Visit Costiera Sorrento Coast Between history and legend
4.5
Visit Costiera Sorrento Coast Between history and legend
By Giuliani Charter
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-80, max of 10 per group
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Italian
More
- Beverages
- Bottled water
- Live commentary on board
- Local guide
- Use of Snorkelling equipment
- Alcoholic Beverages
What's not included- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Start:Traveller pickup offered.
- Via Marina Piccola, 80067 Sorrento NA, ItalyMeeting point: Ristorante Bar La Scogliera
Pickup details- Meeting point: Ristorante Bar La Scogliera
Port pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.- Porto di Sorrento, Via Marina Piccola, 35, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 66109P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Refunds will not be issued if tour/activity is missed due to late or non-arrival of cruise ship
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travellers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 66109P1
From
£35.95
per adult
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Itinerary
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- 390krutikan0 contributionsIncredible boat experience!Amazing boat ride! My group was running late but Giovanni was gracious enough to wait. He gave us a great tour while explaining some of the sites. The boat was incredible! We could lay on the front and it was overall a wonderful experience. Would definitely recommend!Written 3 September 2024
- Andrew D0 contributionsCancelledTrip was cancelled on the day. Very disappointing as the boat was broken. I hope that the refund will come through before too long.Written 1 September 2024
- Footprints2963520 contributionsFantastic timeWhat a fantastic tour - our captain and skipper Giovanni and Roberta were really great. I can’t recommend enough. They were super flexible and chill, offered great vibes, and had excellent recommendations. Don’t miss this, we love them!Written 18 June 2024
- P3222YPdonnas0 contributionsCapri private boat charterA great all day excursion, pickup at hotel, to little harbor to start excurssion. Giovani, our captain was wonderful on our private charter. Blue grotto, green grotto, white grotto and then lunch at Lo Smeraldo in Capri. Views were breathtaking. Then a short trip for swim call in blue crystal clear water. Fruit & Prosecco and return trip. Highly recommend this captain & charter company!Written 17 June 2024
- binder290 contributionsWonderul 4 hour Capri boat tour with swimming.We took a 4 hour yacht excursion Capri Coastline by Salvatore Giuliani Boat Tours trip from Sorrento--all around Capri. We swam in beautiful water!! Our skipper was a wonderul host and pointed out many sights along the coast of Capri and Sorrento. The boat was amazing!!! very comfortable, large and very clean. I highly recommend Giuliani Charter for a lovely afternoon along the coast of Italy.Written 16 June 2024
- Melissa V0 contributionsAmazing day!Nico was amazing during our boat tour! He was friendly and pointed out lots of cool spots along the way. He was also very quick to respond on WhatsApp when we were ready to get back on the boat after visiting the cities. We would totally tour with him again on our next trip to Italy!Written 18 May 2024
- Aazon880 contributionsAVOID NO MATTER WHATFOR THE LOVE OF GOD AVOID THIS OPERATOR - I should totally have read the reviews here before booking them on GetYourGuide. TLDR - wasted 180 euros on taxi to rush here only to be told that it was cancelled due to ‘tide conditions. Mind you, I had to reach out after our meetining timing to get their reasoning. No prior warnings whatsoever. Absolute atrocity. Don’t be me and read these other google reviews I have attached.Written 30 October 2023
- 283mollyb0 contributionsPlease do not book with this company!Please do not book with this company. The boat ride was dangerous and the staff onboard was unprofessional. The company does not deliver what is advertised. See explanation below. Capri Tour I don’t even know where to begin as every single aspect of this tour was bad. Capri Island and Blue Grotto From Positano - leaving at 10:00 AM. Tour was to include snacks, use of snorkeling equipment, soda and water, lunch and a professional english speaking skipper. In the highlight section of the description, it says “With up to eight travelers on board, enjoy an intimate and truly personalized experience. In the pickup section, it clearly stated the Stone Pier in Positano- nowhere did it say anything about transportation to Sorrento or that we would be boarding the boat in Sorrento. We were notified the night before when they called and said they would be so generous and pick us up from our hotel at 7AM for a 10AM tour. Even when I found out it was in Sorrento which is an hour away, we still did not need 3 hours. Guiliani then informed me that tours switched to 9:00AM Why was this never communicated to us? After they dropped us off in Sorento, we had to wait while they went and picked up the other group who were staying in a hotel in Sorrento. This took an additional 30 minutes where we were just waiting while they picked up the other passengers. The other passengers arrived and had booked a completely different tour from us. They were to be dropped off at a different port in Capri and had land excursions booked which they weren’t provided. Neither of us received the tour we signed