Naples to Pompei via taxi

You could take the train, the circumvesuviana takes around a half hour from Naples to Pompei. They run about every 15 minutes. It will cost about 3 dollars each way. J

Yes you can certainly take the train, but if you want to spend a lot more money on a taxi, I would think that they would be available right at the dock.

The public transit system in that area is not always reliable. You need to be back on that ship before 7pm, right? I'd take the cruise's excursion, just to be safe.
It could take a taxi/ private car 1.5 hrs each way to/ from Pompeii. If it would rain, traffic gets worse. The roads are very congested all the time, and there is no quick and efficient way to move around. Even the regional train could take 1 to 1.5 hrs to get to Pompeii, and they frequently run behind schedule. You would have to plan time to get from the cruise terminal to the train station and back.
I think that price for a taxi may be old. We used
Aldolimos when we were in the area this past May. Email them and you should get a quick response as to price. Their service was very good, but most private drivers are in the same price range.
You want to be on that ship by 7pm. Too many things can go wrong in the traffic congestion. I'd highly recommend using the cruise excursion, and suffer thru the coral factory. Good luck!

Askos will pick you up in Naples, give you a tour of Pompeii, and take you back. In 2022, we used Askos for 3 private tours, but not this one.

https://www.askostours.com/product/transfer-from-naples-with-2-hour-private-tour-in-pompeii-and-skip-the-line-tickets--q1apv5y

Have you checked whether "all aboard" might be 6:30? Is it a gangway port or a tender-boat port? 6 hours is a very short stop. I would only take a ship excursion, because they have to delay ship departure if it gets caught in a traffic jam. Pompeii is not "near" the cruise port. (I have been on three Windstar excursions that were late.)

Hello Suzanne,

I'm going completely off piste and going to suggest you think about doing Herculaneum instead. It is much closer to Naples proper, smaller and more intimate. I think it might be a better use of your limited time and less stress because you're so much closer to "getting back" if things run long.

Just a thought, have a great visit,
=Tod

There is nothing wrong with Tod's suggestion, but Herculaneum is only smaller because less was dug up. Our host Rick observes that it is certain that Pompeii had a Synagogue, but it has not been discovered. I have written that the Worcester MA Museum of Art is not "better" than the Boston Museum of Fine Art because it can all be seen in one day. (I like the Worcester museum!)

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I had no idea trains ran that often. I’ve been through several forced shopping stops before and dread another but might have to suffer.

One other possibility would be to stay in Naples, seeing the excellent Archaeological Museum, which has a lot of the most "wow" originals from Pompeii as well as other important relics. There should also be time for the Veiled Christ at the Capella Sansevero; that needs to be pre-booked, because it sells out well in advance.

Suzanne, there have been reports here this year (2023) of Circumvesuviana runs that failed to appear, and of trains that were 20 minutes late. It's a crowded, gritty product, but not that bad with zero luggage to wrangle. At least it's not subject to highway congestion, and stops 200 feet from the Porta Marina entrance of Pompeii Scavi. I still find it a high-risk cruise outing.

We need a timing for Naples port to Centrale Train Station. Can you get to the next port if the ship leaves you behind?

I recall a cruise excursion where the guide said, "We're going to do this fairly. How many want to go to the Pottery Shop? How many want to go back to the ship?" You can guess which option won!