Celebrity's chosen port for Almafi, Italy

[jody75]

Celebrity has changed the port of call for the Amalfi region of Italy from Naples to SALERNO.

 

What a disastrous decision, the port is a major container port for Ferries to Corsica, Sicily and a major storage facility for newly manufactured cars with major industrial traffic chaos.

 

What ever your decision, taking a Celebrity tour, Independent tour or just a shuttle into the town you will have long, lo.........ng delays. The port is bottlenecked with lorry movements and is a total sick joke as a cruise terminal - Welcome to Salerno is painted across disused containers.

 

Celebrity, YOU must change this silly decision as it is definitely alienating your customers. We nearly missed our departure, it took over an hour to exit the port and twice as long to enter on our return to the port on the recent Equinox cruise. Future passengers be aware and please continue the complaints to Guest Relations to get the port changed back to Naples.

Edited May 22, 2015 by jody75

[MTElkwhistle]

Celebrity has changed the port of call for the Amalfi region of Italy from Naples to SALERNO.

 

What a disastrous decision, the port is a major container port for Ferries to Corsica, Sicily and a major storage facility for newly manufactured cars with major industrial traffic chaos.

 

What ever your decision, taking a Celebrity tour, Independent tour or just a shuttle into the town you will have long, lo.........ng delays. The port is bottlenecked with lorry movements and is a total sick joke as a cruise terminal - Welcome to Salerno is painted across disused containers.

 

Celebrity, YOU must change this silly decision as it is definitely alienating your customers. We nearly missed our departure, it took over an hour to exit the port and twice as long to enter on our return to the port on the recent Equinox cruise. Future passengers be aware and please continue the complaints to Guest Relations to get the port changed back to Naples.

 

We sailed into Salerno in October, had no traffic problems whatsoever. We had a private tour booked, was there waiting when we got off the ship, we went to Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii. The traffic back was busy but not as bad as rush hour round here can be.

 

Sorry you had the opposite experience.

 

It was one of the best days of our 13 night trip.

[fiona page]

I have to agree..we have loved getting the hydrofoil in naples to capri or sorrento. Last october we went into salerno and were very disappointed. This year celebrity have lost our buisness to another cruise company because we wont go on a cruise that includes salerno.

They have probably done it so people have to book trips:(

[mickey89]

We sailed into Salerno in October, had no traffic problems whatsoever. We had a private tour booked, was there waiting when we got off the ship, we went to Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii. The traffic back was busy but not as bad as rush hour round here can be.

 

Sorry you had the opposite experience.

 

It was one of the best days of our 13 night trip.

 

We also had an Independent Tour arranged which we very much enjoyed but for the traffic delays it would have been exceptional.

Your experience at the port is most unusual (or was it a Sunday) as all of the tour companies hate Salerno because of its traffic problems. Celebrity has chosen Salerno only because the port taxes are significantly cheaper.

Edited May 22, 2015 by mickey89

[BBsails]

Hear, hear! We docked in Naples a few years ago and walked across the pier to catch the hydrofoil to Capri where we spend a lovely day. In October of this year we'll dock in Salerno. Not looking forward to that, particularly after reading this thread.

 

Maybe we could take up a collection among the passengers to subsidize docking in Naples instead of Salerno? (Tongue in cheek, folks).

 

Betsy

[BBsails]

Question: If we were to catch a ferry from the port in Salerno to another point on the Amalfi coast, would we avoid the congestion at the port?

[Cruise Junky]

My itinerary still says Naples. Is Salerno a fleet wide change? Where did the information come from?

[Wj420]

We're sailing on the equinox in October and noticed that port change when we booked. It will be interesting to see how it works out. We already arranged a private tour.

[steamboats]

Actually for those wanting to see the Amalfi coast Salerno is the better port as it´s much closer.

 

BTW no traffic problems last year in April. There was a free shuttle to the port entrance and a local bus to downtown Salerno. We took the local ferry boat to Amalfi and enjoyed the beautiful coast. We took the bus back to Salerno. Nice trip - except for the torrendous rain :o!

