SHORE EXCURSIONS

OVERVIEW

This excursion is for guests who are fully dependent on their mobility device. You will be required to supply your own wheelchair/scooter.

Drive along the beautiful Amalfi coast to the resort city of Sorrento, which you can explore independently before continuing on to the excavated ruins of Pompeii. You will travel along a stretch of highway so visually stunning and naturally diverse that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site. In time, you will pause for photos of Positano, a colorful town that clings to the side of an almost vertical cliff overlooking the sea. A bit farther down the Sorrento Peninsula, you will stop in its namesake city of Sorrento to see its central square, Piazza Tasso, and enjoy free time for a leisurely lunch. Afterwards, you will head to Pompeii, a Roman town forever known for the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried it under ash and pumice in 79 AD. There, you will tour the somber necropolis archaeological site and see eerie plaster casts of some of the victims.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drive along the Amalfi Coast, an absolutely gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Pause for photos of picturesque Positano and to enjoy free time in Sorrento.
• See the ruins in Pompeii, which the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius destroyed in 79 AD.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

This excursion is for guests that use a cane/walker, have limited mobility issues or for companions of those guest that have booked mobility equipment tour.

Drive along the beautiful Amalfi coast to the resort city of Sorrento, which you can explore independently before continuing on to the excavated ruins of Pompeii. You will travel along a stretch of highway so visually stunning and naturally diverse that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site. In time, you will pause for photos of Positano, a colorful town that clings to the side of an almost vertical cliff overlooking the sea. A bit farther down the Sorrento Peninsula, you will stop in its namesake city of Sorrento to see its central square, Piazza Tasso, and enjoy free time for a leisurely lunch. Afterwards, you will head to Pompeii, a Roman town forever known for the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried it under ash and pumice in 79 AD. There, you will tour the somber necropolis archaeological site and see eerie plaster casts of some of the victims.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drive along the Amalfi Coast, an absolutely gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Pause for photos of picturesque Positano and to enjoy free time in Sorrento.
• See the ruins in Pompeii, which the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius destroyed in 79 AD.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Discover the missing pieces of the puzzle when you visit Pompeii’s ruins, learn of its history and see the treasures housed at the archeological museum. Experience the "original pizza" in the city that boasts the world's first pizzeria, dating back to 1830, and see the sites of Naples. Travel along the coast with magnificent views of the Bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius as a backdrop. This still active volcano buried Pompeii in 79 A.D. At the ruins of Pompeii, you'll discover the archeological excavations of a lost city buried deep beneath the ash from Mt. Vesuvius. Your walking tour takes in the city's baths, villas, theaters and wrestling grounds.

Your guide will point out the remarkably preserved remains that hint at daily Roman life and will tell you about their customs and culture. Highlights include stunning frescoes and elaborately detailed mosaic-inlaid floors of wealthy homeowners' villas. On the way back to Naples, you’ll stop at a cameo factory where artisans have honed their craft for generations. You'll have some time to shop intricately carved brooches, rings and bracelets. Sit back and enjoy classic Pizza Margherita at a typical Neapolitan pizzeria accompanied by a mixed green salad and beverage.

Before heading to your next stop, take a sightseeing loop around the city for a quick orientation, driving past the round towered Castel Nuovo, San Carlo Opera House, Umberto Gallery, the Royal Palace and San Francesco di Paola Church. You’ll visit The National Archaeological Museum highlights include the Farnese Bull and a classical Roman sculpture depicting figures from Greek mythology. The museum houses a collection of murals, frescoes and mosaics from Pompeii and Herculaneum.

A fabled resort for pleasure seekers even in ancient Rome, Capri has earned a legendary reputation as the "Island of Love". A speedy ride across the Bay of Naples takes you to the Marina Grande Harbor on Capri. Here, a minibus will take you to Anacapri where you’ll enjoy the beautiful scenic views. Visit Villa San Michele, and then have some free time before you continue to the town of Capri for lunch. Enjoy a stroll to the piazzetta, along old cobblestone streets and to the Augustus Gardens. From here, you’ll enjoy stunning panoramic views and have time to look around on your own before taking the minibus down for the return ride to Naples.

If you would like to explore the island of Capri on your own, this jetfoil transfer is ideal. You’ll be dropped off in a central location and your return transfer to the ship departs from the same place at a designated time. A tour escort will be traveling along to answer any questions you may have about sightseeing or shopping. You’ll then rejoin your jetfoil for the return to your ship.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Naples and Sorrento, many of them iconic attractions that define the cities. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie tutor will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Your pictures will be ideal for posting on social media and sharing in other ways.

As you walk and ride through Naples and Sorrento, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include::
• Sorrento viewpoint
• Villa Comunale Park
• Naples pizzeria
• Galleria Umberto I shopping mall
• Francesco da Paola church
• Castel Nuovo

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies at the most photogenic attractions in Naples and Sorrento.
• Follow tips from your selfie tutor to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Spend free time in Sorrento’s large leafy park Villa Comunale.
• Enjoy a slice of pizza at a pizzeria in Naples, the town that invented it.
• Gaze upon historical landmarks in Naples, including the 13th-century fortress Castel Nuovo.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Be sure your phone or camera is fully charged.

