Shore excusions- Can't decide Amalfi coast or Pompeii ? [Archive]

Koalagirl

January 31st, 2010, 07:32 PM

bobcan

January 31st, 2010, 07:41 PM

We did this port in sept and took a full day tour which included the amalfi coast and pompeii and really did not get enough time for either.

Given a choice of one or the other to visit I would choose Pompeii, I expected a small tourist trap sight but discovered that it is truly an amazing area which takes several hours to properly explore and enjoy. The amalfi coast while beautiful does not compare to the history of Pompeii.

bob

planobob

January 31st, 2010, 07:44 PM

Check the tour description brochure: On the May 2009 Prinsendam TA we had an all day Sorrento and Pompeii Tour that spend the morning in Sorrento (after a drive down the coast) and spent the afternoon in Pompeii (about 2 ½ hours). A lond day but the best of both worlds!

Bob

bellarosa

January 31st, 2010, 07:47 PM

Hi there we will be on your cruise as well. We are booking Amafi coast and sorrento. We have been to pompeii and amalfi and sorrento once, If i were to choose i would go with the amalfi and sorrento one over the pompeii. Just wondering we are 37 and 43 years old and wondering if you are in our age group? there was a couple who we we speaking with on hear that we around our age and now we lost contact and wondering if its you?:)

We are going on our first cruise, - 3 weeks on the Mediterranean on the Noordam in August this year. We can't decide which shore excursions to do from Naples, either Amalfi Coast and Sorrento (which I would really love to do) but i know my husband is keen to do the Pompeii excursion but said he doesnt mind. Would I be mad not to do the Pompeii excursion. please advise if you can . Thank you.

Koalagirl

January 31st, 2010, 07:47 PM

Thanks Bob I will have another look and see if thats available.

esther e

January 31st, 2010, 07:53 PM

If you decide on Pompeii, wear comfortable shoes. It's quite an amazing place, as is Amalfi. How I envy you. I want to do another Med cruise before the old legs give out.

Koalagirl

January 31st, 2010, 07:59 PM

Hi Bella Rosa, How exciting to meet someone on our cruise.!! No we are not the couple you spoke to before. My husband and I are both 46 , a little older than you two. Is the Amalfi Coast gorgeous?

bellarosa

January 31st, 2010, 08:07 PM

Amalfi coast is stunning!! pompeii is really neat as well. We spent 5 days in Sorrento on our honeymoom as we did a globus tour of all of italy. I cant wait to go to Sorrento again it was such a beautiful city. Positano which is the amalfi as well is stunning and unforgetable!! If you go to sorrento and want to try the best pizza, be sure to go to Pizza Aurora!! the best ever and my hubby and I are both Italian and have tried all kinds of pizza everywhere and they are the best!! We are getting super excited. Are you guys booking all your excursions through holland? We are picking and excursion just about in every port and its really difficult to choose as they are all so good. Which others have you booked thourgh holland?

Koalagirl

January 31st, 2010, 08:31 PM

I am really excited after reading your post. We did a Trafalgar tour in Europe which took us to parts of Italy which are all so beautiful. We never travelled to the southern region and i have always hoped one day we would get to go back and travel to the Amalfi coast. Yes we have booked with HAL for excursions of Ancient Olympia & Zorba, Ancient Ephesus, Best of Athens, Discover Cinque Terre, and ?Amalfi coast and Sorrento. Might book a tour from Messina also. it is hard to choose isnt it. Hopefully we will keep in touch and meet up on the cruise in August!! Will keep the name of that pizza place thanks.

shoppern

January 31st, 2010, 08:50 PM

If the excursions are escorted, why don't you split up so that each of yu will see what he wants to see? It's such a long way to go, and ato miss what you really want to see might rankle for a long time. My husband frequently split up when we travel, since I love museums and he hates them, etc. We always have a great time. Good luck on your choice.

