Naples City Centre…….Help With DIY Advice

[martyap]

We have ported in Naples a bunch of times, ferried to Capri, seen the ruins of Pompeii and toured the amazing Amalfi Coast. Our next stop in May 2024 we were hoping to get some insight in spending time in the Naples City Centre……walk from the port? where to begin? Group tour or on our own? Any basic suggestions to help get my research going. Was thinking of adding a food tour but guessing that might be just as easy to figure out on our own as well. Thanks for any tips.

[-Lew-]

Here's a link to a page on the Rome Toolkit site devoted to Naples....

[edinburgher]

1 hour ago, martyap said:

We have ported in Naples a bunch of times, ferried to Capri, seen the ruins of Pompeii and toured the amazing Amalfi Coast. Our next stop in May 2024 we were hoping to get some insight in spending time in the Naples City Centre……walk from the port? where to begin? Group tour or on our own? Any basic suggestions to help get my research going. Was thinking of adding a food tour but guessing that might be just as easy to figure out on our own as well. Thanks for any tips.

 

Naples is huge and has many interesting sites and experiences for visitors, much too many for a one day visit, so important that you do your own research by  reading as much as you can to find the sights of most interest to you, not to others and doing this will give you an enjoyable day, more so if you include the Naples "must do" which is to eat pizza in the city where pizza was first created.

 

There are many many sources for"basic " sightseeing information for Naples. Borrow guide books from a local library, try Tripadvisor and similar wesites,(Fromer's, Lonely planet and many others) YouTube etc.  And also try searching for something along the lines of "self guided walking tour of Naples historic centre" Google is your best friend.

 

You could also read past CC  threads for info and advice.  Use the SEARCH TOOl under your user name to find them on the italy GENERAL forum, not an individual thread.  This one could be a good starting poin tbut there are many many others.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2916657-wanting-something-different-to-do-in-naples/#comment-64853137

 

Others

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=naples&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464

 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by edinburgher

[cruisemom42]

Naples is a huge and very old city with much to see. Much more than you can take in in a day (rather like Rome).

 

IIRC, Rick Steves has a Naples city walk that includes the very atmospheric "Spaccanapoli" and the street (Via San Gregorio Armeno) where you can see all of the traditional nativity figures and settings that have long been a traditional craft in the city. 

 

Many people also enjoy the well-known Naples Underground tours. I've taken the Napoli Sotteranea one; it should be easy to get to from the ship. 

 

Of course I must also recommend the Naples Archaeological Museum, where you will find all of the treasures from Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other Roman excavations in the area, as well as certain collections from the Neapolitan royal family and others.  It is one of the best museums in the world in terms of Roman antiquities.

 

That's just a starting point, of course...

[Labanos]

Went a few weeks back and the same as you wanted to see Napels itself.

 

 

 

[Senga]

To give you an idea of our DIY in Naples a week ago.

Left ship at 9:20, returned at 1:50.

Too hot, too many people. Made our way to Gesu Nuovo Square. Visited the church with its impressive interior then Chiostro Di Santa Chiara. We strictly stuck to the gardens, didn’t visit any of the museums. Nice but prefer what we saw in Seville. Walked down Via Toledo which was wall to wall people and shopping we weren’t interested in. Passed Galleria Umberto I on our way to Piazza Plebiscito to reach Gran Caffe Gambrinus which was almost a total, expensive waste. Interior was lovely but service was terrible as was the food with the exception of the Matilda pastry which was PERFECTION. The PIZZETTA MARGHERITA had too much sauce and no basil. It was lukewarm and since servers were scarce I went and found someone who heated it up in a microwave! NOT what I expected in Italy. The PARIGINA (Puff Pizza Filled with Ham and Cheese) was a big hunk of pizza dough topped with ham and cheese and a tiny layer of the puff pastry on top. Any Sfoglia we have had was without the thick crust. The ham and cheese layered between TWO layers of puff pastry, minus the “dough”. Very disappointing. The CANNOLO was okay; soggy part way through. The MATILDA was the only saving grace. Even the bottled water was served less than COLD and we had to find a server well after the food was served to get our beverages. The bill was €31 so I assume from the prices posted they added €2 for the terrible service. To add insult to injury you are required to pay €1 for the “privilege” of using a toilet that doesn’t flush! In Plebiscito square you find the Royal Pontifical Basilica of San Francesco di Paola and the Royal Palace which, unfortunately, is under construction. The palace gardens are free to visit but, a total waste. By no stretch of ANY imagination could you call this a “garden”. Had a relatively nice view of Maschio Angioino. Stopped for waters and a lemon granita-doesn’t compare to fragola. Glad to be back on board ship.