Mainly a fishing village, Herculaneum was most appreciated for its position overlooking the Bay of Naples. It became very rich as it was chosen as a summer resort by wealthy Romans who built wonderful villas adorned with frescoes, mosaics and great sculptures. There’s a feeling about Herculaneum that’s quite different from what one feels in other ancient world centers brought to light so far, including Pompeii. The torrent of mud flooding down from the volcano served for centuries as the best possible defense against atmospheric agents and illegal excavators. See the houses, shops, and baths, including wooden elements, foodstuffs and fabrics that are preserved intact, thus offering a unique vision of their lives long ago. En route, visit a cameo factory nearby to see how the famous jewelry is made and then have some time to browse the store.

This walking tour introduces you to some of Naples’ best kept secrets, including castles dating back to the 13th century, an underground tunnel built by order of Ferdinand II of Bourbon and the most monumental square of the city. Leaving the port on foot, your first view of the city takes you back to the 13th century with the Castle Nuovo, a grim and gloomy fortress that served as the residence of the kings of Anjou, Aragon, and the Spanish Viceroys. Your walk continues to Piazza Plebiscito, a noble piazza, undoubtedly the most famous square in Naples. Enjoy some free time here for shopping or taking in the views.

You'll walk through the Bourbon Tunnel designed by Ferdinand II of Bourbon and his architect some 150 years ago. Here in the underground, discover the aqueduct of Carmignano, a military path of the XIX Century, the bomb shelters used during the Second World War and buried vintage cars and motorbikes. As you reach street level again, continue along the seaside and you’ll see Castle of the Egg in Santa Lucia with its spectacular waterfront views.

Enjoy the rare opportunity to drive through a still-active volcanic landscape and recount the experience while dining at an estate in the surrounding countryside. The Campi Flegrei or “burning fields” is an intriguingly hellish landscape within a massive volcanic caldera. While traveling through this incredibly picturesque area, you can expect to see steaming fumaroles, thermal pools and an archaeological site where an ancient Greek settlement was excavated. Stops along the way will allow time to snap photos of the hauntingly beautiful terrain and Casina Vanvitelliana, an 18th-century royal hunting lodge situated in the middle of Fusaro Lake. You will also see Lake Avernus, which was considered to be an entrance to the underworld in ancient times. After settling in at an estate nearby, you will be served a lunch of Neapolitan specialties made with ingredients grown in the area’s fertile volcanic soil.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Explore the active Campi Flegrei caldera with its steaming vents and thermal pools.
• Visit ancient ruins, Lake Avernus, and the elegant Casina Vanvitelliana.
• Enjoy a Neapolitan meal made from local, volcanic soil-grown ingredients.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Settle in for an immensely scenic drive, where you will enjoy an inspired wine tasting and a traditional Campanian lunch. While driving through the bucolic countryside, you will gaze out over one breathtaking landscape after another, punctuated with vineyards blanketing the hills. Upon reaching Tufo, within the district of Irpinia, you will sample a selection of locally produced wines. One in particular – made from the white grape Greco di Tufo – is revered over the others. It may be the centerpiece of your tasting as this Protected Designation of Origin wine is so characteristic of the local terroir. Wine will also be served with the lunch. Although the menu changes seasonally, it may include fusilli topped with sausage and aubergine or tagliatelle with a hearty wild boar sauce.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Sample a selection characteristic Irpinia district wines such as the revered Greco di Tufo.
• Learn about the terroir that produces many Protected Designation of Origin wines.
• Enjoy a traditional Campanian lunch in a restaurant near Tufo Castle.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Become immersed in the world of pasta through a behind-the-scenes tour of one of Italy’s pasta factories, followed by a delightful pasta lunch. The venue for this enlightening experience will be Gragnano, an ancient city where durum wheat and semolina have been cultivated for thousands of years. It also has the ideal climate for air-drying pasta, a practice that is still observed to ensure quality. As you will learn while browsing a museum, pasta-making is a complex process that can’t be rushed. In fact, to achieve its Protected Designation of Origin status, Gragnano pasta must dry gradually for as many as four days and be extruded through a bronze die that imparts a rough texture that helps the pasta sauce cling to the noodle. The results are well worth the effort as you will discover while savoring a lunch of Gragnano pasta and locally made accompaniments.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Learn more than you ever imagined about pasta in Gragnano, a city synonymous with it.
• See how Gragnano pasta must be made to retain a Protected Designation of Origin status.
• Savor lunch that includes a Gragnano pasta dish and other Italian specialties.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Admire the most breathtaking views of Naples from high above the city in historical San Martino, from which you will descend on foot and by funicular.

After departing from the pier, you will settle in for a picturesque drive to Vomero, one of the more prosperous and fashionable districts of Naples. From this elevated plateau, you will enjoy sweeping views of the city that only improve as you hike up to San Martino.

The highest point in Vomero, San Martino exudes a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. You might think of it as an oasis from the urban sprawl below. During free time, you will enjoy spectacular views of its star-shaped fortress Castel Sant’Elmo and the former 14th-century Carthusian monastery that now houses the esteemed National Museum of San Martino.

More fabulous vistas await you while walking downhill along the Pedamentina, a set of several hundred steps dating to the 1500s. Although outdoor staircases and steps are abundant in hilly Naples, few compare to the Pedamentina for being scenic.

In time, you will reach Corso Vitttorio Emanuele, a charming street where you will hop aboard a funicular and continue your descent.

You will disembark in Piazza Augusteo, where you will have the option of returning to the cruise ship with the guide or remaining in Naples and returning later on your own.