Hi you all...
My name is Shaq lol (maybe), I'm Italian and I have found this thread only today... I thought I could help you especially during your visit here in Italy with any informations.
I Have visited Florence Barcelona Rome Naples and could suggest you the cheapest and the fastest way to visit these cities, helping with the public transportation, tourist informations, what is worth being and what not...
etc etc...
Using "scheduled tours" can be very expensive and you will never see what you want... the way you want... for the time you want... for the money you want...
Today i gave any notes to reach Pompei "on your own..." using public transportation, but I can help you to translate italian site, to find good restaurants as you don't know the language and you can read all the italian reviews about them...
I'm just 33yo but I have travelled a lot in my life (I was twice in disneyworld (10 days at all), once in
Disneyland-Anaheim (4days), once in Disneyland Paris (4 days) and had a 7 nights caribbean cruise, so I think we have lot of common interests (especially about travelling).
I have spent 4 days in Florence last week and I saw there lot of
disney cruise line Guests arrived from La Spezia... That's why I started to post here in DIS, maybe I can help anyone to plan ur cruise and your excursions as I did before in another post with a friend who needed to reach Pompei
I like to save lot of money (I've visited the Disney's Character Premiere in the Premium Outlet in Florida

and this just because of the informations shared in internet between the travellers) and use them for many other things.-
I'm sorry, I know my english is not really good, hope you can understand me "anyway"
Have fun planning your cruise...
At your disposal
shaq