Have You Researched and Planned a Mediterranean Cruise?

[ronandannette]

Yes, I am an active member of CruiseCritic and know all about that resource. It's a little hard to sift through all the material there though so I was hoping to get a bit more of a direct dialogue here.

DH and I have always told one another we'd do Europe for our 20th Anniversary which is just under a year away. We've never been "off the Continent" nor do we speak Spanish, French or Italian and are feeling like this trip will be much more complex than any we've previously taken.

I can plan a Caribbean or Pacific cruise in my sleep and have done so on the fly many times but for the first time in decades I'm actually considering using a travel agent. The time frame will be Autumn 2015 (September - November) and I'm currently looking at itineraries on RCCL, NCL, Princess, Celebrity and Oceania. We're loyalty members on all of them except Oceania. Anybody with anything at all to say about a Western Med cruise is appreciated.

 

[ldo]

I am happy to help you. I have planned 4 land/sea trips in Europe over the pat 5 years, sailing on RCCL, Carnival, Princess, NCL (Epic) to N. Europe, W. Med, Greece. A travel agent is great, if they have actually been to the places you are interested and are going to give you insight vs. just booking you flights, hotel, cruise. With a bit of research and advice here and on cruisecritic, you can plan a great trip. I usually try to do DIY on land and at ports, but do book bus day trips, cruise excursions, when it is too difficult logistically with DIY. I was nervous my 1st time (having not been to Europe in 30 years), but the next time, I was very comfortable, so I am happy to share my tips (and mishaps). We can't travel back until at least 2016 and I am so missing planning a trip--lol!
Taking a quick look at what's available for Sept 2015, I might recommend the Epic (we sailed on 7/2013)--big, fancy ship, dining room is quite good, plus many fee restaurants, good entertainment, reasonable price. Plus option to depart out of Rome vs. Barcelona. While BCN is nice, I love Rome and find it a great city to spend a few days and many day tours available, easy access to Florence, plus easy to just walk around Rome on your own. Most speak English, but a few words of Italian are nice.
Some things to consider:
what is your budget
do you "need" luxury 4-5 star-or is a "good" 3 star OK to stretch the budget
how old are you
how long can you be gone--2 weeks is ideal, IMHO
where do you want to see--get some Rick Steves DVDs
plan to fly in at least 2 days early--to rest, and tour that area on land
mid-end Sept is my favorite time in the Med., great weather. By Oct and definitely Nov, Med can get stormy.
consider adding a city not near the sea that is easy to fly to from cruise departure/return point--such as fly from Rome to Paris (did this in 2013--$100 nonstop flight on EasyJet), London, etc.
also consider a repositioning cruise from N. Europe (such as Copenhagen) to the Med.--usually in Sept. Our 1st European cruise--and one of the best--getting to see a lot of varied areas. I also like cruises that start/end in different places--usually 9-12 day cruises--with a short stay in each city--great "grand trip" for reasonable price.
land trip in a city is an easy DIY by booking some day tours on viator.com. Viator.com is also a good resource just to see what there is to see/do in a particular city/area.
So, if you give us a good idea of where you want to go, I'm sure a number of us will chime in with our recommendations on land day trips, cruises, etc. elaine

 

[jenf22]

If you guys don't mind, I'm going to tag along on this thread. We're planning Europe for my 40th next June. So far we've got a Norwegian Fjords cruise June 5-12 on NCL Star followed by a Med on RCL Allure June 14-21. I think we may be dreaming with the back-to back thing. I originally had Epic booked, but then RCL did a sale and the price of Allure dropped to almost match Epic. But other than the reservation, I don't know where to begin. Everyone says to get airfare 11 months out, but we don't know what we'll be able to afford just yet. And airfare is non-refundable. i think we've figured out we can at least swing the fjords cruise. Just seems a bummer to go all the way over there and not see the Med...

