Italian ports now require shp tours ONLY again!

[Ms02]

7 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

They’re 2 different excursions… anyone that booked Pompeii on your own booked a bus transfer only, no entry ticket.

but the  Escorted Pompeii excursion is more expensive and doesn’t say you need to buy an entry ticket.

both excursions are described on the website, I suspect the latter didn’t exist until the new “rule” for Italian ports came in. So while the “on your own” excursions effectively became “escorted”  the additional charge wasn’t added for guests who’d booked the original version. 

I didn't book anything before a change. It's always been escorted Pompeii and it costs €33

[eileeshb]

3 minutes ago, Ms02 said:

I didn't book anything before a change. It's always been escorted Pompeii and it costs €33

Did you read the two links I provided ? 
The on your own notes say no entry ticket is included 

whereas that is not in the notes for the Escorted  version. 

[eileeshb]

[Ms02]

14 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

I see now! I guess the Pompeii on your own is sold out or removed on my sailing. 

[eileeshb]

28 minutes ago, Ms02 said:

I see now! I guess the Pompeii on your own is sold out or removed on my sailing. 

On your own wasn’t listed for my sailing at all, but you can look up every possible excursion at every port under the explore menu on the main ncl website, that’s where I found the descriptions.

[Lisa353]

18 hours ago, eileeshb said:

They’re 2 different excursions… anyone that booked Pompeii on your own booked a bus transfer only, no entry ticket.

but the  Escorted Pompeii excursion is more expensive and doesn’t say you need to buy an entry ticket.

both excursions are described on the website, I suspect the latter didn’t exist until the new “rule” for Italian ports came in. So while the “on your own” excursions effectively became “escorted”  the additional charge wasn’t added for guests who’d booked the original version. 

I've booked the Escorted Pompeii tour. There wasn't an option to book Pompeii on your Own. So hopefully that means we don't have to pay extra. 

[Ms02]

1 hour ago, Lisa353 said:

I've booked the Escorted Pompeii tour. There wasn't an option to book Pompeii on your Own. So hopefully that means we don't have to pay extra. 

Seems that's the one people were on this week. I do get that €33 seems a bit cheap to be including the entrance, but as it's not informed it should be included. Definitely indicating that it is.

[JennJ99738]

22 hours ago, Ms02 said:

I see that there is a train by porta marina that take 35 minutes to Sorrento. If it goes quite regularly one could just get the cheap tour to get off the ship, and instead of visiting Pompeii just get a train and spend an hour or so in Sorrento. Or grab a taxi to the beach. So weird. I wonder if this would be considered breaking the rules, considering you're left on your own anyway, and they don't explicitly say you have to visit the archeological site (they also can't make you considering it's not even included).

This would most definitely violate the rules and, if caught, you would likely be offloaded from the ship immediately and left on your own.  On the tour, according to the other posters, you're left on your inside the gates at Pompeii, not in the middle of the city.  Passengers on MSC tried this and were disembarked immediately and left to find their own way home.  

 

This would be quite an unwise thing to do.  

[elbarney]

2 hours ago, Ms02 said:

Seems that's the one people were on this week. I do get that €33 seems a bit cheap to be including the entrance, but as it's not informed it should be included. Definitely indicating that it is.

Escorted Pompeii doesn't include the tickets.

The tickets alone are 16€.... 33$ is just enough to cover the bus there and back.

I would suggest not saying definitely about an excursion that was created 2 weeks ago and probably doesn't have a full description yet, unless definitely says something it's included.

 

 

[Ms02]

2 hours ago, JennJ99738 said:

This would most definitely violate the rules and, if caught, you would likely be offloaded from the ship immediately and left on your own.  On the tour, according to the other posters, you're left on your inside the gates at Pompeii, not in the middle of the city.  Passengers on MSC tried this and were disembarked immediately and left to find their own way home.  

 

This would be quite an unwise thing to do.  

I perceived it like they were left on their own outside the gates. Could they really force people to go inside if the price of the ticket is not included? We're travelling on a very limited budget, and an extra cost of €16 X2 is not insignificant for us like it may be for others.

Anyway I'm not suggesting to do it, nor would I dear. It's just really interesting that they are not more clear in the description, and that people are actually left completely alone there (no bubble).

