Positano, Sorrento and Pompei Tour

[pete_coach]

I've done ship tours, and private tours, and (mostly) DIY -- sometimes have done more than one mode in a single port at various times. I have yet to take a ship excursion that is the equal to a private excursion. ..........

........

 

Of course, YMMV. :cool: Ships tours are great for the timid and for those with mobility limitations. However, I don't intend to stop trying to help people do these ports on their own, when possible, or through private tours. They get plenty of encouragement to take the ship excursions elsewhere. These boards are where people come for practical advice on doing something other than just the ships tours, for the most part. And most who try DIY, armed with the advice from posters here, come back really happy that they did it that way.

Gosh, I feel so...timid and mobility challenged for even suggesting that ships tours are an alternative.

 

Part II (:D).....

In case you think I'm unduly critical of cruise tours and perhaps too far off the bell curve, here are some posts from a young couple that did their first Med cruise this summer .........

Holy Chastising Batman...do I wait for Part III for you to dig up more anti ship tour testimonials for you to fling?

Ease up Cynthia, we can all can have our say :eek:

[Embracedbylife]

I've done ship tours, and private tours, and (mostly) DIY -- sometimes have done more than one mode in a single port at various times. I have yet to take a ship excursion that is the equal to a private excursion.

 

Oh, did I mention that the ship's tours do not visit the wonderful Terrace Houses there, which many people say is THE highlight of the site? So I missed them the first time around. :rolleyes:

 

.

 

We actually managed to book a small conniseur tour through Princess that includes the Terrace Houses! :) I think it's new maybe! :)

[cruisemom42]

We actually managed to book a small conniseur tour through Princess that includes the Terrace Houses! :) I think it's new maybe! :)

 

Good to see that they are upgrading their offerings!

[cruisemom42]

Ease up Cynthia, we can all can have our say :eek:

 

I might ask the same of you -- after all, it was you who said "Some people on these forums who instantly claim the ships tour is inferior or poor or of bad value are, again in my opinion, single minded and unfair."

 

I agree we can -- and should -- all have our say. But we do not need to fling stones, and I believe it was you who fired the parting shot, sir! ;)

 

My lengthy response was to document that everything I say comes from my own experience, which is true of everyone who posts here. It is certainly not intended to be single minded or unfair....

[Hlitner]

We actually managed to book a small conniseur tour through Princess that includes the Terrace Houses! :) I think it's new maybe! :)

 

Perhaps they have been reading some of our critical posts :). On the other hand, we are wondering how the cost of your conniseur tour compares with simply booking a private tour through a reputable local tour company such as Ekol. On our last visit to the ruins (it was our third time at the ruins) we hired a private guide for the two of us (through Ekol) and it cost us about $160 total (for two). We spent about 5 1/2 hours with our guide (who had 2 college degrees) and it was a fantastic visit because we were able to learn things in much more depth then we got out of a Princess cruise tour (our first visit) and on our own (2nd visit).

 

We have posted for several years (ever since the Terrace Houses were opened to the public) our outrage that the cruise lines would have excursions to the ruins that did not include the Terrace Houses (many of their tours still do not include this part of the ruins). Not going inside that fascinating part of the ruins would be like going to the Statute of Liberty and staying outside.

 

Hank

[born4trvl]

Hi all, this is my first time posting on CC and will be taking my first Mediterranean Cruise on RCs Mariner of the Seas in July 2011. We have a combination of private and cruise tours lined up so far. Trying to decide what to do in Naples. We have a group of 10. Originally I was trying to decide between 2 cruise excersions, both take in Salerno and Pompeii. One by by Motor Coach takes in the Amalfi Coast by bus, time in Salerno, guided tour of Pompeii and Cameo factory and then back to ship. Other is similar but does a boat excersion from Salerno to Amalfi to see the coast from the water. My original question is: Has anyone taken either and do you have to worry about getting sick on the boat? I have read a few posts that talk about getting sick on the hydrotours. From all the posts I can see there is a good deal of support to do a private tour here and will begin to look into those. Is there any concern about making it back to the ship on time when trying to see more with the private tour? I am most excited about this port of all places so any help is greatly appreciated.

