Rome with a view

Stephen White and his family discover there’s adventure in almost every port.

The white sign outside the enormous Colosseum made me chuckle. Here, where 50,000 locals once cheered as Christians were chucked to the lions, today there is a list of “behaviour rules”. “Bicycles, skateboards or other motorised objects” are forbidden, as is engaging in “any form of business”, and eating “in large groups”.

What would Emperor Vespasian have made of it when he began building here in AD70?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

We couldn’t stop and ponder for too long, though. With less than a day to take in the sights of Rome we were determined to prove that with a bit of planning and decent walking legs we could at least see most of its famous sights in our allotted seven hours.

We’d docked at the ancient port of Civitavecchia, about 50 miles to the north west of Rome, which meant a 90-minute coach journey after stepping ashore.

The “Rome On Your Own” excursion, which cost £39, was one of many offered to passengers on the cruise aboard the 12-deck, 753-cabin Thomson Dream – the 53,000-tonne flagship of the Thomson Cruises fleet.

After being dropped off at St Peter’s Square, armed with the street map we’d been given, plus some helpful advice about using the Metro, we set off to explore, ticking off St Peter’s Basilica (the queues were huge, but worth the wait) on our list too, before catching the Metro to Spagna.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

From here it’s a short walk to the iconic, but madly busy, Spanish Steps (designed in 1723, the widest staircase in Europe and next to the house where John Keats died in 1821).

A little further on you find the even busier ornate Trevi Fountain (85ft high and 65ft wide), completed in 1762, and featured in the 1953 film Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.

We paused for lunch at a tiny street cafe, where we enjoyed bruschetta, generous bowls of perfectly cooked spaghetti, carafes of fruity house wine and tiny cups of high-octane coffee, simple but perfect, at a cost of about 20 euros a head.

The Pantheon – the most perfectly preserved of ancient temples with a hole (oculus) in its dome to let the light in – was our next stop.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Afterwards, with 5pm approaching fast, we headed back to the coach. We could easily have spent many more hours, days even, exploring. But this is the nature of cruises – though your time in each place is limited, there are other benefits. Firstly, after our hectic and hot day, we were looking forward to a relaxing dip in one of the ship’s two pools.

And, as so many families discover when they take to the high seas, cruising is a highly effective way of exploring Europe while keeping a pretty tight grip on your spending. All tips for the crew are included in the price, so the only extras are on-board drinks and excursions.

Thomson Dream is by no means the biggest cruise ship afloat but even at full capacity she has the happy knack of feeling spacious.

Four restaurants offer everything from six-course dinners to burgers, pasta and pizza, and a varied 24-hour buffet. And if you really want to push the boat out, there’s The Grill, the ship’s intimate premier restaurant (cover charge required).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There’s plenty of deck space for sun-worshippers, and lots to do inside, too, including concerts, games and quizzes, plays, a library with internet access, health club, sports deck, kids’ club, and even a beauty salon. When the sun goes down, there are five bars, three lounges, lots of shops and a casino.

It’s a cashless ship – to pay for things you just show your room key, which you are given after registering a credit card before you board.

The ship’s currency is sterling, and bar prices are similar to those you’d expect to pay at home.

Our seven-night Treasures of the Mediterranean cruise took us from Palma, Majorca; to Trapani, Sicily; Naples; Civitavecchia (for Rome); Ajaccio, Corsica; Palamos, Spain, and back to Palma.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

For excursions, three or four trips are available at each resort. With a bit of planning you can have a bit of adventure in most ports of call.

In Trapani, we opted for a cable car ride which took us high up a mountain to the cobbled medieval village of Erice.

From Naples, we took an organised tour to Pompeii and in Ajaccio, we visited a local market, admired the statue of local boy Napoleon and joined hundreds of islanders at St-Francois Beach for a dip in the clear, warm sea with the toe-nibbling fishes.

By the time you are deposited in Majorca to catch the flight home, you will be amazed by the sights, sounds and memories that you’ve packed into seven days.

Getting there

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Stephen White was a guest of Thomson Cruises which offers seven-night Treasures of the Mediterranean cruises on Thomson Dream from £947 (saving £200 per person), from Palma to Olbia, Naples, Rome, Villefranche, and Palamos. Price is based on two adults sharing cabin departing Manchester in mid-August. Price includes return flights, cabin/fuel supps, transfers, service charges and tips. Upgrade to an All Inclusive basis (covering all drinks onboard) from £199 per person. Reservations: Thomson travel shop on 0871 231 3243 or at www.thomson.co.uk/cruise

Related topics: