Private Shore excursions on Med cruises

[AZqueen]

What shore excursions are best from Livorno, Civitavecchia and Naples? We have a group of 8, and are looking for the best value, not necessarily the cheapest way to see these ports. Time, of course, is of the essence getting from the ship to the sights and back.:confused:

[taxmantoo]

Just key Livorno, Naples or Civitavecchia in the "Search" engine for the forum and you will get 100's of threads on any of them you enter. Research pays off...

[The Cruise Advantage]

Last summer while in Napoli we used AP Tours. Alberto was our driver was extremely knowledgeable and had that homourous Italian personality which made it as if we were friends for years. He drove us from our ship to Sorrento, Ravellino, Positano, and through the Amalfi Coast. There were 8 of us in his new van. The total cost for the day (8AM-5PM) was $500.

During the day he took us to one of the best Italian restuarants I have been to. Should you decide to use his services ask for Alberto and for him to take you to La Tagliata Ristorante in Positano. It is perched high on top of the mountain overlooking Positano and the sea. It was the highlight of our day and you'll never forget the ristorante or the day. When we go back this summer I'll certainly use his services again. His website is http://www.aptours.it

Good luck and hope this helps.

 

Michael

[The Cruise Advantage]

Jenn & A.J.

It's nice to know that others out there had a similar experience as we had while visiting the Naploi area. Funny thing is we met Carmine at the La Tagliata while he was with other tourists. He was just as personal and humorous as Alberto. Ah! La Tagliata. What a ristorante! The food was a sensuous experience that made my taste buds come alive.

 

For AZgueen, there are many very reputable drivers in that area as attested by other threads here, but we chose AP Tours because of his price and feedback from others. We didn't go wrong and we 'll use his services again.

Should you use either driver, it will be a fun and satisfying day for all.

 

Michael

[fmax]

In 2005, I used driverinrome for Livorno and Civitavecchia and marcello in Naples? found some people online to share the tour with so there were 6 of us for Florence/Pisa and for Rome. there were 4 of us in the tour from Naples - Amalfi Coast and Pompeii.

 

Here's an FAQ for both Rome and Florence/Pisa and you'll find comments on private drivers, do it yourself etc.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=283936&highlight=faq

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=264654&highlight=faq

 

Frances

[Love Cruis'n]

We did a lot of independant excursions when we were in Alaska (fond them all via these boards).

Looks like that might be the way to go again.

Thanks to all for the great info.:)

[KnoxvilleSam]

We hired Francesco Marrapese in September 2005 for a day-long tour from our hotel in Positano to Pompeii for a 3-hour tour (and he got us a stupendous Pompeii guide - Enzo - for 100 euros), then on to Ravello, lunch (so-so), and then along the coast (Priano, Amalfi, Positano) for another 5-6 hours. Francesco was great (http://www.francescomarrapese.com/), cost was around 35-40 euros/hour as I recall.

 

When we did a Med cruise last summer I emailed Francesco about doing another tour (daughter and sister with us this time) and he agreed. When we got there, he wasn't there so I called him - he'd left a message on our answering machine at home that he was suddenly unavailable but engaged another driver for us - Domenico - whom we found in about 5 minutes. Domenico was perhaps even better (he doesn't have a website but Francecso can get in touch with him) - funny, engaging, informative. When I asked him if he might be able to get us Enzo for our Pompeii tour, he grabbed his cell, made a call, spoke rapid Italian for a couple of minutes, and said - "It is done Mr. Sam." He took us to an enlaid wood factory near Sorrento before getting to Pompeii - incredible craftsmanship - and a cameo museum/factory. Then on to Pompeii for another 3 hour tour (no - it wasn't Gilligan's Island :) ), followed by a leisurely drive along the coast. We asked about ceramics and he stopped at a shop just outside Amalfi (Ceramiche Piccadilly) where the owner took us upstairs, served us fresh orange juice, and DW and sister went WILD. Each of them saw a single piece in a pattern they loved, and Giuseppe Criscuolo (the owner) said he'd have his company make whatever they liked in that pattern and paint our names and date on the bottom of each piece - DW ordered four place settings and 3-4 other serving type pieces, and my sister ordered 8 place settings of her pattern (they arrived back in the states 3 months later with NO breakage); we have subsequently ordered another 4 place settings and some pasta bowls (I sent Giuseppe a photo so he could make sure there was a match) and again there was no breakage.

