Naples

Far less expensive but it is only a guide for Pompeii. I think it was something 40E for a family of four for two hours. But my memory is vague.

$800 sounds outlandishly expensive to me, and I certainly wouldn't add a tip onto a price like that. When we have looked into guided tours, we've either been quoted a much more reasonable per person price; e.g., we took Golden Tours Sorrento-to-Paestum excursion for 40 euros/pp. Or, we have seen set prices in the $300 to $400 range for small groups of up to eight. You could do Pompeii and Herculaneum on your own; we two (energetic seniors) did. I also suggest you look at Golden Tours website. They operate in that area. Check Tripadvisor, as well, for reports of others' experiences with guides.

We have never taken a cruise but have some questions. How many hours do you have in port? How many actual hours on land (you may have to wait 1 hour to exit to boat and return 1 hour before it departs)? Will the guide meet you at the boat, drive you to the three locations, and return you to the boat? If you are in a town and take a guide from that town and return there, there is not the same time constraint that you are facing. If you go to a location from the ship on your own and get a guide there you will most likely have time for one of the three. It seems that going to Pompeii, Herculaneum, and some Naples in the few hours you have will be very rushed and not possible on your own. We spent 6 hours in Pompeii, 3 hours in Herculaneum, and 2.5 days in Naples. But if you really want to see these sights and are happy with an hour or two at each location then you have to decide if your guide is worth it to you.

After sending my reply, I had another thought. I'd advise you to do either Pompeii or Herculaneum, not both in one day; and I lean toward Herculaneum. I think you'd find the two rather repetitive. Both towns were devastated by the Vesuvius eruption, but Herculaneum has more left in place on the site, and is more compact. The best stuff from Pompeii is in the Archaeological Museum in Naples. However energetic you are, I think you'd find trying to see both towns and Naples in one day mega-exhausting.

We were just in Pompeii the end of May. We used a guide on site. His name is Antonio, is Dutch, and married to an Italian. He has been guiding for a number of years. The tour was about 2 hours and it was very good. The guides are inside the entrance by the ticket counter. They are all licensed and rotate by day of the week. They come tup to people as they come in and ask if you would like to be part of a tour. Usually it is a small group - ours was 12. Including our admission to the site, our cost was 42 euro total for my husband and I.

Penny, A cost of $800 for touring the three sites seems to be dreadfully expensive. I'd suggest checking the Guidebook for recommendations on local Guides, as I'm sure they will have better rates. Two that you could check are Pina Esposito (she's an excellent Guide), who lists a daily rate of US$539 (I'm not sure how current that is). You could also check Gaetano Manfredi, also an outstanding Guide (I'm not sure what his rates are). I agree with other suggestions to perhaps only visit either Pompeii or Herculaneum as well as Naples. If you're set on visiting all three, it is feasible but you won't have as much time to see them properly as you'll have to allow for travel times. You'll also need time in Naples to visit the Archeological Museum, which ties in with the history of Pompeii. And of course you'll also want to sample the world's best Pizza in Naples. One place you could try is L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. If you have time, I'd also recommend a visit the Museo Cappella Sansevero as the marble Veiled Christ is incredible. Happy travels!

Go to cruisecritic.com, to the rollcall section, find your cruise line, your ship and your sailing. You will find that fellow passengers have already done the research and you will get lots of information. I think you can visit Pompeii and the Archaeology Museum in Naples in one day, and probably more of Naples, depending on when your ship sails. Keep in mind that you may not be off the ship until about an hour after it docks and need to be back on board at least 1/2 hour before sailing. Pompeii closes at 5 p.m. The museum is open until 7.30. You should arrange transportation to/from Pompeii, with or without a guide. Taking the local train will use up too much time.