Pixels Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 Hello everyone. This is our very first cruise and we happened to pick probably the most challenging cruise in terms of port excursions! The 4 of us will be on the Freedom at the end of August departing from Barcelona. 2 stops in France and 3 stops in Italy. I happen to be in charge of Italy! Any and all help would be very much appreciated. For those who have taken tours from La Spezia, Civitavecchia and Naples is it imperative that we book everything in advance? I hear booking tours from the ship will cost you your first born and then some. I imagine there will be buses and taxis waiting at the port eager to drive you wherever you want to go but are they trustworthy? Civitavecchia (Rome) we won't have problems finding things to see but I am worried about the travel time to the city. What is the best way into Rome from the port that won't cost an arm and a leg? Is buying the "No Wait Ticket" worthwhile? What are the "not to miss" things to see at La Spezia and Naples? Sorry about the million questions but we are very excited and at same time worried about this trip. This is probably going to be out first and last time that we will get to see Europe. Thanks in advance for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianAlt Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 For Rome I recommend Rome In Limo. Here's a tour description: https://www.romeinlimo.com/tours-of-rome/sightseeing-tours.htm You have to get your own coliseum and Vatican tickets, which you should buy before you go. They can also secure you a Vatican tour guide, the drivers cannot tour the Vatican. It has to be a certified Vatican tour guide. I recommend doing that because of the limited time. Get as many people together and share a van. That's the most economical way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixels Posted July 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 Thanks very much. I see from the site that the maximum number of people is 8 in order to get a van. I doubt we will have problems finding 4 other people. So the driver books a Vatican tour guide on the day of the trip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianAlt Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 7 minutes ago, Pixels said: So the driver books a Vatican tour guide on the day of the trip? That's how we did it, but if you're definitely going to do it, tell them in advance. Couldn't hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianAlt Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 By the way, we had 2 vans, 16 people. The tour guide cost us around $10 each. Bargain as far as we were all concerned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 If you do a search in the forums, there are some posts by others who have taken these cruises. In those posts, I found recommendations for "Can't Be Missed Tours" and "Rome Private Guides". If you google search those tour companies, you will find their websites. As to La Spezia, I'm told it's well worth your time & money to take the bus to Florence and Pisa. The tour companies that are in Rome also operate out of La Spezia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixels Posted July 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 Thanks. So when did you actually book the driver? Rome is the 4th stop on the cruise. We will need a couple of days to get to know the people I guess. So is it fairly safe to book it a day or two before arrival? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianAlt Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 3 minutes ago, Pixels said: Thanks. So when did you actually book the driver? Rome is the 4th stop on the cruise. We will need a couple of days to get to know the people I guess. So is it fairly safe to book it a day or two before arrival? About four months in advance. I just checked, was about three months in advance. A fellow traveler set this one up. I did a couple others that he came along on. For Naples I recommend Pompeii. Book a driver to take you there and back ahead of time. I think that was around $500 for the four of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixels Posted July 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 22 minutes ago, Stephanie said: If you do a search in the forums, there are some posts by others who have taken these cruises. In those posts, I found recommendations for "Can't Be Missed Tours" and "Rome Private Guides". If you google search those tour companies, you will find their websites. As to La Spezia, I'm told it's well worth your time & money to take the bus to Florence and Pisa. The tour companies that are in Rome also operate out of La Spezia. Thanks. I couldn't find them. Are they in the "Shore Excursion" section? Sorry I am very new here. We are split between Pisa and Cinque Terra. I think we are leaning towards Cinque Terra because it is closer and less pick pockets to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 While I have never cruised there, I have spent a lot of time in Naples. I agree that Pompeii is an incredible place and highly recommend it. ....BUT I really REALLY recommend Herculaneum (known as Ercolano to the Italians) if you have limited time. In my opinion, Herculaneum/Ercolano is a far better-preserved archaeological site than Pompeii and it is MUCH smaller and easier to see than Pompeii. If you have LOTS of time then Pompeii is a must but if you have limited time and you can only see 1 Vesuvius archaeological site, I think Herculaneu/Ercolano is the better option, IMO. ...and who can go to Naples and not at least see a LITTLE of the Amalfi coast ? That stretch of the western coast of Italy is the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen (followed closely by the view of San Francisco from the Sausalito side). Why in the world the ancient people of that area decided that the cliffs were the smartest place to build their homes is totally beyond my comprehension, but they did...and it is magnificent. Who can pick just 1 thing to do in Naples ?? It's such a wonderful and beautiful area. You can't really go wrong. Do be careful though...there is a lot of petty crime in that area...pickpockets are notorious. Just be smart. F1guynz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F1guynz Posted August 1, 2017 Report Share Posted August 1, 2017 +1 for Herculaneum. We enjoyed Pompeii but Herculaneum was amazing as it is so well preserved. Would love to go back one day. We also spent time a few days in the Cinque Terre before our cruise and loved it. It was busy and touristy during the day but at night it was much quieter. We rented an apartment in Vernazza and kind of felt like locals. I am not sure if you can do a tour from a ship but it is well worth a visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianAlt Posted August 1, 2017 Report Share Posted August 1, 2017 We will definitely visit Herculaneum for our next visit. