Anxiety over Naples port too much too see..

Our cruise in late September stops in Naples - but not until 1:00pm! We leave at 7:30pm.

I did a tour of the Amalfi Coast last time (2010) so all we want to do this time is go to Pompeii. Do we have enough time? All tours I'm finding are 8 or 9 hours. Can we get there on our own?

Any information would be appreciated!

Yes, you can get there on your own even with your limited port time.

The SITA bus is the easiest way to get there from the cruise port, the depot at Piazza Immacolatella is a short walk (one third of a mile) and there's a ticket office right there. There are buses departing for Pompei (actually the bus is going to Salerno but stops in Pompei) at 1:30 (Monday-Friday only) or 2PM (Saturday and Sunday only): http://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/archivio/Download/corse/sitasud/Campania/Salerno/b8f1c5ed-f276-419c-b510-e037437d0464_5001.pdf/0

At the other end you'll need to be on the ship by 7 PM. There are buses that get back at 6:05 PM (Saturday and Sunday only) or 6:20 PM (Monday - Friday only).

You could also take the Circumvesuviana train back to Naples but then you need to allow another half hour to get from the train back to the cruise port. If you do this I would get off at Garibaldi, the penultimate stop, and switch there to the metro (line #1) for two stops to Municipio. This stop is across the street from the cruise port. There are trains that get back at 5:44 PM or 6:14 PM.

https://www.eavsrl.it/web/sites/default/files/eavferro/Sorrento%20Napoli.pdf

Bottom line you'd wind up with three and a half or four hours at the ruins.

If it were me, I would either concentrate on

Pompeii and Sorento, or tour a few towns on the Amalfi Coast.

We booked a nice private tour there using Sorento First Choice. There were 8 of us and the cost was 75€ pp plus the cost of lunch. We adapted our plan as we went along, which was great! The best thing is you call the shots about how long you would like to spend at each venue. We toured Positano, Ravelo and Amalfi and toured each place at a leisurely pace.

Hello 4Cats4Me.....sounds like a lovely tour and exactly what I want....did you pre book or the Sorrento First Choice was waiting at the dock to arrange a tour? Did you notice other tour companies waiting to make a group there and other Italian ports? Thanks for any advise.

Fellow cruisers.......Just wondered if I had to pre book or there will be lots of companies waiting at the dock to arrange a group? Thanks

Hello 4Cats4Me.....sounds like a lovely tour and exactly what I want....did you pre book or the Sorrento First Choice was waiting at the dock to arrange a tour? Did you notice other tour companies waiting to make a group there and other Italian ports? Thanks for any advise.

 

 

 

Fellow cruisers.......Just wondered if I had to pre book or there will be lots of companies waiting at the dock to arrange a group? Thanks

You must pre-book with Sorento First Choice. Didn’t notice any tour people just hanging around. Everyone seemed to be on prearranged tours, in my opinion, due to the amount of drivers holding up signs with names on them. We were at the port of Salerno, not Naples.

You must pre-book with Sorento First Choice. Didn’t notice any tour people just hanging around. Everyone seemed to be on prearranged tours, in my opinion, due to the amount of drivers holding up signs with names on them. We were at the port of Salerno, not Naples.

Thank you for your quick response. I only have a week to plan this as booked last minute and not sure I can round up 6 other interested cruisers .............

Open question to anyone arriving at Naples....could you arrange at the dock with waiting tour drivers?

While not everyone can do this, we have planned another option. Naples is our last port before returning to Rome. We are getting off and not returning to the ship. We will spend three nights in Sorrento and use it as a base to do all of the things mentioned here. I just couldn't see trying to do it all in one day. Yes, it will cost more and won't work for everyone but I didn't know when we would be back. By the way, we have to pay Celebrity to leave early. :) It might be something others would consider/

Thank you for your quick response. I only have a week to plan this as booked last minute and not sure I can round up 6 other interested cruisers .............

