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	Queen Victoria Cruise Voyage V913: Mediterranean Medley II - 17th-30th August 2009 Day 8: 24th August - Civitavecchia for Rome
	This is the record of a 13 night cruise taken on board Cunard's Queen Victoria from Southampton on 17th August 2009. This page covers Monday 24th August in Civitavecchia for Rome. The good weather of mid-30s temperatures and deep blue skies with little haze continued - too hot for ambitious walking. Civitavecchia port seems to get busier each year. Six cruise ships were in port on 24th August plus a growing number of ferry companies. Only the state railways (FS), now known as Bluvia, have ceased running in recent years, but the established Tirrenia, Moby and Corsica Ferries have been joined by Grimaldi Lines, SNAV and Grande Navi Veloce. A free shuttle bus was run to the port entrance, and we then took the train to Rome. A €7 ticket covers the train to Rome plus unlimited travel in the city. The railway to Civitavecchia is classed as FR5 (Ferrovie Metropolitane) in the greater Rome transport system. Disembarking at San Pietro, we walked through the Vatican and then caught the 19 tram which runs a circular route around the north of the city centre. Whilst my wife visited the Coliseum, I then travelled on the 90cm gauge Roma-Giardinetti urban light railway, which uses two varieties of tram on reserved tracks. After some more tram trips on the elderly 7000 series bogie trams, I returned to the ship. I was in time to photograph a number of the evening ferry movements plus the departure of most of the six cruise ships in port. Queen Victoria, Ventura and Thomson Destiny had just been visiting, whilst Legend of the Seas, Costa Fortuna and Royal Princess all took on new passengers.

Sister ships Moby Fantasy and Moby Magic were built as Manuel Soto and JJ Sister in 1975/76 by Union Naval de Levante S.A. Valencia for Trasmediterranea services to the Canary Islands. In 1985, JJ Sister inaugurated a short-lived service from Genoa to Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Cadiz and the Canary Islands. In 1997 Manuel Soto was sold to Moby Lines and renamed Moby Fantasy for Genoa-Bastia and Livorno-Olbia services. In 1994 JJ Sister was chartered to Corona Line as Balanga Sister. In 1997 JJ Sister followed her sister to Moby Lines and was renamed Moby Magic for Genoa-Bastia and Livorno-Olbia services. On 11th September 2003, Moby Magic ran aground off Olbia. She did not return to service. Moby Fantasy was in a collision in June 2006, and was taken to Naples. She was repaired and remains in service in 2009.