Hi there. We are going to Italy on a cruise in march. I've done quite a bit of research and read Rick Steve's book on Italy but looking for ideas for the best "must see" sites in the following cities: Genoa, Naples, Messina and Malta. We have limited hours in each city (approx 8-10 hours per port) We are travelling with 4 adult kids ages 18-23. We don't want a rushed itinerary and are quite happy to do only 1 site seeing tour per port and have enough time to enjoy lunch and beers in each place. One of my boys has mentioned that he would love to do a cheese and wine tasting tour! I love the idea of "hidden gems". Here are some of the ideas I've considered so far. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated:
Naples (Pompeii) Stabian Baths or Ruins or Amphitheater or hike to the volcano?
Malta: Grand Master Palace and lunch or dessert at the Fontanella Tea Garden?
Messina (Taormina) Godfather towns? Forza D'agro? cooking class? wine and cheese tour?
Genoa: take the Zecca-Righi route on the cable car? Explore the narrow streets, food tour?
Posted by
11660 posts
Messina: Taormina, Greek theatre, incredible views, upscale resort town
Tours in Sicily such as Godfather, contact Sicily Life
Genoa:
historic area, aquarium
From Genoa travel to:
Santa Margherita Ligure, Camogli and Portofino, all in a row/adjacent on the Portofino peninsula
Cinque Terre
Naples:
Archeological Museum, walking tour of Naples
Pompeii- spend 2 to 4 hours exploring highlights with or without a guide. Guides are available at the entrance.
Vesuvius- there are hikes up there.
Posted by
Rural Georgia
2213 posts
Does your cruise offer tours at each port of call? I'd check with them. I don't know how those cruises work, but I thought the ship's concierge could make arrangements for you. When we took a Viking Rhine River Cruise, we signed up on the ship for a tour of the Jewish Section of Amsterdam, including the Anne Frank house.
Based on our one time cruise experience, I would caution against getting too ambitious. Logistics of getting from and to the ship will eat up time. You won't be able to wander too far afield.
Posted by
5250 posts
Malta is so small I would think you could fit in at least one other thing, and the neolithic temples (Hagar Qim and Mnjadra) are amazing.
I missed the Hypogeum because I did not realize advance tickets were required, but if I only did one thing, that would be it!
http://heritagemalta.org/museums-sites/hal-saflieni-hypogeum/
Posted by
New York State, US
26 posts
Check out the Italy Ports of Call forum on CruiseCritic.com. There are some very knowledgeable people there who can help with logistics of planning DIY shore excursions as well as suggestions of what to do in various ports. I've not been to any of these specific ports (have been to Pompeii, but from the port of Salerno) but I like your idea of a relaxed itinerary. We did a Mediterranean cruise three years ago and are planning another for this fall. Have fun planning!
Posted by
Atlanta
5267 posts
Have done a similar cruise and have these suggestions:
Taormina: Greek theatre, and perhaps Mt. Etna.
Naples: Pompeii and Herculaneum - one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Malta: Majisteral Palace and an ornately over the top cathedral named St. John's.
The ship excursions cost more but the ship will wait for you if the tour is late returning. Not so if you are out on your own. In many Italian ports traffic problems have caused us to be late quite a few times. We've actually seen folks running down the pier as the ship pulled away. Just food for thought.
Posted by
OP
27 posts
thank-you for all of your advice and tips. Our cruise does offer excursions but as mentioned they are quite pricey and we like the idea of "do it yourself" tours. We will keep in mind the time frame and account for traffic on our way back to the ship!
Posted by
1059 posts
For Naples: I would actually skip Pompeii. It’s too far, too big, and will be at its worst by the time you get there. See Herculaneum instead, it’s closer, smaller and just as awesome. The Acheological Museum in Naples is really a must see, and just walking Spaccanapoli and enjoying some authentic pizza would make a full, fun Naples day. You might have less time than you imagine, so plan small to start.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
The Cruise Critic website does have a lot of information, but it's very hard to navigate. Here is the direct link to their Italy Ports forum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/464-italy-ports/
and their Other Mediterranean Ports forum (for Malta): https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/149-other-mediterranean-ports/