[TLCOhio]

Hi all, this is my first time posting on CC and will be taking my first Mediterranean Cruise on RCs Mariner of the Seas in July 2011. We have a combination of private and cruise tours lined up so far. Trying to decide what to do in Naples. We have a group of 10. Originally I was trying to decide between 2 cruise excersions, both take in Salerno and Pompeii. One by by Motor Coach takes in the Amalfi Coast by bus, time in Salerno, guided tour of Pompeii and Cameo factory and then back to ship. Other is similar but does a boat excersion from Salerno to Amalfi to see the coast from the water. My original question is: Has anyone taken either and do you have to worry about getting sick on the boat? I have read a few posts that talk about getting sick on the hydrotours. From all the posts I can see there is a good deal of support to do a private tour here and will begin to look into those. Is there any concern about making it back to the ship on time when trying to see more with the private tour? I am most excited about this port of all places so any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to these Cruise Critic boards. The private tour people "GET IT" very well and understand the need to get you back to the ship in a timely manner. Ships will try to scare you into using their overpriced and some inflexible tours in ports like this in order to lessen the competition.

 

Here are a couple of other suggestions to help you and other future travelers. Keep reading and researching. FIRST, scroll back through all of the earlier postings. You will see many different items on Naples, its area and other ports you would visit and/or at the board for each separate cruise line in planning for your upcoming cruise. SECOND, do a search on these boards by each city and you will see lots of postings on various subjects connected with each port stop. Then, after taking the time to get that background, see other experiences, etc., you can post with specific questions in each port city. Be sure to have a title that is narrow to your question so that other can know what you are seeking. There are lots and lots of great people and information here on these boards. Don't be shy in asking follow-up questions. Folks are happy to share more when they know what you are seeking and background on your timing, cruise ship, travel party, personal interests and travel style, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 30,100 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Have heard nothing but good things about Ekol Tours. This year is their 25th anniversary and if you have 4 people or more and book before Jan 31st you save 50%. We booked tours in Ephesus that includes the Terrace Houses for $51 US pp and Istanbul for $53 US pp. We have a group of 8 for both tours and prefer that versus the larger groups that you probably will get through the cruise lines.

 

Perhaps they have been reading some of our critical posts :). On the other hand, we are wondering how the cost of your conniseur tour compares with simply booking a private tour through a reputable local tour company such as Ekol. On our last visit to the ruins (it was our third time at the ruins) we hired a private guide for the two of us (through Ekol) and it cost us about $160 total (for two). We spent about 5 1/2 hours with our guide (who had 2 college degrees) and it was a fantastic visit because we were able to learn things in much more depth then we got out of a Princess cruise tour (our first visit) and on our own (2nd visit).

 

We have posted for several years (ever since the Terrace Houses were opened to the public) our outrage that the cruise lines would have excursions to the ruins that did not include the Terrace Houses (many of their tours still do not include this part of the ruins). Not going inside that fascinating part of the ruins would be like going to the Statute of Liberty and staying outside.

 

Hank

[agabbymama]

Perhaps they have been reading some of our critical posts :). On the other hand, we are wondering how the cost of your conniseur tour compares with simply booking a private tour through a reputable local tour company such as Ekol. On our last visit to the ruins (it was our third time at the ruins) we hired a private guide for the two of us (through Ekol) and it cost us about $160 total (for two). We spent about 5 1/2 hours with our guide (who had 2 college degrees) and it was a fantastic visit because we were able to learn things in much more depth then we got out of a Princess cruise tour (our first visit) and on our own (2nd visit).

 

We have posted for several years (ever since the Terrace Houses were opened to the public) our outrage that the cruise lines would have excursions to the ruins that did not include the Terrace Houses (many of their tours still do not include this part of the ruins). Not going inside that fascinating part of the ruins would be like going to the Statute of Liberty and staying outside.

 

Hank

 

 

Oh Hank, your analogy is so funny. That's exactly what we did. We rode the little boat to Liberty Island (in the rain) walked around outside taking many many photos, shopped, then got back on the little boat and headed to Ellis Island. Had no interest in going up top of the "old girl". She gave me goose bumps just looking up at her though.

