On my Carnival Magic tour, the ship stopped in Naples, Italy. There’s plenty to do in this port – you could choose to spend time in Capri, or the towns on the Amalfi Coast. But I decided to go to Pompeii, because I had always been fascinated by the doomed city in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius.
The monster eruption, which took place over two days in 79 AD, buried Pompeii under 4 to 6 meters of ash and pumice. What’s fascinating is that the city was then lost for over 1700 years, when a farmer accidentally discovered it in 1749.
Pompeii is one of Italy’s most popular tourist sites and receives 2.5 million tourists per year. I went with a group from the cruise ship and I found it hard to hear the guides as we went through the UNESCO World Heritage site (read my thoughts on cruise ship excursions – this one would have cost $89.95 for four hours). Lots of crowds, as you can see from the photos.
Still, Pompeii is worth a visit, if only as yet another reminder of nature’s power. This year we’ve read plenty about hurricanes and tsunamis and earthquakes; Pompeii shows quite clearly that natural disasters have beset civilizations throughout the centuries.
Carnival cruise line sponsored this trip, but the opinions are those of the author.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I loved Pompeii, but I think it does help if you’re not in a big group and stuck with the tour experience. Hard to capture the grandeur of either Pompeii or herculaneum, or anywhere in the world, when you’re in a big crowd and moving at their pace.
Theodora – the tour was part of the trip, so I went with the tour and occasionally fell back to take photos and walk at my own pace. When they arrived at a new site, I’d catch up to hear what the guide was saying. Overall, I thought it was an interesting site.
Great set of images almost feel as if I was there with you
Surprisingly, this is actually a place I’ve yet to make it to. I’ve been all over the surrounding country side but never managed to make it up to the ruins. Great post with fantastic photos. Thanks!
Beautiful Pompeii, the statue of the mother protecting her child was the thing that impressed me the most when I visited.
love the photos! I’ve always always always have wanted to visit Pompeii! I hear Herculaneum is pretty cool too?
{ 1 trackback }