Naples - Taste of Sorrento and Pompeii excursion - Input requested

[Scubadoobie2]

Hi, Celebrity cruisers.  If you have cruised to Naples, Italy and if you have recently gone on Celebrity's "Taste of Sorrento and Pompeii" tour, please tell me about your experience.  I have booked it but I'm wondering whether I should try to put together a small private tour.  Would you recommend Celebrity's tour?  Do they use large busses and big groups?  Your input would be much appreciated.  Thank you. 

[Scubadoobie2]

P.S.  

 

I have also posted this question in the ports of call section.  

[Presto2]

Hi, have booked this excursion too for August. We are really looking forward to it so hope the feedback is good !

[BarbinMich]

We've been to both on different cruises and different cruise line (Princess) and both are well worth it IMHO.  However, we didn't do them on the same day.  As I recall when we did Pompeii from Naples, it was a pretty full day.  Another time in Naples we did a tour to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast.  Between Naples and Sorrento, we stopped at Herculaneum (Ercolano today) which was also affected by the Vesuvius eruption.  It's a much smaller site and I think better preserved than much of what you see in Pompeii.

[Denny01]

I agree with BarbinMich. I’ve done the two separately and each took a full day to enjoy. If they are combined, you’ll step through Pompeii a bit and then drive out at to a bit of the Sorrento peninsula. Unless you don’t expect to ever cruise to Naples again, Id strongly consider taking a ship or private tour of either one. Both are fantastic tours.

 

Going to Herculaneum/Ercolano is a real feast. You walk down into the small beach town that was covered by ash and mud and it is well reconstructed. One funny - as I walked out, I looked up at the portions of Napoli that surrounds the excavation and thought, ‘Boy, Herculaneum is in better shape!’.

 

Enjoy whatever you chose; individually or both are neat, and if you can swing it, Sorrento private tour are neat. Heads up - except for the size of tour, going to Pompeii, your bus guide will get you there but a certified guide will lead you through the ruins. So a ship tour except for size is probably just as well, in my opinon. Our ship tour was just fine. They broke us up into 2 groups at Pompeii. 

 

Den

[s0479]

I think both in one day would be rushed!  We did Pompeii on our own and it was a full day.  We did trip to Sorrento with cruise ship and I probably would do again.  To many folks and too rushed.

[TMLAalum]

We did a 4 hour private tour for 6 via APT with some changes. We started at Pompeii and payed extra for  a private guide there who was worth every euro. We drove along the coast, stopping for photos and ended in Sorrento finishing the tour there BUT after our lunch on our own and some shopping time, we met another APT guide who got us aboard the fast ferry back to Naples.

 

I felt the two hours we were at Pompeii was plenty of time.

 

 

[C-sea]

many years ago we cruised RCCL Jewel of the Sea... In one day (ship sponsored) we toured Capri, Sorrento (lunch) and afternoon in Pompeii, a very enjoyable, full day!

[cruiserchuck]

We did a similar private tour with Carmine of See Amalfi Coast.  https://www.seeamalficoast.com

 

It was one of the best tours we have ever taken.

[GastroGnome]

We did Pompeii only on an X tour - it was a full day and we barely got to see any of the site which is huge.  I have to confess it was the only tour in many years cruising we actually felt compelled to  complain about on return to the ship.  But that was the fault of the tour provider not X.

[sarn]

Hi, last September we (six family members) did a full day tour of Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano with seeamalficoast - it was an absolutely brilliant day - our driver was exceptional and very friendly - his English was great as was his driving, there was no rushing around, everything was done at our pace, photostops etc. Whilst booking the tour we included the cost of a personal guide at Pompeii - worth every penny, cent, euro - he explained so many things to us and took us to areas that if we had been unescorted we would have missed. I am sure you will have an amazing day whatever you decide to do.

[ladylemondrop]

I think to try and see Sorrento and Pompeii in one day with all the travel/traffic around that area is a big ask!. I would echo another poster, who recommended seeing Herculanneum, (instead of Pompeii) it is smaller, much more accessible for walking in the heat etc, and many more preserved things to see. We did a private tour via AP Tours, who are a local tour provider, which was Herculanneum first thing, followed by a pizza making lunch (so much fun!) and then free time in pretty Sorrento.  I took several other guests from the ship, and everyone said it was an excellent day. Ours was a tailored tour, simply contact Sarah and she will make all the arrangements for you (she is english)  https://www.aptours.it/

 

 

[cangelmd]

We did Sorrento and Pompeii on our own from an RCCL ship almost 20 years ago.

Sailed the hydrofoil over the bay and took the train back. My husband did Herculaneum on a land based school trip a few years later.

That was one of the most memorable days of travel we have ever had. Pros were doing our own transportation had to have been more time efficient than any tour, we didn't have to ever wait on anyone. It was a full day, we started early (I can't remember how early, but early) and knew the hydrofoil schedule, the train runs often enough that it doesn't matter. The hydrofoil docks in Sorrento, we walked through the town, did a little shopping in the old town, then caught the train to Pompeii. We walked around Pompeii, had lunch on site, then took the train back to Naples. Once in Naples we flagged down a taxi and went to an authentic pizzeria that we had researched prior. Then we took another taxi back to the ship. This was a very very full day and we were 20 years younger.

Biggest con was we did not have a guide at Pompeii, we rented head sets, but it was too hot and dusty and noisy from all the tour groups to really listen, we also got lost. DH enjoyed Herculaneum much more, it is more contained and better preserved, just not as famous.

Regardless of your choice, everyone should ride in a taxi in Naples at least once, helps you appreciate life.

[mickey89]

I would avoid the large group cruise ship tours especially in Naples/Amalfi coast.   I concur with previous posters and would recommend you visit Herculaneum getting there by 8.30 am as it opens and before the large coach tours arrive. Then after a few hours travel over the mountain to Positano take lunch over looking the Bay of Salerno in the restaurant La Tagliata ( https://www.latagliata.com/ ). Then spend the rest of the afternoon looking around Positano.  Best advise is don’t try to do too much in a day.

Highly recommend https://www.aldolimos.com  If you can’t organise a small group of 8 from your Roll Call it will be half the cost of the cruise line and twice as enjoyable, otherwise Aldolimos do organise shared tours - just visit their website.

Edited June 28, 2019 by mickey89

[BigRedFan]

On 6/27/2019 at 2:23 PM, Scubadoobie2 said:

Hi, Celebrity cruisers.  If you have cruised to Naples, Italy and if you have recently gone on Celebrity's "Taste of Sorrento and Pompeii" tour, please tell me about your experience.  I have booked it but I'm wondering whether I should try to put together a small private tour.  Would you recommend Celebrity's tour?  Do they use large busses and big groups?  Your input would be much appreciated.  Thank you. 

I did the "Capri, Sorrento and Pompeii" tour on celebrity Eclipse this past November.  It was a fantastic tour with a guide that was well versed in history.  It used smaller buses  and included a LOT of walking.  The guide told us at day's end that we had walked over 7 1/2 miles.

 

1)Capri - looking down at one of the switchback roads. 2)Pompeii

[Jesseslola]

We are taking the Celebrity Amalfi and Pompeii 9.5 hr excursion. I have read that there is a heat wave right now and could even get hotter by the time we go this coming August. I cancelled mine and my grandson’s excursion though the rest of the group are going. I worry I will not be able to handle 100 degrees heat. 

 

Comments anybody?