bellarosa

January 31st, 2010, 08:53 PM

Hi again, not sure if you noticed allot of posters are using outside tour operators for their excursions... I wonder if they are saving money that way. Booking through Holland gives one piece of mind I guess. Hopefully we are doing the right thing going through holland. We too booked the best of athens and we are looking on booking ancient olymipa and zorba. :)

I am really excited after reading your post. We did a Trafalgar tour in Europe which took us to parts of Italy which are all so beautiful. We never travelled to the southern region and i have always hoped one day we would get to go back and travel to the Amalfi coast. Yes we have booked with HAL for excursions of Ancient Olympia & Zorba, Ancient Ephesus, Best of Athens, Discover Cinque Terre, and ?Amalfi coast and Sorrento. Might book a tour from Messina also. it is hard to choose isnt it. Hopefully we will keep in touch and meet up on the cruise in August!! Will keep the name of that pizza place thanks.

sjdnv

January 31st, 2010, 10:12 PM

Why cant you do both? On our trip to the med we went on a private tour that included both an Amalfi coast drive and a tour of pompei with a private guide. both the Amalfi Coast and Pompei are not to be missed.
ck out Drive Amalfi. :D

mek

January 31st, 2010, 10:53 PM

deano cav 32

January 31st, 2010, 10:54 PM

just another thought we are on Eurodam in April/May and would love to do the isle of capri but also have a major hankering for almafi and sorrento. Any thoughts on the isle of capri

jasl

February 1st, 2010, 01:53 AM

You can do both comfortably when using a private tour operator. I arranged such a tour for members of our Roll Call last year and everyone was very satisfied. The tour operators are aware of the time limits and will make every effort to return you to the ship on time.
Also, distances in Europe are not that great and (heaven forbid) should you miss the ship, you can easily catch up at the next port. Check your Roll Call and see if anyone is looking for people to join a private tour, more info on private tours can also be found in the Ports of Call section of this board.
Personally, I found the Herculaneum far more interesting than Pompeii and would recommend a special tour guide for both. These people are experts in the history and will move you through the site allowing for the "must see" spots thus eliminating time waste by just wandering.
Have a wonderful time......................

kyriecat

February 1st, 2010, 08:39 AM

I did the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii tour a few years ago but we did ours through the cruiseline. The road along the coast is VERY narrow and we got stuck behind an accident for almost 2 hours. At first we were told we were going to skip Pompeii because of the timing. Our guide called the ship and we were allowed to come back later than our scheduled departure time. I know some of the private tours also got stuck in the traffic, but I don't know if they had to skip any of their tour to get back to the ship.

RetiredMustang

February 1st, 2010, 09:01 AM

just another thought we are on Eurodam in April/May and would love to do the isle of capri but also have a major hankering for almafi and sorrento. Any thoughts on the isle of capri

I lived in Naples for a total of six years, and have enjoyed all three locations discussed on this board -- Amalfi, Pompei and Capri. All are stunning. Amalfi is primarily great natural beauty. Pompei is primarily history (it is quite large a place, with lots of things to see, although some of the smaller most valuable pieces are in the National Arheological Museum in Naples). Capri is a bit of both, stupendous views but also the remains of a Roman emperor's villa. Anyone taking any of those tours should have a very nice time.

About Capri, if you go, you will no doubt be offered a tour of the Blue Grotto. Do it, as it is spectacular, despite the lines of boats and lots of people.

But, there is one thing not to be missed, in my mind, if you have the time. The main town is Capri, but there is another town, higher up the mountain, called Anacapri. From the central square of Anacapri, you can take a chair lift to the peak of Monte Salaro. Do that! The ascent is never very high off the ground, but it passes serene grape vines, small houses, patches of shrubs, etc. The views are expansive, and the sounds diminish as you rise higher. It is very peaceful and beautiful. After about 15 minutes you arrive at the top, and can walk around admiring the views in all directions. There is a small refreshment stand with some tables and chairs, where you can enjoy an ice cream or a glass of wine before taking the chair lift back down to Anacapri.