up for. The Boat - I have searched Guiliani’s website and can not find a boat similar to what they provided for this tour. All the boats on their website are exactly what we were expecting. The boat they provided was basically the same type of boat they use for water taxis along the Amalfi Coast. I am not exaggerating even a little. Our party was stuck behind the counsel of the boat and not really able to see much. These were the only actual 4 seats available. The other party of 4 was in the front of the boat and they were afraid they were going to fall off the boat as there was no real sitting up front. *See other reviews on this site that state the same conditions. They were basically seated in a lounging position holding on to the straps on the edge of the boat without any raised sides. We were never once shown a life jacket and safety did not seem to be a concern at all as they consistently drove the boat too fast (we actually had another boat tell us to slow down and our driver waved and sped up-the other boat then gave us the bird). The group in front consistently was telling the driver to slow down which he never did. On the return to Sorrento at the end of the tour in the middle of the Sea, one of the engine’s alarms went off and shut down because it began to overheat. It was frightening to think that we may be stuck in the middle of the sea with this crew. The Crew- Professional? This was the absolute least professional crew I have ever experienced. It was as if we were on their date and ruining their time together. There were several public displays of affection between the tour guide and the captain. Is this ever professional? The tour guide was a joke. She would point and say this is such and such. She would literally crank up the music and danced as we drove into the grottos. No history, no stories, nothing. I literally could have looked at my google maps and seen the same information. The woman repeatedly became frustrated with the passengers because we took too long to decide whether we wanted to go into the Blue Grotto, when I asked if we would snorkel, and finally at the end of the tour when we asked where we could use the restroom before we got into the van for the hour ride home. The Inclusions - there was no snorkeling gear on the boat and we never were even given the chance to swim. We all had our swimsuits on. Interestingly enough, the other group was dressed very nice and they said they did not have snorkeling on their agenda. Again, some proof that they mixed two groups so they would only have to take one boat out. We were offered no snacks on the boat. We had to ask on the way back for water - it was never offered. Lunch was a small caprese sandwich in a bag. This tour not only didn’t meet any of our expectations, we believe we were moved around to suit Guiliani’s constraints. Changed pickup location from Positano to Sorrento, Changed cruise time from 10:00 to 9:00, changed pick up time from 9:45 in Positano to 7:45 in Praiano. Didn’t provide snorkeling for our group or the correct port and land excursions for the others on the boat. There was not any regard for the passengers safety as he repeatedly drove too fast and without considering the passengers in front who did not have an adequate places to sit and hold on. Guiliani may be a reputable tour operator and it does look like they have plenty of nice boats but we certainly were not on one of them. There were many boats on the water that day doing the same tour. We were the only ones in a boat like we had. The other boats had professionally dressed tour guides giving facts from microphones and driving appropriate speeds for the conditions. We booked this excursion months before our trip through Liberty travel. Liberty in turn used Viator to book with a local company. We trusted both companies to do their research and book with a reputable company. We did not know it would be Guilinani until the day of the tour. We have reached out to both Liberty and Viator and both have denied any wrong doing. We will no longer trust any of these companies for any travel excursions in the future. Do your own research! What was supposed to be a nice relaxing day on a boat turned into a tour from hell.Written 28 October 2023
- vishaldassani0 contributionsAmazing experienceExtremely hospitable and punctual. Had lost my selfie stick. They returned it graciously. Highly recommendedWritten 14 September 2023
- E4231WYanthonyr0 contributionsFerragosto on Amalfi Coast with Giuliani CharterWe had a private boat tour of the Amalfi coast. Our captain, Daniele, was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable of the sites and pointed out some interesting homes along the coast. He brought us to a nice restaurant in Conca dei Marini. Thank you Daniele, and of course Alessio and Salvatore. I highly recommend Giuliani Charter for a great experience.Written 5 September 2023
- 705hesterv0 contributionsCancelled booking, no explanationWe booked this cruise months in advance before our trip to Italy, and was very much looking forward to it. Our whole day was planned around the trip as we travelled from Rome to spend the day in Naples and surrounds. We received only a notification on the service provider app (AFTER 21h00 pm the evening before the trip) that it was cancelled. Because this was in high season, we could not find any other similar trips to book and even the private beaches were packed to capacity when we got to Sorrento that morning. It was a very big disappointment and a waste of precious holiday time. I understand that things happen, but to this day we havnt received so much as an explanation, apology or email about why the trip was cancelled. Very very disappointing.Written 30 July 2023
