For those who have been there, done that..

[PA Nana]

Can you help me, please? Since one cruise will not hit all the ports I want (darn it), I must make choices. Can you give me pros/cons on these ports

Taormina vs Messina - which did you like in Sicily
Cinque Terre vs Portofino - how could I miss with either

Which would you choose and why? Appreciate your thoughts.

[potterhill]

Cinque Terre would definitely be my choice over Portofino. Portofino is very picturesque, but tiny. We walked all over, up to the big hotel, etc. Then we took the bus to the nearby town, maybe Santo Stephano? We swam in the Med, had lunch, went windowshopping as the shops were closed for the afternoon.

A lovely day but the day we spent in Cinque Terre was much more unique in the experience and scenery. We walked between a couple of the towns. Ate lunch overlooking the harbour. Took the train between the other towns. Swam on the beach at the largest town ( the name escapes me just now, the one at the Northern end). Did some shopping and then we took the boat back to the first town. Each of the five towns is very different.

We probably won't go back to Portofino, but if we get the chance would like to stay in Cinque Terre for a few days and just explore and soak up the atmosphere.

Sorry, I can't help with Sicily - haven't been there yet!

Mo

[PA Nana]

You made my husband's night...and he's a Mo, too. We have been looking at a couple different cruises - I wanted Portofino and he was holding out for Cinque Terre. He wins! I kept reading and really was beginning to think that was probably the way to go but there's nothing quite like hearing it from someone who has been there.

[drwong]

We did the Taormina excursion - Greek Amphitheater, Mt. Etna, and some shopping in the town and were satisfied - we didn't have time to do Messina, so we've nothing to compare it to!

[Benita]

We've done them all.Cinque Terre is one of my favorite places anywhere. We took the ferry from Portovenere and strolled along the path between two of the towns. The view was breathtaking and the towns were charming.
Portofino is very pretty. You can stroll the whole town in 10 minutes. We sat on a bench and looked over the harbor for awhile.
I would gladly spend a week in Cinque Terre and an hour in Portofino is much nmore than adequate.
Taorima is a great town to visit. We spent three days there last year and did not run out of things to do. Messina is fine, but no great reason to go there. Hope this helps and hope you can find the itinerary that includes Cinque Terre and Taorima.