 

After the damage was done at the ceramics shop, Domenico took us to a very small family-run restaurant just outside Amalfi - Ristorante Pesce d'Oro (http://www.alpescedoro.it/), that was incredible. We sat outside (with a cool breeze and spectacular view), started with proseco, followed by anitipasti, a primi pasta dish, one of us got a secondi (probably me :o ) and a couple of bottles of wine. Not to be deterred, I asked about dolci (dessert), and the owner brought out a dessert cart including tiramasu and a sponge cake soaked in meloncello (like limoncello but with a melon base). Then I said I'd love a grappa, and the owner said that I needed to select which one - he brought out a tray of half a dozen digestifs, including grappa, limoncello, meloncello, and I'm not sure what else. This 2-hour lunch may have been one of the best times we had on our entire cruise, full of great food, fine wines, beautiful views, warm hosts (and Domenico joined us at dessert and our digestif although he abstained from the alcohol), and lots of laughter.

 

You can probably tell that I'm reliving this day all over again. It was last June. I'd go back in a New York minute if I could. Maybe I will again someday.

 

Sam

[WorldCruising]

We took Carnival Freedom's 12 day cruise this March and visited these 3 ports along the way. At both Naples and Livorno we (a group of 14) booked our own full-day excursions with Romeinlimo and they were great. We were picked up where our ship was docked. Via email we had already confirmed what we wanted to do (you could tailor the tour to your needs if you have enough people to fill a minivan) and they planned visit so that we avoided the crowd as much as possible. Our driver, Carlos, gave us good explanation of the region and what we were about to see, was friendly, courteous and very helpful. At Naples, we walked around the crater of Mt. Versuvius, drove to Sorrento, and then on to Pompeii. At Livorno, we visited Pisa and Florence. They got us back to the ship in good time as well. I highly recommend them.

[sondi 14]

We have used Benvenuto Limos while in Civitavecchia and Naples for a shore excursion. Both days were wonderfully planned and our drivers

very knowledgeable. They were the highlights of our cruise.

We also visited the same ceramics shop on our tour of the Amalfi Coast -

Piccadilly. I bought some dishes and like the previous poster, they arrived

with no breakage and in record time. We are going to be in the area

in October on our next cruise and I plan to go back and to use Benvenuto

again.

[Jade13]

Last summer while in Napoli we used AP Tours. Alberto was our driver was extremely knowledgeable and had that homourous Italian personality which made it as if we were friends for years. He drove us from our ship to Sorrento, Ravellino, Positano, and through the Amalfi Coast. There were 8 of us in his new van. The total cost for the day (8AM-5PM) was $500.

During the day he took us to one of the best Italian restuarants I have been to. Should you decide to use his services ask for Alberto and for him to take you to La Tagliata Ristorante in Positano. It is perched high on top of the mountain overlooking Positano and the sea. It was the highlight of our day and you'll never forget the ristorante or the day. When we go back this summer I'll certainly use his services again. His website is www.aptours.it

Good luck and hope this helps.

Michael

 

Michael,

 

Is this the place? The second link is in English. i could tell from the satelite map that it is high on a hill.

 

http://www.latagliata.com/

http://www.latagliata.com/restaurant_positano_trattoria.php

 

 

Note sure about the food. I just looked at the first course:

 

Livers & potato

House Beans

Cold Meat

Tuna & Bean Salad, or

Chick Peas.

 

Some review I found from 2005 said they paid Euro 40 per person.

 

Is this the place? What did you eat that made it a highlight?

[Jade13]

We hired Francesco Marrapese in September 2005 for a day-long tour from our hotel in Positano to Pompeii for a 3-hour tour (and he got us a stupendous Pompeii guide - Enzo - for 100 euros), then on to Ravello, lunch (so-so), and then along the coast (Priano, Amalfi, Positano) for another 5-6 hours. Francesco was great (http://www.francescomarrapese.com/), cost was around 35-40 euros/hour as I recall.

