zenfoodist

Sooo... I don't even have my hotels in Rome booked yet, but this one day out on the water is the one to which I have looked forward forever! We are staying at a small villa five minutes from Sorrento in mid August, and although I researched companies such as Luccibello and Gennaro e Salvatore, I casually mentioned to the concierge at the hotel that I would love for her to get me some prices for some excursions. This is a very celebratory trip as it is my parents' 70th birthday year and my 11-year-old son's first time to Italy. This day on the water with a private boat and captain is my gift to them. I don't want to do ferries, or group tours etc. Just our family of five: my parents, my husband, my son, and myself. We had done something very similar out of St. John a few years ago. We spent the day exploring all the little islands in the BVIs. It was so unbelievably wonderful. Magical. I think I will enjoy it even more on the coast of Italy.

This is what my concierge sent back to me this morning. ( I realize there might be charges to dock in the towns. And of course there is the price of fuel which we actually paid separately and **after** our excursion in the Caribbean). What do you all think?


- " Private boat full day 8 hrs, five people, Amalfi, Capri, Positano, peninsula coast, stops for snorkelling, equipment included, welcome drinks, English speaking skipper, transport assurance, pick-up from/to Villa. € 2500
Please note that disembarkation in Amalfi and Capri will have an extra supplement of €50 each"

My dad loves a good bargain and is the type of guy who would walk around the "marinas" and try to find someone who would do it for much less. But I honestly don't want to take that chance. And I want someone who is a licensed skipper. Plus, he will never know what I paid anyway! It's my gift to him and my mom. Thankfully I'm in a position where I can afford to splurge like this, yet I consider myself something of a savvy shopper and I don't want to be ripped off.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Mille Grazie,
Lisa

Sassafrass

Boy, That is a huge amount of money to me, plus the supplements in Capri and Amalfi. I hope someone with more knowledge comes on to post.

Sassafrass

Check out Blue Star Boat Tours on Amalfi Coast. It is a small family owned company. They are rated by TA as the number 1 out of top 10. You could go through Viator, but I would go directly to Blue Star, no middleman. Hope that helps.

WWK

I think anytime you go through a hotel, you're going to pay more than you need to. I would continue to research/look around online.

zenfoodist

I sent emails to Lucibello, Gennaro e Salvatore and Blie Star. Then my husband found one located right in Sorrento which will save us the transport fees back and forth to Positano which is where most of these other companies are based. The company is Sorrento luxury charters. I received this response already and it even includes lunch. Much better pricing already:

We can offer you following tour.
Departure from Sorrento harbour.
We'll start with welcome drink on board, we'll proceed along the Sorrento coast to the golf of Naples, then we'll visit a nice natural pool of Queen Giovanna where you can make the first dip in the sea, then we have to visit a natural Green waterfall where the capitan explain the history of our coast, the ancient Saracino's tower and Massalubrense's lemons story passing through amalfi's coast and Positano typical sea.
We continue with a special free beach where we can stop for the first swim and snorkel.
Then we'll go to Capri Island, where we can visit the most famous Green grotto, white, coral and Faraglioni Rocks.

The blue grotto is a museum and the ticket price is extra we don't suggest sometime because there are many boats traffic to wait ( but at 5pm o'clock you can swim inside ).

For the lunch we have many choices, on the island of Capri or we can organise directly together when you'll be on board for the time.
Usually we prefer Nerano's bay, where you should taste the typical italian food ( not touristic ):

you'll taste spaghetti with zucchiné, fresh fish, and traditional food.

Then there is an higest quality restaurant "Quattro Passi" with one Michelin star, or the "Cantuccio restaurant"typical family or the old style.
Return at sunset-shadows.

We offer a nice aperitive on board... with typical products, Prosecco openbar, Caprese's salad, fresh fruits.

The boats avaible are:

-Tornado express 45, full day, € 1.550

- Rizzardi 50, full day, € 2.150

I'll keep you guys posted. Thank you as always for the encouragement and insight.