 

And for Ephesus (we booked a ship's tour to Sirince) not planning to see Ephesus because of all the walking. Our tour bus driver took us up to the Statue of the Virgin and parked, so we were able to see the amphitheater and take photos with it, then back on the bus to town to the small Ephesus Museum, and then on to Sirince. We thoroughly enjoyed our day (wine tasting and shopping the small market area) (we had about an hour at the museum, and another hour at Sirince) then of course the obligatory carpet factory stop (which we even enjoyed with a Turkish snack and drink). We knew we were not going to buy one, but there were 4 sold on our bus. And the vintage car collection they happened to have was also very interesting. But it was our first trip there, and learning how the silk worms are tranformed into the beautiful carpets was indeed a learning experience.

 

We are two older ladies with mobility issues, and we found on our Med cruise anyway, that ship's tours worked the best for us. So everyone has to make the choice of what is BEST FOR THEM.

[Embracedbylife]

Perhaps they have been reading some of our critical posts :). On the other hand, we are wondering how the cost of your conniseur tour compares with simply booking a private tour through a reputable local tour company such as Ekol. On our last visit to the ruins (it was our third time at the ruins) we hired a private guide for the two of us (through Ekol) and it cost us about $160 total (for two). We spent about 5 1/2 hours with our guide (who had 2 college degrees) and it was a fantastic visit because we were able to learn things in much more depth then we got out of a Princess cruise tour (our first visit) and on our own (2nd visit).

 

We have posted for several years (ever since the Terrace Houses were opened to the public) our outrage that the cruise lines would have excursions to the ruins that did not include the Terrace Houses (many of their tours still do not include this part of the ruins). Not going inside that fascinating part of the ruins would be like going to the Statute of Liberty and staying outside.

 

Hank

 

 

The Princess tour is only $158 for 2 of us. There are no more than 22 of us on the tour.

[texancruzer]

Whew, this is a hot thread :eek:

 

We have found that many factors come into play when we travel as to how we travel.

 

Our first cruise to Europe was booked at the last minute. Not a whole lot of time for research etc once I had taken care of flights, hotels, etc etc. So we ended up doing some ships tours. Some DIY and some private tours. We found we really enjoyed the ships tours we took that trip. I was drawn to the ones that gave us free time in each place so we could shop, eat, wander etc..... It worked out great for us. This is coming from a couple who do like to DIY and strike out on their own and travel the road less frequented. SO TIME CONSTRAINTS IS 1 REASON.

 

Some people just arent comfortable doing it any other way. Doesnt make it wrong or bad - makes it accessible FOR THEM. My father in law drove me nuts on our first cruise. They talked us into trying a cruise with them. Thanks DAD ! But he is scared to death he will miss the ship. To the point that while in Grand Cayman at a restaurant where we could see the tenders and the ship......he kept saying we had to get back onboard.... and all this 3 hours before we were to leave ! :eek:

 

So I say, let's all help each other out but remember we all travel in our own way.

 

ps: I went to the statue of liberty AND I DIDNT GO IN :cool:

[rmtravel]

We are cruising on hal's ryndam in august and can not find any roll calls. We want to share excursions. Any ideas?

we used aldo monti's company, your tour in italy, in july of 2010 for 6 of us. Our guide was dominico. He picked us up at the ship at 8:00 and off we went to sorrento where we had plenty of time to walk around and explore. Then we were off to positano, where we also had plenty of time to walk around and explore. Dominico took us to a quaint little italian restaurant way up at the top of the mountain overlooking positano and the coast. The views were unbelievable! The food was the best italian food we ever had -- all served family style. We had an assortment of antipasto dishes, then several different entrees, then various desserts with lemoncello. It was wonderful at 25 euros per person. We ended our day at pompeii, where ytii had arranged for a private guide at a very reasonable price. This day was the highlight of our cruise. The drive along the amalfi coast is a must do.

 

The cost of using a private tour company vs. The ship's excursions is much less expensive, more comfortable, and you get to see as much as you wish to see at your own pace.