 

Sure it´s an industrial port. For those who wanted to go to Capri or Pompeii it´s not the best choice. There´s a public bus from downtown Salerno going to Pompeii Scavii (it´s a fast bus, so no frequent stops). It takes about an hour. We didn´t do that because of the weather forecast.

 

steamboats

[chemmo]

I love to stay in a port with a view... Last time we moored in Naples we visited Pompey for the majority of the day but then returned to the ship and had a drink on deck with Vesuvius looking over us majestic, menacing but very, very memorably. We have pictures of Vesuvio morning, afternoon and night.

 

Salerno may have some practical advantages but I would prefer to be moored in a port with a view.

 

There is another discussion at present focusing on overnight stays. I worry that some of these newer cruise, industrial port stops may become the over nighters. I am seriously not against overnight stops but I firmly believe they should be in places, like Naples. Places where you can independently leave the ship for a meal, not leave the ship but look out of your balcony and have a view you will remember or have opportunities to overnight and visit somewhere really special.

 

I know Celebrity must have difficulties trying to meet the dreams of everyone and if this port change extends the range of excursions, well, great. My worry is that I will next time I visit this area (which I will) I will do a Celebrity excursion by day and then mid afternoon will be watching commercial port activities.....not as memorable. So glad I visited the area when I did.

 

Please Celebrity, moor us up somewhere with that Wow factor when we look out. We do not want to be moored in industrial ports, we want to be in the heart of the cities, cultures and experiences we have come for.

[mickey89]

Another example of the trend to use Industrial ports is the Celebrity listed port of TOULON. No you stop at a Naval Dockyard 10 kms away and then they charge you $46 per couple to ferry you to your listed port of Toulon. An absolute rip off and a disgraceful example of Celebrity's approach to their customers.

[Pushka]

Another example of the trend to use Industrial ports is the Celebrity listed port of TOULON. No you stop at a Naval Dockyard 10 kms away and then they charge you $46 per couple to ferry you to your listed port of Toulon. An absolute rip off and a disgraceful example of Celebrity's approach to their customers.

 

 

It is an easy walk to the public launch to cruise to Toulon for a couple of Euros. RCL used this port in 2012.

[stipmom]

Just got back yesterday from the. May 11 sailing of the Equinox. The port of Salerno was a disaster. We had a car pick up us at 8:30 in the morning to take us to the ruins at Paestum with no problem but at 1 p.m.,when we came back, traffic at the port was at a

Complete standstill. Our driver reversed and tried a different way in but the port police would not let him through.We had planned to go out again to walk around Salerno but the thought of waiting again in that traffic.

made us decide to stay on the boat.

Later that night we received a letter from the Captain apologizing for the delays and saying celebrity was trying to work with the port authorities to make sure it does not happen on the future sailings.

[in2up2]

We are sailing the Reflection in July and everything I have still says Naples. We have booked a private tour and are meeting family in Naples. If it has changed they better notify us.

 

 

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[Cruise Junky]

We are sailing the Reflection in July and everything I have still says Naples. We have booked a private tour and are meeting family in Naples. If it has changed they better notify us.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Yes, it would be nice if the OP came back and clarified their statement.

[in2up2]

According to the port calendars, the Equinox stops in Salerno but the Reflection stops in Naples.

 

 

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[Cruise Junky]

According to the port calendars, the Equinox stops in Salerno but the Reflection stops in Naples.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I'm on Connie and so far it's still showing Naples.

[mrjoshua]

I'm just back from the last Equinox cruise and I agree that this port is a joke.

 

The shuttle bus delivered us to the wrong end of town, a mile and a half away from the ferry which takes you to Amalfi and Positano, which smacks of cost-cutting to me, or a way of getting guests to pay for a tour instead of doing it themselves.

