the ship earlier as we were a bit slow that morning which cut our time short. Read Less

We were disappointed that there was no excursion of Rome or the port. We had several hours before sailing so we just toured the ship. Read Less

too much walking for older people Read Less

I walked from the entrance at the cruise port to the Civitavecchia railway station and this took about 40 minutes. I caught the local bus back to the cruise port, and in hindsight this would have been a better option both ways as it is cheap and quite quick. The train to Rome was late and took over an hour. I have been to Rome previously so did not have an extensive list of places to visit. I had to use the Metro to get to some places and discovered that coins are needed to purchase tickets. I nearly missed my train on the return journey as the platform number was posted on station information screens only a short time before departure, and the walk to the platform was considerable. On this occasion (and I guess on a regular basis) trains from Termini to Civitavecchia depart from platforms located at the far end of the airport train platform. Read Less

Getting from the airport to the ship was quick and we didn't have to wait long on board before lunch was ready and our stateroom was available early. Due to bad weather, we had to stay docked overnight to ensure the safety of all on board. Read Less

Starting Port...no time in Rome, but organization by Viking at the airport was great. Read Less

Always enjoy spending time in Rome. Check out the Inn at the Roman Forum for an excellent place to stay, especially if you can splurge on a roof top garden room. Read Less

No waiting in line to see the underground areas. Very educational and not a disappointment. Read Less

It started raining just as we got to the Pantheon, and it was beautiful seeing the rain come in through the round opening at top of the domed ceiling. Read Less

unfortunately we arrived too late to enjoy the port - airplane mechanical difficulties Read Less

Took 2 day Hop On Hop Off tour bus (2 lines in Rome) and got to see a lot in a little time. Read Less

Walked to some interesting attractions. Read Less

About a twenty minute walk from where we docked to the train station. Then it's an hour long train to Rome. Overall not bad. Read Less

Disembarked here. Caught a taxi to our Hotel at the airport (about an hours drive) and the driver got lost. Couldnt speak a word of English so it was a bit of an adventure! Read Less

Dpeparture port. The boarding process was quick and easy and the faciltiy was top notch. Read Less

Guide was English, was very knowledgeable, and spoke very clearly. Read Less

We arrived a few days early to explore on our own. Read Less

We took a cab to town and walked Rome for a third time. Beautiful, great people, great time. Civitavecchia was wonderful and if you want a surprise hotel before embarkation try the "Seven Bells" . Hard to find and office is on 2nd floor but great. Also in Rome try the Best Western Hotel Universo" (not at the airport but buy the rail road termini. Immaculate, friendly and wonderful.(this from a germ freak, picky hotel guest. Take my advice and just booked this place. Read Less

SO much to do, bring your walking shoes!!! Also amazing food! Read Less

We definitely did not have enough time in Rome. It took over an hour just to get into the city from port. We saw as many sites as we could, but needed several more hours. Read Less

We spent four days in Rome before boarding the ship in Civitavecchia. Best thing we did, got to see everything we wanted and more. Read Less