By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeff and Shari Rendall
Having conducted our quick once-over of Rome the two days previous, and having boarded Oasis of the Seas the evening before, we were ready for another intense day of history – and perhaps a little breather – in 
the Naples area.
Naples, like other Southern Mediterranean destinations, provides a multitude of possible tour ideas for you to choose from. But be advised you’ll have to cram everything into a limited time window. Ours was 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
1. Just like with Rome, it just isn’t possible to do everything. Advice: Choose the Amalfi Coast for the day or limit yourself to Naples and/or Pompeii.
It was already warm when Oasis of the Seas docked at the Naples pier on the morning of our day there. The morning was beautiful and peaceful as I watched the city from the not-so-far.
Unlike in Rome, where we’d had a private (and expensive) guide, we opted for a more “standard” tour (called Shore Excursions Group) that advertised a tour of the Amalfi Coast and included a stop at Pompeii for an afternoon once-through. Naples was included in this itinerary, though it turned out the time allotted to the city was only a drive-through on the way out of town.
Naples, of course, is renowned as the founding place of pizza, and pie lovers will find numerous original pizza shops to choose from. Most of them are highly rated. But we opted to try the Amalfi and Pompeii route instead.
Admittedly, we didn’t know what to expect when we walked out of the cruise terminal and noticed that a sizeable crowd had gathered waiting to meet the tour operators for the day. The Royal Caribbean tours had remained inside the terminal. There were a big number of those as well, distinguishable by passengers with large numbers on stickers denoting their tour group.
It was a mass of confusion, basically. Impatient people stalked here and there, wondering when their guides would arrive. Our tour (again, through the Shore Excursions Group) provided a phone number to call – which we used, only to be told “We’ll be there at 9:15”, about fifteen minutes after the scheduled start of the excursion.
We didn’t know it when we booked, but the tour group was to travel by bus to the destinations. And there were about 35 fellow tourists on our particular itinerary. The bus stopped to pick up a few folks who were staying in Naples, too.
So much for a personalized tour. We were spoiled in Rome, for sure.
Once on the road, Polly, guide for the group, explained what would happen that day. We would take the road to Amalfi along the Amalfi coast, stop in Positano (the first town on the long coast), and be given time to sample the local culture and get photos.
Along the route, Polly pointed out Mt. Vesuvius in the distance and shared history of the region. Good information. Polly also offered a few facts that she told us we’d need later in the day.
2. Traffic, traffic, traffic. And more traffic. And Positano – or close enough to look at it.
The ride to the Amalfi coast was comfortable and the bus was nice and air-conditioned. Because of the sheer volume of cars on the road, the journey was slow. As we crawled along, there were a number of Vespas 
zig-zagging in and out of the buses and cars. We’d been advised not to try renting a car in this region, and again, like in Rome, I think that’s sage advice.
The scenery was breathtaking, with the blue Mediterranean down below and the classic architecture displayed on homes and buildings. We passed Sorrento on the way to Amalfi, and Polly said we’d be stopping there on the way back.
But the ride took so long that we didn’t actually reach the seaside town of Positano. Instead, the bus driver stopped at an overlook and Polly told us we had ten minutes to get out, use the bathroom and stretch before needing to reboard the bus for a dramatic turnaround to head back from where we came.
The overlook to Positano was beautiful. Fellow tour guests took selfies and pictures and Polly billed herself as quite an accomplished photographer. She took pictures of us for no fee!
Facebook is full of pictures from people who’ve vacationed at Amalfi, complete with depictions of lunches consumed with the sea coast as a backdrop. There was none of that for us, however. A bit of a letdown. All we saw was the inside of the bus – and the scenery through the window.
There were a couple vendors at the Positano overlook but we simply didn’t have time to look at anything in depth. Essentially, this part of the Amalfi Coast was notable for amazing scenery and beauty. But despite being promised, we didn’t get to go down into Positano itself. I’d imagine if the car volume had been a little lighter, there might’ve been a chance to do so.
I was informed that traffic is like this every day during the summer. And it wasn’t even high season yet. Plan accordingly.
3. Sorrento – Frankie’s Pizza, Limoncello and an hour of free time
The drive back to Sorrento was shorter than the drive towards the Amalfi Coast. Polly had pointed out where we were going to park the bus and told us we could use the allotted time to do whatever we wanted in Sorrento, but if we chose to stick with her, she knew a terrific Limoncello tasting place where we could get free samples. Yum!
