Jerry and I have traveled extensively together over the years. If we do not have set plans, we very likely have an outline or an idea of potential plans. In other words, we rarely have found ourselves just winging it, especially somewhere significant like Rome. Some level of research is always done!
However, due to last minute changes the evening before our day in Rome, we found ourselves on a Royal Caribbean excusion (Pretty much the only one left) that was a bus ride to Rome with 5 hours of free time to explore. We did not have a lot of time to research much of anything regarding distances between must-see tourist spots, waiting time to get into St. Peter’s Basillica and/or the museum in Vatican City, places to eat, etc.
We were fortunate that the the other 3 in our group secured spots on a panoramic bus tour around Rome with options to get off at certain points of interest (Again, another Royal Caribbean excursion). Jerry and I would have done this but there were not enough available seats. His parents and friend gushed about how much they thoroughly enjoyed this excursion and they felt they got to see all the highlights of Rome – They would definitely recommend that excursion especially if you want to limit your walking time and be able to see most of the tourist destinations Rome offers.
Our bus dropped us off near Vatican City and our guide walked us to a gift shop inside St. Peter’s Square. This was our meeting point 5 hours later to return back to the ship. Jerry and I decided that we would purchase Hop On and Hop Off bus tickets and see what we could that way.
Since we were already at St. Peter’s Square we debated getting in line to at least see the Basillica. While mulling over the time situation (We knew the Hop On and Hop Off would take at least 90 minutes to get around the city even if we just stayed on board the whole time. We were warned though with Rome traffic prepare for at least 2-2 1/2 hours).
As we were quickly trying to factor in a nice lunch in Rome, the possibility of standing in line at the Vatican, and when we should get on the Hop On and Hop Off bus, we were approached by a gentleman with a nametag that said they do private tours and can get us into the museum and Basillica within the next 30 minutes and the tour would take 2 hours. He said the current waittime for these locations was at least 2 hours so if we did the private tour, we would be out before this line even got to the entrance.
We told the guy we needed a minute to think this through. He pressured us a little bit but not enough to be a turn-off. We crunched the time numbers and decided we would take the risk with the private tour. Seeing the Sistene Chapel and the Basillica would be wonderful and we were already right there. We weren’t sure if we were making the best judgment call, but we decided neither of us was getting warning bells so we went for it.
Turned out, thankfully, that the tour was legit. There were at least 12-16 other people in our group including a young couple who happened to be on our ship as well. We did walk a few blocks away and then went in “the backdoor” of the museum. This took a bit of time because of security measures and then outfitting everyone with headsets. Once inside, it was relatively smooth sailing. We were among the masses for sure so staying together with our guide was the only challenging part.
The tour guide took us through many hallways that showcased artifacts, artwork, hall of maps, and the big finale of the Sistene Chapel. You can take your time in the Sistene Chapel but it is very strict, organized, and a bit intimidating with all of the security handlers managing the crowd. While it was beautiful to see, neither of us felt the need to sit and gaze at it since we wanted to also see the Basillica and time was ticking. By the way, no photos allowed in the chapel.
Getting into the Basillica was quick and easy since we had already by-passed the main line waiting outside. Jerry and I were in awe. The magnitude of this place left us speechless. Photos cannot capture the scope, detail, or feel of its presence but we both decided that it was well worth the risk we took with the private tour to see all of what we did (especially the Basillica) and still have some time left to do something else.
Our biggest decision now was, do we grab a snack and dash for the Hop On and Hop Off? We would have just enough time to safey do it with our time constraints but that means no enjoying a leisurely lunch. Or do we choose to do something we have not had a chance to do in any of the previous locations yet – just be….sit, eat, relax, take it all in for a while. We opted to do just that.
Now, where to go? We did not have a clue what was around us and did not want to risk going too far since we had a strict time to be back in this area. We started walking outside of the Vatican. Jerry decided to ask one of the security members (Not the Swiss guards – haha!) if they had a recommendation for something nearby. They nodded and then flagged down another man. They told us to follow him. We did.
We were taken a few blocks away to a little hole in the wall family restaurant. Perfecto – Exactly what we wanted! We were able to decompress, linger over red wine, scrumptious pasta, bruschetta, and dessert. We were pleased and relieved with how our day was unfolding.
We had about 45 minutes left before meet-up time, so we chose to walk around outside and see a little bit of Rome by foot. We both really enjoyed the feel of the city and soaked in as much as we could before heading back to the gift shop to reconnect with our guide back to the bus.
Jerry and I thought it was an ideal way to spend the day and we were grateful that we did not try to cram the Hop On and Hop Off tour in lieu of slowing down and enjoying a good meal and the experience that came with it. We also decided that hopefully we would be back in Rome someday since we were loving the city so far, and we could always check out the things we were unable to see this time around.
Sidenote: When you take a cruise, there may not be enough time to see all points of interest of any given place. You are simply given an opportunity to get a taste of it. In retrospect, beginning the cruise in Rome instead of Barcelona would have been ideal. This would have given us an additional day to explore Rome. Royal Caribbean does offer that option of boarding the ship in Rome for the same itinerary we were on. Ours happened to start in Barcelona.
When our group reconvened on the ship, everyone expressed their gratitude for having a wonderful day in Rome and were delighted with how “plans/not having plans” worked out. While Jerry and I did not make it to Trevi Fountain to toss a coin in, we most definitely wish to go back to Rome someday.
Last stop in Italy, Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi Coast. Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but I left mine in Sorrento…
Thoughtful Travels 