 

Since there are only 2 of you, i would suggest looking at the roll calls for your ship to see if there are any others who wish to join you in order to bring the cost down even more. There may even be others on your ship who are already putting together a group.

[euro cruiser]

We are cruising on hal's ryndam in august and can not find any roll calls. We want to share excursions. Any ideas?

 

I saw two August dates on the first page of the Ryndam roll calls, but if those aren't your dates, why not start a roll call yourself? See here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=319

[phillygirl63]

Hi, rmtravel! When we used yourtourinitaly, the cost for each day was 530 euros for the 6 of us in a minivan. We used them in Rome and Naples (that day is described above). That cost does not include the entrance fees to the Colusseum, Roman Forum, or Pompeii but they are only about 12 euros per person to enter, and YTII can prepurchase the tickets for you. I would check to see what they would charge for a sedan since there may be only 2 of you. The cost may still be relatively reasonable compared to the ship's excursions and, as I said before, you will have the entire day with your driver to do whatever you want in airconditioned comfort.

 

Then, if you want you can post a roll call for your cruise since you said there isn't one out there already. That way if you get some interest from others, then you can upgrade the type of vehicle and maybe save a few bucks.

 

By the way, what area of Boston are you from? We lived in Hopkinton for a short period of time. My DH worked in Watham and I worked in Newtonville. I loved Boston and was sorry we couldn't have stayed longer.

[Kayamore]

look on your roll call. Someone is probably putting a group together. I went last year with aptours it weas 55 euros with our group including a private guide of Pompeii. One of the best days ever. Going back in March with same company.

 

I'm on the Melody in March. Are you going on a private tour to Pompeii?

Kathy

[Kayamore]

Here's the "deal" on wonderful Positano. No bus or car can take you "into" this mountainside village. You will park or be dropped along the main road at the "TOP". Then you walk down, down to the shore/beach/lower area. As the below visual shows, the various houses and buildings are constructed "hugging" this hillside. That's part of what makes Positano so interesting and unique.

 

This is a long tour because there is so, so much great and spectacular to see and do in this area. This is not a "one-trick pony" port stop. You need that much time to see everything (or a part of it). You'll love. This is a world-class place.

 

Pompeii is super awesome. Why??? It is so unique and historic. It gives you a keen insight about how people lived and operated during that long-ago era. My most memorable moment was in walking into Pompeii and noticing certain grooves in the stone pavement. I asked what caused that. Our guide replied: "That's from the chariots." WOW! It became very, very visual for where we were walking and what had happened here.

 

Visiting the brothel house was also super interesting. Our guide pointed to the seven different visuals on the wall that provide "customers" a choice on what position they wished to choose. They needed to use visuals there as sailors from all of the world visited Pompeii and its port in that era. They didn't speak the local language. Our guide in 1999 said on one of the wall visuals that it was the "Monica Lewinsky position". He noted that people from all over the world touring this site knew what that phrase meant, regardless of their language spoken. Interesting!!!

 

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 29,000 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Positano is uniquely built along the slopping mountain side. Here's an artist's view as he paints this scenic site.

 

 

 

Here are some samples of what we saw in Pompeii with our guide. There are a wide variety of buildings, interiors, art and architectural objects, etc. Very interesting and super historic!!!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An example of the art on the walls within a residence in Pompeii. Amazing sites and sights in this historic area.:

 

 

Hi. Met you on another cruise last year. What tour guide did you use to go to Pompeii. Thanks Send reply to moore_k03 at yahoo.com

[JillLovesTravel]

Thanks everyone for this thread! I am booked on our cruise's tour and am seriously considering going with a private guide now for the two of us - slightly cheaper and a more intimate experience i'm sure. We are really looking forward to it!

 

Just to let you know, we did this ship's tour through Royal Caribbean. Smaller Van, I believe there were 18 of us plus driver and tour guide.

First we did Pompeii, AWESOME!!! Then Sorrento with an awesome lunch at the Hotel Excelsior overlooking the Bay. Unlimited Champagne and Wine included. Then we went to Positano. LOVED this place!!! You get PLENTY of time to walk down to the beach, shop, eat, drink, soak up the ambiance!!!