- 330dannyv0 contributionsDo NOT book here. SCAMThis is a SCAM. There were 9 People waiting at the pick-up point, but a no show. On the phone a lie about the weather. Every other operator was sailing. Do NOT book here!Written 27 July 2023
- Claude-Marie K0 contributionsCapri Private Boat TourThis private tour was an absolutely amazing experience, I would recommend it to anyone who asks what to do while in Sorrento. Our guide was excellent and very friendly, he knew where to go to give us the best experience of Capri, we also had a lovely lunch with an amazing view ! Memories that will last a lifetime.Written 21 July 2023
- 585trishr0 contributionsIf your looking for an authentic Sorrento Italian experienceWe had a wonderful Sunset cruise experience with Salvatore and the crew of Giuliani Charters! If you are looking for an authentic Sorrento Italian experience then this is the charter for you. The boat is a locally made wooden boat and we were only 12 people on board. We saw many other cruise boats ( yes a little bigger) that had up to 100 people squashed in like sardines. The owner Salvatore told us all about the history of the coastal towns and the skipper made sure he found a safe local swimming spot for us which was beautiful. They offered lots of drinks along the way! Make sure you wear you swimmers as you may get splashed if the day is windy but that adds to the fun and adventure!!Written 20 July 2023
- beccasellner0 contributionsMake sure to verify pick up location before booking - listing was wrongThe description's pick up location said Positano, so I booked my ferries and planned my day around that. After booking (and paying), the guide called me saying they are leaving out of Sorrento. That is very far from Positano and the ferries simply did not leave early or late enough to get there on time/make it back to my small village on the Amalfi Coast. While they did have a shuttle bus pick us up in Positano, that caused the boat to start late, and I realized we would not be back to Sorrento until 6:30pm. The last ferry out of Positano to Amalfi left at 6:30pm so there was no way I'd make it back on time. They offered to shuttle us back to Positano but then I still had no way back to my village. Thus, my only option (which the guide suggested) was to take the ferry from Capri back to Amalfi. That caused me to miss the last pat of the boat (including the Blue Grotto). And they did not offer me any sort of refund. I spent $182 to basically be on a boat for an hour and then be dropped off at Capri (where they left all the other guests for 4 hours to explore the island). I thought I'd be on the boat and swimming in the water all day. So a bit of a scam in my opinion but the guides were very nice. The boat driver was also wild and there weren't seats in the front of the boat so I was flopping all over the place and it hurt really bad when we went over waves/big bumps. The next day my whole body hurt terribly!Written 29 June 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.5
30 reviews
Excellent
23
Very good
1
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
4
Elliot G
2 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
I first received a message saying did we still want to go the day before in the evening saying 'did we still want to go?'. I replied saying yes when I saw the next morning. we made our way to sorrento from our hotel only to be called at 1:50 saying it was cancelled (the trip was at 2:30). They asked would we like to reschedule and we said yes Thursday at the same time. We were annoyed most of the afternoon had been wasted and had to quickly come up with a new plan for the day. On the Thursday we made our way down to sorrento from our hotel. We waited at the meeting point but nobody was there. I rang several numbers until I eventually spoke to someone at 2:40 who said sorry it was cancelled (again no reason supplied) and they emailed me yesterday. They didn't. I received nothing more than an apology which isn't good enough considering they wasted 2 afternoons of our holiday. Appalling. Save yourself time and stress and book someone reliable.
Written 6 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear client,
unfortunately tours was cancelled because the rough sea and we apologise that we didn't inform you on time. We hope to see you back the next year and we offert you 20% discount on the service that you will ask.
At your full disposal
Best regards
PR Office
Written 5 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David W
3 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
Please anyone thinking of using this company think again...DON'T use them. They are con people and liars. I won't go into all the details only to say we paid for a 2 hour trip and were robbed by them..anyone using them I say good luck..we have tried emailing them to ask for explanations and a refund but they are too rude to respond. TERRIBLE SERVICE.
Written 11 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear client,
sorry for the delay, but we need time to understand what happened.
The boarding time was at 12:30 and not 12:45 because of coast guard permission. We asked at the coast guard the list or permission of that day and our boat approached at the pier at 12:30.