 

When we did a Med cruise last summer I emailed Francesco about doing another tour (daughter and sister with us this time) and he agreed. When we got there, he wasn't there so I called him - he'd left a message on our answering machine at home that he was suddenly unavailable but engaged another driver for us - Domenico - whom we found in about 5 minutes. Domenico was perhaps even better (he doesn't have a website but Francecso can get in touch with him) - funny, engaging, informative. When I asked him if he might be able to get us Enzo for our Pompeii tour, he grabbed his cell, made a call, spoke rapid Italian for a couple of minutes, and said - "It is done Mr. Sam." He took us to an enlaid wood factory near Sorrento before getting to Pompeii - incredible craftsmanship - and a cameo museum/factory. Then on to Pompeii for another 3 hour tour (no - it wasn't Gilligan's Island :) ), followed by a leisurely drive along the coast. We asked about ceramics and he stopped at a shop just outside Amalfi (Ceramiche Piccadilly) where the owner took us upstairs, served us fresh orange juice, and DW and sister went WILD. Each of them saw a single piece in a pattern they loved, and Giuseppe Criscuolo (the owner) said he'd have his company make whatever they liked in that pattern and paint our names and date on the bottom of each piece - DW ordered four place settings and 3-4 other serving type pieces, and my sister ordered 8 place settings of her pattern (they arrived back in the states 3 months later with NO breakage); we have subsequently ordered another 4 place settings and some pasta bowls (I sent Giuseppe a photo so he could make sure there was a match) and again there was no breakage.

 

After the damage was done at the ceramics shop, Domenico took us to a very small family-run restaurant just outside Amalfi - Ristorante Pesce d'Oro (http://www.alpescedoro.it/), that was incredible. We sat outside (with a cool breeze and spectacular view), started with proseco, followed by anitipasti, a primi pasta dish, one of us got a secondi (probably me :o ) and a couple of bottles of wine. Not to be deterred, I asked about dolci (dessert), and the owner brought out a dessert cart including tiramasu and a sponge cake soaked in meloncello (like limoncello but with a melon base). Then I said I'd love a grappa, and the owner said that I needed to select which one - he brought out a tray of half a dozen digestifs, including grappa, limoncello, meloncello, and I'm not sure what else. This 2-hour lunch may have been one of the best times we had on our entire cruise, full of great food, fine wines, beautiful views, warm hosts (and Domenico joined us at dessert and our digestif although he abstained from the alcohol), and lots of laughter.

 

You can probably tell that I'm reliving this day all over again. It was last June. I'd go back in a New York minute if I could. Maybe I will again someday.

 

Sam

 

Sam, Is this the place?

 

http://www.alpescedoro.it/restaurant.aspx

 

 

It looks like a nice place to stay for Euro 70-90! I like the way this place looks and they have a Pizzeria. I was confused at your post since you initially said lunch was so so. But Al Pesce d' Oro was on your second trip? What is the price range (no wine).

 

 

Also, if we are coming from Pompeii where exactly is this along the amalfi coast on our way to Positano and Ravello?

[KnoxvilleSam]

Sam, Is this the place?

 

http://www.alpescedoro.it/restaurant.aspx

 

 

It looks like a nice place to stay for Euro 70-90! I like the way this place looks and they have a Pizzeria. I was confused at your post since you initially said lunch was so so. But Al Pesce d' Oro was on your second trip? What is the price range (no wine).

 

 

Also, if we are coming from Pompeii where exactly is this along the amalfi coast on our way to Positano and Ravello?

 

Jade -

 

Yes, that's the place. And the lunch was definitely NOT so-so (that was, indeed, the first trip, and that restaurant was in Ravello). I don't have the records now to tell you the cost without wine - I did manage to find my AMEX bill (online of course) for that meal. It was $180 for four of us, at least two bottles of wine (not flashy expensive, maybe $15-20 each?), plus the grappa, limoncello (those may have been gratis since the host/owner served us and essentially joined us at the end of the meal). I have pictures that are essentially identical to those on the website - we were sitting at a reasonably large table under the grape arbor looking at the Med.

 

Location? We had already gone past Positano on the way to Amalfi, we had already bought our ceramics (I think?). I'd say it was maybe a couple of miles before getting to Amalfi on the coast road, coming from Positano.

