Sorrento and Amalfi Coast tour with Celebrity

[shopaholic1978]

Has anybody done or heard reviews about the Sorrento & Amalfi Coast tour from Naples with Celebrity?

 

Or is it better to book with a private tour company?

 

Aware that Celebrity's tours are more expensive. But want to use up our OBC.

[sginva]

Has anybody done or heard reviews about the Sorrento & Amalfi Coast tour from Naples with Celebrity?

 

Or is it better to book with a private tour company?

 

Aware that Celebrity's tours are more expensive. But want to use up our OBC.

 

We took the tour in November and we will never forget it.

[shopaholic1978]

We took the tour in November and we will never forget it.

 

In a good way, I assume?

[pete_coach]

I suggest a private tour. We have done both and the private tour is far and away better for seeing more and seeing better spots.

The ships tour has 45 people to accommodate. They also have to stop for the obligatory cameo/pottery/leather or whatever factory shopping. They cannot stop in places like Positano because the bus cannot get there. Lastly, you are touring at the sped of the slowest passenger, you could be waiting for people to finish shopping or tardy tourers etc.

The private tour can be arranged to do what you want, to see what you want and to spend time in the places you want. The best part is the drivers are as good a tour guide as any and they know where to take you as well as knowing the traffic patterns and can take short cuts around problem areas.

[tteettimes]

what Pete-Coach said.......a six or eight person air-conditioned Mercedes shared cost is the best way to go......our driver was Angelo Stinca.....a local and he knew all anyone wants to know/see....great lunch in Ravello over looking the Med after touring Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi. Seeing Vesuvius was great too.......GO PRIVATE.......ENJOY ;);):)

[FortyNinerLiz]

Has anybody done or heard reviews about the Sorrento & Amalfi Coast tour from Naples with Celebrity?

 

Or is it better to book with a private tour company?

 

Aware that Celebrity's tours are more expensive. But want to use up our OBC.

 

We have done the ship's tour twice and loved them both!!!! We have not done a private tour, so cannot comment on that approach.

[BKFlowerMound]

Do the private tour. If you can get a group of even 4 people total, it will be cheaper than the ship's tour. It will also be better. The buses on the ship's tour cannot get into the same places as the Mercedes on a private tour can get. Where you eat lunch will also be better.

[tteettimes]

you will absolutely want to take him home with you

http://www.angelodriver.com/ :):)......we want to return soon

In the mean time we will just have to be jealous :)

[ondeckatsea]

We took the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento tour through Celebrity two years ago and have booked the exact tour again for this May. It was excellent and one of the best, if not THE best, tours we've ever taken.

[Onessa]

We did a private tour (four of us - DH, DD and me; then added the single who was seated at our table at the port).

 

Divided by 4 the price was much better than the ship's excursion and the driver was a local who took us exactly where we wanted to go, let us spend the exact amount of time we wanted to spend, had some good connections/suggestions for dining and shopping (but we never felt pressured), not as crowded (we were a good 45 minutes to a half hour "in front of" the tour buses. The other two couples at our table did a ship's tour -- comparing notes, we all agreed that the private tour was better.

 

We had the driver for the day, and we were able to maximize time with a relatively short stop at Pompeii (DD, DH and I had been there previously; but our companion had not). So it was very flexible!

[SantaFeFan]

We did the ship's Sorrento and Amalfi Coast tour that included the boat ride to the village of Amalfi, plus Pompei. Well worth every penny, especially the fantastic views of the coast on the boat ride. Those amazing views are impossible from a bus or even a private car - unless it can float! :D

 

We often book private tours, but this time we were glad we didn't.

[robinlynn]

Our ships tour was wonderful.. but the private tour was SPECTACULAR!:DOne of the best days we ever had!!

 

Robin

[Safety Squirrel]

My grandaughter and I took the ship's tour which was great. Try and sit on the right side of the bus so you can overlook the coast etc.:)

 

One thing to remember is that the cruise line will wait for your bus. When we went (May), there was a great deal of traffic and some of the people on private tours were left behind when the ship sailed. :eek: If booking a private car -- what do you do if they have a flat tire, etc?