The tour ends at 14:20 and also for that we have the list of the coast guard for the return.
So, and the end you made 1:50 of the tour. During the tour you have got all the activities promised and so we think that there is no reason for any king of refund.
We are really sorry that you wrote a lot of bad review for our service but on that boat you was with other 8 people and no one underline anything about your complain.
Thank you again to choose us.
We hope that you understand our reason.
Best regards
Written 22 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bozena P
15 contributions
We went as a group of 5 friends for a little boat trip as a part of birthday celebration. Skippers Gaetano and superchatty Antonio were very attentive and listened to our requests. Our idea was to enjoy the trip whilst in the celebratory mood and I have to say it exceeded our expectations! I never seen my sea sick friend enjoying the boat trip so much. We had the best time and we would definitely return!
Thank you Giuliani Charter and see you next time!
Thank you Giuliani Charter and see you next time!
Written 3 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear customer,
thank you very much for choosing our services and for leaving a positive review.
Our goal is always to improve and satisfy our customer in the best possible way in order to bring with them the memory of a good experience.
Remember to suggest our company to your friends, once they come to Italy to enjoy the beauties of Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast.
with regard
Giuliani Charter
Written 19 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Twinkle Toes
2 contributions
Sept 2022 • Friends
Our guide, Harriet and the captain were professional and sincerely gave us a lovely experience. We got to see a unique sea creature and a naval ship! Harriet was informative and attentive. We were given 20 minutes to swim if we wished to do so. Overall a worthy experience!
Written 10 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
awadesphoto
Todmorden, UK11 contributions
Good for a budget trip. Friendly and taken to a nice spot and included a swim in the water. Local history was ok, maybe could have been a little more (ie Vesuvius didn’t get a mention). A great option versus a very expensive trip to Capri but still the price demanded a tad more. We all enjoyed the trip
Written 4 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear customer,
Thank you for your feedback which is really important for us especially to grow and improve more and more.
We are happy to read that your boat trip was pleasant
We will be happy to have you back on board
Best regards
Written 5 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Skateprincess
Dublin, Ireland35 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
The perfect boat trip. Saw lovely coastline. Had a gorgeous swim in deep blue waters. The staff were lovely. Very helpful to our elderly parents who were with us. Highly recommend for a short but perfect trip!
Written 5 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Customer
We thank you for your positive feedback
We are happy to hear that your tour was flawless
we will be happy to have you on board again
Best regards
Written 15 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Duncan M
Bristol, UK4 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
Brilliant. Swim after a slow motor down the coast in a lovely harbour. Attentive service from Roberta and Giuseppe. Visited water falls/spouts and other features you won't see from the bigger boats. Opportunity to see coast close up. Nice personal service. Tipples on the way. Excellent value.
Written 10 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gabip26
Toronto, Canada9 contributions
Aug 2019
We booked a Sorrento coast boat tour, to our amazement we were only two in the boat. It was fantastic, the captain and the guide did a good job to inform and entertain us during the tour. I am extremely surprised this tout is not selling out, not very pricey for the service provided. You must go with it, take it from Sorrento marina, it's wonderful.
Written 26 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elizimiami
Miami Beach, FL50 contributions
We booked this 2 hour boat ride last minute and lucked out . Our hostess Roberta was wonderful and narrated everything we sailed past . There were only 6 of us on the boat which added to it bring a great experience. The waters were calm and we swam and snorkeled for about 20 minutes . Plenty of drinks for everyone . Only question I had was why other two passengers paid 15 euro pp less than us ?
Written 12 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
340krsam
1 contribution
Aug 2022
I booked the 10am tour for 25th August.
We arrived at the port and approached the lady in charge (with a t-shirt saying 'tour guide' or something similar) - she said, quite rudely, "You haven't booked a tour." Obviously, I showed my booking confirmation through Viator.com and she became more and more confused until she realised that she had made a mistake and put us down for the 2pm boat tour instead. She apologised a few times and said there were no spots available on the 10am tour. This booking mix-up was the first mistake by Giuliani Charter.