http://www.capriseggiovia.it/eng/index.html

Dave

BBnn

February 2nd, 2010, 12:36 AM

Hi Deano Cav....Wellingtonians here I believe on your Eurodam trip (May 9th-29th, Jewels of Europe)
I was wondering from what port are you wanting to do the Amalfi coast and/or Pompeii trip? I was under the impression we weren't stopping in Naples, or are you hoping to go from Rome? I'd love to see the Amalfi Coast, if possible.

deano cav 32

February 2nd, 2010, 03:57 AM

hi there guys, We are on the ship from 29th April and have a day in naples. I am torn between pompei, city of Naples, Almafi and isle of capri. As I have said to my husband this is like an appertiser of the places that appeal so very hard in a short space of time

jtl513

February 2nd, 2010, 07:04 AM

In '06 we had the same choice. DW wanted Pompeii, and I wanted Amalfi Coast. We did the Amalfi ride, and she's been telling friends how great it was ever since! Maybe some day we'll get to Pompeii. :)

G&G

February 2nd, 2010, 07:16 AM

tooalto

February 2nd, 2010, 07:21 AM

In answer to the poster who asked about the cost of private versus ship's excursion, we used private tours for all our excursions on our med cruise last fall on the Oosterdam. We did both the Amalfi coast and Pompeii and it ws only 116E per couple. That didn't include a wonderful lunch in a tiny town on the coast and a super private guide in Pompeii. We put together a super group on Roll Call and every excursion was far more comfortable, and affordable, that the ship's excursion. The only place we would absolutely do a ship's tour is when port time is restricted, just to make sure we got back onboard. Check the roll call for your cruise and I'm sure you'll find some private tours set up with room for more folks.

snyderc635

February 2nd, 2010, 10:07 AM

If one of the tours offered from Messina is to Taromina, take it. One of the most beautiful places in the world!

time4me2fly

February 2nd, 2010, 06:03 PM

I was in the port of Naples from 7am-7pm in May.

I was with a group of 16 people. We hired a private tour company, Amalfi-drive (2 vans) and visited Pompeii (our tour guide is licensed to be a guide at Pompeii) drove the Amalfi coast, stopped in Sorrento, Positano and Ravello. We had a wonderful lunch at a family owned restaurant with a spectacular view. The company I used is highly recommended by many cc members. I suggest you form a group of 8 people and hire a private company. They will arrange a wonderful day for you to visit the places you and your husband want to see and get you back to the ship in time for sailing.

We never felt rushed and we're happy that we were able to see Pompeii and the cities along the Amalfi Coast. Enjoy!

jhannah

February 2nd, 2010, 07:38 PM

I also vote for Pompeii. The coast is truly beautiful, but Pompeii is a real wonder. As noted earlier, it does take time to see it properly ... so devote your time to really soak in what's there.

luxurysailer

February 2nd, 2010, 07:52 PM

Pompeii or the Amalfi coast: a truly difficult choice. We've done both, and if I were going back I'd choose the Amalfi coast. But whichever you do, you can't really go wrong. They are entirely different experiences. The Amalfi coast is breath takingly beautiful. Pompeii, on the other hand, allows you to step back and experience what life was like 2000 years ago.

fann1sh

February 2nd, 2010, 09:43 PM

Oh, and here's a really unhelpful idea: yet another choice! :eek:

I have a degree in art history, and I'm a nut about excavations.

As already mentioned, Pompeii is amazing. As also already mentioned, it's huge, hot, and often crowded.

Another nearby site from the same eruption is Herculaneum (Ercolano). It's more compact, less crowded, and easier to "do" in just a few hours.

Don't substitute Herculaneum for Pompeii if when you get home you'll kick yourself for not seeing what you really wanted. However, if the two of you really don't want to split up, and if you're planning a private tour, you might want to discuss Herculaneum as an alternative with your guide.