Kathie

I'm glad your research turned up some options. The original quote seemed truly excessive to me.

BritishCaicos

That boat will return about 125L an hour.

The fuel alone for the trip could be over E400.

The boat costs over E500,000 new.

I wouldn't like to offer private charters and try to make huge amounts over a very short season, at E2000 a day including add ons.

Dukey1

Zen, whatever happens you really NEED to post a trip report when this trip is concluded. Why? Because, quite frankly, you have put so much energy into the perfection of this thing (understandable) I strongly suspect a lot of people around here are going to be very interested in what really happened.

You are going to need a vacation from this vacation at this rate. And as to that fab concierge...hey, you should know by now that some things go waaaaay up in price whenever a hotel gets involved.

zenfoodist

I will absolutely post a trip report. A long, indulgent one And the truth is that I have not even begun the most exhaustive research which will be for the restaurants and trattorias and gelaterias. I am involved heavily in the food world and was laughing last night when my 11 year old son called me from my parents' home and asked me to spell "Roscioli" so that he could Google Image it and show my parents "burrata pictures". The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, methinks.

Thank you all so much for your invaluable insight. And encouragement. I've been busy all day, but the first thing I will do tomorrow is to really try to find the perfect Rome accommodations. Still can't figure that part out!

zenfoodist

Case anyone is following along for their own personal planning, this is what I received from Blue Star:

1. Capri Special – Full day tour with a small group of 12 people on our nice boat

Price: 70,- € per person

Start: 9:00 am – Return: 5:30 pm

Snack, soft drinks, Coke and beer included for the day, towels and shower/toilet on board

Tour from Positano to Capri Island – trip around the beautiful island – stop for swimming and snorkeling (masks on board for free) – visit of all important grottos (stop Blue Grotto: + € 13 p.person – if you do not want to do it, you just wait on board) – port of Capri: 3.5 hours on the Island to explore by yourself – on the way back to Positano stop for swimming



2. Capri Private tour – full day excursion only for you

Start: 10:00am – 6:00pm

Price: € 950,-/ full day (boat: THATS AMORE)



Snack, soft drinks, Coke and beer included for the day, towels and shower/toilet on board

Tour from Positano to Capri Island – trip around the beautiful island – stop from swimming and snorkeling wherever you want and how often you want (masks on board for free) – visit of all important grottos – port of Capri: as long as you want – possibility to have lunch in one of the beautiful local restaurants on the seaside

ONLY FOR YOU: white wine, Prosecco and fresh fruit



3. Explore the Amalfi Coast – Full day tour with a small group of max. 12 people on our nice boat

Price: 70,- € per person

Start: 10:00 am – Return: 5:00 pm

Snack, soft drinks, Coke and beer included for the day, towels and shower on board

We travel slowly along the Amalfi Coast stopping at the most attractive bays for a swim and admiring all the inlets and grottos some of which are only accessable by swimming. We pass in front of Praiano, the fiord of Furore, Conca dei Marini where the Emerald Grotto is situated (visit if desired +€ 5,- p.person), and then the ancient maritime republic of Amalfi. We procede to a small cascade of fresh spring water. Here you can have a really refreshing swim! If there is still time we go on past Maiori for another swim in a nearby cave.
For lunch time we stop in Amalfi where you have 3 hours to explore this colourful city and can continue up to Ravello (15min by bus), one of the city highlights above the Amalfi Coast.Slow return to Positano.