The lady then told us to come at 2pm for the boat tour, but I wasn't happy because that would mean waiting 4 hours for a short boat tour, and getting back to our hotel around 5pm after leaving at 9am that morning. As if rectifying her mistaken, she then changed her tune suddenly and told us to come for the 12:30 boat tour instead, and to get to the meeting place at 12:15. Now, my friend and I were a little confused because she had just said 2pm, and was now changing it to 12:30, so we both repeated that a few times to her and said 'Definitely 12:15? Not 2?" and the lady confirmed it. I assumed that she was apologising for her mistake by allowing us to get on the earlier 12:30 boat tour, instead of the 2pm, so I was happy to wait. This was the second mistake that she made.
We had 2 and a half hours to spare, so we decided to sit at the port at a restaurant and order some coffee while we waited. There is pretty much nothing to do in the port by the way.
12:15 rolls around, and we go to the meeting point. 12:30 comes, and no one is there. 12:45. There is no one at the meeting point. I find the mobile number on my booking confirmation and the same lady picks up and tells us that there is no 12:30 boat, there is only a 12pm boat tour. I tell her we both heard her say 12:30 multiple times, and she says 'No, you are wrong. I wouldn't say 12:30 when there is no 12:30 boat tour. Impossible'.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I leave it to you. Do you think that we were lying, 2 tourists who are on their last day in Sorrento and desperately want to go on a boat tour, who had also triple checked with the tour guide that the tour was at 12:30 and both heard the same thing from her, and who were facing the prospect of sitting at the port with literally nothing to do other than squander money on coffee for hours? Or was the tour guide lady lying - bear in mind she had already made a mistake earlier in the day with the booking confirmations, she did not speak English as her first language and to be quite honest, was rather rude?
Was there any incentive for us to lie? To make it easier for you, the port is really quite boring and if we had known that our tour was at 2pm, we would have had around 4 hours between the time we arrived at the port (9:30am that morning) and getting back there for the tour, which we would have spent back in the main town exploring. However, a 12:30pm tour meant we only had 2 hours, and the walk back into town is exhausting and would have been 40 mins there and back again, so it made more sense to sit and wait it out. I think you know who is right.
A very heated argument ensued on the phone, where she told us we were wrong, and we told her we did not mishear and that we simply had no incentive to lie and pretend we heard a 12:30 boat time. She said we could do the 2pm boat tour, which would have been a very long wait, so my friend and I decided that we would only do it if we received some form of compensation for the 2 mistakes that had happened already. The lady refused, and said 'You can have the tour or the refund. You can't have both' - ridiculous! It seems like they've never heard of customer service in their lives. Our last day on holiday would be spent sitting about at the port doing literally nothing all because this lady made several errors, and she absolutely refused to give us any form of compensation?
We asked to speak to someone else from Giuliani Charter, and it seemed she had told him that we were lying because he was convinced that she had said 2pm to us, not 12:30, even though he wasn't there. He also refused to listen to us properly or offer a refund or even some kind of discount (which we would have taken!).
I called Viator and tried to get it sorted, and they couldn't do anything either so we decided to take the refund. Quite frankly, I didn't want to get on a boat with such a rude character and after all this arguing.
This ruined our last day in Sorrento, and really ruined our holiday. I find it surprising that Giuliani Charter has any positive reviews at all with the appalling customer experience that we had, and with that tour guide who seemingly cannot take any form of criticism or own up to anything at all. I say if your English is not the best, that's absolutely fine - just own up to your mistake and offer your customers some compensation! Absolutely ridiculous, and the way she spoke to us on the phone was appalling.
Having seen how they respond to other negative reviews, I assume they'll just take the tour guide's side and say she never said 12:30 to us. There's nothing I can do about it, but all I can do is repeat what I said earlier - I booked for 10am and she messed it up. We verbally confirmed the 12:30 boat tour with her multiple times. We had no incentive to sit about waiting for the wrong boat time - if we had known the tour was at 2pm, we would have left the port to explore the town and saved money spent on coffee. She refused to acknowledge that she might have made a mistake, argued with both of us on the phone, told her colleague that we were wrong, refused to give us any form of compensation and was incredibly rude the whole time.
I would never recommend this tour or this company to anyone else. Spend a bit more and have a good experience - don't have your last day in Italy and your entire trip ruined by Giuliani Charter.
We arrived at the port and approached the lady in charge (with a t-shirt saying 'tour guide' or something similar) - she said, quite rudely, "You haven't booked a tour." Obviously, I showed my booking confirmation through Viator.com and she became more and more confused until she realised that she had made a mistake and put us down for the 2pm boat tour instead. She apologised a few times and said there were no spots available on the 10am tour. This booking mix-up was the first mistake by Giuliani Charter.
