Capri, Sorrento, Pompei in One Day

[billrco90278]

From Naples, Celebrity offers an excursion that goes to Capri, Sorrento, and Pompei. The duration is 10 hours for a cost of $220/Adult and I am wondering if this is too much ground to cover in one day. Also is Capri in the second half of October a good time to visit? My inclination is to save Capri for another trip and stick with Pompei and the Amalfi coast.

[MeHeartCruising]

From Naples, Celebrity offers an excursion that goes to Capri, Sorrento, and Pompei. The duration is 10 hours for a cost of $220/Adult and I am wondering if this is too much ground to cover in one day. Also is Capri in the second half of October a good time to visit? My inclination is to save Capri for another trip and stick with Pompei and the Amalfi coast.

 

It's a very popular excursion that pretty much all cruise lines offer. I took it on my first cruise to Europe (which was also my very first cruise). It was a very long day, but very interesting as well and I do not regret taking it. However, having been on a few more cruises now and to Naples 3 or 4 times, I now think it's probably best to pick 2 of the 3 and do them (perhaps on your own or using a private company to save some money). When I went on the excursion you mention, Sorrento was nothing more than a lunch stop with about 25 minutes of free time to walk around. If you really, really want to see all 3, and are ready for a long day go for it. But I would probably recommend otherwise.

[cougfan]

We took this excursion on our first cruise in 2004 on Royal Caribbean. Our cruise was during the last two weeks of October. We left right from the dock next to the ship for Capri. Took the funicular to the top and walked around. Took another boat to Sorento, had lunch and walked around. Got on a bus to go to Pompeii for a couple hours. We were there in the afternoon and the crowds weren't too bad. We enjoyed the long day. We had wonderful weather, sunny but not too hot.

 

Julie

[lisiamc]

Often, less is more! You are already inclined to save Capri for an other trip. I agree - go for Pompeii and the Amalfi coast this time, and Capri next tme. October is often a great time time to see any of these places - fewer people and cooler weather, although it might rain, so be prepared.

[scarlett81]

Wow that sounds like alot to do in one day. You can do it, and the nice thing about doing the ship tour is they'll guarantee you get back in time.

I just love the Amalfi coast so much, I couldn't rush through it like that. To me, that location is about savoring all the little things there are to see there.

 

We had a similar scenario, except we had a couple days to work with. We ended up having to choose between Capri and Pompeii. A concierge we became friends with said not to skip Capri. I'm so glad we didn't! And instead of seeing Pompeii we did a private cooking class at a beautiful restaurant in Positano-to me, that it the way to spend time in that area, if you have limited time. Eat incredible food, drink wine, and chat with locals.

 

I love history, and seeing Pompeii would be awesome. I don't know if I'd enjoy in it a huge group tour though. Maybe think about what you want to get from this experience? Do you want to learn more history? What other stops are on your cruise? Are you seeing other ruins? By the time you get to Naples, you may 'ruined-out' as hubby and I like to call it.

 

If it were me, I'd go to Sorrento via taxi, take the hydrofoil (high speed water ferry) to Capri for the afternoon from there, and then return to the ship. But thats just me!

Either way, happy travels!

[billrco90278]

Thanks for the excellent information and first hand experiences. Sounds like saving Capri for another trip is the best option. I am ancient Roman History buff so Pompei is at the top of my list. Positano sounds nice too, but I understand it can only be visited with small groups.

[euro cruiser]

Positano sounds nice too, but I understand it can only be visited with small groups.

It's not the size of the group, it's the size of the vehicle. Buses cannot go down the hill into Positano but cars can.