 

[ldo]

wait on airfare--no need to buy prior to 6-8 months out--11 mths is for getting frequent flyer tickets--and prices tend to be high at 11 mths. Maybe you could do a land trip for a few days vs another cruise to save the budget--consider Paris, London, even Germany as places to visit and then fly out of.

 

[ronandannette]

I am happy to help you. I have planned 4 land/sea trips in Europe over the pat 5 years, sailing on RCCL, Carnival, Princess, NCL (Epic) to N. Europe, W. Med, Greece. A travel agent is great, if they have actually been to the places you are interested and are going to give you insight vs. just booking you flights, hotel, cruise. With a bit of research and advice here and on cruisecritic, you can plan a great trip. I usually try to do DIY on land and at ports, but do book bus day trips, cruise excursions, when it is too difficult logistically with DIY. I was nervous my 1st time (having not been to Europe in 30 years), but the next time, I was very comfortable, so I am happy to share my tips (and mishaps). We can't travel back until at least 2016 and I am so missing planning a trip--lol!
Taking a quick look at what's available for Sept 2015, I might recommend the Epic (we sailed on 7/2013)--big, fancy ship, dining room is quite good, plus many fee restaurants, good entertainment, reasonable price.

As far as ships go, I'm very familiar with most of them (or at least something of a similar class). Also familiar with the tone of each of the cruiselines and we could enjoy any of the ones we're considering (including the Epic). A good itinerary will carry the day.


Plus option to depart out of Rome vs. Barcelona. While BCN is nice, I love Rome and find it a great city to spend a few days and many day tours available, easy access to Florence, plus easy to just walk around Rome on your own. Most speak English, but a few words of Italian are nice.

We think we should likely consider this a one-and-done trip so that's a big consideration in terms of maximizing the opportunity. We'd like to port in as many different countries as possible but we're not interested in Greece or North Africa.

Some things to consider:

what is your budget
do you "need" luxury 4-5 star-or is a "good" 3 star OK to stretch the budget

We've budgeted $10,000 but less would be more if you know what I mean. A good 3* would work (depending what 3* even means in Europe) but we're definitely not interested in hostels or pensions. We also won't sail Carnival (not doing the Med anymore anyway), Ocean Village, Costa or MSC.

how old are you

Let's just say that DH's age and mine combined average out to early 50's

how long can you be gone--2 weeks is ideal, IMHO

Ideally no more than 12 days away. We both work demanding jobs and we'd like a few days to crash and recuperate at home before going back to work.

where do you want to see--get some Rick Steves DVDs

I'm the original "tacky tourist" - and want to see all the stereotypical famous landmarks. DH is an architectural designer by trade and is looking very forward to touring the ancient structures. Neither of us have much appetite for "off the beaten path" or "hidden jewels" type of experiences and savouring the local culture and blending in with the natives is probably not on the table.

plan to fly in at least 2 days early--to rest, and tour that area on land
mid-end Sept is my favorite time in the Med., great weather. By Oct and definitely Nov, Med can get stormy.

September would be perfect but given our region of origin, nothing the Med can throw at us weather-wise will be a problem. We're certainly not considering this a tropical vacation.

consider adding a city not near the sea that is easy to fly to from cruise departure/return point--such as fly from Rome to Paris (did this in 2013--$100 nonstop flight on EasyJet), London, etc.

Interesting idea but honestly, it's not really part of our plan. I can happily live the rest of my life without ever seeing Paris.

also consider a repositioning cruise from N. Europe (such as Copenhagen) to the Med.--usually in Sept. Our 1st European cruise--and one of the best--getting to see a lot of varied areas. I also like cruises that start/end in different places--usually 9-12 day cruises--with a short stay in each city--great "grand trip" for reasonable price.

Now this is something that I could see us doing; I haven't see any of the lines we're considering offering anything similar though.

land trip in a city is an easy DIY by booking some day tours on viator.com. Viator.com is also a good resource just to see what there is to see/do in a particular city/area.

