Naples / Pompei May1st

We are on the NCL Epic arriving in Naples on May 1st 2018. We are planning a trip to Pompei, Sorrento, and the Amalfi coast. I have been getting mixed signals as to whether Pompei will even be open on May 1st. According to viator who I am considering purchasing our excursion through it is going to be open. I did some checking on my own and it appears it is going to be closed due to some sort of National holiday. Does anyone know for sure whether Pompei will be open on May 1st. :confused:

The official website for Pompeii lists closing dates as May 1, December 25 and January 1.

Looks like you are out of luck.

(May 1, by the way, is the European Labor Day.)

Thank you for the quick response. I saw the same thing on the Pompei website. I guess we will spend more time exploring the amalfi coast.

Thank you for the quick response. I saw the same thing on the Pompei website. I guess we will spend more time exploring the amalfi coast.

You can't go wrong there.

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It’ll be closed, last year we had a sea day swapped for May 1 last minute because things were closed. I was confused as well because ship excursions were still scheduled etc...

Since Pompei will be closed May 1st we are looking at the ferry ride from Naples to Sorrento. Then maybe a bus ride to Amalfi coast and back. The other day I saw on one of the threads (I can"t seem to find anymore) someone had taken a 10 am ferry to Sorrento and returned at 2:30 pm back to Naples also by this same ferry. I believe they also mentioned that the dock to board the ferry is very close to where the cruise ships dock. I am wondering if this needs to be arranged in advance or if you can walk over and pay the day we get there? And I think they mentioned it but I can't remember the cost each way. If anyone has done this and has answers, any help or other ideas would be appreciated.

Since Pompei will be closed May 1st we are looking at the ferry ride from Naples to Sorrento.

There's only one ferry company between Naples and Sorrento, after the schedule change on March 31st there will be two ferries each morning from Naples at 9 AM and 11 AM. The returns in the afternoon from Sorrento are at noon, 2 PM and 4:25 PM. The crossing takes about 45 minutes and costs €12,90.

http://www.alilauro.it/orari-e-tariffe

It's possible that they will take the day off on May 1st, you could try reaching out to them on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/lauro.shipping.9) or tweeting them (https://twitter.com/search?q=alilauro).

Since Pompei will be closed May 1st

I know it was open on May 1st in 2014 and 2016, I don't remember if it was last year.

Edited to add:

I just found an article dated April 29, 2017 announcing that the ruins would be open on May 1, 2017, so not a lot of advance notice: http://www.metropolisweb.it/news/scavi-di-pompei-aperti-il-primo-maggio-ultima-occasione-per-ammirare-le-statue-di-mitoraj/28579.html

I have been on the Amalfi coast from Naples port. I have booked a private driver for my family and it is the best choice that i could do. We realized that the streets are very narrows. Our driver was very knowlegeable and native from there. Wonderful. I recommend you to read the reviews on that company. Eduardo Shore Excursions. I hope I have been helpful

Thank you. We are still deciding between do it yourself versus planned excursion. Do you recall how much per person they charged as there was nothing on their website without leaving contact info?

There's only one ferry company between Naples and Sorrento, after the schedule change on March 31st there will be two ferries each morning from Naples at 9 AM and 11 AM. The returns in the afternoon from Sorrento are at noon, 2 PM and 4:25 PM. The crossing takes about 45 minutes and costs €12,90.

 

http://www.alilauro.it/orari-e-tariffe

 

It's possible that they will take the day off on May 1st, you could try reaching out to them on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/lauro.shipping.9) or tweeting them (https://twitter.com/search?q=alilauro).

Hope they are open as the price is reasonable. Do you pay the day of and is it close to where the cruise ships dock? We will be on the NCL Epic. In regards to your other post we will keep checking to see if Pompei decides to open. If they do we may do the train or bus one was and the ferry the other way.

Also forgot to ask is it a ferry or hydrofoil?

There's no need to purchase tickets in advance. The pier, Molo Beverello, is adjacent to the cruise port in Naples so it couldn't be easier. Simply go to the Alilauro ticket office and then to the boat.

