Holland America Line Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise: Day 9 Naples, Italy

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Viv & Jill’s Holland America Line Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise: Day 9 Naples, Italy
12-Night Mediterranean Romance Cruise June 3-15, 2011

Mount Vesuvius

Day 9 – June 11: Naples, Italy

After sailing overnight from Catania, Sicily, Nieuw Amsterdam arrived in Naples just before 8 am. As we had visited Naples on the last Mediterranean cruise we took a couple of years prios, we decided to take local transportation to Pompeii soon as the ship cleared customs.

Following a 5-minute walk to the main road where we purchased an all-day transit pass from a newspaper kiosk (8,40 euro and valid for the entire Campania region) we only had to wait a few minutes for the next tram to arrive that would take us to the train that goes to Pompeii. Within 10 minutes of getting on the tram we were walking down the stairs to the railway station and finding the appropriate train. A very crowded train packed with tourists and locals alike had us arriving at Pompeii Scavi station in approximately 50 minutes.

A quick walk from the station and we were at the entrance to Pompeii and lining up for tickets to view the Roman town that was buried by volcanic ash and lava when Mount Vesuvius blew her top in AD 79. The excavated remains of Pompeii was something both of us had wanted to see for many years and we were thrilled to be able to do it on this trip. The 11 euro price of admission is definitely worth it and although we decided not to hire a private guide (10 euro per person) for a tour this time, it is something we would consider for a return visit.

Visit Pompeii from Naples, Italy

Our exploration of Pompeii took us almost four hours at a reasonable pace and we were awed by the history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site that has undergone careful excavation to unearth amazing frescoes and artifacts. We certainly could have spent more time visiting Pompeii but the weather was looking formidable and we decided we were on ruin-overload and would start the journey back to the ship.

By 4 pm we were back in our cabin and ordering more smoked salmon and bagels from in-room dining to tide us over until dinner in Tamarind at 7:30 pm. Having heard rave reviews from friends that had dined at Tamarind and claimed the Wasabi and Soy- Crusted Beef Tenderloin was worthy of being a last meal, we decided to see for ourselves. We came away from the meal in full agreement with our foodie shipmates and considered this one of the best meals we have ever eaten. It was more than delicious!

The Variety Show in The Showroom at Sea with Brett Cave and the duo Livewire was very well done and as soon as the late-evening show ended we decided to hit the hay as tomorrow’s visit to Rome was looking to be a busy one.

Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam Mediterranean Romance Cruise – Pompeii, Italy

Explore More of WJ’s Holland America Line Mediterranean Romance Cruise

Overview | Itinerary | Photos | Day 1: Venice, Italy | Day 2: Venice, Italy | Day 3: Dubrovnik, Croatia | Day 4: Corfu, Greece  | Day 5: Argostoli, Greece | Day 6: Santorini, Greece | Day 7: Sea Day | Day 8: Catania, Italy | Day 9: Naples, Italy | Day 10: Rome, Italy | Day 11: Livorno, Italy | Day 12: Barcelona | Day 13: Barcelona Disembarkation |

Click here to visit the Holland America Line website.

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