We don't plan (at this point) to extend our stay on either end beyond maybe an overnight as may be required by flight schedules. That could change though. We haven't taken a ship-sponsored excursion in a decade but are thinking that may be the way to go for simplicity's sake. Did you organize independent shore tours your first time?

So, if you give us a good idea of where you want to go, I'm sure a number of us will chime in with our recommendations on land day trips, cruises, etc. elaine

My responses in red. Thanks so much for taking the time to help. You sound like you have a wealth of super-valuable information to contribute and it's much appreciated!

 

[ldo]

looking at ports, and only having about 12 days, I would do the Allure or Epic out of Rome. Epic starts in BCN, so going out of Rome, there's only a couple 100 getting on board--quick and easy, but it's also geared for those starting out of BCN--so not lots of announcements, etc. Welcome party is at BCN, etc. But, since you're experienced cruisers, this should not matter. Both go to almost the same stops--so pick by which ship you like--look at Epic bathrooms--some don't like--not a lot of privacy.
i would start out of Rome--so much to see--we like to stay at a central hotel and we actually walk from the train station to hotel and all over Rome. Walking lets us see the city, and keeps us away from pickpockets on subway and buses. I find Rome very safe, never had any issues--but keep a largish pocketbook under my arm and DH puts wallet in front of pants. Rome is wonderful, Sept is great weather, have dinner outside, wine on the terrace of hotel, so romantic and beautiful! I can recommend a couple 4* hotels that works well--in Europe, a 4* is my idea of good 3* IMHO.
Briefly, for France, take an excursion either to Aix and Avignon or to hill towns like Eze, St. Paul de Vence. For Palma--Ho-Ho bus at port to cathedral, Livorno--all day Florence without or without Pisa, Naples--Pompeii (easy and cheap to DIY, if you are at all adventuresome).

 

[ronandannette]

Just spent a little time "googling" this morning and the most attractive itinerary I found was HAL Neiuw Amsterdam Barcelona/Venice 12 days on Sept. 13. We've never quite thought of ourselves as HAL material, but I guess we're getting there . Does flying open-jaw complicate things or is it actually a bonus?

DH would really like to see Monte Carlo, and Neiuw Amsterdam ports there. Epic goes to Cannes and Allure to Marseille. Is an excursion to Monte Carlo a possibility from either of those places?

I'm leaning towards wanting a 7 day which both the Allure and Epic are, and at this point their pricing is pretty favourable. But we've never been on either class of mega-ship, although we've wanted to. I'm not sure I want to "waste" them on such a port-intensive itinerary. DH and I feel a little differently from one another; I love to spend time on board and activities and entertainment are (usually) very important to me. He is all about the ports and can tolerate one or two sea-days at most. He wouldn't suffer as badly as I will at not being able to take advantage of everything the Allure/Epic have to offer.

Thoughts?

 

[ldo]

I would like the HAL ports, but for a 1st time, I might still based out of Rome and go a few days early. Some of the HAL ports are not classical "grand tour" places. It really boils down to what you want to see. Does your DH want some quality time in Rome vs. a more rushed whirlwind day? Would seeing Venice tip the balance? There should be a Cannes-Monaco excursion--you can look on RCCL. There is a dierct train--takes about an hour each way, I think. We really like Nice, on the train route to Monaco. If you had time, you could get off and look around on the way back, if you did DIY. There might be an excursion that does both.
Also, doesn't RCCL have bogo right now? Does that make RCCL less $$, enough to pay for a few nights hotel in Rome (figure a quite decent place with breakfast for 150-200 euros per night and 100 euros for food each day)? We did a 12 day on Princess Rome-Venice and in our low 50s, we were by far some of the youngest. It would have been a very boring cruise, if we had wanted onboard stuff to do. But we were so tired after touring each day, we didn't care. HAL might be the same.
Open jaw might or (not) matter. Do some pricing now for early June and see what you get--that will give you an idea.