 

Worth every penny and we found that many of the people on our ship did the same top of the line all day excursions in each port and we would all see each other again and again and became friends. Go ahead and do your own thing with your small group. Maybe cheaper, maybe not. Maybe better, kind of doubt it could be better than what we experienced.

 

Good luck and have fun!!!!

[phillygirl63]

Jill, how much did you pay for the ship's excursion? When we used yourtourinitaly for Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano in July, it worked out to be about $200 (USD) per person for the 6 of us in a private minivan. That price included lunch (25 euro pp), entrance fee to Pompeii and a private guide for Pompeii. Of course, tips were extra. Lunch was at a quaint little italian restaurant at the very top of the mountain in Positano. The food was delicious and the views were absolutely spectacular. We were able to move at a very comfortable pace since there were only 6 of us.

 

I'm not knocking the ship's tours, because we have done both, but my experience is that the smaller the group on the tour, the pricier it is. I'm just curious.

[euro cruiser]

Jill, how much did you pay for the ship's excursion? When we used yourtourinitaly for Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano in July, it worked out to be about $200 (USD) per person for the 6 of us in a private minivan. That price included lunch (25 euro pp), entrance fee to Pompeii and a private guide for Pompeii. Of course, tips were extra. Lunch was at a quaint little italian restaurant at the very top of the mountain in Positano. The food was delicious and the views were absolutely spectacular. We were able to move at a very comfortable pace since there were only 6 of us.

 

I'm not knocking the ship's tours, because we have done both, but my experience is that the smaller the group on the tour, the pricier it is. I'm just curious.

Can't say if this is the tour Jill went on, but RCCL lists a van tour that covers the Amalfi Coast, Positano, Sorrento and Pompei in a van (so they can go into Positano, where large buses cannot) for $345 per person. Details here: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do;jsessionid=0000R0vmjFgmvUyG8_q79_sB-61:15lb93q6o?sourcePage=shorexByPort&ProductCode=NP08&DestinationCode=

[phillygirl63]

Wow, $345 versus $200 and you would be in a smaller group. Seems like a "no brainer" to me.

[JillLovesTravel]

Jill, how much did you pay for the ship's excursion? When we used yourtourinitaly for Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano in July, it worked out to be about $200 (USD) per person for the 6 of us in a private minivan. That price included lunch (25 euro pp), entrance fee to Pompeii and a private guide for Pompeii. Of course, tips were extra. Lunch was at a quaint little italian restaurant at the very top of the mountain in Positano. The food was delicious and the views were absolutely spectacular. We were able to move at a very comfortable pace since there were only 6 of us.

 

I'm not knocking the ship's tours, because we have done both, but my experience is that the smaller the group on the tour, the pricier it is. I'm just curious.

 

Hi phillygirl63,

I can't give you the exact price but I am pretty sure it was closer to $300 than $200 per person. We did this two years ago so I just can't remember exactly. But I do remember that all the tours we did on that cruise were through the cruise line and were quite pricey, but they were all the top of the line full day tours. The fun thing was that a lot of the same people on the ship did some of the same tours so we got to know some of them quite well.

 

We were a group of four and certainly could have rented a car and driver and a guide for the same or less but then we would have had a different experience as it would have just been us. We like to meet people (part of the reason we cruise) so we prefer these types of ship's excursions.

 

But yes, if you would rather be with just your party and can find it cheaper then I would say do the private tour.

[phillygirl63]

Hi, Jill! Well, at the least the OP will have more information to make an informed decision on the way he wishes to go.

[TLCOhio]

Hi. Met you on another cruise last year. What tour guide did you use to go to Pompeii. Thanks Send reply to moore_k03 at yahoo.com

 

Were you on the Norway coast and fjords cruise noted below? Where are you from? In Pompeii, we hired a guide there at the entrance with some others that were waiting. By putting a group of about ten, it makes the economics work fairly well and still allow time for questions, being able to hear the comments, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 31,900 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[woofer]

Will the hydrofoil from Sorrento - Positano & Capri be running at the end of November ? I have been unable to get this information..........CIAO !