One Day: Capri, Naples or Sorrento

Is you boat docking in Naples? We would give priority to visiting the archeological sites at either Pompei or Herculaneum (less crowded), plus the museum in Naples that contains the best art and artifacts from those sites. Rick's Mediterranean Cruise Ports book has details for that plan or his regular Italy book. Sorrento is a pleasant town and handy home base for travelers staying on land, but I wouldn't make it the focus of your excursion.

Throwing my vote in with Laura: the museum in Naples + Pompeii would be a great day.

But yes, it would help to know where your ship is docking? I would assume Naples but it's best not to assume!

Yes! Sorry, we'll be docking in Naples. We will be visiting lots of museums at the other ports so we were looking for an enjoyable day out and about - maybe some food/wine/people watching. We heard Capri can be very overcrowded but we're going mid-Sept so that might help?

It is possible to visit both Pompei and Herculaneum in one day if you take two half day excursions offered by the cruise line. Yes, they are expensive. But if your return to the ship is delayed, the ship will wait for you. Not so if you are on a private or independent tour. Every time we've been to Naples we've been caught up in big traffic jams and / or construction delays and have been "late" returning to the ship but they waited for us.

Month of year, jls? It makes a difference.

One issue with Capri is that the tide affects the opportunity to see the must-see (????) Blue Grotto. It also is very time-consuming, although perhaps less so on a hosted Cruise excursion. But everyone says that there is a line, after a line, after a line (sometimes in boats, that is.) I haven't been, so I'm talking through my hat.

Sorrento is very nice (we slept there five nights), but it's really an Italian "Provincetown" or "Virginia Beach" (without the sand), or "Lewes, DE." Naples, on the other hand, is a cradle of culture and history. And Pompeii is ... well, Pompeii.

This is a schedule I did for my parents when they had a day in port at Naples earlier in the year.
They wanted to stay in the city as they had been to Capri and Pompeii previously.

0830 When leaving the wharf look for a Tabac to purchase a transport day ticket – Biglietto Giornaliero - €4.50
Walk from ship to Piazza Giovanni Bovio for Bus C55 “Piazza Cavour”, 5 stops to
0900 Duomo (Naples Cathedral)
1000 Head left out of the cathedral on to Via Duomo, then right into Via dei Tribunali for San Lorenzo Maggiore
1030 Turn left into Via San Gregorio Armeno – Naples Street of Nativity Workshops
1100 At the end of Via San Gregorio Armeno turn right into Via San Biago dei Librai – Spaccanaploi – the centre
1130 On to Piazza San Domenico Maggiore and San Severo Chapel. Coffee stop – pastry from Scaturchio
1200 From Piazza San Domenico Maggiore take Via Benedetto Croce to Santa Chiara Monastery and Church
1330 Lunch – Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, Via Port’Alba 18, Via Port’Alba 18 http://www.anticapizzeriaristoranteportalba.com/
1430 Metro Art Stations: From “Dante" take the metro 2 stops to “Materdei”, then back 3 stops to “Toledo”
1530 1km walk back to the ship down Via Toledo, passing Galleria Umberto I (shopping arcade), Teatro San Carlo (opera house), Piazza del Plebiscito (huge square), Palazzo Reale (royal palace), Basilica Reale San Francesco di Paola (church)
1630 Reboard your ship for sailing

They are going in Sept.

I've been to Capri in October, and it was PLENTY crowded so I'm sure it'll be the same in Sept. unless it's a rainy day. We enjoyed the island but also stayed two nights so we had the advantage of being there in the quieter hours before-and-after the day-trippers descended. We also spent much of the midday hours hiking away from the piazzas where the crowds congregate. I don't know as I'd recommend it as an independent day trip from a cruise ship.

We skipped the grotto because of the time it takes, the crowds it draws, and because entry isn't a given depending on activity of the sea. It's entirely possible to get all the way to the mouth of the cave and have the trip aborted because of windy or otherwise suddenly adverse conditions.

Pompeii or Herculaneum will be closer, and Naples itself has much to offer. If not taking a ship's tour which guarantees that you'll be back by boarding time, I'd consider one or more of these.

You don't need to go to museums in Naples. Just visit the city itself. It is a place like no other and you will never forget it. I believe RS did a video on the city that you might be able to pick up on You Tube. I love the city, even though it is crazy. Great food there too.

Thank you!!

You don't indicate where you're from or how much travel experience you have, so I'm going to jump in and sound a note of caution re: Naples. I know some people like it. I, a very experienced traveler, who enjoys big cities, HATED it. I found its chaos and dirt really off-putting. If you go on an organized tour, you'll avoid the chaos; but it's very hard to get around on your own. A tour that takes you to the Archaeological Museum and Pompeii and/or Herculaneum sounds ideal to me.

djp_syd, I hear (on the internet) that SITA no longer issues or sells Day Tickets. That doesn't mean not to use public transportation, it's just not as effortless.

There is nothing inaccurate in Rosalyn's post just above. But note that almost everything on the internet is an ... opinion ... . I didn't have the unpleasant feelings she did about Naples. Naples has its ills, Amsterdam has its ills, Detroit has its ills. We walked over a mile a day in Naples, and never felt fearful or intimidated. Hot, yes. This is the most historic city south of Rome.

We will be on a cruise so we'll only have one day - the other stops are throughout Italy, Spain and a stop at Cannes/Nice.

Perhaps we'll do Pompeii or Sorrento and then wander around Naples before/after we get back on the boat. Having live in Manhattan for the past decade, I don't think it will be anything I can't handle but doesn't necessarily sound like a full day's worth of sightseeing. Would be great to get pizza in Naples for dinner!

Thank you all!

Having live in Manhattan for the past decade, I don't think it will be
anything I can't handle but doesn't necessarily sound like a full
day's worth of sightseeing.

We spent most of a day in Pompeii, and that was the 2nd time I'd been there. The site is HUGE, and all of the corners can't be done in a single day. I wouldn't worry about finding enough to do. A good look at Sorrento or Naples could fill a day as well.