 

[ronandannette]

I would like the HAL ports, but for a 1st time, I might still based out of Rome and go a few days early. Some of the HAL ports are not classical "grand tour" places. It really boils down to what you want to see. Does your DH want some quality time in Rome vs. a more rushed whirlwind day? Would seeing Venice tip the balance? There should be a Cannes-Monaco excursion--you can look on RCCL. There is a dierct train--takes about an hour each way, I think. We really like Nice, on the train route to Monaco. If you had time, you could get off and look around on the way back, if you did DIY. There might be an excursion that does both.
Also, doesn't RCCL have bogo right now? Does that make RCCL less $$, enough to pay for a few nights hotel in Rome (figure a quite decent place with breakfast for 150-200 euros per night and 100 euros for food each day)? We did a 12 day on Princess Rome-Venice and in our low 50s, we were by far some of the youngest. It would have been a very boring cruise, if we had wanted onboard stuff to do. But we were so tired after touring each day, we didn't care. HAL might be the same.
Open jaw might or (not) matter. Do some pricing now for early June and see what you get--that will give you an idea.

Oooh, good catch! I almost forgot the first rule of cruising: the longer the voyage during off-peak, the higher the ages of the passengers. Definitely something to factor in. But your comments about being worn out is also why I think we wouldn't make the most of the great facilities on the Allure. The RCCL itinerary is also the least interesting so it's kind of off the list for now. Their BOGO right now is actually BOGOHO and only applies to 2014 holiday sailings. (I've never had much luck with big promotional pricing on any cruise line - it never seems to be a really great deal compared to just watching for price drops as inventory fluctuates.)

In general, ballpark terms if you don't mind saying, what sort of rates did you pay for your cruises? How long would you recommend I wait to book? For garden variety cruises I generally watch them form about 3 months prior to final payment and book a low category when it's comfortable. Then if/when the prices drop after final payment (as they practically always do) I call in for a category upgrade. Is this strategy applicable to Europe?

 

[LittleMissMagic]

In 2013, I did the 7-day Western Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Epic out of Rome (as well as a 4-day on the Epic out of Barcelona).

I see you're considering cruising out of Rome/Civitavecchia, and one of the benefits of embarking in Rome is that most passengers begin their 7-day voyage in Barcelona. Since there are much less passengers boarding in Rome, there is almost no waiting for security and check-in... we walked right on the ship. Also, the muster drill was much smaller (just for passengers embarking that day) and met in the theater as a combination of Muster and "Welcome Aboard". When I embarked in Barcelona, it was a madhouse (it was also the first cruise of the season from Barca), and I waited in several long lines for security and check-in, and I had to wait on my number to be called to board the ship.

I wrote a very thorough photo review of my experience on the cruise on Cruise Critic which you might find informative - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=38428466#post38428466

 

[ronandannette]

Thank you very kindly; I'm going to check out your review right now. Good timing since we were just discussing the 10 Day Epic cruisetour on October 25, 2015. 3 day land in Rome pre-cruise and Florence, Cannes, Palma Mallorca, Barcelona & Naples before returning to Rome.

 

[ldo]

I read littlemismagic's photo review before our trip--loved it! I really think you would like the Epic. We got a balcony room for about $1500 per person--that was for July. There are only balconies and now NCL has no smoking on balconies--very nice! We have never spent more than $3500 for 2 persons on a European cruise. Hotels pre-cruise are about 150 euros with breakfast, lunch 20 euros (walk up/take away--not sitdown lunch), dinner at moderate priced place about 70 euros, including wine. We typically spend about $6K total on a 10 day trip, not including airfare. Waiting for low price can backfire b/c airfare can go up a lot--but you are in off season, so it might be OK to wait. But, the Epic only has about 10-20% of rooms designated for Rome departure, I think. So, there is a rick it could sell out. I would watch both cruiserates and airfare and probably book by May. But, that is a guess. Those on cruisecritic could give more advice about Sept cruise/flights.
Rome is so easy DIY pre-cruise, so decide if cruise-tour is worth it. We just take the train to the port--but I bet you could also take NCL transfer from a city hotel, or even get your own private car--there are a number of services--just ask on cruisecritic. You can even do an organize day tour from viator.com in Rome, but no need with Rick Steves--easy to do your own walking tour at your own pace--or get on a hop-on bus.
There is an express train from airport to Rome--we have stayed at Eurostar International and also Artemide (sp?). Both good locations, easy walk from train station, safe area, walkable to Trevi fountain, as well as Colo. a bit far from St Peters. good luck with your decision. We also thought our 1st European cruise would be once and done--that followed with 3 more trips in 4 years--we were hooked--LOL!