4. Amalfi Coast Private tour – full day excursion only for you

Start: 10:00 – 6:00pm

Price: € 650,-/half day (boat: THATS AMORE)

Price: € 850,-/full day (boat: THATS AMORE)



Snack, soft drinks, Coke and beer included for the day, towels and shower/toilet on board

Tour from Positano to Amalfi – stop for swim and snorkeling in nice private beaches and grottos (visit of the famous “Emerald grotto)”

(€ 5,- per person) and of the mystic “Pandora grotto” ) – stop in the port of Amalfi: possibility to visit Amalfi town and Ravello (min. 2,5 hours stop) or lunch in a nice and typical restaurant on the coast

ONLY FOR YOU: white wine, Prosecco and fresh fruit



5. Sunset Private tour –1.5 hours excursion only for you

Start: 6:15 pm

Price: € 250,-/tour

This trip starts at 6:15pm and finishes around 7:45pm. The boat for this tour is called “SEA LADY”. We leave from Positano beach with a glass of Prosecco driving along the lovely coast. You will enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets near the famous “Li Galli Islands”. You can see the sun go down in the center of the famous “Faraglioni Rocks” from Capri Island. This is the perfect tour for enjoying a romatic view on Positano and the Coast.

Location: from Positano



Details for the booking:

If you want to book a date please send me the following info:

<!>Name of accommodation (hotel, BB, villa,…)

<!>Date of arrival

<!>Date of departure

<!>Name of the reservation

<!>Date of the boat tour, number of people

<!>Credit card details and expire date, only for guarantee (Visa, Mastercard) – we do not debit anything - please call me for writing down the details via phone +39/3342354122 (Elisabeth)

<!>Cell phone in case of emergency

Blueeyedcod

I had a private half day trip around Capri on a gozzo (beautiful wooden boat) with stops for swimming and the Blue Grotto and it was 240 euro - just to give you an idea that 2500 euro is way over the top. Try this website for more options.

http://www.theamalficoast.net/

LouisaH

zen, thank you for sharing all the details about private boat options. It's on my list of things to do for my upcoming trip in September.

Regarding Rome, good luck with your search. As I mentioned, I've stayed in at least eight hotels in Rome on numerous trips and have not found the perfect one. I'm feeling very good about the choices for my upcoming trip but I reserved months ago. You will find something and it will be great!

zenfoodist

Happy to help, LouisaH.

JulieVikmanis

Thanks so much for all this info. We will be in Positano again in late August, early Sept. About 10 years ago we did a half day boat rental from Sorrento though we were staying in Positano for 6 of us for a mere $600+. It's my daughter's favorite memory. We'll be traveling alone this time but would still enjoy a boat ride and some of these offers might be just right. Great to share info on fodors.

bobthenavigator

I have had good luck with Gennaro & Salvatore for a semi-private excursion for much less---did they quote you or did I miss that?

Sher

We used www.privatdaytours.com with Gialucca Savarese last year.
They picked 11 of us up at the villa near Sorrento. And took us to the dock.
We had some Proseco and snacks on board. We were able to swim from the boat and snorkle. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch that was only accessible by boat.

We also stopped in Positano to shop or get a snack. We paid for our own meals when we stopped. We choose not to go to Capri but decided to spend the whole time just cruising up an down the coast.

They returned us to the dock in Sorrento and transported us back to the villa. It was a private tour and was from about 10:00 until 5:30.

The cost was E1000.

I think you should keep checking prices. The hotel has to be kidding.

jane1144

Also remember that the whole thing could tank because of weather. Snorkelling is so much better in sunlight. Boating, in general, may not be too pleasant if it is windy and or/rainy. So, I would sure want to know what the cancellation policies are, or would want flexibility in my schedule to pick another day.
From a sailor.

WWK

Also try WHALES DI WENDY based in Capri. You could take the ferry over to Capri from Positano, then walk to their offices from the dock.

I don't know your budget for Rome, but my favorite hotel is ALBERGO DEL SENATO. We've stayed there four times. It's on the Piazza Della Rotunda, which is also home to The Pantheon, and within easy walking distance of most major sightseeing areas.

annhig

Please note that disembarkation in Amalfi and Capri will have an extra supplement of €50 each">>

this signalled rip off to me - an extra €50 EACH? you only have to stop and tie up the boat once which at those prices should be free anyway.

ekc

What I think the hotel email meant was there is a fee of $50 at each of Amalfi and Capri for boat docking.

I don't know about Amalfi, but the Capri docking fee is new this year, but it is legit.