Sorrento tender?

Everything I have seen on the web, including on here says that Sorrento is a tender port. It's not shown as a tender on the Thomson website.

Does anyone have experience of this port from the Dream, has it always been a tender or is the Dream small enough to dock?

Ta

Joe.

Sorrento is a tender as it's a very small harbour. It's only a few minutes on the tender and then there are small buses to take you up the hill into the town coach park where large coaches are waiting for onward trips. You can walk into the town but it's quite a steep hill - easy enough to walk back down. It's a lovely little town, loads of shops and places to eat.

We sailed into Sorrento on the Dream in October. As already said, it is definitely a tender port then a trek up to the town 'proper'; thank goodness for the little buses supplied to take you up to the main coach park - its one heck of a climb!

We did the Amalfi Coast trip from Sorrento but wish we had had time to explore Sorrento too as it looked a lovely place.

Definitely a tender port and the buses are really helpful, but the walk down the hill back to the tenders gives some great photo opportunities and I feel is a must.

We did Herculaneum trip, which was a really enjoyable and a positive learning experience for all.

Over all found this to be a great port of call and will defo do it again

Thanks for all the info.

That's another port MIL won't be able to do, not really happy with Thomson as it's not shown as a tender port in the brochure or online.

We might just try and do Capri on our own, leaving MIL and FIL onboard. They said they won't mind us getting off when they can't.

We spent a week in Sorrento once and it wasn't enough. This is a great port to visit. You could go back time and time again and always see something new. Or you could just hang around in Sorrento all day which is a lovely town which not only has great shops and wonderful restaurants as was mentioned before but also has an interesting approach to road safety. It is worth sitting at the cafe in the main and just watching the locals driving. It is a spectator sport in its own right.

Sorrento has always been a tender port in the past, but I noticed as well that any itinerary with it on it isn't down as a tender anymore, but for next year it is again? :confused:

Another port that this has happened is with Mykonos. Tender port this year, but it isn't next year.

I can't see where they could actually dock, unless there is somewhere just up the coast they could go. :confused:

My parents spent many holidays in Santa Agata at the top of the hill from Sorrento. Is this where the coach park is?

I am with you Joe as to be a bit unhappy with Thomsons. Funnily enough we were looking at our documents and online today, and discussing our tender ports. We are doing Treasures of the Med and Med Medley. On our Thomson confirmation there are asterisks for tender ports and none for Sorrento!

Getting off with a tender is fine but getting back on can be a pain with queues and trips returning!

Oh well, we will hopefully be in mañana mode by then!

Suzy

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I am wondering it its the ports who state where a ship may dock. Maybe Thomsons had hoped to dock nearer the port but was told at the last minute they couldn't, so had to tender. Last year the Dream was docked at Portimao, Portugal and the tender took forever to reach the port. The Captain told us it wasn;t Thomsons fault they had to dock so far out. He said he would bring this matter up with Thomsons and recommend they do not use this port at a later date if this were to happen again.

Do thomson organise buses up to the town?or do you have to take the service bus up there?because believe me the walk up to the town is`nt for the faint hearted!!:D

We have been a couple of times to Sorrento their is a lift up to the top of the cliffs from the beach below it belongs to one of the hotel and there is a small charge to use it but worth using. It can be hard to find but their is the odd sign about or if you ask at the information desk in the harbour they will direct you.

Unfortunately last year when we went, the night before the captain announced, much to the disappointment of the passengers 'we have heard that there will be a heavy swell tomorrow and therefore we have managed to secure a birth in Naples instead'. The was a heavy sigh from those who have been to Naples before at the disappointment of going there. The next day was lovely and hot and the sea was very calm.

Do thomson organise buses up to the town?or do you have to take the service bus up there?because believe me the walk up to the town is`nt for the faint hearted!!:D

Can't say if you haven't booked a trip but the bus up to the coach park was included in our Amalfi tour.

We have been a couple of times to Sorrento their is a lift up to the top of the cliffs from the beach below it belongs to one of the hotel and there is a small charge to use it but worth using. It can be hard to find but their is the odd sign about or if you ask at the information desk in the harbour they will direct you.

 

Unfortunately last year when we went, the night before the captain announced, much to the disappointment of the passengers 'we have heard that there will be a heavy swell tomorrow and therefore we have managed to secure a birth in Naples instead'. The was a heavy sigh from those who have been to Naples before at the disappointment of going there. The next day was lovely and hot and the sea was very calm.

I was just about to say, there is lift, you beat me to it.:)

I am wondering it its the ports who state where a ship may dock. Maybe Thomsons had hoped to dock nearer the port but was told at the last minute they couldn't, so had to tender. Last year the Dream was docked at Portimao, Portugal and the tender took forever to reach the port. The Captain told us it wasn;t Thomsons fault they had to dock so far out. He said he would bring this matter up with Thomsons and recommend they do not use this port at a later date if this were to happen again.

At Bassettere St Kitts on the return Transatlantic this year we/the Dream docked at the commercial port which was a good 20 minute walk to the shops that are at the end of the jetty normally used - and that was a brisk walk at 20 mins - for many that could be nearer 30 mins. The port did supply minibuses though - free from memory. There were two larger ships on the normal jetty with Americans - one was Royal Caribbean and I am sure the other was Celebrity. There must be a pecking order of some kind or first to book gets the usual jetty etc and/or a discount for using the commercial port also.

I believe in Kotor the biggest ship gets to dock and the rest have to tender.

On Ventura last month we tendered at Kotor and were the only ship there. Big ships just can't get into the berth.

When I visited Sorrento, Ventura was in Naples, there were two Oceania ships tendering and the general concensus amongst our passengers was that only exclusive ships called there. I kept my mouth shut :D

Why, it is my experience that only the brave or foolish Thomson fans mention the fact aboard a P&O ship. Once I was asked what my first cruise ship was. 'Thomson Celebration' I replied. You could have cut the silence with a knife ;)

funny thing is Thomsons do some things better than P&O, but that can't be can it, after all Thomson is a down market operation with tatty old ships full of fat, tattooed boozers enjoying the butlinesque atmosphere. The best bar I have found on any ship is Horizons on Celebration and Spirit.

ps- did you know that Spirit used to be the flagship of HAL.

Ha ha Dave. So true:rolleyes:

I said to my brother (only been on P&O) that we were going to Iceland on the Spirit :eek: Oh, said he, Thomson are getting bad reviews lately! Hmm just seen a review on the other site - P&O never again - to which the poster got lots of abuse from diehard P&O fans:rolleyes::D

Thomson have confirmed to me on the the official FB page that it is a tender port and they will change the info on their website, this has now happened.

The Thomson ships do a good job of tendering, far better organised than we have had with P&O and NCL.

Still not happy about situation for MIL, maybe I should have done more research myself?

We are on the same cruise Suzy so if you see 2 couples with one lady in a wheelchair please introduce yourselves. Us 2 blokes are bald ;)

I am with you Dave about some P&O cruisers, we have seen the rolling of eyes and turned down mouths when you mention Thomson, they don't know what they are missing. P&O'ers seem to go to bed around 10.30pm.

I believe in Kotor the biggest ship gets to dock and the rest have to tender.

I believe this is the general rule at all ports.

We once docked at Katakolon to disembark as the Thomson ship was fist to arrive, but it then had to move out to anchor to allow a larger ship to dock. This was pre arranged as we were advised about it in Cruise News.

I suppose it makes sense for the ship with most passengers to get off and back on to be the one that docks.