The trip in from Rome was pleasant… but debarkation at Stazione Civitavecchia was about to get VERRRRYYY interesting.
“ATTENZIONE Signore I Signora, se Arrivo a Civitavecchia”, blasted the PA…
But Chuckie was already in the aisle with the luggage laid out for a quick escape… the train only stopped for 5 minutes and a lot of people getting off here.
Now the fun starts…the train from Roma stops on the middle, Binario #2 while the one back to Rome departs on Binario 1 on the station side. Guess how you get to the Stazione and the street… on the other side of Binario 1??? Why…you go down
the 30 step stairway, hang a left under Binario 1 and up the 30 step stairway to the Stazione piattaforma, with 2 -50# bags, 2 carryon’s, 2 coats and an agoraphobic Dragon Lady who freezes at the top of the steep stairway.‘Huff…Puffff…. Hufff… Pufff, Damn …these things ain't getting any lighter Babe.”
“You're doing fine Honey,” she smiles following with the coats in one hand and the pillow bag in the other.
“Yeah but they sure don’t make it easier… It is NOT a handicap friendly country.”
“But you're not handicapped honey,” she smiles.
“If your need to pack half your closet and dresser for every trip doesn’t handicap
me, nothing will!”“What was that Honey?!?”
“Nothing Dear… just keep an eye on the bags down here, while I come get the laptop case, and watch your step, the treads are narrow.”
Then after a near hernia and wrenched back going back up Chuckie hauls the last bag up and stops for a breath on the Stazione piattaforma
before heading to the front uscita [exit]. But, it only gets better. Chuckie was told its only a couple of blocks to the port entrance
and a free shuttle bus to the ship, so off they go hauling bags behind them along the picturesque marina walkway. Welllll…so much for a couple short blocks in Italy. A half mile later huffing and puffing again, they make it to the port entrance, and load onto the shuttle bus… as bag after bag gets piled on it occurs to 
them as first on, they will be the last off. Fine… more time to rest from the marathon bag pull. 
Embarkation was quick and painless, good thing we made copies of our passports because they’re confiscated at boarding as they must be presented at each foreign port. The “Sign & Sail” card issued at embarkation will get us on and off the boat without an issue. It is also our only way to pay for anything while onboard except at the Casino which of course only takes good ole American Greenbacks.
We find cabin 8203 without issue and Surprise…Our favorite Caterers and Dear Friends in Vegas, Lenny & Donna have sent a delightful “Bon Voyage” Chocolate Delight and Bottle of Champagne which will immediately be put to good use. Youse GUYYYYSS!!!! Thanks so much!
Now it was time to head back off the ship to find bottled water, wine, and the Avis office so we can expedite the car for the Wine tour on return to this port. After some directions from cruise staff, who then decide the shuttle driver may not let us off at the north gate for the short route to Avis and the “Super
Mercato” a cab is suggested. Hell no… we are the Wacky American Tourists and just love to walk and see it ALLLLL! Once off the shuttle at main gate we’re off in the general direction of the market and Avis. A local confirms our direction and in short time we walk right up to…the closed Avis office. Yep… now Chuckie remembers why he wanted to get the early express from Rome… the damn office closes at 12:30pm on Saturday. Sooooo…we’ll deal with adjusting rental times and returns when we get back.Now it’s off to the Supermercato which we spot up the hill from Avis as directed by Paolo of Carnival. 15 minutes later we were walking out of “TODI”S” with a 12 pack of water, 2 bottles of wine and a good trek back to the port.
Of course our load doesn’t deter Dragon Chick from window shopping along
the way when Chuckie spots a wedding in progress. DL quickly dissuades him from ducking in for pics like the last time in Castel Gondolfo; he’s always finding Brides wherever we go, the caterer in him just wont die.We just make it to the shuttle as the doors were closing and after raised eyebrows as we pass our booty through the x-ray machines on boarding, were back in our cabin.
Our bags are still en-route so we head off for a quick snack since we haven't eaten since
we left the hotel and we have the late [8:30]seating for dinner. So we're doing the Hot dog and Burger thing, and this bubbly blonde bounces over and says, "You Must be Chuck... I recognize the hat".
It was Sara, one of our SchooldTeachers from Ohio that would accompany us on some Turkish and Greek Tours. We invite her to join us and along comes her bookend, Phyllis. They are quite a pair and we take to them immediately deciding that since Donna and Lenny couldn't make this trip, these were the kinda folks we're gonna love touring with.
After some sunset pictures across the harbor, we bid them Ciao till tomorrow and we head down to see if the bags had arrived yet. NADA, so we relax for a little while and the head to to dinner in our travel togs and find at our table #189, two Canadian couples, one from Ottawa and the other from Vancouver, along with a couple from Texas. After 10 minutes of conversation we can tell this will be a lively dinner group so we decide that we'll hang in at this table for awhile.
After Dinner, a quick look around the boat and the brief welcome Show, then back to see if the baggage was in yet. Finally! After a quick unpack, Chuckie settles in to catch up the NOWAT and post Benevenuto A Roma when the uploading pictures 
issue came up. Nothing can be done ‘till tomorrow so we crashed late. Naples was going to be a challenge in the AM. We had no hard plans other than a ferry to Sorrento, and maybe another over to Capri . We'll see how that goes in the morning since there will be over 9,000 cruisers from 3 ships in port..Next Stop…Bon Giorno Napoli
Ciao 4 Now
Chuck and the finally beginning to relax, Dragon Lady…
[by the look on her angelic sleeping face]
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