MaddieEms

We did this a few years ago and it was the highlight of our Venice trip. You skip the line for the Doge's Palace and meet at the tour window. Then you get a guided tour of places not open to the public, and you can see the jails where famous prisoners were held. You also get to peek out the window leading to the Bridge of Sighs (I'm probably describing this incorrectly). Anyway, it was really interesting.

After the tour, you can go back into Doge's palace and tour it on your own. You should book this ahead of time. I went during low season (Nov) and there were no more tours available at the check in window.

We disembarked Disney and in the cruise terminal (Dock C) where we picked up our luggage (delivered by the ship) was a counter that offered luggage storage. I didn't note the fee, but this "in terminal" storage was not mentioned before our cruise.

Had I known it was available, I would have planned our disembarkation day very differently (and saved a ton of money).

I also wanted to add..... we had contacted Rome In Limo and the other "usual" companies for our Pompeii/Amalfi Coast day. To be honest, See Amalfi Coast was the cheapest. Looking back, I should have paid more.

Everyone else I talked to on our cruise (who booked private excursions with other companies) had a much more positive experience than we did.

There was another person on my cruise who used See Amalfi Coast. She said that she had a better experience because she rejected their restaurant suggestions and insisted that they take her back out to Naples even though they got back to the port early. I'm glad it worked out for her, but I don't like to have to negotiate things and demand things. I also feel that I shouldn't have had to in order to "get" my money's worth.

I just got back from a June 1 Med cruise with Disney and used See Amalfi Coast. I can't recommend them at all.

I agree that the planning phase emails were very good. They responded quickly, often via smartphone. However, our tour experience was very poor (but the sites were amazing). We also booked because we have children and wanted the freedom of stopping, taking breaks, etc.

You also mention that you have a child. Our driver WAS NOT good with children and would sigh visibly when my baby got fussy and one point asked me what was wrong with her (she was carsick). He was short-tempered and rude.

Here is a cut & paste of my review from TripAdvisor which I actually just submitted this morning:

"My experience was quite different than the other 5 star reviews posted here. We came in on a cruise in June 2013. I was really looking forward to this private excursion. However, our driver was terribly inconsiderate and short-tempered. He soured our experience. We paid 480 Euro for the private van and I tipped the driver another 40 Euro. It was a waste of money.

While we enjoyed the actual sites very much (Pompeii & Positano), we will NOT be using See Amalfi Coast again. Here were the things that went wrong with our day.

(1) Our 1st stop was Pompeii. Rather than pulling over or parking safely, our driver parked illegally (which was fine, I guess) but because he did so, he rushed our entire family off the van and SNAPPED at me when I reach into my diaper bag to grab extra bottles for the baby. He was concerned about getting a ticket and hurried us out of the van. Not a good start, and not a nice way to treat your customers. His bad temper would appear randomly throughout the day.

(2) We completely relied on See Amalfi Coast to plan our itinerary for the day. This was a mistake. Unlike our other excursions, there was no set timeline. While I was assured that we would get to do Pompeii, Sorrento AND Positano, we missed Sorrento. And we missed Sorrento because:

(3) Our driver took us to a tourist trap restaurant which ate into our touring time. I asked to eat in Positano, and the driver (whom we trusted in terms of knowledge) took us to a restaurant which only had tourists, and gave him a commission for the passengers he brought.

The restaurant had an entire back table of just tour guides. When our driver checked us in, they put a piece of paper on our table with our driver's name on it that said "8 p" for our 8 people who were there. Then they logged his name in a book (for his commission, I suppose). He sat at the tour guide table and got his free meal while waiting for us to order, and then chain smoked outside with his other driver friends while waiting for us to eat. I guess he had a great time

My husband and I considered for one moment of asking him to take us elsewhere, but everyone was tired and the kids were cranky so we stayed. I think that if it had been the 2 of us, we probably would have left.