 

 

 

Open question to anyone arriving at Naples....could you arrange at the dock with waiting tour drivers?

You might not have to round up six others to share if you choose the “shared tour option” on Rome In Limo’s web site. You should at least look to see if somebody is looking for others to fill their van. Italytoursharing.com, same thing.

You might get lucky. It is easy to see which tours are still available on their sites.

We only booked an entire van in each port because we had plenty of interested people to fill it from the outset, but the”shared tour” section on those companies’ sites are great for parties of 2.

http://www.sharingtoursinitaly.com

https://italytoursharing.com

Hi Dateacher....what a great idea...will definitely consider it if and when I return on another cruise.

4Cats4Me......Thanks for the info on Limo tours...I had never heard of them before but will research now. I have checked Italytouring and the arranged tours are full

We're thinking of the same tour the OP stated. Thank you for all sharing their experiences!

Hi

I think you should just do what you really want to do. I'd also suggest joining the roll call on here for your cruise.

You may find other people wanting to share tours which will cost you less.

I was considering doing Pompeii & Amalfi coast but felt I would be experiencing less of each by doing both so decided on the 3 Amalfi towns, Positano, Amalfi & Ravello. I then posted it on the Roll Call to see if anyone else was interested.

Good luck

LM

Hi Dateacher....what a great idea...will definitely consider it if and when I return on another cruise.

 

4Cats4Me......Thanks for the info on Limo tours...I had never heard of them before but will research now. I have checked Italytouring and the arranged tours are full

There is a long thread about RomeInLimo

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1906755

Have fun planing :)

I totally agree that Naples is a port with too much to offer. Among your tour choices here:

• Explore the city of Naples: Highlights include Duomo di San Gennaro, the city's cathedral, which is filled with frescoes; the Royal Palace; Castel Nuovo, a 13th-century castle; the spectacular Piazza del Plebiscito; Maschio Angioino castle, surrounded by deep moats; Galleria Umberto I with its marble floors and world's largest glass-roofed arcade; and several museums including The National Archaeological Museum of Naples, displaying the most valuable heritage of works of art and archaeological artifacts in Italy (including some of the best finds from Pompeii).
  
• Visit the Island of Capri: One of the most picturesque and visited locations in the region. Also features the Blue Grotto, a dark cavern where the sea glows electric blue due sunlight passing through an underwater cave.
  
• Visit the Amalfi Coast: Explore the picturesque coastal towns of Sorrento and Positano.
  
• Peek inside Mt. Vesuvius: Journey to the top of this still-active volcano that destroyed nearby Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
  
• Explore Pompeii and/or Herculaneum: Explore the ancient ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii which are now vast archaeological sites.
  

The one place my wife specifically requested to visit on this entire trip was Pompeii, so we set our sights on seeing Pompeii and the lessor-known city of Herculaneum. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You can find tours and taxis to both ruined cities, or you can get there easily and inexpensively on your own. Pompeii is just a 30-to-40-minute train ride away, and Herculaneum is just 15 minutes away. Thankfully they can both be accessed from the same trains, but you still need to get to the train station from the port.

Whatever you decide, I agree you should make tour arrangements (or decide to DIY) before you go.

If you decide on Pompeii, here are VERY detailed instructions on how to do Pompeii and/or Herculaneum on your own, as well as info on other Eastern Mediterranean ports: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/eastern-mediterranean.html

While not everyone can do this, we have planned another option. Naples is our last port before returning to Rome. Yes, it will cost more and won't work for everyone but I didn't know when we would be back. By the way, we have to pay Celebrity to leave early. :) It might be something others would consider/

I think that the cost is due to the extra paperwork involved. I am pretty sure that not every cruise line will let you do it - and not all ports have the same immigration facilities. I have always thought that getting off the ship in Rome and rejoining in Livorno sounds like such a no-brainer, but it seems to be breaking the rules. Again it must be immigration, I suppose the cruise line gets into trouble if they lose people.