Our group within a group followed Polly towards the main part of Sorrento, noting the large city square that was full of happy looking people milling about. There were a number of Royal Caribbean tours there, with guides explaining this and that.
Polly said we would go to the Limoncello place first (Limonoro), then have time to peruse the shops. Sorrento is known for leatherworks. There were a lot of leather products. And the narrow alleys of the town were barely wide enough for a crowd to navigate. We spent about fifteen minutes in the Limoncello store, and consumed a few free samples. Too sweet for my taste!
It surely seemed as though the tour operators most likely received a kind of kick-back for bringing in a gaggle of money-spending tourists, though the sales effort wasn’t overt (like it was later in the cruise) and the pressure was light, at best. I thought it would be a better use of time to wait outside and watch people. A few of our fellow passengers apparently felt the same urge.
Polly mentioned that the best place for pizza in Sorrento was at Frankie’s, which she described as “a hundred meters down this way and to the left.” A hundred meters? I played stupid. “How long is that in yards?” I 
asked. Polly didn’t seem put off by the sarcasm.
A few of our fellow cruise passengers were on the tour and one family in particular walked with us towards Frankie’s Pizza Bar, which had a number of tables set up outside and a fairly cramped inside kitchen. It was very hot in there. I don’t know how the pizza makers stood it, the fans not offering much relief from the heat.
There were slices of pizza for purchase, or whole pies to order. I ordered one, being told it would take about fifteen minutes to complete. My wife didn’t want pizza, so she ordered a spaghetti to go, which took even longer.
When the food was ready, we realized we only had about ten minutes to eat before needing to head back towards the bus. We found a bench in the city square and chowed down. The pizza was unbelievable. Polly had been right, for sure! I had a Pizza Margherita with Pepperoni. The pie was huge, about 14”, and was a bargain at 8 Euros. The spaghetti came much more dearly.
From Wikipedia: “The Pizza Margherita was created in 1889 by Neapolitan pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy, using tomato (red), mozzarella (white), and basil (green) to represent the colors of the Italian flag. In Sorrento, this classic pizza remains the ultimate test of a pizzeria’s quality, with locals recommending ordering it first to gauge authenticity.”
I couldn’t go to Sorrento without getting a pizza. End of story. The pizza was a little messy and not that easy to eat in the amount of time we had. No plastic silverware was provided! I had a couple slices left, which I thought I would take back to the ship. Polly said it was a no-no to bring food back to the ship, so I had to finish the pizza on the bus ride back after we’d toured Pompeii.
The last few minutes in Sorrento were spent at a touristy-type trinket shop where we selected a couple Christmas ornaments to purchase. There was a great deal of original products to choose from. It seemed like good quality assembly. But I didn’t need any leather products.
Luckily, I remembered the correct road to get back to where the bus was parked. Polly had said they wouldn’t leave anyone behind, but punctuality was appreciated.
4. Pompeii – Much larger than I’d anticipated; stick close to the interpretive guide
The ride to Pompeii from Sorrento took about a half hour, the ancient city being about another half hour or so from the cruise terminal.
Right away we noticed there was a fairly big crowd at Pompeii, with ruins visible from the parking area and a dig ongoing as well. Pompeii was a large city that was, of course, totally destroyed by a Mt. Vesuvius eruption in the year 79. For perspective, the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70. About the same time.
I was looking forward to Pompeii as much as I’d been craving to see the Roman Colosseum in Rome. This was living history, the stories of human tragedy having endured for almost two thousand years.
For now, Pompeii is a major tourist attraction. Gobs of people were everywhere. For those of us who’d paid extra for a guided tour – 15 Euros per person – we’d be met by a local expert who would explain what we were seeing. Of course, you are welcome to explore Pompeii’s streets on your own, and there are numerous interpretive signs – most at least 
partially in English – if you chose to go it on your own.
Our guide as a young-ish woman who shaded herself with an umbrella, the day having turned hot and breeze-less by early afternoon. We were told that the path wasn’t paved, but people wouldn’t be required to “hike” too much. One member of the group, for whatever reason, was in a wheelchair. Either the woman didn’t listen to the warnings, or she and her companion didn’t realize just how sloped the streets would turn out to be.