 

@elbarney i understand now after having seen the reports from people that it is not included. But if i hadn't actively looked for it and just seen the app (i only booked two weeks ago, so i have no idea what was offered before) i would have thought that entrance was included as it does not say otherwise in the excursion description. I'm not saying that it's included, I'm just saying it's bad of NCL to trick people by indicating that the entrance is included. Am i really stupid for thinking an excursion called "escorted Pompeii" describing a visit to the archeological site would actually include enterance to the site?

[Lisa353]

22 hours ago, Ms02 said:

I perceived it like they were left on their own outside the gates. Could they really force people to go inside if the price of the ticket is not included? We're travelling on a very limited budget, and an extra cost of €16 X2 is not insignificant for us like it may be for others.

Anyway I'm not suggesting to do it, nor would I dear. It's just really interesting that they are not more clear in the description, and that people are actually left completely alone there (no bubble).

 

@elbarney i understand now after having seen the reports from people that it is not included. But if i hadn't actively looked for it and just seen the app (i only booked two weeks ago, so i have no idea what was offered before) i would have thought that entrance was included as it does not say otherwise in the excursion description. I'm not saying that it's included, I'm just saying it's bad of NCL to trick people by indicating that the entrance is included. Am i really stupid for thinking an excursion called "escorted Pompeii" describing a visit to the archeological site would actually include enterance to the site?

You are not stupid. Unless it specifically states that the entrance fee is not included, you would automatically assume it is included when the tour is called Escorted Pompeii. I imagine there will be a lot of people that have booked it will think the entrance fee is included.

[elbarney]

On 9/11/2021 at 10:58 PM, Ms02 said:

Am i really stupid for thinking an excursion called "escorted Pompeii" describing a visit to the archeological site would actually include enterance to the site?

My issue is only with the "Definitely indicating that it is."

I'm not saying that you are stupid, just that you are reading something that in normal circumstances would be logical but in this particular case its not what it is.

 

[Notts1964]

On 9/11/2021 at 4:37 PM, Lisa353 said:

I've booked the Escorted Pompeii tour. There wasn't an option to book Pompeii on your Own. So hopefully that means we don't have to pay extra. 

We went on the “Escorted Pompei” last week after booking on the APP. I fully expected to have tickets included, and someone to answer questions about landmarks, as per description.

This was not the case at all. We were taken to Pompei by bus. Walked to a cameo factory (read shop!)and forced to all go in - I asked to go straight in to Pompei, but I had to go in the shop, otherwise I wouldn’t have got details of the meeting place, which turned out to be outside said shop.

Then we were pointed toward the ticket office where we had to queue for tickets among throngs of other Tours Groups. We then wandered around the site on our own.

Pompei was fabulous, but the “Tour” was a farce.

Unfortunately we had no map or information, so please go armed with money for the entrance fee and map of the site.

We cancelled our Tour in Sardinia today, because we booked (on the APP) for a 4 hr highlights tour for £55pp but when we got our tickets it was 2.5hrs with no price reduction.

I know I sound moany, but we have honestly had a fabulous cruise. The entertainment, facilities and food has been fantastic. It’s just the excursions that have been a disappointing experience.

 

[Lisa353]

1 hour ago, Notts1964 said:

We went on the “Escorted Pompei” last week after booking on the APP. I fully expected to have tickets included, and someone to answer questions about landmarks, as per description.

This was not the case at all. We were taken to Pompei by bus. Walked to a cameo factory (read shop!)and forced to all go in - I asked to go straight in to Pompei, but I had to go in the shop, otherwise I wouldn’t have got details of the meeting place, which turned out to be outside said shop.

Then we were pointed toward the ticket office where we had to queue for tickets among throngs of other Tours Groups. We then wandered around the site on our own.

Pompei was fabulous, but the “Tour” was a farce.

Unfortunately we had no map or information, so please go armed with money for the entrance fee and map of the site.

We cancelled our Tour in Sardinia today, because we booked (on the APP) for a 4 hr highlights tour for £55pp but when we got our tickets it was 2.5hrs with no price reduction.

I know I sound moany, but we have honestly had a fabulous cruise. The entertainment, facilities and food has been fantastic. It’s just the excursions that have been a disappointing experience.

 

Thank you for all the information.  I have been to Pompeii before but that was about 19 years ago so I only remember some of what I saw.  I will make sure we have extra money for entrance fee and a map.  Think I will be complaining to NCL as it is not obvious from their site that the entrance fee isn't included.  I imagine there will be a lot of people doing this tour not realising they will need to pay the entrance fee.