It took over 20 minutes for someone to take our order, and then 20 more minutes for the food to even come out. They also charged a service charge per person for the yucky table bread. Our driver never once gave us an "end" time to the meal. I had no idea that we would run out of time, but the lunch was so slow. At the end of the meal, I was told that we had no time for Sorrento.

Here is my problem --- obviously, he would have known that we'd have no time for Sorrento before the lunch. I specifically asked him as we passed the Sorrento "off ramp" whether we'd have time. He said yes. If eating a sit-down meal would have cut into our time, I would have gladly skipped lunch and just grabbed a sandwich from a cafe in Positano. Our driver preferred to have his free meal, I guess, and his commission. Good for him, bad for us.

(4) Our driver got into a verbal argument with other drivers in Positano. He actually leaned out the window and started yelling at people. I don't care if it's a cultural thing. Relax, you have customers in the back. Don't yell at strangers and road rage in front of my kids.

(5) Despite all his hurrying, we got back to the ship 45 minutes earlier than our agreed-upon drop off time. He did not offer to let us tour Naples or to even drive through Naples. He just dropped us off, then sat around and chatted with other drivers in the parking lot and smoked his cigarette. I think he had a better day than we did.

It was situations like this (as well as being snapped at by the driver at Pompeii) that made me indignant throughout the day. At the end of the day, I tipped our driver because I wanted to avoid a confrontation if I didn't tip him--- his temper was that bad.

We WILL NOT be recommending See Amalfi Coast and I have posted a trip report on certain cruise boards to advise others of our experience. In reading other comments, it seems like those with the positive reviews were on tours with the actual owners, Vito & Carmine. I sure wish that they were on our tour, because our tour was horrible."

The safest way would be either to take the 10.00am ferry from La Spezia , (11.00am from Portovenere - take 0925 Bus P from La Spezia at stop P in Via Garabaldi near Corso Cavour to reach Portovenere in time for 11.00am ferry departure. ) NB: It is in fact the same ferry, but you can leave La Spezia a bit later by bus P and still connect at Portovenere with the ferry that left La Spezia at 10.00am !

 

You will arrive in Portovenere around 12.10pm in the Old town. Have lunch in the Old town. Then walk though the tunnel and do a quick explore of the New town and its great beach (and icecreams !). Catch an early afternoon train from the New town waterfront up to Manarola station . Alight there and Manarola is actually behind you through a pedestrian tunnel . Do a quick explore then back through the tunnel and behind the station up a ramp to the Lovers Walk an easy 20 minute stroll along the rugged coastline to Riomaggiore.

 

On hitting Riomaggiore you will have no option but to head inland and up some stairs. At the top of these stairs turn right for Upper Riomaggiore or head straight ahead through an attractively decorated sottopassagio for the train station . Then take a late afternoon train from Riomaggiore back to La Spezia Centrale. From the station it is 20 minute walk to your cruise tender boats . That should have you back in La Spezia around 5.00pm.

 

Check ferry & train times as advised and posted in my earlier post; as schedules change frequently . Something else that seems inherently Italian , everchanging train schedules !

 

The coastal path between Manarola and Corniglia has been closed for some years owing to a landslide, and in typically Italian fashion there seems to be no great haste to re-open it .

 

For day trippers give Corniglia a miss it is high up on a hill 365 steps above the station .

 

Vernazza has a very spectacular waterfront, but it is difficult to fit in 4 villages within a day that cruise boat time allows.

 

There is no shuttle bus along the CT that links the towns. Access is by train to all 5 villages, and by sea to all villages except Corniglia.

 

The shuttle bus is from Corniglia Station up to Corniglia Village above . A fare is charged, or the CT Daily Pass covers travel on this shuttle bus .

 

Trust this helps .

We want to do CT per this description.

Question #1: Will it be fairly obvious where the ferry is after our cruise ship docks at La Spezia? Is there a ticket office we should look for?

Question #2: I had surgery a few months back but I'm still having problems walking (but I can walk). Is there a village that is easier to visit than others, considering our goal is to ferry there, then train back?

Thank you very much!!