[jsn55]

THIS is why you never find me in any 'recommended' place for food or drink, nowhere, never:

"our way to Piazza Plebiscito to reach Gran Caffe Gambrinus which was almost a total, expensive waste. Interior was lovely but service was terrible as was the food with the exception of the Matilda pastry ..."

[Senga]

19 hours ago, jsn55 said:

THIS is why you never find me in any 'recommended' place for food or drink, nowhere, never:

"our way to Piazza Plebiscito to reach Gran Caffe Gambrinus which was almost a total, expensive waste. Interior was lovely but service was terrible as was the food with the exception of the Matilda pastry ..."

We have had some incredible dining experiences from restaurants we have found on TripAdvisor.

[jsn55]

I agree, there's nothing like TripAdvisor reviews to furnish a great 'feel' for a restaurant or hotel.  It's important to read many reviews and know which ones to mentally discard.  I don't book a hotel or seek an activity without reading TA reviews.  If there aren't any, or few, I move on.  I happen to enjoy that part of planning a trip.  I was referring to 'recommendations' in books, magazines, blogs, whatever.  Perhaps meaningful at one time, but largely outdated.  

[cruisemom42]

I guess I am the opposite. I don't trust TripAdvisor reviews -- in particular on restaurants. It's a combination of, on the one hand, shills who are either employees or friends going online to leave fake "good" reviews; and on the other hand tourists who are clueless, might be visiting a place for a day or three, and have no idea what a "good" restaurant in that city might actually look like.

 

As someone posted on another board here recently, do a little test. Go on TripAdvisor and look at restaurant reviews for your own city or town. Look for some restaurants you know are just okay or mediocre and see how many good reviews they get. It's amazing.

 

I've done the same for some restaurants in Rome that I know are pretty average. (e.g., using frozen ingredients, not making their own pizza dough, etc.).  Yet people will rave about them online.

 

[-Lew-]

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I guess I am the opposite. I don't trust TripAdvisor reviews -- in particular on restaurants.

 

@cruisemom42...  I'm with you!

 

Have you ever used a site such as Fakespot?  I started using it to evaluate reviews on Amazon, but am now using it with TripAdvisor and Yelp.  It's results are eye opening for sure.

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, -Lew- said:

 

@cruisemom42...  I'm with you!

 

Have you ever used a site such as Fakespot?  I started using it to evaluate reviews on Amazon, but am now using it with TripAdvisor and Yelp.  It's results are eye opening for sure.

 

I'll have to check that out, thanks.

[marazul]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I guess I am the opposite. I don't trust TripAdvisor reviews -- in particular on restaurants. It's a combination of, on the one hand, shills who are either employees or friends going online to leave fake "good" reviews; and on the other hand tourists who are clueless, might be visiting a place for a day or three, and have no idea what a "good" restaurant in that city might actually look like.

 

I agree.  

I will try fakespot. It sounds interesting. 

[jsn55]

On 9/23/2023 at 11:20 PM, cruisemom42 said:

I guess I am the opposite. I don't trust TripAdvisor reviews -- in particular on restaurants. It's a combination of, on the one hand, shills who are either employees or friends going online to leave fake "good" reviews; and on the other hand tourists who are clueless, might be visiting a place for a day or three, and have no idea what a "good" restaurant in that city might actually look like.