They are high speed ferries, passengers only (no cars) but technically they are not hydrofoils as they don't plane above the water. You can see pictures of the various boats in the fleet on their web site here: http://www.alilauro.it/flotta

If you go to Pompei the only way to return by water would be to continue on to Sorrento and come back from there.

Thank you so much EC. I think the high speed ferry to Sorrento is the way to go for us.

Thank you. We are still deciding between do it yourself versus planned excursion. Do you recall how much per person they charged as there was nothing on their website without leaving contact info?

One tip when asking for quotes at Naples is to act as if you are staying in Naples, not arriving for the day on a cruise ship. Several of the popular providers offer very different rates (lower) for hotel guests vs. cruise passengers.

You can easily walk from the cruise port to the Romeo Hotel (about three-tenths of a mile), for example, and meet your driver there. Try a dummy booking or a request from a couple of the car service companies, one using the cruise port and one using a hotel and see for yourself.

EC, one more question about the ferry. Do they take credit cards or should we have some euros ready to pay for it?

EC, one more question about the ferry. Do they take credit cards or should we have some euros ready to pay for it?

I usually pay in cash but I could swear that when I brought my entire family a few years ago I paid by credit card. I'm sure others with better memories will let us know.

Thank you. Ideally we would love to use credit cards for everything but I will bring a good supply of euros with us. Not sure what to do with the euros that don't get used once our cruise is over. :confused::confused::confused:

Thank you. Ideally we would love to use credit cards for everything but I will bring a good supply of euros with us. Not sure what to do with the euros that don't get used once our cruise is over. :confused::confused::confused:

Save them for your next trip. ;)

So many people have said that visiting the Med is a one time bucket list trip -- then end up going back again and again...

If not, you can always exchange any paper bills back into your local currency, albeit you lose a fair bit on the double-conversion.

Or gift them to friends or family planning a trip in the near future.

Thank you. Ideally we would love to use credit cards for everything but I will bring a good supply of euros with us. Not sure what to do with the euros that don't get used once our cruise is over. :confused::confused::confused:

Save them for your next trip.

Duly noted on the advice for keeping the euros for the next trip. We really enjoyed our last trip to Italy 20 years ago but this is the first time we have been back because of the logistics of having to take a 10 hour flight to get there. Hoping that this time we can get some sleep on the plane.

Euro Cruiser raises a very interesting point about some tour providers having different prices for cruise ship passengers when compared to those not on ships. There is a near secret ugly truth about cruisers. They often get "ripped off" by tour providers, taxis, some shops, etc. Some cruisers think that by letting folks know they are on a ship...they will get "special deals" and I guess you could say they certainly do get treated "special." But that often means higher prices! This is not just true in parts of Europe...but its nearly universal. We live in a Mexican cruise port during the winter, and when I am quoted a price that we know is too high....I simply tell the taxi (or vendor) "I am not a cruise ship passenger!" and the price often comes down....sometimes waaaay down.

And the situation is somewhat perpetuated by the cruise lines! I will give you a good example. Cruise lines and/or their third party companies that operate the shore excursion offices on ships, contract with local tour companies to provide excursions for passengers. As part of their contracts, these onshore tour providers are often prohibited from knowingly selling similar tours directly to cruise ship passengers. So a local tour that might cost $100 for a local (or anyone staying in a hotel) might be sold onboard for $150. And if they cruise ship passenger attempts to buy that same tour locally for $100....the sale will often be refused if the tour company realizes that the person is on a cruise ship. Where we live, the major tour provider for cruise ships will usually ask a local for a local phone number or address.....which is a sneaky way to make sure they are not a cruise ship passenger.

And then there are the so-called "recommended stores" which will even sometimes have a sign saying something like "We welcome cruise ship passengers from HAL, Princess, Carnival, etc." And they certainly do welcome passengers and sometimes even give them a small (nearly worthless) gift. But while a non-cruise ship passenger could usually walk in that place and negotiate a lower price...this is not likely to happen with the cruise ship passenger. That is partially because that particular store pays a "promotional fee" to the cruise line (or their shore excursion contractor) in order to be a "recommended store." And you can take it to the bank that the store intends to recover that promotional fee by getting more money from those cruise ship passengers.

