Excursions - Med - Naples/Amalphi

[Wishing on a star]

Thanks for all of your wonderful help here, we are now looking at excursions with Olife. And I wonder if anyone can offer any insight. 

 

We would be doing Rome and Athens on our own pre and post cruise 

 

We are looking  at doing Ephesus at Kusadasi,  and would like to see the Amalphi Coast at Naples. But, they do not seem to offer that???  Might have to see if a private excursion would be too risky for getting back to the ship?  Departs at 6:00pm. 

We could do Taormina at Messina with Olife. But I don’t think that is the greater value with Olife. 

 

I know I am driving you all crazy with all the questions.  And I just cannot express how valuable your help has been!

[Whiteowl]

If you are docking in Naples, I would recommend getting the ferry across to Capri.  It is a wonderful place to visit.  Alternately if you want to see the Amalfi coast, get the ferry to Sorrento.  There is a good bus service all along the coast road which is very scenic.

[arima22]

You do not say what time you arrive in Naples, but there are many tours that cover the Amalfi Coast, both private and open party, that run from 8AM to 5PM.  Here is one example: https://www.stefanorometours.com/tours/pompeii-sorrento-amalfi-coast/

Look at TripAdvisor and Viator if you do not want a private tour- look under their "Shore Excursion" listing for Naples port.  We used one of these in 2016 when we could not find Cruise Critic roll call shipmates to share Stefano tour with us.  Had about 12 people in a 18 person van, great tour!  See this one for example- look at the small group offering when you put in your group number: https://www.viator.com/tours/Naples/Daily-Pompeii-and-Amalfi-Coast-tour/d508-18971P1

[Paulchili]

Agree with arima22.

Alternatively, if you are concerned with the time restriction - and the traffic can be pretty bad on that route in high season - you can always easily explore Sorrento and Capri on your own.

[cruisemom42]

I'm on the Italy Ports of Call forum constantly and there are 2-3 excellent private tour providers who have literally pages of positive reviews from past CC cruisers -- and no one missed the ship.  

 

A smaller vehicle is much better anyway for seeing the Amalfi coast. Larger ones (buses) cannot get down into some towns, such as Positano, so you'd at most see it from a scenic point above.

 

[Roccaforte]

Ephasus is not to be missed.  We took the O tour in Kusadasi and it was great.  I think it was important to have a very well informed guide.  It’s a fascinating site.  On the Amalfi coast, the suggestion to visit Capri by ferry was good.  I wouldn’t like to be in a bus in heavy traffic on the Amalfi coast - the roads are not great.  Our favorite town was Positano and if you can get to Le Sirenuse for lunch the food and scenery are spectacular.  Make arrangements ahead.  They’re getting so famous they’re not admitting visitors without reservations.

[Wishing on a star]

Wow,  thank you Roccoforte!

This is why I very much want to to a private smaller excursion.  These drivers are known to be pretty good at getting around, using the 'back roads' when possible.  This is not something that would be good in a huge coach!  Hopefully this can be done, with a 6:00p.m. departure, without too much risk of not getting back from a private excursion.

 

I will definitely make a note of that restaurant.

Many reviewers mention that their driver took them to 'the most amazing local restaurant',  but do not seem to want to divulge their secrets! (so it won't become more famous!)   Maybe this is one of those.

[Roccaforte]

If you want to take a look at Le Sirenuse, rent the movie “Only You” with Robert Downey and Marisa Tomei.  They visit there.

[alcpa1]

I will echo a few others. Large buses cannot maneuver the roadways near Positano. There are some wonderful small group tours available on the Italy board and Trip Advisor.

With a short day and the possibility of inclement weather (rough seas) I'd leave Capri for another adventure. It's one of those ports/islands that needs more time anyway.

Even if you cannot get a reservation for lunch at Le Sirenuse you should plan to stop there. The small group tour operators can plan a culinary experience in almost any village along the coast. FYI, if the staff at LS knows you're on an Oceania cruise you will be treated better. Trust me on that one.....

[cruisemom42]

17 hours ago, Wishing on a star said:

 

Many reviewers mention that their driver took them to 'the most amazing local restaurant',  but do not seem to want to divulge their secrets! (so it won't become more famous!)   Maybe this is one of those.

 

If you're referring to the many references on CC in the Italy ports of call section for a specific tour operator, the restaurant is La Tagliata.  Read reviews of the place carefully, and from other sources -- those posted on CC tend to rave about the place, but other places with more balanced reviews (and folks who've actually spent some time in the area) are more mixed. The most one can say about the food at La Tagliata is that it is fresh and plentiful. Not sure I'd go much further than that....  The view is very nice though. 

Edited January 10, 2020 by cruisemom42

[bbwex]

I would not be afraid to take a private tour from Naples.  We took one that took us down to Positano, and we made some stops on the way back.  I had spent some time on the Ports of Call section, and picked an operator that seemed to get a lot of positive reviews.  I think it was Joe Bananas.  We were supposed to stop at Positano, but at the last minute we went to Naples.  i got in touch with them, they met us at Naples, and we had an excellent tour.  Private tour operators know that their livelihood depends on getting passengers back on time, and we have never had a problem and I have never heard of anyone with a reputable tour operator not making it in time.  Additionally, they generally guarantee to get you to the next port if they miss the ship, but I have never heard of anyone's needing to make use of the guarantee.  As has been mentioned, a car is a lot more maneuverable than a large bus.  We have used the roll call to get other couples to join us as a private tour is economical if you have four or six people.

 

As for Ephesus, I hear it is not to be missed either, though we have not been there and will not be there until 11/20.