Of course, you could send him on the Amalfi coast excursions ("Take pictures, dear!") and do both Pompeii and Herculaneum :)

(P.S. - see I didn't even mention Capri. To get there, hydrofoils are much faster, but more likely to make you seasick. Ferries are slower, but less motion.)

fayruz

February 3rd, 2010, 01:11 AM

Oh, and here's a really unhelpful idea: yet another choice! :eek:

if you stop in Civitavecchia (near Rome) or - better - if you arrive early in Fiumicino, you could go to see the excavations in Ostia Antica... just drop your suitcases at the airport lockers :)

mmlrml

February 5th, 2010, 06:35 PM

We did this cruise in 2008. We did a HAL sponsored shore excursion to Sorrento and Pompeii. I'm so grateful we got to see both places. The Amalfi coast is gorgeous and Pompeii is amazing. Doing both in one day does mean that you don't get to really spend time exploring either site. But I would have been sad if we had missed either. My husband and I considered the shore excursions appetizers. Now we can't wait to travel back to the Mediterranean and have the main course! The best part of the 20 day cruise is you do get a sense of where you would like to go back and spend several days. And you also get a sense of where you are glad you saw it but have no desire to go back. On our wish list based on this cruise are Croatia, Barcelona and the Amalfi Coast. We have already researched Villas to rent in Croatia for a summer vacation. You will have an amazing time on the cruise. My whole family still counts it as one of the best family vacations we have ever taken.

janmcn

February 6th, 2010, 04:54 PM

We did the cruise last year and found a fantastic private tour guide (via CC) who did a tour that allowed us to see it all in one day. Yes, it was quick, but I felt that I at least got to see Pompeii (an hour was fine....could have spent a day for sure, but we did get to drive the Amalfi coast, have wonderful lunch at an excellent restaurant our guide chose, etc.)

Email me if you're interested in the name of the guide/tour company. We had 8 of us in his van.
jan
janmcneill at yahoo dot com

jtl513

February 6th, 2010, 05:03 PM

mmlrml

February 7th, 2010, 06:57 PM

But if you only went as far as Sorrento you really didn't see the Amalfi Coast (or the best part, IMO) from Sorrento to Positano to Amalfi.

True but I really wanted to see Pompeii and I wanted my three boys to see it. I wanted them to have a sense of history. Now we are planning to go back and rent a villa somewhere along the Amalfi Coast.

Lucyonthesea

February 8th, 2010, 04:33 PM

In June 2008 we managed to see both the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Six of us took a private tour, the driver was great fun. It was a Sunday which added to traffic on the coast road. We didn't have time to stop at many places but got a feeling for the place. We did the coast first, stopped at Amalfi for about 40minutes then had lunch at a lovely little restaurant in the hills. We decided to leave Pompeii til the afternoon because it's closer to the port. It was very hot and as mentioned there is no shade. Our tour guide organized a seperate guide for Pompeii, so that we felt we saw all the important things in a short time. I did read about a group who got stuck on coastal road after an accident and missed the boat! They had to fly to Athens to re-join the ship:eek:. I suspect this is a rare event. Hope both you and your hubby have a great cruise.

BBnn

February 15th, 2010, 05:17 AM

I have a neighbour who did the ....' from the central square of Anacapri, you can take a chair lift to the peak of Monte Salaro'....mentioned by RetiredMustang (above) she reckoned it was different and superb. I've always had a hankerin' to swim into the Blue Lagoon, I wonder if you can do that?

fayruz

February 15th, 2010, 10:37 PM

bellarosa

February 17th, 2010, 10:54 PM

isle of capri is breathtaking!!! try the lemoncello as well and they have really cute shops to purchase souvenirs. Dont forget the blue grotto excursion if you can. I dont see that hal offer a tour of the blue grotto for some reason.

just another thought we are on Eurodam in April/May and would love to do the isle of capri but also have a major hankering for almafi and sorrento. Any thoughts on the isle of capri

hammybee

February 18th, 2010, 12:46 AM

fayruz

February 18th, 2010, 03:14 AM

We did the Amalfi Coast via public transportation, albeit we took a taxi to the bus stop. It was a wild ride on a bus jammed with all sorts of people and a few chickens, too. It was one of our most memorable DUI shore excursions.
oh, please. No animals are allowed on board of Italian busses (a part from dogs for blind people).