 

[ronandannette]

I read littlemismagic's photo review before our trip--loved it! I really think you would like the Epic. We got a balcony room for about $1500 per person--that was for July. There are only balconies and now NCL has no smoking on balconies--very nice! We have never spent more than $3500 for 2 persons on a European cruise. Hotels pre-cruise are about 150 euros with breakfast, lunch 20 euros (walk up/take away--not sitdown lunch), dinner at moderate priced place about 70 euros, including wine. We typically spend about $6K total on a 10 day trip, not including airfare. Waiting for low price can backfire b/c airfare can go up a lot--but you are in off season, so it might be OK to wait. But, the Epic only has about 10-20% of rooms designated for Rome departure, I think. So, there is a rick it could sell out. I would watch both cruiserates and airfare and probably book by May. But, that is a guess. Those on cruisecritic could give more advice about Sept cruise/flights.
Rome is so easy DIY pre-cruise, so decide if cruise-tour is worth it. We just take the train to the port--but I bet you could also take NCL transfer from a city hotel, or even get your own private car--there are a number of services--just ask on cruisecritic. You can even do an organize day tour from viator.com in Rome, but no need with Rick Steves--easy to do your own walking tour at your own pace--or get on a hop-on bus.
There is an express train from airport to Rome--we have stayed at Eurostar International and also Artemide (sp?). Both good locations, easy walk from train station, safe area, walkable to Trevi fountain, as well as Colo. a bit far from St Peters. good luck with your decision. We also thought our 1st European cruise would be once and done--that followed with 3 more trips in 4 years--we were hooked--LOL!

We shall see, but we definitely don't have a $10,000 budget every year. And I must confess - we're much more "tourists" than we are "travellers". We promised ourselves we'd see the Med and we will, but truth be told, we've spent 19 years quite content with our mundane Caribbean, Mexican, Hawaiian and Disney holidays.

The more we've looked this afternoon the more we're liking the idea of the Epic's cruisetour: http://www.ncl.com/cruises/11--day-...ode=ROMEANDVATICAN1EPIC7CIVLIVCEQPMIBCNNAPCIV

A spa balcony is going to run a little under $5,000 on a guarantee; good option that might even yield an upgrade! We'll likely decide within the next day or two if we're going to deposit on it - final payment isn't until next August. I tried your trick with pricing the airfare for early June; if that's roughly accurate it's breathtakingly expensive (about $1,700/pp). Air to/from Barcelona during that same time period is just over $1,000/pp which makes for a substantial difference. I soooo wish I could have a better idea of what the air will cost in advance.

Also pardon my ignorance, but what "portions" are euros broken down into? I mean like US/Canadian cent or British pence? The Canadian dollar is exchanging at .71 euros right now and a -30% exchange rate is nothing to sneeze at.

Thanks again for everything you input so far!

 

[Summerl30]

We've done eastern med and next year we are starting to plan a western med with the kids (we've never taken the kids to the med before even though we've been twice already).

Our plan is to diy rome for a few days and then a 7day out of rome. We like 7 days cruises and port intensive. Lots to do/see and ship choice is secondary to a good itinerary, though with kids it will be a little more important.

