Pompei Excursion Question

[bizinsider]

Hi everybody!

 

I'm sure many of you have done free Pompei excursion from Sorrento. If any of you have done it fairly recently -- does the Regent tour include a guide? If so,is it one big group or do they break it up? If so...was your guide good? We're just trying to figure out if we want to hire a recommended guide to meet us when we get there with the group -- or go with a guide we pre-book.

 

Oh -- and if you've had a private guide who meets you -- any you would swear by?

 

Thanks so much!!!

 

Herb and Mary

[RachelG]

We did Pompeii on our own, well not actually on our own. We hired a guide at the entrance. There are a bunch of them out there. You can listen to them talk and find one that seems like you would want. We were a group of five, so we hired one for just us. Others wait till they have a group of 10-12 or so. I liked our guide. Very knowledgeable, but I wished we had more time just to explore on our own. We could have spent an entire day there.

[HonTri]

Hi everybody!

 

I'm sure many of you have done free Pompei excursion from Sorrento. If any of you have done it fairly recently -- does the Regent tour include a guide? If so,is it one big group or do they break it up? If so...was your guide good? We're just trying to figure out if we want to hire a recommended guide to meet us when we get there with the group -- or go with a guide we pre-book.

 

Oh -- and if you've had a private guide who meets you -- any you would swear by?

 

Thanks so much!!!

 

Herb and Mary

We did this sept. 2010 about 35 people and one guide! Each of us had an ear bud but the sound was bad! We both stopped using it. Pompei was well worth the time.

[EleanorWW]

we went with the Regent excursion in Mid-October.

 

had no problems with our sound but we did observe another Regent group seem to have a much better guide than ours. when we could, we listened to the other guide. his knowledge and passion was very different from the guide we had, who was adequate.

 

as a note... the weather was rough and Mariner did not stop at Sorrento but re-directed to Naples and from there the excursion went to Pompeii.

 

can you book transportation-only to Pompeii from the ship?

[HonTri]

Hi everybody!

 

I'm sure many of you have done free Pompei excursion from Sorrento. If any of you have done it fairly recently -- does the Regent tour include a guide? If so,is it one big group or do they break it up? If so...was your guide good? We're just trying to figure out if we want to hire a recommended guide to meet us when we get there with the group -- or go with a guide we pre-book.

 

Oh -- and if you've had a private guide who meets you -- any you would swear by?

 

Thanks so much!!!

 

Herb and Mary

 

we went with the Regent excursion in Mid-October.

 

had no problems with our sound but we did observe another Regent group seem to have a much better guide than ours. when we could, we listened to the other guide. his knowledge and passion was very different from the guide we had, who was adequate.

 

as a note... the weather was rough and Mariner did not stop at Sorrento but re-directed to Naples and from there the excursion went to Pompeii.

 

can you book transportation-only to Pompeii from the ship?

 

The same thing happened to us with weather! Naples a big dirty city.

[RachelG]

Easy to get from either sorrento or Naples to Pompeii on your own via the circumvesuviano train. This is what we did.

[bizinsider]

Regent has advised us that we cannot take the "tour" and then leave the tour group to use our private guide.

[RachelG]

Regent has advised us that we cannot take the "tour" and then leave the tour group to use our private guide.

 

You can leave any tour anytime you want. They can't force you to stay with them. We have done this a few times when we wanted to use the transportation to a site. Of course, if you do this, you are responsible for getting yourself back to the ship or back to the bus before it returns to the ship. Just ask the guide what time you need to be back at the bus and make sure you are there, or tell the guide you are going to make your own way back to the ship.

[Carol From California]

We did the excursion through Regent this past summer. We thoroughly enjoyed it and got some great photos. Our guide was very good.

[bermudabarb]

This may seem silly, but if we chose the Pompei Tour, does that mean we would have to give up seeing any of Capri, Amalfi, and Positano?

 

I understand that with only one day in port we can't see everything but would like to be able to do more than one thing - so if we are interested in seeing more than one location on any day in any port are we better off being completely on our own or using a private service or train?

 

Thanks!

[EleanorWW]

You can leave any tour anytime you want. They can't force you to stay with them. We have done this a few times when we wanted to use the transportation to a site. Of course, if you do this, you are responsible for getting yourself back to the ship or back to the bus before it returns to the ship. Just ask the guide what time you need to be back at the bus and make sure you are there, or tell the guide you are going to make your own way back to the ship.

 

if you do miss the bus? a stop like Pompeii is packed with people and buses. I recall we had to walk as group to the bus which was parked not where we were let off. it was just a place that could accommodate our particular bus with local residents nearby. the guide was in contact with the bus driver.

 

I could easily see some who split off for a private tour might not be able to find the bus...

 

Pompeii is a lot different from a stop like Santorini where ditching the tour is easy as you're on an island. unless you're confident with navigating the train or loading your wallet with cab fare ... the ship's excursion seems a smooth, safe, and satisfying way to go.

 

btw, my husband reminds me that there were a LOT of cabs at Pompeii.

[RachelG]

btw, my husband reminds me that there were a LOT of cabs at Pompeii.

 

Exactly. It's not like Pompeii is remote or wouldn't have cabs around. There is easy transportation available either with the train or a cab. So if a person wants to leave the tour, it isn't a disaster to get back to the ship if they have money.

I myself probably would just stick with the group if the guide were fine, esp if they have those ear plug things where you can hear what the guide is saying without having to stand right beside him.

But what I was saying is that I have done Pompeii on my own before, it is not difficult, and if the OP wants to leave the group, they can certainly do so no matter what Regent is telling them.

[Travel2Learn]

Naples area is notorious for pick-pockets and purse snatchings. Be aware.