To tour or not to tour?

[The Med]

We booked our cruise a few days ago and are going on the 22nd but leaving next week to spend a few days in Majorca first.

This does not leave us much time to research the destinations we are going to.

 

I don't mind paying for the ships tours if they are worth it.....we really enjoyed Pompei for example, but I really don't want to pay for something if you can just walk off the ship and it's all there.

Some tours we did we tedious.....lots of waiting around for other people, visiting carpet shops etc, we are really much happier doing our own thing.

However I do realise that some things are better done with the ships tours.

 

The destinations are

Provence, Corsica, Naples, Sicily, and Malta.

 

Any advice or help welcome, thank you.

[Cigar King]

I loved doing a little Napoleon tour on Corsica. Everything is easily within walking distance of the port, and we had a great time. I'm kind of a history nut though so YMMV.

[north29]

Malta, get off the ship and grab a local tour. On the way in be on the front of the ship, the entrance to Malta is spectacular. You will not be alone so get there early.

Naples, I would do a ships tour, I did not like Naples, that much, seemed well, not really that safe, and I am not paranoid, wife did not feel that way, great shopping there. We did some travel on our own in the Naples area such as Mt Vesuvius, but had a tour of Pompeii. Sorrento is just across the bay, and it is great, but some steep walks and but safe. Capri is Most likely a tour for most people. I mention this, because a Capri tour probably will be offered as a ships tour from Naples. Sorry I cannot help you with some transportation from Naples i.e. ferrys etc, but they do run and are reasonably priced.

Provence if Toulon is your port, I did not like the tour to St Tropez. Not a bad trip but tooooo long, no free bathrooms, had one of the best Pizzas i have ever had, nice pleasant walk, but as I said a looonnngggg trip, and the traffic is bumper to bumper. Next visit there I would just stay in the port city.

[ggo85]

I recommend doing Pompeii out of Naples and doing it as a tour. Whether you do a ship's tour or a private tour is up to you. However, just walking around Pompeii on your own will, IMHO, be a disappointment.

 

We had a GREAT guide (ship's tour) that made the ruins come alive. It was one of the highlights of our cruises and we only wish we'd had more time there.

 

Naples is a working port so it's not really possible (or at least not easy) to simply walk off and do things. I don't know if there are shuttles available. Bu Naples itself isn't a great city -- I'd go to Pompeii.

 

Can't speak to the other ports.

[The Med]

Thanks.

 

As mentioned in my original post we have already done Pompei on a tour and yes it was fabulous, so we were wondering what else to do in Naples. In the morning before we went there the tour took us to serrento.

 

Will probably take your advice north and go to Capri.

 

Cigar king.....yes we love history too. I love to get a feel of a place.

 

By the way, I have no interest in shopping, one can do that anywhere.

 

So anyone....any more advice?

[Racing fan]

We took the tour to AnaCapri from Naples, just beautiful. It was a ships tour and thankful that the rain came down and the ship waited for us. In Sicily we went to Taormina with the ships tour to see the Greek ruins. Taking tour in Italy can be a crapshoot; you do not know what you are going to get.

[Cigar King]

Cigar king.....yes we love history too. I love to get a feel of a place.

 

 

You'll like Corsica then. I did. Getting to see Napoleon's childhood home was way cool, and there are some nice monuments to him and his brothers in the square as well. I seem to recall they even had one for the FFI near the dock.

[Merion_Mom]

We booked our cruise a few days ago and are going on the 22nd but leaving next week to spend a few days in Majorca first.

This does not leave us much time to research the destinations we are going to.

 

I don't mind paying for the ships tours if they are worth it.....we really enjoyed Pompei for example, but I really don't want to pay for something if you can just walk off the ship and it's all there.

Some tours we did we tedious.....lots of waiting around for other people, visiting carpet shops etc, we are really much happier doing our own thing.

However I do realise that some things are better done with the ships tours.

 

The destinations are

Provence, Corsica, Naples, Sicily, and Malta.

 

Any advice or help welcome, thank you.

 

Try the ports of call boards for more advice.

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19