Late August, our cruise arrives in Sorrento at 7:30 am. We are traveling with 4 of our young adult children(3 sons, 1 daughter in law). I booked the cruise excursion to Pompeii for the family which is a 5.5 hour tour leaving at 8:30 and arriving back to Sorrento at 1:30- if traffic is not bad. I have been to Pompeii and Naples many years ago so would personally like to visit Capri or maybe a quick boat ride to see some of the Amalfi coast.
Assuming we arrive back to Sorrento between 1:30 and 2 pm do we have time to book a private boat ride to Capri and back or to grab a ferry and get to Capri and back by 5:30 pm? The ship departs at 6pm. Other suggestions welcome. The schedule is totally flexible right now. My husband and I are totally ok with separating from our kids and doing Capri or ?? alone.
Posted by
NorthCarolina
1034 posts
I personally would not risk it. Traffic can be insane. Can't you book this through the cruise line and not worry about getting back on time. After a day at Pompeii, you may be done as that is a LONG HOT day.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16364 posts
Agree. I personally wouldn't do anything that took you some distance from port on the timeline you're looking at unless it was a ship's excursion. As well, Capri will be heaving with tourists at the end of August, and Sorrento very likely will be as well. I've a feeling you'd eat up too much time obtaining ferry tickets, getting from Marina Grande (Capri's port) up to the town(s) working around the crowds and then the same in reverse.
I'll also agree that you may be positively wiped out after 3 hours or so at Pompeii in August heat. When are you planning to eat?
I believe that Sorrento is a tendered port?
Posted by
OP
Midwest USA
4 posts
Thanks for the replies. I figured as much. The cruise does have a Capri excursion but it does not look as robust and interesting as some of the independent tours. I will check them out again. The cruise ship will head to Santorini after Sorrento so we will have a "sea day" after Sorrento. I have no idea if we will be able to see the Amalfi coastline as we depart Sorrento but I will be sure to go on deck to see what we can see and to catch the sunset. I know I will not be getting back to southern Italy in this lifetime so I may just have to book something other than Pompeii that day for my husband and me. Thanks
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16364 posts
Barbara, if you've already been to Pompeii then choosing an alternate activity might be a really good idea. Take a look at the Mondo shared tour collection that's in partnership with Rick Steves? Look at the "Capri in Private Boat" tour; full day from Sorrento. I've seen multiple positive recommendations for that one from forum posters who've done it.
Look at these as well:
https://www.sharedtrips.com/shared-city-tours/sorrento
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7749 posts
It sounds extremely risky to do a non-ship excursion for only 10 hours. You need to find out if (I'm sure it is) a Tender Port, which would mean that the Last Tender is at best, at 5:15PM, and it will be a crowded one. It is IMPOSSIBLE to go to Capri and back after a 1:30 Pompeii return. Give up that idea now.
I have slept in Sorrento, and also been there with a cruise ship for one day. I don't remember getting a particularly good view of Capri from the Cruise ship, but I think a lot of boat tours "feature" going around the Island and a tediously long visit to the Blue Grotto. That is not suitable for your time limits; What's nice about Capri is on the land, including the views of the rocks and the sea. (Very few beaches. It's a cliff/rock island.)
That Pompeii trip sounds like it is designed for people who refuse to miss the lunch aboard that they paid for. It is too short for a massive destination like Pompeii. However, Pompeii will be unbearably hot and sunny on an August afternoon, so many visitors would leave early anyway. (We loved Pompeii, not slamming it!) The fact is that Capri is highly pedestrianized. A taxi charter simply is not permitted to "cover" the entire island. I think we walked 5 miles on our full day on Capri. We barely got on the 5PM ferry, which was standing room only for hundreds of independent travelers.
Have you been on a cruise before?
Posted by
939 posts
You will be away from the ship for a whole day missing all its free food and drinks. It could be rough. Maybe a reason to keep to the 5.5 hour tour.
Posted by
OP
Midwest USA
4 posts
Tim
Thank you. I suspected as much. Your detail is great. I just got off the phone with my brother a Navy Doctor with responsibilities for
Southern Italy (and other areas). He just said the same exact thing about trying to catch a ferry back to Sorrento from Capri(raucous huge crowd and a not fun experience). So I am going to see if we can do the Capri cruise excursion which is currently fully booked. To answer your last question, I have been on cruises before. This one is my husband's choice for various reasons. I personally have been to each of the areas on the cruise except Cinque Terre but my boys and my husband have not been to most of the ports. In the past we have mostly just gotten off the boat and not bothered with tours or booked someone near the pier but this trip seems very different. I have not been to Italy in August before so maybe it is the timing. In any event I appreciate the detail and will work on a cruise excursion since I know they can't leave without us if we book with the cruise. *your comment re lunch is funny and probably true. I don't typically eat lunch and would personally never miss a fun experience for food--I can always get food. But my travel partners(husband and young adult sons) would probably disagree but I don't intend to get back on the boat until we have to.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7749 posts
Thanks for your courteous reply to my post that could easily have been misunderstood, Barbara. We stayed in Sorrento specifically because it has such good transportation connections for daytrips. But it is, after all, a purpose-built, postwar resort town on a cliff, with essential no beaches. You do want to make plans for a cruise stop there. Your big issue is the exact time on shore (including getting house-tour customers on the first Tenders, and whether the passenger load on the "last" tender would cause them to run extra boats at the last minute.
(We may, in fact, have taken a second ferry trip to Capri on that stop, because our departure time was around midnight. We even had shore dinner with in-laws who happened to be staying on land. I remember bounding down the steps to get to the last tender, which was not full. (Windstar motor yacht.) )
I meant to say that I think the water-view of Capri is the least "important" part of a private boat tour, but it IS an attractive island. The Blue Grotto IS a notorious time-sucker, and often cancelled for wave action reasons.
We have been on about 10 cruises, but only do them to "watery" locations. I only asked if you had been on a cruise before to see if you knew about arrival and departure issues. Then, you also know about "easy" , "moderate", and "strenuous" excursions. We have been on three rather elaborate excursions that were seriously late returning. In one case, the ship was forced to move to another place in the port, because their berth was reserved. But of course the (three busses full) guides were told by mobile phone where to bring the busses.
Posted by
Frisco, Texas, US
261 posts
I have a cruise stop in Naples in late October, so I am having the same planning questions you have. I thought I would do just about anything to get to the Blue Grotto, but am rethinking that due to possible cancellations, all the time getting there and back, etc. I think if you have been to Pompeii, I would go for the views of the glorious Amalfi Coast. I am considering a private car (thru the cruise line) to go where we want to go, and make sure we are back in time. Looking at Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and having a leisurely lunch with wine and a view. Have a great time.