Our most favourite time to go is September, but we don't want the kids missing the start of school so we will likely either go April, or if the kids cannot miss school at all, we will sweat it out in august (hope not!!! We are hoping for earlier).

 

[ldo]

We also did not know what airfare would be, so we actually booked NCL Epic from both Rome and BCN, then cancelled BCN when we got our Rome tickets. 1 euro=$1.3, plus up to 10% exchange fee, so 150 euros is about $210.
We also don't have $10K a year for Europe. We could do it b/c we had been hoarding FF miles from travel, credit cards, etc. We have only flown to on FF tickets--so our trips were only cruisefare/hotel/cheap food/DIY in ports on city buses/trains). $10K would be a big family trip for 5 persons in our household.

 

[ldo]

We also did not know what airfare would be, so we actually booked NCL Epic from both Rome and BCN, then cancelled BCN when we got our Rome tickets. 1 euro=$1.3, plus up to 10% exchange fee, so 150 euros is about $210.
We also don't have $10K a year for Europe. We could do it b/c we had been hoarding FF miles from travel, credit cards, etc. We have only flown to on FF tickets--so our trips were only cruisefare/hotel/cheap food/DIY in ports on city buses/trains). $10K would be a big family trip for 5 persons in our household.
For that big of a price difference, I would consider BCN, which is also a beautiful city. We just prefer Rome, plus Rome is then a long day, as it is 1 hr from the port vs. BCN is a short cab/busride of 5 minutes. But, it might not be worth $700X2 to depart from Rome.

 

[ronandannette]

We also did not know what airfare would be, so we actually booked NCL Epic from both Rome and BCN, then cancelled BCN when we got our Rome tickets. 1 euro=$1.3, plus up to 10% exchange fee, so 150 euros is about $210.
We also don't have $10K a year for Europe. We could do it b/c we had been hoarding FF miles from travel, credit cards, etc. We have only flown to on FF tickets--so our trips were only cruisefare/hotel/cheap food/DIY in ports on city buses/trains). $10K would be a big family trip for 5 persons in our household.
For that big of a price difference, I would consider BCN, which is also a beautiful city. We just prefer Rome, plus Rome is then a long day, as it is 1 hr from the port vs. BCN is a short cab/busride of 5 minutes. But, it might not be worth $700X2 to depart from Rome.

Oh, if only I'd have had the foresight to start maximizing incentive programs and reward points 20 years ago, but alas, I didn't. No points or FF miles or anything like that to use - just money. Many of the affinity credit cards that yield great "points" are not marketed in Canada and since we basically fly twice a year at most (on a variety of airlines) FF miles are very hard to accumulate.

I'm really torn here. On one hand, this is our BIG trip and neither of us are motivated to scrimp. On the other hand, it's going to cost A LOT of money. I completely understand what a good deal on a Caribbean cruise is, what constitutes an excellent price for a quality hotel practically anywhere in North America and roughly how much decent meals should cost, as well as chain places/fast food outlets where economies can be made. The "unknown" factor of what is or is not good value is kind of spooking me.

Intuitively I'm "sure" I could do better for less $$ by DIY'ing all the segments and settling for a lower cabin category on the cruise. But the ease of the cruisetour is very tempting. That's actually why we were first leaning toward Oceania; a premium line that includes airfare (total for 1 week in a balcony comparable to the spa mini on the Epic would be around $8,500.00). But that might leave us short for excursions & spending money and if we start pushing past the $10,000 mark it kind of goes from the rediculous to the sublime.

Decisions, decisions. Thanks again for your insights.

 

[ldo]

best wishes. have a good trip, whatever you decide. Elaine

 

[ronandannette]

If you don't mind me picking your brain a little further, can you tell me about your time in Rome? When we're talking about "tours" of famous landmarks, should I picture just getting off a bus and following a guide around while he/she interprets the site? And for walking tours, how close together or far apart would things be? For example, how much ground will one cover on a 1/2 day walking tour? Would it be a leisurely stroll or more of a march?

