Help port of call change to Palermo, Sicily

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seaboundagain

Guest
My husband and I are traveling on a med cruise in a few months. On
our anniversary, our ship was going to make a stop in Naples. We'd
decided to spend the day on the Amalfi coast, visiting Sorrento,
Positano, and Amalfi -- a nice anniversary excursion. Now, our ship
has canceled the Naples stop, and substituted a stop in Palermo,
Sicily instead.

Since this is our anniversary, I'd like to go somewhere that is quaint
and romantic. I've just started researching the surrounding areas,
and see that Cefalu seems nice. I thought about spending most of our
day in Cefalu, while reserving a little time in the late afternoon for
exploring Palermo. Any thoughts? Has anyone gone to Cefalu? If so,
have you traveled by train from Palermo to Cefalu? It looks like
there are hourly trains between the cities, but I'm not sure about
their reliability. For that reason, we might consider booking the
ship's excursion to Cefalu. I would just prefer to be on our own for
our special day. Any other thoughts about what to do?

In advance, many thanks!
 
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ShipMaven

Guest
A belated welcome to Cruise @ddicts!

I've been through Cefalu', but have not stayed there. The dominating feature of the town is its historic church. Public transportation throughout Italy and Sicily can be rather "iffy", and my advice to anyone straying from close proximity to where you dock is to take the ship's excursion. That way, if your return is delayed, the cruise line is reponsible. If you wander away on your own and miss the departure, you're on your own to get to the next port at your expense. You don't want to spend an otherwise wonderful anniversary concerned about getting back to the ship. I realize it's a trade off for togetherness during the day, but I think it's worth it. You can always have that togetherness once you return to the ship! ;)

Palermo itself is also a very historic city in terms of Italian culture, so leaving enough time to explore that city - if possible - is wise.

Have a great cruise. And Happy Anniversary.
 
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seaboundagain

Guest
Thanks so much for your advice (and anniversary wishes), ShipMaven. I'm looking forward to the trip!
 
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