Marvel at the true icons of Rome, including the Vatican Museums, Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and the gardens of the Pope’s summer residence, often enjoying private access to areas off-limits to the general public.
Note: This tour not recommended for guests with walking difficulties or those who utilize a wheelchair or scooter due to the amount of walking, steps, cobbled surfaces and lack of elevators at some sites.
DAY 1
Upon exiting Customs in the Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Grand Hotel Parco Dei Principe which enjoys a privileged location just a short walk from Via Veneto, in the exclusive Parioli district.
DAY 2
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will tour the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter’s Basilica. The museums contain some of the world’s greatest paintings and sculptures, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Caravaggio. Besides seeing the most well-known exhibits like the Sistine Chapel, you will also visit areas usually closed to the general public, including the tomb of Pope Pius XII and the Niccoline Chapel, which features the lives of St. Lawrence and St. Stephen.
Note: When the Niccoline Chapel is not available, we will substitute with a visit to the “private room of the tears and the room of Pope’s vestments.
After the visit you will return back to your hotel.
In the afternoon, meet the group in the lobby and leave the hotel to enjoy a beautiful panoramic drive of the Ancient Rome. Pass by the Colosseum, the Caracalla’s Baths and the Circus Maximus. Then, you will reach Trevi Fountain, theatrically designed by Nicola Salvi; be sure you throw your coin to ensure your return to Roma.
Next, you will walk to the Piazza Navona, a lovely square constructed in the 15th century and lined with cafes and Baroque palaces. Under the Navona’ Square lies the magnificent Stadium of Domitian. The Stadium was commissioned around 80 AD by the Emperor Titus Flavius Domitianus as a gift to the people of Rome, and was used mostly for athletic contests. After the visit you will enjoy a cocktail in this amazing location.
Afterwards, you will return to your hotel. Dinner is on your own.
NOTE: for guests with mobility restrictions, scooters are not permitted in the Vatican Museums and guests with wheelchairs are not permitted to tour with the group. Guests requiring a wheelchair will need to use a Museum wheelchair and a have a separate guide at an additional cost of approximately 150 Euro payable on site (subject to change). Also, at Domitian Stadium there are 20 steps with no elevator.
DAY 3
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will drive East from Rome toward Tivoli.
Tivoli is a small town on the lower slopes of the Apennines where the river Aniene plunges in cascades into the Roman plain. The villas testify to Tivoli’s importance as a holiday resort from the Roman period through the Renaissance. Tivoli or Tibur in antiquity came under Roman control in the 4C BC and it was there that a Sibyl prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ to the Emperor Augustus.
Visit Villa D’Este, masterpiece of the Italian Garden, and included in the UNESCO world heritage list. With its impressive concentration of fountains, nymphs, grottoes, plays of water, and music, it constitutes a much-copied model for European gardens in the mannerist and baroque styles.
After the visit, enjoy some free time to wonder through the colorful open-air market selling all sorts of souvenirs, fruits and local products, then enjoy lunch in a beautiful restaurant overlooking another one of Tivoli’s sights, the beautiful Villa Gregoriana. Drive back to the Hotel.
In time, you will return to your hotel where the remainder of the day and dinner are on your own.
NOTE: for guests with mobility restrictions, the Villa d'Este Gardens are not accessible for wheelchairs or scooters. Only the first floor will be accessible in the Villa. The restaurant in Tivoli has approximately 40 steps to enter without an elevator.
DAY 4
Following breakfast and check out at the hotel, you will transfer to the ship to begin your cruise.
Land Program Details Step by Step
• The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.
• Itineraries with the up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.
• The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
• Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
Extra Nights
• All extra nights booked through the cruise line are confirmed at the hotel that is used on the FIRST NIGHT of your land program
• If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until day 2 of the program.
• If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.
• If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.
DAY 1
Arrive at the Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport and proceed through Customs.
You will be met and transferred to your hotel where you will spend the evening.
Check-in at 3:00pm.
Meals are on your own today
Overnight at the Grand Hotel Parco Dei Principe or similar hotel
Meet and Greet and transfers
• Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.
• Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.
• Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.
• If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.
DAY 2
AM Breakfast at your hotel
7:45am Depart the hotel
8:30am Start tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica
1:00pm Return to your hotel, lunch on own
4:30pm Meet your guide in the lobby and Panoramic drive of the Ancient Rome (Colosseum, Caracalla Baths, Circus Maximum)
5:30pm Walk to Trevi Fountain
6.00pm Walk to Pantheon and Navona Square.
7:00pm Private guide for the Stadium of Domitian and cocktail
9:00pm Drive back to your hotel, dinner on own
Overnight at the Grand Hotel Parco Dei Principe or similar hotel
DAY 3
AM Breakfast at your hotel
8:30am Drive to Tivoli
10:00am Visit the Gardens of Villa D’Este
12:00am Free time
12:30pm Transfer to the lunch venue
12:45pm Lunch in a typical restaurant
2:00pm Drive back to your hotel, dinner on own
Overnight at the Grand Hotel Parco Dei Principe or similar hotel
DAY 4
AM Breakfast at your hotel
11:00am Hotel check out and transfer to the ship
12:30pm Arrive at the ship for embarkation
NOTE: Should a site be closed on a particular day, the itinerary will be amended accordingly so that all sites are seen. Final documents will include the most up to date itinerary for your voyage.
Expected weather:
April — 68° Fahrenheit (20° Celsius)
May/June/September — 78° Fahrenheit (28° Celsius)
July/August — 86° Fahrenheit (30° Celsius)
November — 59° Fahrenheit (15° Celsius)
What to bring:
Dress is generally casual, although when visiting churches your knees and shoulders must be covered. Bring good walking shoes, a hat, weather-appropriate clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen.
Local currency:
The Euro is the local currency, but U.S. dollars and travelers’ checks are also accepted in some places.
Electricity:
220 volts. We suggest bringing your own universal travel adaptor if you bring electric devices.
Hotel address:
Grand Hotel Parco dei Principe
Via Gerolamo Frescobaldi, 5, 00198 Roma RM, Italy
Phone: +39 06 854421
*We will only substitute the hotel in unforeseen situations. If the hotel is substituted, it will be similar and with equal ratings and standards and guests will be notified in advance. If guests are not notified of any changes before departure, then the hotel listed in this program will be used.
Program includes:
• Superior Double room accommodations for three nights, including breakfasts
• Touring and entrances per the itinerary
• Transfers
• 1 lunch
• 1 cocktail
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program excludes:
• Meals or services not mentioned above
• Gratuities to drivers and guides
• Hotel incidentals including mini bar and room service
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, and gravel or natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation. Weather appropriate clothing; hats; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are generally recommended.
Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land Programs must be purchased no later than 60 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 60 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