The lady then told us to come at 2pm for the boat tour, but I wasn't happy because that would mean waiting 4 hours for a short boat tour, and getting back to our hotel around 5pm after leaving at 9am that morning. As if rectifying her mistaken, she then changed her tune suddenly and told us to come for the 12:30 boat tour instead, and to get to the meeting place at 12:15. Now, my friend and I were a little confused because she had just said 2pm, and was now changing it to 12:30, so we both repeated that a few times to her and said 'Definitely 12:15? Not 2?" and the lady confirmed it. I assumed that she was apologising for her mistake by allowing us to get on the earlier 12:30 boat tour, instead of the 2pm, so I was happy to wait. This was the second mistake that she made.
We had 2 and a half hours to spare, so we decided to sit at the port at a restaurant and order some coffee while we waited. There is pretty much nothing to do in the port by the way.
12:15 rolls around, and we go to the meeting point. 12:30 comes, and no one is there. 12:45. There is no one at the meeting point. I find the mobile number on my booking confirmation and the same lady picks up and tells us that there is no 12:30 boat, there is only a 12pm boat tour. I tell her we both heard her say 12:30 multiple times, and she says 'No, you are wrong. I wouldn't say 12:30 when there is no 12:30 boat tour. Impossible'.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I leave it to you. Do you think that we were lying, 2 tourists who are on their last day in Sorrento and desperately want to go on a boat tour, who had also triple checked with the tour guide that the tour was at 12:30 and both heard the same thing from her, and who were facing the prospect of sitting at the port with literally nothing to do other than squander money on coffee for hours? Or was the tour guide lady lying - bear in mind she had already made a mistake earlier in the day with the booking confirmations, she did not speak English as her first language and to be quite honest, was rather rude?
Was there any incentive for us to lie? To make it easier for you, the port is really quite boring and if we had known that our tour was at 2pm, we would have had around 4 hours between the time we arrived at the port (9:30am that morning) and getting back there for the tour, which we would have spent back in the main town exploring. However, a 12:30pm tour meant we only had 2 hours, and the walk back into town is exhausting and would have been 40 mins there and back again, so it made more sense to sit and wait it out. I think you know who is right.
A very heated argument ensued on the phone, where she told us we were wrong, and we told her we did not mishear and that we simply had no incentive to lie and pretend we heard a 12:30 boat time. She said we could do the 2pm boat tour, which would have been a very long wait, so my friend and I decided that we would only do it if we received some form of compensation for the 2 mistakes that had happened already. The lady refused, and said 'You can have the tour or the refund. You can't have both' - ridiculous! It seems like they've never heard of customer service in their lives. Our last day on holiday would be spent sitting about at the port doing literally nothing all because this lady made several errors, and she absolutely refused to give us any form of compensation?
We asked to speak to someone else from Giuliani Charter, and it seemed she had told him that we were lying because he was convinced that she had said 2pm to us, not 12:30, even though he wasn't there. He also refused to listen to us properly or offer a refund or even some kind of discount (which we would have taken!).
I called Viator and tried to get it sorted, and they couldn't do anything either so we decided to take the refund. Quite frankly, I didn't want to get on a boat with such a rude character and after all this arguing.
This ruined our last day in Sorrento, and really ruined our holiday. I find it surprising that Giuliani Charter has any positive reviews at all with the appalling customer experience that we had, and with that tour guide who seemingly cannot take any form of criticism or own up to anything at all. I say if your English is not the best, that's absolutely fine - just own up to your mistake and offer your customers some compensation! Absolutely ridiculous, and the way she spoke to us on the phone was appalling.
Having seen how they respond to other negative reviews, I assume they'll just take the tour guide's side and say she never said 12:30 to us. There's nothing I can do about it, but all I can do is repeat what I said earlier - I booked for 10am and she messed it up. We verbally confirmed the 12:30 boat tour with her multiple times. We had no incentive to sit about waiting for the wrong boat time - if we had known the tour was at 2pm, we would have left the port to explore the town and saved money spent on coffee. She refused to acknowledge that she might have made a mistake, argued with both of us on the phone, told her colleague that we were wrong, refused to give us any form of compensation and was incredibly rude the whole time.
I would never recommend this tour or this company to anyone else. Spend a bit more and have a good experience - don't have your last day in Italy and your entire trip ruined by Giuliani Charter.
Written 31 August 2022
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