 

As far as staying there is concerned? I'm not sure. It's certainly far enough away from Amalfi and Positano and Ravello to give you a sense of serenity and isolation. It's also so far away that it might be hard to get anywhere once you're there. I'm not the kind that would want a car on the Amalfi Coast, and I'm not sure how often the SITA bus comes through (if it does at all, I'm not sure where it stops near this location). It WOULD be the kind of place to go and lose oneself. Also might be a long hike down the hill to the Med or any kind of beach.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Sam

[Jade13]

Jade -

 

Yes, that's the place. And the lunch was definitely NOT so-so (that was, indeed, the first trip, and that restaurant was in Ravello). I don't have the records now to tell you the cost without wine - I did manage to find my AMEX bill (online of course) for that meal. It was $180 for four of us, at least two bottles of wine (not flashy expensive, maybe $15-20 each?), plus the grappa, limoncello (those may have been gratis since the host/owner served us and essentially joined us at the end of the meal). I have pictures that are essentially identical to those on the website - we were sitting at a reasonably large table under the grape arbor looking at the Med.

 

Location? We had already gone past Positano on the way to Amalfi, we had already bought our ceramics (I think?). I'd say it was maybe a couple of miles before getting to Amalfi on the coast road, coming from Positano.

 

As far as staying there is concerned? I'm not sure. It's certainly far enough away from Amalfi and Positano and Ravello to give you a sense of serenity and isolation. It's also so far away that it might be hard to get anywhere once you're there. I'm not the kind that would want a car on the Amalfi Coast, and I'm not sure how often the SITA bus comes through (if it does at all, I'm not sure where it stops near this location). It WOULD be the kind of place to go and lose oneself. Also might be a long hike down the hill to the Med or any kind of beach.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Sam

 

Thanks Sam!

 

I didn't expect you to start looking up Amex bills on-line. We will be coming from Pompeii with our driver. For some reason I imagined the drive up to Ravello vs the other way around?

[The Cruise Advantage]

Jade 13,

 

Bingo! How did you find the website? I know, it was always there.

Anyway, we had a variety of cheeses (real buffalo mozzarella- from their own buffalo, goat cheeses, different provolones etc.) different types salami (see photo), different vegatables that were breaded and deep fried, a variety of pastas and raviolis. All topped with different grated cheeses. And this was only the beginning. We could choose among home grown poultry and beef from the farmer down the road.The size of a steak overlapped parts of the plate. As soon as one plate was devoured, another appeared. All family style.

 

By the way, the house wine was as good as any expensive wine I have had here. The pitchers were never empty. Desserts were out of this world and the cappucino - well you won't get it made like that here.

 

There was one part of the meal that made my taste buds explode with sensual delights. And that was a certain grating cheese which I had never had before. Mamma was there and did the bulk of the cooking.

 

It was a fantastic culinary experience. So much of the ingredients aren't available here, so go and enjoy and don't forget to look at all the courses on their site.

Thanks for the website, it brings back fond memories.

 

Michael

[Jade13]

Michael,

 

"Plates appearing"? Did you pay a flat rate for all of these courses? Just curious.

[SteveS]

We have never been disappointed with any private tour we have taken! Last year we used Carla at ABCwine.it for Pisa, Florence and wine tasting, Max Leota in Rome and Marcello Maresca http://www.seesorrento.com/seguimi_eng.html

 

Four years ago we used Alessandro Camili in Florence, Max and Marcello.

[The Cruise Advantage]

Jade 13,

He paid one fee per person. I guess jres 707 and I have had similar experiences. Go and enjoy or pick from many of the other outsatanding ristorantis in the area.

Michael

[MavisMarie]

We asked about ceramics and he stopped at a shop just outside Amalfi (Ceramiche Piccadilly) where the owner took us upstairs, served us fresh orange juice, and DW and sister went WILD. Each of them saw a single piece in a pattern they loved, and Giuseppe Criscuolo (the owner) said he'd have his company make whatever they liked in that pattern and paint our names and date on the bottom of each piece - DW ordered four place settings and 3-4 other serving type pieces, and my sister ordered 8 place settings of her pattern (they arrived back in the states 3 months later with NO breakage); we have subsequently ordered another 4 place settings and some pasta bowls (I sent Giuseppe a photo so he could make sure there was a match) and again there was no breakage.

Sam

 

OH MY GOODNESS !!! This is EXACTLY what I want to do. We are booked with Francesco on May 9 and I will email him to see if he can set this up for us. Just so I can plan -- do you have a ballpark idea of what the place settings cost? Anything extra you could provide about this will be most appreciated. Thank you for posting the best review I've read about the Amalfi Coast. :)

[KnoxvilleSam]

OH MY GOODNESS !!! This is EXACTLY what I want to do. We are booked with Francesco on May 9 and I will email him to see if he can set this up for us. Just so I can plan -- do you have a ballpark idea of what the place settings cost? Anything extra you could provide about this will be most appreciated. Thank you for posting the best review I've read about the Amalfi Coast. :)

 

:D At this stage even if you twisted my arm I'm not sure I could figure it out. Our initial purchase included 4 place settings PLUS an antipasti lazy susan, an olive oil/balsamic vinegar set, a "lemon bush," and a platter, for a total of about $1200. But to tell you the truth, I've forgotten the details - maybe that's my salvation.