fayruz

February 18th, 2010, 05:26 AM

Dont forget the blue grotto excursion if you can. I dont see that hal offer a tour of the blue grotto for some reason.
the reason - probably - is that you have to take a boat close to where the hydrofoil drops you off that will take you to the Grotta Azzurra where you will have to get on smaller boats that enter and get out of the grotta one at a time and that carry few people (normally groups of 4). It takes a long time and HAL (like all cruise companies) try to cram as many things they can in a very short time.
I have been going in September for a short holiday on Capri or Ischia every year, the Grotta azzurra needs a tour by itself and even if it is breathtaking, there are other things that are more interesting.
For example:
http://www.villasanmichele.eu/
This tour you can do it by yourself :
Hydrofoil
Funicolare
short walk
Villa San Michele
There you will find one of the very rare etruscan sphinxes
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_emhIup_VdTY/SH4aNb1gWnI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/7kHwlr__6l8/img276.jpg
This one is egyptian, the villa has many roman end egyptian pieces on show that come from the emperor's villas on the Island
http://rete.comuni-italiani.it/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/sfinge-by-trizzotti-web.jpg

Capri island is said to be a "Sphinx that looks toward the Vesuvio".

cwuer

February 22nd, 2010, 04:13 PM

Pompeii can be "done" in 2 hours (highligths), spend the rest doing the Amalfi coast. I did that several years ago and although it was a LONG day and exhausting, it is one of the best memories of my life. They are 2 totally different things and you will be sick if you miss either!

sunshine nana

February 22nd, 2010, 06:16 PM

There is nothing like Pompeii. We went there and it was great even on a cloudy day. The scenery tours would have been not so nice that day because of the weather.

jeanne49

July 30th, 2010, 03:19 PM

We are going on our first cruise to the Mediterranean Oct. 8th, starting in Rome. I'm searching sites to see which shore excursions to use. I'm not a fan of large bus tours and was wondering if anyone has used private companies for their tours as they seem to be more reasonable with their prices. I would appreciate any help in this area, and especially which private tour companies were used and what their experiences were.
Thank you so much for all your input.

MUD

July 30th, 2010, 03:32 PM

We combined both in one excursion on a Princess Cruise. If HAL doesn't offer I'd go on a private tour. In fact a private tour might be much better because the large buses have some difficulty getting around on the Amalfi roads.

Cruizer Bill

July 30th, 2010, 03:43 PM

We were cruising with RCCL when we visited Naples. They offered a Amalfi Coast & Pompeii tour and we took them up on it. Despite heavy rains that day, it was one of the best of our lives. Do them both if you possibly can!

123dwj

July 30th, 2010, 07:24 PM

I am glad we did not miss Capri Island and Sorrento. You can do Capri on your own. You can ride the hovercraft over, then ride a funicular, then you can take a bus and a chairlift all the way to the peak. Spectacular view on a clear day.

Jade13

July 30th, 2010, 08:34 PM

We did both with a driver while on Noordam. We went to Pompeii for 2 hours and than drove around the Amalfi coast. We went shopping in Sorrento.

EviesCruisin

July 30th, 2010, 10:02 PM

Hi Jeanne,

We used Mariano Fiorentino (pleasantravel.com) in Naples (Almalfi Coast/Pompeii) he was fabulous. We used DriverinRome in Rome and Florence and did custom tours. In Lisbon Portugal we used Alliance4Drive. Everyone was great. You can spend a fortune on ship tours. Try your cruise critic roll call. Joining with a few other couples can really make the private tours quite affordable.

We are going on our first cruise to the Mediterranean Oct. 8th, starting in Rome. I'm searching sites to see which shore excursions to use. I'm not a fan of large bus tours and was wondering if anyone has used private companies for their tours as they seem to be more reasonable with their prices. I would appreciate any help in this area, and especially which private tour companies were used and what their experiences were.
Thank you so much for all your input.