 

As someone posted on another board here recently, do a little test. Go on TripAdvisor and look at restaurant reviews for your own city or town. Look for some restaurants you know are just okay or mediocre and see how many good reviews they get. It's amazing.

 

I've done the same for some restaurants in Rome that I know are pretty average. (e.g., using frozen ingredients, not making their own pizza dough, etc.).  Yet people will rave about them online.

 

Meals when you are travelling are such a personal experience ... maybe that's why I find reviews so helpful.  What may matter to a serious foodie means little to me, as long as it tastes 'good'.  So many other aspects of the meal are important ... the service, the decor, the ambiance.  By careful reading, I usually come up with some good choices.  I did learn long ago to not have 'dinner' every night; every other evening or so makes the experience more enjoyable.  That's why you find me at the buffet half the time, having a big salad and a small plate of little goodies instead of a big meal.  Then getting all duded up and having a formal meal is really special.  Last cruise they'd put out lemon cookies at all hours, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

[-Lew-]

 

On 9/22/2023 at 9:22 PM, jsn55 said:

THIS is why you never find me in any 'recommended' place for food or drink, nowhere, never:

 

1 hour ago, jsn55 said:

Meals when you are travelling are such a personal experience ... maybe that's why I find reviews so helpful.

 

These two statements appear to contradict...

[jsn55]

8 hours ago, -Lew- said:

 

 

 

These two statements appear to contradict...

I consider 'recommended' and 'reviewed' completely different.  If Travel Blogger Joe Blow recommends Tony's pancake house, I'll ignore it.  If Susie from Nebraska, George from Tennessee and Julie from Texas rave about Tony's, that would make me want to try it.

[Host Bonjour]

On 9/25/2023 at 9:57 PM, jsn55 said:

I consider 'recommended' and 'reviewed' completely different. 

 

Fair enough, but you may be missing out on some great food.

 

Also, we're all bloggers, really. Each post here is a blog post, the forum is one giant blog. What distinguishes your hypotheticals is that they've created their own blogs, but whether initiating a post of their own, or here in response to a query, everyone is offering a recommendation that takes the form of a review.

 

Would you want it any other way? How else may anyone be expected to buy into the recommendation if not for an account, aka review, of the experience/food. What was good/great/fair or not. How much it cost, how to make a reservation, where it is, atmosphere etc. It needn't be long or grand, but a certain amount of info is expected to go into a recommendation/review no matter who is crafting the response.

 

This might be different than the type of information that is presented by a media outlet, such as a travel magazine, news source (paper), official tourism bureau, or some other enterprise. 

 

In this instance, a sometimes unknown (sometimes very well known) person is sent to have a meal or taste whatever it is the establisment produces (could be pretzels!) and then produce a professional story related to the food, service, perhaps even the décor, prices, etc.

 

Something like the Michelin guide is said to be neutral of advertising and influence, and is done in the service of food. (Stars are awarded based ONLY on cuisine, based on reviews by annual, independent inspectors)

 

So every recommendation IS a review: it's someone's impression of whether or not the food met expectations, re: taste/flavors, value, portions, and any other factors that are relevant to each person, which of course may vary from person to person. 

 

What's ultimately important in deciding to heed reviews/recommendations is knowing what's most important to you and matching expectations with the experiences of others, but perhaps widening the circle a bit to be sure the results aren't skewed. 

Besides, why follow the results of Nebraska, Tennessee and Texas? You're going to have Italian food. Find out where the best food is, period. You'll be glad you did. Buon Appetito.

 

(Otherwise, there's always the Royale con Formaggio) 😉

 

[jsn55]

You're over-complicating things!!  Personal reviews are golden, recommendations on their own are useless.  I read 'em all.  Super easy to discern the difference on an individual basis.  You are so right, we are all bloggers ... it's great fun and healthy social interaction.  Thanks for your thoughtful post.