Pompeii and Sorrento in one day - which one first?

Could be a good plan. In our experience most of the coach tours arrive in Pompeii between 9 - 10 in the morning but it is about 18 months since we were last there and things do change.

However, take seriously the warnings about the sun and heat. There is very little shelter and it is an exposed site. We only go in spring or autumn and even then it can feel pretty hot at times. Therefore, and without knowing your heat tolerance, if you take a hat and/or parasol, sunscreen cream, plenty of water and take things steadily it could be ok.

You will be able to leave any shopping in the cloakroom at the site entrance.

I would head to Pompeii first but I am biased in that after one month in Italy Pompeii for me was the single greatest attraction I experienced. You will have to transport yourself to Pompeii from Sorrento (train is fast and easy) so why not do that first, see what you like, return to Sorrento and spend the remainder of your day there until the ship departs. We spent a few days in Sorrento, but mostly evenings as we daytripped in and out. Sorrento is lovely and nice to stroll through, but I can't think of what could have been closed during the day that I missed out on. It's not like there is a St Peter's there or other monumental must-see's. Have fun. P.S. What does the ship offer in terms of excursions to Pompeii? Often I find that while the price may be a bit higher it's often worth the stress factor to chip in and pay up. Plus, you might get an idea of time allowances by just seeing what they plan on their excursions.

I had read that the Sorrento shops/stores would be closed in the afternoon approx 1:00 - 4:00 PM. While I'm not usually a big shopper when I'm touring I don't mind checking out a store or two now and then. I enjoy having things around our home to remind us some memorable places we've visited. I had also read that Pompeii is often busy in the morning and less so in the afternoon - trying to beat the heat perhaps? Initially I thought we would visit Pompeii in the morning because we aren't sure how long we will stay there, and then finished the day in Sorrento. But I would hate to get to Sorrento and find that everything is closed except restaurants. Enjoying an evening in Sorrento is out of the question because we have to be back on the cruise ship. Therefore I was wondering if it made more sense to visit Sorrento in the morning (stores would be open) and visit Pompeii in the afternoon (less crowded but hot).

Caution; Pompeii is a huge! horrible place to walk...the large cobblestones are killers! Make sure that you have great walking shoes. And the warnings about the heat are sooooooooo true!

We really enjoyed Hurculaneaum across the street. Not just a barren burned out wilderness like Pompeii, but some of the wood and paintings actually survived. Much smaller, and easiler to walk thru.

Hello again, Janice. You raise valid points and the choice will be yours; my thoughts would be to be proceeding in a shipward direction as the day wore on rather than heading away from the ship as departure time draws closer, as you would if you go to Sorrento first. I have been on nearly 30 cruises, though none to Europe, but have always found that if there is a ship in port, somewhere there's shopping. And there are shops near the entrance to Pompeii, but souveniry stuff if I recall. And frankly, if not all the shops are open I still think it would be OK. as most offer the same items anyway...there's only so many spoon rests with painted lemons (I know...I have one :) Have fun