EviesCruisin

July 30th, 2010, 10:04 PM

I remember our guide telling us that the cruise ship buses do the Almalfi trip tour in reverse. The views are not as good but it is because it is the side of the road with the souvenier shops (limoncello, etc). Not sure of that. But a private tour was great. We did Almalfi, Positano, Sorrento, Ravello and Pompeii in one day. It was a beautiful perfect day and if I had it to do again I'd have spent all day at Almalfi Coast. A history buff may have the opposite view. The Almalfi Coast is breathtaking, beautiful - all in all a lovely day.

travelgenie

July 31st, 2010, 11:47 AM

We did a similar cruise, last fall and used Benevento Limos for all of our stops in Italy. Having been on a Med cruise several years before, we were repeating several stops and wanted to do different things. At Naples we customized our own trip that day, we spent a couple of hours in Sorrento and then to Positano for some shopping and a terrific lunch and finally getting to Pompeii before returning to the ship. To better utilize a quick trip through Pompeii, we used a private guide that could navigate us through there with one on one narration instead of a large group and were able to cover more in a shorter amount of time. Of course all of this comes with a much higher price tag but for us, we would rather make the most of each port that try to nickel and dime are way through. We also used this company for a private tour through Rome and the Vatican and our guide, a history and art major, was fabulous in her knowledge and used historical fact story telling throughout the day for a glimpse into Roman times. Money well spent.......

Balliett

August 1st, 2010, 12:22 AM

We've done both. I would chose Amalfi coast. We hired our own guide, highly recommended on cruise critic. Not that expensive for four.

Hydrokitty

August 1st, 2010, 04:22 PM

We are going on our first cruise, - 3 weeks on the Mediterranean on the Noordam in August this year. We can't decide which shore excursions to do from Naples, either Amalfi Coast and Sorrento (which I would really love to do) but i know my husband is keen to do the Pompeii excursion but said he doesnt mind. Would I be mad not to do the Pompeii excursion. please advise if you can . Thank you.

What a terrible dilemma you have! I can only tell you that I've done both Amalfi Coast and Pompeii and it's like comparing apples and oranges....Amalfi Coast is absolutely stunning, although be aware if you have a problem with heights or twisting mountain roads with hairpin turns...Pompeii is a one of a kind excursion and was one of the most amazing places I've been to. I think if I had to pick between the two I would go for Pompeii...you won't see anything like it anywhere else. Good luck and in truth, you have no bad choice here!:D

Xwordgal

August 2nd, 2010, 07:18 PM

We are going on our first cruise, - 3 weeks on the Mediterranean on the Noordam in August this year. We can't decide which shore excursions to do from Naples, either Amalfi Coast and Sorrento (which I would really love to do) but i know my husband is keen to do the Pompeii excursion but said he doesnt mind. Would I be mad not to do the Pompeii excursion. please advise if you can . Thank you.

I would definitely do Amalfi Coast. Several years ago, my husband & I did a driving tour of several Italian areas, and were fortunate enough to stay in Amalfi for 5 nights (at the Santa Catarina hotel, which Hillary & Chelsea Clinton stayed at during Bill's "reign"). Further, we sailed 'transatlantic' on the Noordam in May (which was fabulous, by the way) followed by an RC cruise which docked one night in Florence. I opted to do an excursion which took us to Amalfi, during which time I was able to reminisce about my previous 4-day stay. I LOVE AMALFI, and will do it over & over should I get the chance again!

Maybe you and your husband could consider doing individual excursions...he can do his thing and you can do Amalfi. You'll both be happy!

kalliekae

August 2nd, 2010, 10:08 PM

We did this cruise in 2008. We did a HAL sponsored shore excursion to Sorrento and Pompeii. I'm so grateful we got to see both places. The Amalfi coast is gorgeous and Pompeii is amazing. .....My whole family still counts it as one of the best family vacations we have ever taken.

We also went in 2008 and we spent almost a full day at Pompeii. We count that excursion as a highlight of that cruise. It was amazing and time well-spent!! The Mediterranean is one of our favorite vacations of all time! We will definitely return some day!!