What were your favourite places to see? Is there much for evening entertainment (contemporary shows or concerts, etc.) that can be enjoyed without knowing the language? Hie prevalent is English and will we be considered boorish if we can't communicate in Italian? We wouldn't expect to be too far off the beaten tourist path but I'd like to not offend anyone accidentally if I can help it.

PS: We've got another little trip upcoming in a month to celebrate this year's anniversary (run-of-the-mill RCCL Caribbean cruise). I'm finding the excitement for it is completely getting lost in trying to plan this Europe thing. Have you had two separate vacations on the go at once (I never have before) and if so, do you enjoy it? Will we be making a mistake if we just table Europe until next spring and fail to book a year in advance?

 

[ldo]

for me, any trip to Europe starts with a Rick Steves book, RickSteves website (graffitti BB, Travelers helpline) and DVD, Eyewitness travel books (the ones with photos), and looking on viator.com. I will give an typical 2.5 days in Rome DIY for us, but you could also add a tour like one on viator.com:
Day 1--arrive at Termini train station, walk to hotel (we always pick one away from Termini going down Via Nationale toward Colosseum, but you could also get one on the HO-Ho route, as well (or the Ciao Rome route). For the afternoon, take Ho-Ho bus for a tour around the city, getting off at St. Peters Square and walk around, maybe get some dinner, etc. Or eat near Trevi or Spanish Steps--we like Piccolo Arancio, Vicolo Scanderberg, 112, 00187 Rome, Italy (right off of Trevi area)--small, reasonable, and very good. We ate there 2 nights in a row. Ho-Ho cannot go to Trevi, as streets are too small--you get off at nearest stop and walk a few blocks. We always just walk back to hotel after dinner.
Day 2: walk to Colo--cross over street (by Constatine's Arch) to Palatine Hill and get your tickets there, good for Palatine/Forum/Colo--very small line, then tour Palatine and Forum (we do DIY with Rick Steves, Eyewitness books), then exit, get a snack and then tour Colo--bypass ticket line over at Colo and walk straight to the front. I hear that Rick Steves also has very good free podcasts. Forum/Palatine/Colo will take you until lunch, then back to hotel for a rest and then evening stroll to dinner. One time we went over to Pantheon after Colo--a bit of a hike--so I would do that the 1st day on the Ho-Ho--it's a quick look inside and walk around the square.
Day 3: walk around the city, take in other sites, depart for airport,cruise, etc. If you have a full day, I would take the train to Orvieto, which I have never been to--but saw in the distance--looks lovely. I love the hill towns in Italy. I'm sure there are day tours, if you don't want to DIY train yourself. You could also easily train to Florence for the day--2 hrs door to door, easy to DIY, and then do something else on the cruise instead of Florence (I recommend Cinque Terre tour from the cruise ship--google it for the amazing scenery). I have never felt unsafe walking around, even at night--but take precautions--wear good shoes, carry a bag close to your body--large tote bag works well, no expensive camera, jewelry, etc. Pay attention when on public transit--we avoid subway/buses in Rome, and we do not use underpass in Florence at train station (we were told pickpockets hang out there)--we cross at a cross walk further down the street.
You will be fine with only English--millions of tourists each year come to Rome. A few Italian words, please, thank you, good morning, etc. are nice. There is probably pm entertainment, concerts, etc., but we are usually too tired after dinner and a full day of walking. Viator might list some regular offerings. Viator is just a wholesaler of local tours--you can book the same things when you get to Rome--but viator give you a good idea of what there is to do--there prices are the same, or a bit better--or you can wait and then decide on the fly when you get there and have your hotel book what you want, as well. I have used viator for Italy, Denmark, UK, and Spain with no issues.
With only 2 persons, you can certainly wait until at least May to plan a trip--esp. in Sept. good luck! Wish I were going! Elaine