[steamboats]

As Pompeii is operated by the country of Italy all EU citizens (sorry, Brits) 65 and up or 18 and under should have free entrance...

 

Worked for parts of my family in Herculaneum or the Greek Theater in Taormina as well as the Colosseum in Rome (back in those days my DD was still 18 and under).

 

steamboats

[SpainAlien]

1 hour ago, steamboats said:

As Pompeii is operated by the country of Italy all EU citizens (sorry, Brits) 65 and up or 18 and under should have free entrance...

 

Worked for parts of my family in Herculaneum or the Greek Theater in Taormina as well as the Colosseum in Rome (back in those days my DD was still 18 and under).

 

steamboats

I don't think that still applies to UK citizens now

[steamboats]

4 hours ago, SpainAlien said:

I don't think that still applies to UK citizens now

 

That´s why I wrote "(sorry, Brits)" 😉

 

steamboats

[ECCruise]

On 9/14/2021 at 9:35 AM, Notts1964 said:

 

Then we were pointed toward the ticket office where we had to queue for tickets among throngs of other Tours Groups. We then wandered around the site on our own.

 

We have this booked in December even though we've been to Pompeii before but I can't quite figure out how if they allow you to wander on your own (and therefore break the "bubble") how this would differ from Pompeii on Your Own, which wasn't available to you (nor us in December).

[Notts1964]

5 hours ago, ECCruise said:

We have this booked in December even though we've been to Pompeii before but I can't quite figure out how if they allow you to wander on your own (and therefore break the "bubble") how this would differ from Pompeii on Your Own, which wasn't available to you (nor us in December).

Exactly, it is effectively “Pompeii on your Own”, even worse as you are herded into a shop before you’re able to go on your own!

[zdcatc12]

On 9/10/2021 at 2:14 AM, elbarney said:

It was supposed to be a bubble tour, but the bubble finishes at Porta Marina. I'm not sure this is ok and it will continue to be this way, but that is what happened.

 

After that, 2:45 hours of free time to enter Pompeii(or not). Show greenpass/cdc card, buy tickets, enter and enjoy.

We really enjoyed the semi freedom, it felt like 2 years gobut with masks.

 

Same for us with the Amalfi Coast tour, we had free time in Sorrento and Amalfi. However on the other Italy excusions, staying in the bubble was strictly enforced.

 

On 9/11/2021 at 1:26 PM, JennJ99738 said:

This would most definitely violate the rules and, if caught, you would likely be offloaded from the ship immediately and left on your own.  On the tour, according to the other posters, you're left on your inside the gates at Pompeii, not in the middle of the city.  Passengers on MSC tried this and were disembarked immediately and left to find their own way home.  

 

This would be quite an unwise thing to do.  

On out Amalfi Coast tour, we had plenty of free time with no restrictions. As I stated above, the same could not be said for the other Italy excursions.

 

On 9/14/2021 at 8:35 AM, Notts1964 said:

We cancelled our Tour in Sardinia today, because we booked (on the APP) for a 4 hr highlights tour for £55pp but when we got our tickets it was 2.5hrs with no price reduction.

I know I sound moany, but we have honestly had a fabulous cruise. The entertainment, facilities and food has been fantastic. It’s just the excursions that have been a disappointing experience.

 

I stayed on ours even after the time reduction. Of course the tour guide mentioned something about a bathroom and literally half of our group had to go to the restroom and the rest of us were standing around for 30 minutes. Come on people, we had gotten off of the ship 20 minutes before that for a 2.5 hour tour. It was like touring with a bunch of Kindergartners who can't hold it. Plus it was blazing hot out, I couldn't have peed if I tried.

[ScratchTheRat]

We did this tour last week on Getaway.

 

They drop you off outside the entrance to Pompeii and meet you there after 2.5 hours inside the park. The cameo factory was optional for us and we decided to skip it. 

 

The ticket to Pompeii is NOT included and costs 16 EUR for adults, though half price for under 25s.

[cantfindmyglasses]

Hello, which Pompeii entrance did the group use?    Thanks

[ScratchTheRat]

9 hours ago, cantfindmyglasses said:

Hello, which Pompeii entrance did the group use?    Thanks

The main entrance by the market/police station. 

[cantfindmyglasses]

Thank you, ScratchTheRat!

[ScratchTheRat]

13 hours ago, cantfindmyglasses said:

Thank you, ScratchTheRat!

(TRY THE PIZZA! :D)