Who they are
Cruise & Snorkel Amalfi Coast is the trading name of Gambardella Vision SRL, based at Via F.M. Pansa 1 in Amalfi. The business started in 2010, founded by Antonio Gambardella, and sits within a small local group that also includes Amalfi Kayak, Amalfi Watersport and Amalfi Gardens.
The model differs from most operators in this section: you do not hire the boat, you buy a seat. Departures are shared but capped at a stated ten or twelve passengers, which puts them a long way from the big group tours that fill forty-seat craft. It is the compromise that makes the Amalfi Coast reachable for two people without spending eight hundred euro on a private boat.
One note to avoid confusion: TripAdvisor carries a product listing called "Snorkeling & Cruise Amalfi Coast", rated 1.0 out of 5 from two reviews, which is supplied by Amalfi Boat Tour Srl of Maiori. It has nothing to do with this operator.
Where you sail from
The main departure is the Darsena in Amalfi, the inner basin on the western side of the harbour, two minutes on foot from the cathedral and from the SITA bus terminus in Piazza Flavio Gioia. It is one of the easiest meeting points on the coast: you arrive, walk down to the quay and step aboard.
There are also departures from Marina Grande in Positano — the ferry jetty at the eastern end of the Spiaggia Grande — and from the Sorrento marina. If you are staying in Ravello, Atrani or Minori, Amalfi remains the most convenient: the SITA terminus is on the harbour itself.
In Amalfi, trips leave from the Darsena, a short walk from the bus terminus.
The fleet
Fibreglass Amalfitan gozzi between ten and twelve metres, with a WC and shower aboard and shaded areas, carrying ten or twelve passengers. Individual names and models are not stated, but the functional details are — and those matter more when you are buying a seat rather than the boat.
The toilet and the shade are not minor points. On an eight-hour day to Capri in August they are the difference between an enjoyable trip and one to be endured. It is worth asking which boat is scheduled for your date if you burn easily or are travelling with small children.
Tours and prices
The catalogue covers Amalfi Coast highlights from Amalfi in four hours, the island of Capri from Amalfi in eight hours, a two-hour sunset trip, highlights from Positano in four hours and Capri from Sorrento in six.
Prices are published, and they are per person — which here counts as news. Read on the official site: the coast highlights start at 98 euro per person at the advance rate, Capri at 179 euro per person, and the sunset trip costs 89 euro against a list price of 99. No price was shown for the Positano and Sorrento departures. The operator is also resold by third parties: The Tour Guy lists the same kind of trip at 166.80 dollars per person, useful as a benchmark.
Included are an English-speaking captain and guide, snorkelling gear, life jackets, beer, soft drinks and water, fruit, prosecco and limoncello. Grotto tickets and lunch are excluded. The season runs from April or May to October.
Booking and cancellation
You book online by card through the operator's own site, or by phone on +39 331 790 5933, or by email. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure; inside 24 hours, or for a no-show, there is no refund. If the operator cancels for sea conditions, the refund is full or the trip is moved.
That is a notable term, because it matches what the big platforms offer. Booking direct here costs you nothing in flexibility, which is not the case with most private operators on this coast.
What reviewers say
The numbers are strong and, more importantly, consistent with each other: TripAdvisor shows 5.0 out of 5 from 759 reviews, with a Travellers' Choice award in 2022 and Hall of Fame in 2021; Google shows 4.9 out of 5 from 755 reviews (recorded via Wanderlog). Two independent sources agreeing is worth far more than one very high number.
The recurring positive themes: friendly, well-informed captains and guides; small groups; several stops between swims and caves; generous drinks and fruit; comfortable boats with a toilet; and an easy meeting point.
The negative themes deserve attention because they are specific and useful. The most frequent concerns the name itself: for many reviewers the "snorkelling" is a swim with a mask during the stops rather than a guided activity, and anyone expecting an instructor-led route is disappointed. Reviewers also report masks that fit poorly, a price they consider high, and crowding at the best-known stops at the height of summer. These are reported by reviewers rather than verified by us, but they recur consistently enough to take seriously when setting your expectations.
Grotto entry tickets are not included in the tour price.
Direct or through GetYourGuide
This is one of the rare cases where booking direct costs you nothing in flexibility: the 24-hour free cancellation is already there, the price is visible before you contact anyone, and the advance rate is below the list price.
GetYourGuide still appeals for three reasons: you can hold the date and pay later, you have support in your own language if something goes wrong, and above all you can compare dozens of similar products side by side with ratings and review counts on view. The Amalfi Coast and Positano tour with snorkelling and drinks and the Amalfi tour with caves and drinks are the closest comparisons in the same price band, while the Amalfi boat tour catalogue shows everything else leaving from the harbour.
Alternatives
If you would rather have the boat to yourselves, Diamond Cruises Amalfi runs private charters only from the same area, and Amalfi Coast Dream covers the same routes from Sorrento with a larger fleet. For a private trip from Positano in shorter formats, look at Boat Experience Positano.
Our guides to snorkelling on the Amalfi Coast, the overview of boat tours, departures from Positano and the sea caves explain what to expect from each format, and the operator index collects every review.