Cinque Terre - by myself our organized ship tour?

ok. well the walk along via del amor is a concrete path... takes about 15 minutes. The views are nice but nothing like hiking between Riomaggiore and Vernazza, and then on to Monterosso al Mare. You really won't be hiking. I would assume the trip to Monterosso will be by boat or train. Its a very vigourous and challenging hike. You'll certainly be hitting the highlights, but I do think you'll feel a little like sheep following the guides around. The towns are so small. For us the attraction was the hiking between villages and the evening time meals once all the day trippers have gone. But since that's not a possibility for you, this does sound like fun. I'd do it.

Ann, these areas will give you a good flavour of CT, but you don't say whether you will hike between towns or take the train. There is a huge difference. Just hopping on and off the train would not be my idea of a good time. A lot depends on how much time you have. The hikes can take several hours (depending upon which parts you want to walk).

The information on the tour says it goes to St. Margherita first, then by motor coach to Manarola. From there, along the Street of Love to RioMaggiore, then a motorboat to Vernazza. It doesn't say how it gets from there to Monterosso al Mare but that is included, too. From there, drive back to St. Margherita and then boat back to Portofino.
So it seems we would have time in Riomaggiore, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare.

If you have flexibility to get back to your cruise ship and really want to hike, I say go for it. It's about an hour by train from Santa Margherita Ligure to Monterosso. Explore Monterosso and then hike to Vernazza (be warned - it's a very strenuous hike). Relax in Vernazza, enjoy a nice meal with pesto and then return to Santa Margherita Ligure. There are frequent buses that make the 10 minute run between Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure. If you have extra time and energy, you can visit another Cinque Terre town or hike another leg before returning. Trip will probably cost less than the cruise package and I'm guessing you'll have more fun. I've been in Vernazza when the cruise trips arrive and the town gets mobed.

thanks for the information. It looks like there are ferries and buses that run between the towns, too, so that's an option. I guess at the very least I will do the ship's tour but I sure hope I don't have to!

CT National Park is easy to tour by yourself. Dont pay for a cruise tour. Hiking the trail can be taken in sections if you choose.

After hiking a couple of miles I found the scenery so similar that I stopped and spent time walking the five villages instead.

The train ride between villages takes only about 5 minutes; so you can see several towns in a day.

Each village is very different, but there is no way to describe each one's appeal. One has to walk them. And they are small so it can be done easily and quickly.