 

Also, as much as I enjoy street art, the "Welcome to Salerno" graffiti on the old shipping to containers made it feel like we had docked in a 3rd world country :rolleyes:

[mickey89]

Yes, it would be nice if the OP came back and clarified their statement.

 

Check your itinerary, many Celebrity ships / RCL now dock at Salerno, some still at Naples.

 

I think the OP was suggesting that Salerno is not compatible with cruise ships as it is a distribution centre for Fiat cars worldwide and a major Ferry port to Corsica and Sicily.

It is well known for traffic congestion within the port and would agree that the Port is a total joke for cruise ships.

Edited May 23, 2015 by mickey89

[Cruise Junky]

Check your itinerary, most Celebrity ships / RCL now dock at Salerno.

You are lucky if you still have Naples, maybe MSC and Costa, the other cheap skates are using the port that day !

 

I think I mentioned above that our itinerary is still showing Naples. Our Cruise isn't until next April so lots could change. We're doing a pre-cruise stay on the Amalfi Coast so it's not a huge deal if we switched but I was going to leave Sorrento for the day we were there on the ship, that won't work if we switch to Salerno.

[DebbieMacG]

Salerno is an awful port. We were there last year and took the ships shuttle and were dropped off in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing at all but dirty housing in the drop off area. We were going to catch the ferry to Amalfi and were told it was a ten minute walk, its 1.5 miles and not ten minutes through an area that is used by locals to walk dogs, it smelled very strongly of dog mess throughout the long hot walk and was disgusting. We just made the boat in time. On our return we looked for taxis at the port and there were none, we had to walk again to find the train station to then find a taxi, it was 12 euro for the ride back to the port. Salerno is a dirty disgusting eyesaw, if you visit then your only hope is to take a ships tour or private tour OUT of the place. Celebrity should be ashamed of themselves. On my cruise many elderly passengers were dropped off and hoped to have a walk around some shops but there is nothing to do or see and many were upset.

[steamboats]

We were there last year and took the ships shuttle and were dropped off in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing at all but dirty housing in the drop off area. We were going to catch the ferry to Amalfi and were told it was a ten minute walk, its 1.5 miles and not ten minutes through an area that is used by locals to walk dogs, it smelled very strongly of dog mess throughout the long hot walk and was disgusting. around some shops but there is nothing to do or see and many were upset.

 

Why didn´t you take the local bus? They were waiting outside. The bar wasn´t open yet. So we weren´t able to buy a ticket. The bus driver let us ride for free and told us to buy a ticket for the return trip.

 

steamboats

[DebbieMacG]

Why didn´t you take the local bus? They were waiting outside. The bar wasn´t open yet. So we weren´t able to buy a ticket. The bus driver let us ride for free and told us to buy a ticket for the return trip.

 

steamboats

 

There was no local bus and we took the shuttle because we had faith in Celebrity not dumping us in the middle of nowhere. We got shuttle tickets before we left the ship. I love Celebrity but they need to sort out arrangements at this port asap.

Edited May 23, 2015 by DebbieMacG

[Pushka]

Have you sent feedback to Celebrity? I reckon a picture of the dumpy port on Facebook might sort something out?

[waterbug123]

Celebrity has changed the port of call for the Amalfi region of Italy from Naples to SALERNO.

 

 

Rather than get absolutely everyone up in arms, it would help if you clarified exactly which ship/sail date you are on. Some X cruises have been scheduled for Salerno all along, but to read your post one would assume EVERY itinerary has been changed. For example, we will be on the Equinox 7/18 and booked it last July (2014). At that time (and presumably all along) it was listed as Salerno. And quite frankly, if you plan to visit the actual Amalfi Coast during the stop, Salerno is more convenient than Naples. If you do want to go to Naples proper, there is train service from Salerno.

 

My itinerary still says Naples. Is Salerno a fleet wide change? Where did the information come from?

 

See above. Some ships dock in Naples, some dock in Salerno. Since the OP didn't post her exact sailing it's hard to say whether her itinerary actually changed, or whether she had assume Naples but it was Salerno all along.