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixels Posted August 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 On 7/31/2017 at 4:44 PM, WAAAYTOOO said: While I have never cruised there, I have spent a lot of time in Naples. I agree that Pompeii is an incredible place and highly recommend it. ....BUT I really REALLY recommend Herculaneum (known as Ercolano to the Italians) if you have limited time. In my opinion, Herculaneum/Ercolano is a far better-preserved archaeological site than Pompeii and it is MUCH smaller and easier to see than Pompeii. If you have LOTS of time then Pompeii is a must but if you have limited time and you can only see 1 Vesuvius archaeological site, I think Herculaneu/Ercolano is the better option, IMO. ...and who can go to Naples and not at least see a LITTLE of the Amalfi coast ? That stretch of the western coast of Italy is the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen (followed closely by the view of San Francisco from the Sausalito side). Why in the world the ancient people of that area decided that the cliffs were the smartest place to build their homes is totally beyond my comprehension, but they did...and it is magnificent. Who can pick just 1 thing to do in Naples ?? It's such a wonderful and beautiful area. You can't really go wrong. Do be careful though...there is a lot of petty crime in that area...pickpockets are notorious. Just be smart. With less then 2 weeks to go, we are still scrambling to plan our tours. Thank you for your input. We have just wrapped up our La Spazia and Rome tours. Now onto Naples! Amalfi Coast looks and sounds wonderful. We have a 11 hour stop in Naples. Haven't even researched enough to see how far Pompeii and Herculaneum are from the cruise port. Do you think we would have enough time to squeeze in Amalfi Coast? If so what is the best way to view it on the way back from one the ruins site? Thank you again for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arebee Posted August 7, 2017 Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 Not sure if you'll have the time but since you are in Naples you could look at Capri. If I remember, Pompeii isn't too far, maybe 20 or 30 miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny260 Posted August 7, 2017 Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 We picked an excursion through Rome Private Excursions (Not through the Ship), it was with a group of people we meet through the Roll Call on Cruise Critic, there were 8 of us. Our tour guide picked us up and he explained that we would drive to the Amalfi Coast first (Furthest away from port) and work our way back, we had time to site see, eat lunch in Positano, then work our way back. Then we stopped at Pompeii, we made it back to port with plenty of time to spare, if I remember correctly your in port for a fairly long time. The only complaint I had was it was very warm in June, 2016 when we visited Pompeii. Between the twisting road, the wine at lunch and the heat, my wife ended up not being able to see Pompeii, so I made sure and took a lot of pictures for her. We liked our guide so well ( First, he did our Rome tour) that we talked in him to driving down the coast to Naples and doing our tour there as well, he was a great guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted August 7, 2017 Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 2 hours ago, Pixels said: With less then 2 weeks to go, we are still scrambling to plan our tours. Thank you for your input. We have just wrapped up our La Spazia and Rome tours. Now onto Naples! Amalfi Coast looks and sounds wonderful. We have a 11 hour stop in Naples. Haven't even researched enough to see how far Pompeii and Herculaneum are from the cruise port. Do you think we would have enough time to squeeze in Amalfi Coast? If so what is the best way to view it on the way back from one the ruins site? Thank you again for your help! I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help with these questions as I have only ever visited Naples by land. I truly have no idea where the port is in relation to the city. All I can tell you is that Herculaneum and Pompeii are within 30-45 minutes' drive from most areas of the city. I have only ever done the Amalfi coast by rental car so I'm also not familiar with tour operators. Sorry. I will say, however, that since you are in port for 11 hours - yahoo ! It sounds like you will have plenty of time to spend there. I would say you do NOT have time (nor the energy it would take, IMO) to do all 3. I would say Herculaneum and maybe a drive to the coast. Pompeii is an all-day thing and as Tiny mentioned, it can be HOT depending upon the time of year. Because I am a big scardy-cat, I would probably only consider doing something so ambitious (combining Herculaneum and Amalfi Coast) in some kind of organized tour. That is a lot of real estate to cover and I would be so afraid of trying to do this on my own or having 2 separate trips. Hopefully others will have recommendations for tour operators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobroo Posted August 11, 2017 Report Share Posted August 11, 2017 Hint: Cruises purposely have extended time in ports for two reasons A) You are supposed to have dinner onshore B) The lights of the city will be beautiful when you leave Another hint: Naples is the birthplace of pizza and home to those delicious San Marzano tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil around Mt Vesuvius.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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