We are aboard the Norwegian Escape on a transatlantic or repositioning cruise from New York City to Rome.
Our ship has arrived in the Port of Livorno on day 16 of our European vacation. This is the last port before finally arriving in the Port of Civitavecchia, Italy where we will be disembarking the ship and going to Rome.
We booked a shore excursion to go to Florence. The excursion included a coach bus to Florence then a Hop On Hop Off Bus ticket. Since, it was our first time in Florence, we wanted to see as many attractions as possible. However, navigating the city was very difficult on our own. The exclusion might have been called Florence On Your Own and I would not recommend this excursion unless you have been to Florence before. I would say, this excursion is for a very advanced traveler. The tour also started late leaving the port. I would keep this in mind when booking an excursion that is far away from the cruise port.
Since, it was raining, we decided, once we got to Florence to take the Hop On Hop Off Bus to Piazzale Michelangelo. This was our number one must see destination in Florence.
The bus stop to get on and off the Hop On Hop Off Bus was near the meeting point of the coach bus back to the ship. The shore excursion offered a Tour Guide that took some people in the group by foot to some of the attractions. But, we chose not to go with the group.
We did not know to download the app for the Hop On Hop Off Bus. The app shows you in real time where the buses are on the map. A lot of the bus stops were not even labeled, it was confusing if you have never been to the city before. If we were not on the bus to see where they were, we would not know how to find them without the app. The buses also did not come very often, probably every hour if you were to get back on at the same stop.
We took pictures for an hour at Piazzale Michelangelo once we got off the bus. Then, we got back on the Hop On Hop Off Bus back to the meeting point. Then walked to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore by foot to take as many photos as possible before retuning to our meeting point near the bus stop. In reality, we only had about 30 minutes there.
We had less than 2 hours of time to take photos let alone do anything else in Florence. I am happy we got our bucket list photos, but it was very stressful. I would not recommend this excursion for a first timer. We did not have time to enjoy any of the sights or eat anything.
Now, I understand why there is a term called, Cruiseathon. I need a vacation, from my vacation. Going on an excursion at every port on a transatlantic cruise is something you should prepare for if it includes bucket list ports. It’s hard to do everything on your list and you have to prioritize what is most important and manage your expectations. You can plan for flexibility and go with the flow. Then you’ll enjoy your experience more.
I hope I get the opportunity to go back to Florence, now I understand why everyone loves it there. Even if I don’t get to go back, I can say, I got what I wanted - my bucket list photo!
Next, we will be arriving in the Civitavecchia, Italy the final port. Then we will disembark the ship and taking a train to Rome.
There is one last video in the series which will include the whole cruise in one video and a few clips from our one day in Rome.
Thanks for watching this Transatlantic Cruise Series.
This video is for those of you who haven't discovered cruising yet. Let me know if you have any questions about anything.
Join us as we explore everything together.
#florence #nclescape #firsttimecruiser
10 июл 2024
