Sorrento Coast Boat Tour with Swimming Stops

MEH

Meh would be how I would describe this excursion. I didn't need to spend money for the 2 hours we had. I could have found a beach and probably had a much better time. The description makes it seem like it is an fun enjoyable excursion. It's just okay. We took other boating excursions while in Sorrento and they were fantastic. My advice....Look elswhere.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that the experience fell short of your expectations, but we would like to clarify the true spirit of our tour. The main goal of this excursion is to offer two and a half hours of pure relaxation, giving our guests the chance to unwind and get away from the hustle and bustle of Sorrento's crowded beaches and city center. We always do our absolute best to maintain high quality standards and provide a well-curated service. If you managed to find a comparable experience at a lower price with the exact same standards, we are genuinely happy for you—though, given the care and attention we dedicate to every detail, we honestly find that hard to believe. We appreciate you taking the time to leave us your review and wish you all the best in your future travels.

via Tripadvisor

Last-Minute Cancellation After Confirmation — Would Not Recommend

We booked this excursion on March 30, approximately six months in advance. The listing clearly stated that a minimum of six passengers was required for the trip to be confirmed, which we completely understood when booking. On September 6, our credit card was charged and we received an email from Tripadvisor confirming our payment and that we were confirmed for the September 8 tour at 12:30 PM. We had specifically selected the 12:30 time because, like most people traveling abroad, we had a fairly tight itinerary and had made other plans for later that afternoon following the two-hour swim excursion. At approximately 7:15 PM on September 7—the evening before our confirmed 12:30 PM tour—I received a WhatsApp message saying they had been unable to find two additional passengers and therefore could not run our tour. We were told we could move to the 4:00 PM departure instead. To be fair, we were also offered a full refund at that point. However, that really wasn't the issue. We weren't looking to get our money back—we wanted to do the swimming excursion we had booked six months earlier. Being offered a refund at 7 PM the night before doesn't leave much opportunity to find and book a comparable activity for the following day, particularly when you're traveling and already have the rest of your itinerary planned. The situation was also confusing because our reservation had already been charged and confirmed. I asked whether we could move to a 12:30 tour on another day that week and was told no. We then offered to pay for the two supposedly unfilled seats ourselves so our original departure could still operate. We had paid approximately $230 for four people, or roughly €196 at the exchange rate at the time—about €49 per person. At that same rate, two additional spots would have been approximately €98. Instead, we were quoted an additional €192. There may be a reason for that pricing, but it was nearly twice the per-person rate we had paid, and the numbers simply didn't align from our perspective. Since what we actually wanted was the swimming experience—not a refund—we rearranged our afternoon plans at the last minute and accepted the 4:00 PM departure. Then came the part that made the entire situation especially frustrating. While we were waiting to board our 4:00 PM excursion, the boat we were about to use arrived back at the dock carrying another group. Based on the timing and what we observed, this seemed very difficult to reconcile with the explanation we had received the night before that the 12:30 excursion could not operate because they were two passengers short. I obviously cannot independently verify exactly which excursion the passengers returning on that boat had booked, so I won't state something I cannot prove. But the sequence of events speaks for itself: we booked six months in advance, were charged and confirmed for 12:30, were told at 7:15 PM the night before that the departure couldn't operate due to insufficient passengers, rearranged our plans to accommodate a 4:00 PM departure, and then watched the same boat return with a group immediately before we boarded. People can draw their own conclusions from that. The issue isn't simply that a schedule changed, and the fact that a refund was offered doesn't change our experience. Things happen, particularly with boat excursions. Our problem was the last-minute nature of the change and the lack of transparency surrounding the explanation for it. When you're traveling internationally and have structured your day around a confirmed excursion, you don't want an operator's scheduling issue becoming your problem with less than a day's notice. Based on our experience, I would not recommend this company. There are plenty of boat operators in Sorrento, and I would choose one where I felt more confident that a confirmed departure would be honored—or, if circumstances genuinely required a change, that it would be handled transparently and with reasonable notice.

Response from the operator: Dear Natalie, ​Thank you for your review. However, if I may say so, I find this monologue of yours completely unnecessary and unjustified for the following reasons. ​A full 17 hours prior—not 1, not 2, not 3, not 5, but 17 hours before, almost a whole day in advance—I sent you a message informing you that your chosen tour was canceled due to not reaching the minimum number of participants. Period! You were offered several alternative options, and you chose the 4:00 PM one. ​The boat you boarded—and the one you saw returning with other passengers—was simply my father's boat returning from the Amalfi tour. Without trying to play world-class detective, all you had to do was ask my sister Marianna, who was right there with you, and she would have explained everything. ​I understand it is frustrating to have a tour canceled that you booked months in advance, but trust me, it is even more frustrating for me. I certainly take no pleasure in it, but if I don't reach the minimum group size, I simply cannot go out to sea with only two people. What is even more frustrating, though, is dealing with guests who, despite complete transparency and helpfulness, pretend not to understand—or worse, refuse to—and lack any empathy for what it takes to run the service. ​Best regards, Sal

via Tripadvisor

Did not need the boat and cost to swim

Staff nice but it was not especially worth the money. The boat only went out just outside the shore at two bathing spots where you could have just as easily gone to the beach and swam out a bit into the water so you had the same experience for free instead of the 49 euros it cost - so go down to a beach and swim out so you can swim for free.

Response from the operator: I believe anyone reading this review can judge its value for themselves. It is entirely standard for swim stops to be made near the coast, and for several good reasons: ​Safety first: Not all our guests are comfortable swimming in deep offshore waters, which can be very dangerous. ​Scenery and Snorkeling: Stopping near the coast allows guests to enjoy the scenery and go snorkeling. ​Legal Regulations: Swimming alone in deep waters far from shore is actually prohibited by law, as it poses serious risks to you and others. ​Tour Itinerary: Open-water offshore stops were never part of the itinerary (which it seems you may not have read). ​Value: Lastly, at the beach clubs near where we stopped, €49 wouldn't even cover the entrance fee. ​Kind regards, Sal

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Fun couple of hours on the water!

If you’re looking for a couple of hours to kill, don’t hesitate on booking this excursion! Lots of fun and the water is beautiful.

via Viator

The highlight of our time...

The highlight of our time in sorrento! The coast was beautiful and the boat crew made sure we had an amazing time. Highly recommend!!

via Viator