 

I usually take a combination of both ship's tours and private tours, but this is one that I personally would recommend a ship tour, even though it is more expensive.

[wednesday]

I can't imagine doing a big bus ship tour on the Amalfi coast. I think you would do better to do a ships tour elsewhere and get a private tour here. We've done private tours here twice and they were amazing!

[FortyNinerLiz]

My grandaughter and I took the ship's tour which was great. Try and sit on the right side of the bus so you can overlook the coast etc.:)

 

One thing to remember is that the cruise line will wait for your bus. When we went (May), there was a great deal of traffic and some of the people on private tours were left behind when the ship sailed. :eek: If booking a private car -- what do you do if they have a flat tire, etc?

 

I usually take a combination of both ship's tours and private tours, but this is one that I personally would recommend a ship tour, even though it is more expensive.

 

You are absolutely right on with the important issues!!!! You do not want to risk being left behind on the ships departure. If it is the day long Celebrity tour, the ship will wait for you.

[VanessaM]

We did a private tour and absolutely loved it! Our guide was a local and was very knowledgeable. He stopped along the way anywhere I wanted for pictures.

 

These tour guides know the ins and outs of the area. They are very aware of cruise critic and how many referrals they get from here. They will have you back with time to spare.

 

We used Rome in Limo in all 3 of our Italy stops and wouldn't hesitate for a second to use them again!

[alcpa1]

This is not about the money...it is about access. You cannot get to some of the most picturesque areas along the coast in a bus.

If this is your first, or only trip ever to the Amalfi Coast then use one of the recommended tour operators on the Ports of Call boards.

As for missing the ship - sure it can happen. Since I did not read a review of your cruise, Safety Squirrel, I'd love to know which tour operator(s) failed to return their passengers to the ship. I will avoid them if we return as planned later this year or next.

[Onessa]

. . . As for missing the ship - sure it can happen. Since I did not read a review of your cruise, Safety Squirrel, I'd love to know which tour operator(s) failed to return their passengers to the ship. I will avoid them if we return as planned later this year or next.

A friend of mine lives in Stockholm and his wife is a partner in a small tour firm that does private tours only (max of 5 people). She says a lot of times a passenger will "bad mouth" a tour operator in reviews stating that the operator did not get them back "in time". She claims that in four years of running her business that there were only two times that the ship left without a pax and in both cases it was because the pax had requested some "free time" somewhere and came back 45 minutes or more after the agreed upon time :eek:. And in both cases the pax "blamed" the tour company! She says that there are a lot of people who get upset when her operators state it is time to get back -- they will argue, but they have NO CLUE what the traffic is normally like and/or what the traffic is like that particular day -- a good tour operator has someone back at the office monitoring local conditions so that they can update the guides in the field as to situations that may cause them to need to leave early.

[shopaholic1978]

A friend of mine lives in Stockholm and his wife is a partner in a small tour firm that does private tours only (max of 5 people). She says a lot of times a passenger will "bad mouth" a tour operator in reviews stating that the operator did not get them back "in time". She claims that in four years of running her business that there were only two times that the ship left without a pax and in both cases it was because the pax had requested some "free time" somewhere and came back 45 minutes or more after the agreed upon time :eek:. And in both cases the pax "blamed" the tour company! She says that there are a lot of people who get upset when her operators state it is time to get back -- they will argue, but they have NO CLUE what the traffic is normally like and/or what the traffic is like that particular day -- a good tour operator has someone back at the office monitoring local conditions so that they can update the guides in the field as to situations that may cause them to need to leave early.

 

Thanks for this info.

[Tiffany's mom]

We have done a private twice with "all around Italy". Great driver-guide. Highly recommend a private tour. The company has 6 persons vans and can take you to a wonderful place for lunch.