 

But the ceramics there at Ceramiche Piccadilly are beautiful, and I know that Francesco knows the shop and the people there. Even though he wasn't the driver for us on that day, when I had a question that I wanted him to pass along to Domenico about our order at Ceramiche Piccadilly, Francesco took care of it himself - he either called them or sent an email to them - and emailed me back the company's response.

 

You can tell Giuseppe that Sam from Tennessee recommended his shop, but I'd imagine he won't remember us - it was back in June 2006.

 

Happy Med cruising,

 

Sam

[MavisMarie]

:D At this stage even if you twisted my arm I'm not sure I could figure it out. Our initial purchase included 4 place settings PLUS an antipasti lazy susan, an olive oil/balsamic vinegar set, a "lemon bush," and a platter, for a total of about $1200. But to tell you the truth, I've forgotten the details - maybe that's my salvation.

 

But the ceramics there at Ceramiche Piccadilly are beautiful, and I know that Francesco knows the shop and the people there. Even though he wasn't the driver for us on that day, when I had a question that I wanted him to pass along to Domenico about our order at Ceramiche Piccadilly, Francesco took care of it himself - he either called them or sent an email to them - and emailed me back the company's response.

 

You can tell Giuseppe that Sam from Tennessee recommended his shop, but I'd imagine he won't remember us - it was back in June 2006.

 

Happy Med cruising,

 

Sam

 

Sam, thanks for the info. I admire you for taking it all in stride. What makes us ladies happy usually costs you guys a bit of heartburn in the pocket. This is never intentional, of course. :)

I looked on the Ceramiche Piccadilly website and went through the roof when I saw a dinner plate was 200 euro. I don't think I could trust myself not to break something when I was washing it.... :eek: .... but I'm still tempted. When I told someone who is sharing that tour with us, she also wanted to go there. So, we'll see what happens. Guess I should warn my husband first, or would you recommend a sneak attack?? :D

[KnoxvilleSam]

Sam, thanks for the info. I admire you for taking it all in stride. What makes us ladies happy usually costs you guys a bit of heartburn in the pocket. This is never intentional, of course. :)

I looked on the Ceramiche Piccadilly website and went through the roof when I saw a dinner plate was 200 euro. I don't think I could trust myself not to break something when I was washing it.... :eek: .... but I'm still tempted. When I told someone who is sharing that tour with us, she also wanted to go there. So, we'll see what happens. Guess I should warn my husband first, or would you recommend a sneak attack?? :D

 

Nah - no sneak attack. But I don't really think a dinner plate is 200 euros. After all we got four place settings (including dinner plate, salad plate, coffee mug) as well as the other pieces (antipasti lazy susan was 5 pieces, then 3 piece olive oil/balsamic cruet set, lemon bush, and a platter) for 1200 DOLLARS. My "guess" would be that a place setting MIGHT be 200 euros, but I doubt even that. That would mean that the extra pieces we got only cost 150 euros or so, and I'd guess it was at least twice that?

 

Just check when you get there. Also ask Francesco if he knows other places that might be a little less expensive? You never know! :)

 

Sam

[theclays]

I checked the aptours website - looks like a very good company. However, the cost for 8 people is quoted at 525 euros not dollars. Did you bargain to get your good price? We will be there in early November so prices may be reduced then.

Our TA has put together a group, so hopefully we'll find some people to share a tour.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

Edna

[Jfultz81]

Can anyone give me a rough estimate for how much they paid at La Tagliata? We are thinking about going there when we go on our tour (using AP tours)..and trying to figure out how much to budget! Thanks!

[alinehu]

Love it!! You have 2 choices You can order from the menu anything you want (from 8 to 18 euros average if I remember well) or you pay 25 to 35 E p/p and you get everything even wine and limoncello.They just start to bring you things.We were 7 people and we all choose pasta and meat from the menu no wine or limoncello our bill was 99 E. There is something for every budget.