Boarding at Civitavecchia Cruise Port: Our Experience

This is the third post in our “Greek Isles Cruise and Rome Adventure” series — a two-week journey through unforgettable ports, coastal cities, and historic streets. In this entry we leave Rome and make our way to the Civitavecchia cruise port, where we board Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas and get our first look at life onboard. If you missed earlier posts, you can catch up on our long-haul flight from Virginia to Rome, arrival in Rome, and airport adventure. Start here with our first post.

Getting to the Civitavecchia Cruise Port

To keep things smooth and stress-free while boarding the Odyssey of the Seas in Civitavecchia, we pre-arranged a driver (I say “we” but Demi took care of all the related logistics) to take us from our hotel in Rome to the cruise port in Civitavecchia. Traveling in a new part of the world, we wanted to avoid the hassle of finding transportation at the last minute or dealing with taxi overcharging stories we’d heard or read about online. Our driver, Mateo, even reached out the day before to confirm plans, a nice touch that gave us peace of mind.

The Ride to Civitavecchia: Our First Real Views of Italy

Mateo arrived early at the hotel lobby, and we were ready to go, so we got a bit of a head start. According to our phone’s map, the trip should have taken about 1 hour and 10 minutes, but Mateo managed to weave through traffic and got us there in under 50 minutes, all without reckless driving. We enjoyed the ride, soaking in our first real views of Italy and feeling increasingly excited as we neared the Civitavecchia cruise port.

Arriving at the Port: Navigating the Cruise Terminal

Once at the port, the maze of winding roads and several docked cruise ships made it confusing to find our way (for Demi and me). Thankfully, Mateo knew exactly where to go, pulling right up to the ship’s boarding area. He helped with our luggage, and after tipping him, we were ready to start the next phase.

Luggage Drop-Off and Check-In Process

Right at the ship’s entry, a man in a neon vest with a dolly greeted us and quickly loaded our luggage. At first, we weren’t sure we needed the help since many passengers were carrying their luggage onboard. But it turned out to be a smart move (even though it wasn’t our choice!), the man escorted us straight to the front of the luggage drop-off line, bypassing a long queue. We tipped him 5 Euros and thanked him in Italian before heading inside. I call him “the man” not out of disrespect, but only because I am unsure whether he was a crew member, a port employee, or otherwise affiliated with Royal Caribbean (RCL).

The check-in process reminded us of airport security, with carry-ons, phones, and personal items going through an X-ray scanner, and we passed through metal detectors. It was organized, efficient, and well-staffed, with a helpful crew guiding everyone through the process. Within 20 minutes of arriving at the port, we were cruising through the onboarding process and making our way to our stateroom, ready to start our Greek Isles adventure.

Climbing to Deck 13: The Elevator Dilemma

We made our way up the winding “gangplank” that led us to level 5. We took a quick look around and headed to the elevators to reach our stateroom on the 13th deck. As you might expect, the elevator lines were long, with crowds gathering around all the banks of elevators. Most of the elevators were already full and often passed us by without stopping. So, we decided to take the stairs instead, luggage and all, for a bit of extra exercise and to skip the wait.

First Impressions of Our Balcony Stateroom

After skipping the elevator, we finally reached the 13th level and stood in front of our stateroom door—opening it for the first time was genuinely exciting. We’d chosen a balcony stateroom for this cruise, our first ever, and from that moment, we knew there was no going back to a stateroom without one. The views promised to be spectacular.

The stateroom wasn’t overly luxurious; it wasn’t a suite, but the vibe was comfortable and accommodating. It appeared spacious enough for us. The bathroom was adequate, and the storage options for luggage and clothes were clever and well thought out. Since our checked bags hadn’t arrived yet, they usually arrive a couple of hours after boarding (but they had reserved the right to have them delivered by 8 pm), we took a moment to soak it all in. Stepping out onto the balcony, we watched other passengers still boarding below. Feeling the anticipation build, we decided it was time to grab a drink and take a stroll around the ship while we waited for our luggage to arrive.

With our stateroom explored and the excitement of embarkation behind us, we were ready to see what this ship had to offer. In the next post, we take a casual stroll around the Odyssey of the Seas — from robotic bartenders to activity zones and dining options — and share our first impressions of life at sea. Stay tuned!

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