Another ugly truth is about tour companies and tour guides that take their charges to specific shops, boutiques, and restaurants. Do you think they select those shops because they are the best? Nope. They are usually selected because they kick-back a percentage of sales (and may even pay an additional fee) to the tour company and sometimes even the tour guide. So shoppers should do their own pre-visit homework and inquire about the best places to shop....rather than totally relying on the onboard "port shopping expert" who is simply touting places that pay a fee.

We know that most experienced travelers are aware of these practices...but many newbies are not. Some cruise lines have started to disclose that they receive fees to recommend certain shops....but many lines make no attempt at disclosure. And if you ask a port shopping expert about all of this they will usually duck the question by saying that "our recommended stores offer a guarantee." Sure!

Hank

Yep. You can easily get a quote and say you're going to be a guest at the Romeo hotel, a block from the cruise port, and give the hotel's phone number if they need it. There is zero chance that a supplier is going to check, after all you're making the reservation in advance so you wouldn't be a guest at that time anyway.

I would keep checking this if Pompei is important to you. In recent years they have opened on May 1st but didn't announce it very far in advance.

 

I know it was open on May 1st in 2014 and 2016, I don't remember if it was last year.

 

Edited to add:

 

I just found an article dated April 29, 2017 announcing that the ruins would be open on May 1, 2017, so not a lot of advance notice: http://www.metropolisweb.it/news/scavi-di-pompei-aperti-il-primo-maggio-ultima-occasione-per-ammirare-le-statue-di-mitoraj/28579.html

Does anyone know of a way to contact someone either by email or toll free phone number to find out one way or the other whether Pompei will be open on May 1st? We are less than 60 days away and surly they have made a decision by now. We are waiting to book our excursion until we know for sure. Our friends that are travelling with us have never been to Pompei and we would like to include it as part of the excursion if it is open.

Does anyone know of a way to contact someone either by email or toll free phone number to find out one way or the other whether Pompei will be open on May 1st? We are less than 60 days away and surly they have made a decision by now. We are waiting to book our excursion until we know for sure. Our friends that are travelling with us have never been to Pompei and we would like to include it as part of the excursion if it is open.

I don't think there is any toll-free number but a regular call isn't that expensive. I'd try either the email or one of the numbers listed below, from the official website:

For visitor info: pompei.info@beniculturali.it

Info: +39 081 8575 347 Centralino: +39 081 8575111

http://www.pompeiisites.org/index.jsp?idProgetto=2

(When a friend and I were planning a trip to Sorrento for a week to visit all the key Roman sites in the area, we called the Pompeii entrance in regular turns, for several weeks just to get an idea of which houses were open to the public on a given day -- to see if there was a pattern. :cool:.)

I don't think there is any toll-free number but a regular call isn't that expensive. I'd try either the email or one of the numbers listed below, from the official website:

 

For visitor info: pompei.info@beniculturali.it

 

Info: +39 081 8575 347 Centralino: +39 081 8575111

 

http://www.pompeiisites.org/index.jsp?idProgetto=2

 

(When a friend and I were planning a trip to Sorrento for a week to visit all the key Roman sites in the area, we called the Pompeii entrance in regular turns, for several weeks just to get an idea of which houses were open to the public on a given day -- to see if there was a pattern. :cool:.)

Thank you for the email address. I emailed them and when I hear back I will post any up to date information I get from them.

Does anyone know of a way to contact someone either by email or toll free phone number to find out one way or the other whether Pompei will be open on May 1st? We are less than 60 days away and surly they have made a decision by now.

Don't count on it. First, Italian businesses and organizations are notoriously slow responding to e-mails. Second, and more important, the odds of them making this decision and announcing it very far in advance are pretty low.

I don't know this for a fact but I would guess that there are union issues to overcome with opening on this holiday. Perhaps employees have to vote on it?