All roads may well lead to Rome but all ships sail to Civitavecchia, so as we bring back our cruise series here’s Cruiseday Tuesday – Rome’s Port.
Civitavecchia, or Centumcellae was the piece de resistance, and I should remember the Latin for that, of the emperor Trajan who built the port between 103-110 AD.
And that means St Peter, the first Bishop of Rome and Pope, would have sailed in here.
But not obviously on the fancy Royal Caribbean cruise ship Allure of the Seas.
Classical Rome
Seeing that you’ll arrive nice and early for your cruise as it’ll go without you take a jaunt around Civitavecchia.
Pope Julius II commissioned Fort Michelangelo to protect the port from pirates.
Now your seven-night Royal Caribbean Western Mediterranean cruise might be the most romantic trip you ever take.
But many a sailor left a lovelorn maiden back on shore.
The bronze Kissing in Memory of a Port statue remembers all those who went off to war and to mark the Allied bombing of 1943.
Swell of history
So what were the Classical Roman ships like?
Behind Pope Julius II’s 14th-century Old Rock is a reconstruction of a Luburna, a warship of the emperor’s fleet.
So you’ll be sailing in the swell of history as you make your way down to Naples.
Before checking into Barcelona, Palma, Provence (Marseille), Florence/Pisa before checking back to where it all began, Civitavecchia.
Port of exit
Now I’d always recommend exploring your exit port before your cruise, whether that’s Southampton, Kiel(central to Germany’s war history) or Fort Lauderdale.
So start your Allure of the Seas cruise with a Civitavecchia tour before your seven-day from €724pp in 2022.
So glad to have you back and where better to start than Cruiseday Tuesday – Rome’s Port.
MEET YOU ON THE SEAS