With Vesuvius as a backdrop, the tour began in a fully excavated area, the doll-like guide explaining the various points of interest, including the first “fast food” type establishments, brothels, private homes and the types of people who lived there, which ranged from the “common” people to the very wealthy.
We saw bath houses as well. The Pompeii culture was quite advanced for the time and fresco paintings were still visible all these centuries later. Tile floors as well. Many, many sculptures. A sewage draining system. Gutters on the houses. Really?
Sewage and waste would wash down the avenues back in the day. There were stone walkways across the streets so passersby wouldn’t have to step in the filth. One can only imagine the smell, but all things considered, Pompeii was really pretty advanced for its time. The culture was far along as well. People “back then” were interested in many of the things we modern folks like, too.
The tour was longer than I thought it would be. Pompeii itself is huge, and apparently only a certain percentage has been – or will be – excavated. Some of it will remain buried, presumably forever.
The people died as they lived. Molds outline their death poses. When the mountain blew, there was little chance for escape. Where would they run to? Animals/pets perished too.
The tour took a little over an hour and the guide set a pretty decent pace, enough to provide a halfway decent workout for those of us with a full belly full of pizza from Frankie’s Pizza Bar. The lady in the wheelchair needed a considerable amount of help to keep up. Several of the attendees missed a lot of the explanations because of her condition.
When the tour concluded, we had a better understanding and appreciation of what had happened there, and grasped just how big Pompeii was. An entire city basically wiped out, as were several other towns in the surrounding area.
The Pompeii tour was terrific. But hot and required tourists to be in decent physical shape. There are tours that go up to the dormant volcano cone. Vesuvius will erupt again at some point. Here’s thinking there will be
The pizza in Sorrento is as good as you’d expect it to be.
more warning the next time. Something like 3 million people live in the volcano’s range. Wow.
5. You can sneak alcohol back on if packaged right – but don’t bring food back to the ship.
On the way back to Oasis of the Seas, Polly once again reminded us of what we could and could not bring on the ship. Most of our purchases wouldn’t draw a red flag from security, but no alcohol could be brought back aboard.
We were a bit concerned that the Limoncello we’d purchase had alcohol in it. We packaged the travel bag in such a way as to disguise the purchase. It wasn’t really enough to espouse suspicion, but you know how they are about security.
We also had what was left of my wife’s spaghetti lunch from Frankie’s Pizza Bar.
I passed through security without much notice and I was waved through though I had the box of Limoncello in my bag. But my wife didn’t follow behind me. I rode up the escalator and she was nowhere in sight.
Security personnel stared back at me as I stood at the top of the escalator wondering where she was. After about five minutes, I figured there was something wrong – and left to head to our room to wait word on what had happened.
It turns out that security had flagged the container of spaghetti she had saved, and was told she could either eat it there or throw it out. Her choice. Not wanting to waste the special treat, she ate the rest of her lunch and was free to go to speak.
We’d come back with sufficient time before the ship departed. But the lesson was ingrained. You can get away with an innocuous package of Limoncello, but don’t dare bring food back.
6. Final thoughts on Naples/Amalfi Coast & Pompeii
Business owners in Pompeii had a unique way of showing their trades.
As noted prior, we did not opt for a Royal Caribbean sanctioned excursion for our Naples stop. We were satisfied with Shore Excursions Group, though the tour could’ve been improved by better communication and a list of expectations. The morning drive to the Amalfi coast, though scenic, did not include the promised stop at Positano, nor the time there, obviously.
Polly was a good tour guide. Knowledgeable and personable, she led a solid tour. She also herded the sheep (us) and got us where we needed to go on time.
I would take another tour led by the Shore Excursions Group. But I would not try to include the major stops all in one day. With the volume of people and traffic in the region, it didn’t work out well.
Like with Rome, we felt like we could have used more time there, not only to see the beautiful Amalfi Coast, but also to spend time in Naples itself. I’ve heard the pizza alone is worth it.
Shore Excursions Group’s website: https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/
European Cruise Destinations: Rome – Rome wasn’t built in a day; it can’t be toured in a day, either — https://www.golfintheusa.com/european-cruise-destinations-rome-rome-wasnt-built-in-a-day-it-cant-be-toured-in-a-day-either/
Pompeii had its fast food-type outlets, too. It doesn’t look much like McDonald’s, but establishments like this one had food at the ready.
Town square in Sorrento, Italy.