Princess Excursion - Elite Collection: Pompeii, Sorrento & Amalfi Coast - From $259

[gemz]

I would like to know if this excursion is worth $259. It includes a lunch at a 5-star property in Sorrento or Positano (my must see location). Would anyone know where you would go for this lunch and what you would get to eat and drink?

 

Thanks!

[cruisemom42]

The $259 that you are paying is not so much for the meal. It is for the smaller sized group (which is what the Elite tours on Princess promise -- a small or mini bus instead of the 40-passenger buses).

 

If you're truly into food, you're better off going with a private tour. I did several Elite tours (not this one) with my mom on our Med cruise that included meals. While they were nice meals, they were nothing outstanding food-wise. (The locations were nice though, e.g., Ciragan Palace in Istanbul...)

 

Only you can decide if it is worth it. FWIW, if there are two of you, you can do a private tour for around 500 euro; you'll have to pay for your lunch, but you can tell your guide you want to eat somewhere really nice and I'm sure they will oblige.

 

(P.S. You might want to ask the moderator to move this post to the Italy board, where it belongs.....;))

[chipmaster]

You can hire a private van / driver for a day thru someone like RIL for 500 euros. Divide that cost by 4 -7 ( max capacity ).

 

You have the advantage of a small group, private driver, much faster IMHO than any cruise sponsored tour and the some serious extra money for shoping dining.

 

We had a wonderful time in Amalfi/Pompei out of Naples. Had two vehicles for 13 people that worked out to something like 150/person including entrance to Pompeii, nice meals and everythign else.

 

Private is the way to go IMHO.

 

I would like to know if this excursion is worth $259. It includes a lunch at a 5-star property in Sorrento or Positano (my must see location). Would anyone know where you would go for this lunch and what you would get to eat and drink?

 

Thanks!

[gemz]

Thank you CruiseMom42 & chipmaster. It was late last night and I was half asleep posting this and it went under Greece and not Italy. Thank you very much for your replies. There's actually 4 of us but the only thing that worries me about going on your own with this excursion is that it's far away and if your private tour has an accident or some other problems, we would be too far away and can miss the boat. Most likely we will go with the Princess excursion only for that reason. Thanks!

[cruisemom42]

You should do whatever makes you most comfortable. As I said, I took several of the Elite tours and they were all very good --- it's just that at heart I'm a DIY gal.

 

You might want to read some of the posts re: private tours on the Italy board before you decide for sure. The reputable companies take cruise passengers on tours probably every day during the cruise season, and I can recall reading only one incident (in over 4 years) of someone getting left behind as a result of being on a private tour. The agencies depend on tourists, and few tourists would book them if they felt it was a risk! They know the best routes to take and how much can be done in the time you have.

 

Again, though, it's down to you and I'm sure you'll have a lovely day however you do it.

[chipmaster]

The far away from port and miss the boat or that boat will wait for cruise tours is an angle the cruiselines market heavily. THey have to as they really offer very little for the price premium they charge.

 

IMHO if you pick a very reputable and professional private tour operation ( RIL seems to be one :D ) their reputation and business depends on them NEVER having a tour miss the boat. Take a look at that thread here that is hundreds of posts long singing their praise. Just one miss and all that reputation goes down the drain, gone. I suspect or no, I'm sure that Duman's number one guidance to the drivers what you do you think it is :D

 

That being said nothing is more convenient than booking thru the ship. For my Alaska I'm doing that for some of the ports as its just easy and the difference in price is small. If one can afford the Princess elite then I think for that price you are really getting what is a private tour experience, but at something that is 2x what you can get for private, but in the end if it makes you comfortable there is really NO price for that. Priority 1 is comfort and peace of mind, priority two is the best time you can afford.

 

Good luck, oh I love your signature, where did you get that fancy thing!

 

Thank you CruiseMom42 & chipmaster. It was late last night and I was half asleep posting this and it went under Greece and not Italy. Thank you very much for your replies. There's actually 4 of us but the only thing that worries me about going on your own with this excursion is that it's far away and if your private tour has an accident or some other problems, we would be too far away and can miss the boat. Most likely we will go with the Princess excursion only for that reason. Thanks!

[sunsetbeachgal]

I am a believer in private tours as well...the operators as said 100% depend on the ships for their livelihood-and, whether is be Europe, Carribbean, etc. they are all very well aware of cruise critic and comments about them! Also, they all have multiple vehicles and are in communication via cellphone with other drivers, so we have no worries about being left behind.

 

I have not done Elite tours-one other thing I heard on a Med cruise is that some of the ships tours, including Elite, stopped for shopping at a store that folks were sure that Princess or the driver was getting a kickback for, and they were unhappy that precious time on the tour was being taken up for that.

[abroad at sea]

Can some please tell me what is an Elite Tour and how I find out about them....I know this is off subject, but I have seen this several times and I have no idea what it is...

 

Thanks

[cruisemom42]

I have not done Elite tours-one other thing I heard on a Med cruise is that some of the ships tours, including Elite, stopped for shopping at a store that folks were sure that Princess or the driver was getting a kickback for, and they were unhappy that precious time on the tour was being taken up for that.

 

I'm so glad you brought this up; I'd about forgotten that since I haven't taken a ship excursion in a while. Yes, they do have mandatory shopping stops, even on the Elite tours. In Istanbul it was a rug shop in the Grand Bazaar (I dodged out and went exploring on my own in the Bazaar, mom dutifully sat through the presentation....:rolleyes:). In Naples it's usually the unavoidable Cameo Factory.

 

 

Can some please tell me what is an Elite Tour and how I find out about them....I know this is off subject, but I have seen this several times and I have no idea what it is...

 

Thanks

 

So far as I know these are only offered by Princess (although other cruise lines may have something similar, just is not called "Elite"). The Elite tours offer more of a semi-private tour experience. You are in a smaller bus with about 18 people instead of the larger 40-person buses. Often they offer a few other "upgrades" over the regular tours (e.g., nicer lunches on full-day tours). My mom is convinced the guides are also better -- and she should know, she always takes shore excursions. ;)

 

The Elite tours are identified as such under the Princess shore excursion descriptions. They are also more $$$ than the regular excursions.

[gemz]

Thanks again everyone for your very helpful suggestions. I will certainly look into the more reputable private tours.

Chipmaster, I would never be able to figure out how to make that fancy signature box. It's actually my daughter's. It's amazing how the younger ones can figure all that stuff out.

[maryann ns]

Our tour with Marcello of seesorrento could not have been better. The highlight was the special banquet just for the eight of us on an outdoor terrace high up with a view down to the water. It was much less expensive that the ship's tour.

 

You will not have time to spend long anywhere. We left from Sorrento and spent under two hours in Herculaneum and then drove the entire Amalfi coast. We stopped at all the scenic lookoffs, but except for lunch did not have time to go into any of the towns. We had no shopping at all, a huge plus for me. We were brought back to Sorrento in plenty of time. As others have said the private tour companies cannot afford to have to miss the ship.