Which airport?

Agree - which airport.

And, I assume you mean free shuttle from hotel to airport? Hotel isn;t going to give you a shuttle to a cruise. In fact, to join a cruise I would check where they do run shuttles from to the boat.

fumicino

We stayed at the Best Western Riviera. Nothing spectacular, but I would recommend it: OK location and free breakfast; clean; courteous staff. Lots of Americans stay there, and I'll let you decide whether that's a plus or a minus.

That hotel is served by a contract shuttle bus that stops at a few other hotels. I think the charge for the shuttle is something like 5 euros. Call the hotel for details when your flight arrives.

I stayed one night at the Sheraton Roma by Fiumicino. The hotel was nice (typical Sheraton), and they have a shuttle that will pick you up/take you to the airport and also a shuttle that will take you/pick you up from the historical center of Rome. I wasn't that happy with the included breakfast buffet (too many hot items were cold), but it was only one day.

If you have to get to the port in order to join your cruise the next morning, you might consider a hotel closer to the port rather than the airport.

When your flight arrive?
Do you want (and have time) to visit some of Rome in arriving day?

Where you want to go the next day, to airport of to the cruise? At what hour have you to be at the port for starting of the cruise?

Unfortunately, as mentioned, there are NO hotel shuttle services that will take you from your hotel near FCO to the cruise port of Civitavecchia. It's just too far to be practical from them. There are however many private shuttles you may consider.

Not sure where you're coming from or when you arrive, but I'd suggest staying in Rome rather than a hotel location. If you want to ride the train, the cheapest option... then you'll have to connect/depart from Rome anyway... as again, there is NO direct train service from FCO to Civitavecchia. As you're finding out, Civitavecchia is not the most accessible port.

So you can utilize a private shuttle service ($$$) or you can ride the train ($) - dragging your luggage - or you might get on the cruise critic website roll-call for your ship and find someone else who faces the same challenge. Then you can at least split some of the cost of your private shuttle ride.

Not knowing how many people in your party, whether you're interested in the train, or even where you're coming from and what time you arrive at FCO... it's hard to answer your question. The FCO hotels are not among the best rated in the Rome-area. And NOT ALL have shuttle service. You can read about many of the "best-rated" FCO hotels here: http://tinyurl.com/hotels-fco

That all said, I'd rather spend my last night in Rome, rather than at an isolated airport hotel. Just not as many options in Fiumicino as there are in Rome.

Flight arrives at 9:30 a.m. on a Friday I thought we had better go in a day ahead of the cruise which starts on Saturday. So we will have an afternoon free and the next day go to the cruise. We have been to Rome before so don't feel an urgency to go again unless we feel like it.

We are worried that if there are any delays we could miss the cruise. Going on Princess.

So if you're worried about delays in getting to the cruise, shouldn't you be looking for a hotel near the port rather than an airport hotel?

I agree with baladeuse. Head to Civitavecchia upon arrival and see some interesting things rather than hang around Fiumicino.

http://www.civitavecchia.net/

My thinking is that after a very long day and night we might be exhausted as we are 74 and 78. Getting out of customs and into a bus or car for another hour or so seems a bit much. Maybe a nap at the rome airport hotel and then take a shuttle into Rome for the afternoon. Then pick up the Princess transportation to the ship.

I am trying to put together the whole story. Is this what you think you are doing?

1. 9:30am arrive in FCO
2. ~10:30am check-in airport hotel ASSUMING YOU CAN CHECK-IN
3. sleep
4. sometime in the afternoon: 30-40min taxi/train/"shuttle" to Rome.
5. spend time in Rome
6. sometime in the evening: 30-40min taxi/train/"shuttle" back to FCO hotel
7. next day: check-out of FCO hotel. Move back to FCO terminal
8. Take Princess Cruise optional FCO terminal to Civitavecchia transfer.

If this is the case, the risk here is what do you do if your room is not ready at the FCO hotel. You cannot take a nap and going to Rome means you are foregoing nap.
If you are checking into a hotel in Rome, then you can get going with your Rome itinerary until the room is ready, walk back to hotel, take a nap, and go out again.

From Rome, there are frequent trains to Civitavecchia from Ostiense, Termini, and Trastevere stations.

Well, you could do what many folks do... book the room the day before and the day of your arrival. Let the hotel know you won't be checking in until the following AM of your "first" day. You'll be guaranteed a room, as you've paid for it. Many folks do this and pick a hotel with a SPA and spend the hours AFTER their flight in the SPA.. then go crash and they're ready for anything the next day.

As far as getting to the cruise port... there's not much there... but you could book a private shuttle and ride out to Civitavecchia and stay.

As you'll be traveling overnight, and you'll be tired, I would NOT take the train to Civitavecchia on your arrival date. That's just too exhausting.

And at your ages, I'm not sure I'd take any train. These are primarily commuter trains and they're not the most comfortable. And you'd have to drag your own luggage onto and off the trains.

Nope... I'd either book one day early or spend that same money and use a private shuttle to go to Civitavecchia. Hotels there are fairly inexpensive, although not too memorable.