Naples to Pompeii costs €3.50 on the local train. Cruise lines charge €164 per person for the same journey. Here's the full data.
PortTrip Quick Answer
Direct Answer
Cruise line excursions average 312%–1,950% above the cost of the equivalent independent route across major Mediterranean ports. The most extreme example is the Naples → Pompeii train: €3.50 locally vs €164 on a cruise excursion.
Key Numbers
1,950%
Naples markup
highest recorded
312%+
Average markup
across 6 ports
€143
Avg saving/port
per person
6
Ports analysed
Mediterranean
Risk Level
Low risk to go independentMost Common Mistake
Assuming the ship excursion price reflects the true cost of the experience. In the vast majority of cases, the same destination is accessible independently for under €15 per person.
What Locals Do
Locals use the same public transport tourists can use: Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii, Metro in Athens, Bus 150 in Barcelona, Trenitalia from Civitavecchia. All take credit cards.
Bottom Line
The average Mediterranean cruise passenger overpays by €800–1,200 per couple across a 7-port itinerary by booking ship excursions instead of going independently.
Ship price vs local cost
Naples → Pompeii
1,950% ship markup
Barcelona city tour
1,500% ship markup
Rome → Colosseum
1,285% ship markup
Athens → Acropolis
1,320% ship markup
Dubrovnik Old Town
1,357% ship markup
Santorini cable car + tour
655% ship markup
Ship prices reflect per-person average for the standard half-day cruise excursion. Local costs reflect the equivalent public transport or independently bookable route. Source: PortTrip research 2025–2026.
More cruise pricing intelligence
Most overpriced excursions by portCruise port tourist trap indexCruise excursion pricing databaseHidden costs of port daysSavings calculator (interactive)How much do cruise lines mark up excursions?
PortTrip research shows cruise line excursions are marked up between 312% and 1,950% above the cost of the equivalent independent route. The Naples to Pompeii route is the most extreme example: cruise lines charge an average of €164 per person; the Circumvesuviana train costs €3.50.
Are cruise excursion prices justified?
Cruise excursion prices reflect convenience, guaranteed return timing, and the cost of running large-scale group logistics. However, for the majority of major Mediterranean ports with reliable public transport, the independent route achieves the same experience at 5–20% of the ship excursion price.
See exactly how much you're overpaying on your ports
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