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Naples/Capri concern


cruz4natic
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Hi all...we are trying to decide on "Capri on your own" through Celebrity, from Naples or to actually do it on our own getting tickets after we disembark. We can pre-purchase tickets on line also, but not sure that is good in case the ship arrives later than scheduled. Also, our main concern would be not being able to get back to Naples from Capri because of rough seas. Has anyone ever had a problem returning from Capri on your own? We will be there Oct 21 which is a Sat. We can buy return trip ahead of time also. Please let me know if worrying about returning on time from Capri is valid, if so, we will purchase the tour from Celebrity. TIA :)

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It's pretty rare that bad weather comes up suddenly; you'll know in the morning what the forecast is and if it doesn't look good you can adjust your plans. Fortunately there is much to see and do right in Naples if you can't make it to Capri.

 

There is no need to pay more through the cruise line, it's very easy to walk over to Molo Beverello, adjacent to the cruise port, and buy a ticket on the next boat heading to Capri.

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I don't remember ever reading here of someone getting stranded on Capri due to bad weather. I HAVE heard of the ferries not running altogether -- but if that happened you probably wouldn't get to Capri to start with.

 

I think euro cruiser's idea is a sound one. You are going late in the season, so there is slightly more potential of rainy or windy weather -- why not wait and see what it's like before deciding? If you book the ship tour and it's miserable weather, you won't really enjoy Capri anyway...

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It's pretty rare that bad weather comes up suddenly; you'll know in the morning what the forecast is and if it doesn't look good you can adjust your plans. Fortunately there is much to see and do right in Naples if you can't make it to Capri.

 

There is no need to pay more through the cruise line, it's very easy to walk over to Molo Beverello, adjacent to the cruise port, and buy a ticket on the next boat heading to Capri.

Thank you euro cruiser. It is looking like the more we read we may wait. I like your idea of checking weather for the day the closer we approach Naples on the cruise. Hopefully ferries won't sell out. Thanks for the info. [emoji4]

 

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We have been doing the Naples-Capri thing for about 35 years on numerous cruises :). It is a day-trip for which we lose little sleep or do any pre-cruise planning. Once the ship docks we walk off the ship, and if the weather looks good we simply walk over to the ferry port (Molo Beverello) and purchase tickets on the next boat. Since there are two different companies (who do not accept each other's tickets) we simply buy our ticket on whichever company has the next boat. Once we reach Capri we stop at the little ticket office (located right at the end of the pier) where they post a daily combined schedule of all the return boats. We immediately buy our return ticket on the boat that best meets our schedule (we like to be back in Naples at least an hour before we must be on the ship)...without regard to which company is running the boat.

 

If the weather is not favorable on our port day we simply skip the Capri trip and do other things. There are so many options in Naples (and the region) that we have never been bored on more then 2 dozen visits...plus a couple of extended land/driving visits.

 

Hank

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Thank you cruisemom42. I think the more we read the more we are thinking of waiting. I know if we book with the cruise line they will refund our money if we can not go, but they are more expensive. I just hope ferries are not already sold out. Not sure if that's a problem also. Thanks for the advice. [emoji4]

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Forums mobile app

 

In the latter half of October I think there is less risk of the ferries selling out than in the summer months. You should be fine. (Unless of course you are in port with four other ships all full of do-it-yourselfers. :')

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We have been doing the Naples-Capri thing for about 35 years on numerous cruises :). It is a day-trip for which we lose little sleep or do any pre-cruise planning. Once the ship docks we walk off the ship, and if the weather looks good we simply walk over to the ferry port (Molo Beverello) and purchase tickets on the next boat. Since there are two different companies (who do not accept each other's tickets) we simply buy our ticket on whichever company has the next boat. Once we reach Capri we stop at the little ticket office (located right at the end of the pier) where they post a daily combined schedule of all the return boats. We immediately buy our return ticket on the boat that best meets our schedule (we like to be back in Naples at least an hour before we must be on the ship)...without regard to which company is running the boat.

 

If the weather is not favorable on our port day we simply skip the Capri trip and do other things. There are so many options in Naples (and the region) that we have never been bored on more then 2 dozen visits...plus a couple of extended land/driving visits.

 

Hank

Thank you Hank! If you wait to get your return ticket after you arrive in Capri, have you ever had a difficult time with return ferries bring sold out?? That would be our worry. We also would want yo return at least an hour before we need to be back on board. I guess I will need to do some research on other options of what to do in Naples in case of bad weather. We have concentrated so much on Capri.

 

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If you wait to get your return ticket after you arrive in Capri, have you ever had a difficult time with return ferries bring sold out?
I'm sure Hank will answer for himself but I can tell you that it's never been a problem if you purchase in the morning when you arrive on the island. The issue is when you wait until you want to hop on the boat and try to buy it then.

 

For those concerned about tickets purchased on line, the ferry companies will only sell a percentage of space that way, they always hold out a significant portion of every crossing for walk up passengers.

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I'm sure Hank will answer for himself but I can tell you that it's never been a problem if you purchase in the morning when you arrive on the island. The issue is when you wait until you want to hop on the boat and try to buy it then.

 

For those concerned about tickets purchased on line, the ferry companies will only sell a percentage of space that way, they always hold out a significant portion of every crossing for walk up passengers.

 

You can speak for me...most times :). I think we have both been careful (over the years) to recommend that folks purchase their return tickets as soon as they arrive on the island. It is very convenient to do as you walk off the pier.

 

Hank

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Ah, thank you euro cruiser. We were wondering if by the time we got to Capri if ferries would be sold out. Did not realize only a certain amount of tickets would be sold on line. Makes sense. Save room for walk up customers. ☺

 

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I will just say when we got to the ticket window at 7:15 AM, the 8:05 Am Was already sold out. The next ferry was at 9:10 AM. However, this was last week, during the height of the season.

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I will just say when we got to the ticket window at 7:15 AM, the 8:05 Am Was already sold out. The next ferry was at 9:10 AM. However, this was last week, during the height of the season.

 

Hmm, that is worth knowing. However you will still have got to Capri nice and early.

 

To reassure the OP - this was high season. There would have been people travelling to Capri for their holidays.

 

Despite the fact that when you get there you will see that Capri is just the sort of place that you would choose if you had to be stranded anywhere, as long as you do buy your return ticket as advised (and be generous in your timing), there is no doubt that you will get back to the ship.

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  • 1 month later...
Will the ferry to Capri be running in November?

 

Yes, but with less frequency. Also be aware that in November you will start to see hotel/restaurant/shop closures for the winter. The later in November, the more places will be closed. And November is not generally the best weather of the year.

 

Hank

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Thanks. Is it worth the visit, or is everything closed down?

 

We experienced a beautiful day there around mid-November. Fair warning I am not a shopper but it didn't seem to me that many things were closed down. We took a scenic walk up to the Villa Jovis (which belonged to emperor Tiberius) and enjoyed a picnic lunch there. Then we headed to Anacapri and visited the Casa Rossa, which has a very interesting history and some Roman sculptures recovered from the sea. Ended the afternoon hiking from Anacapri over to the (scanty) remains of another Roman villa, Villa Damecuta.

 

It was a great fall day -- sunny, not too hot, and of course not crowded with tourists.

 

Edited to add: If you are worried about the weather, don't pre-purchase tickets. You can decide on the day of arrival whether or not the weather looks promising. If it's rainy, you can opt for something else. (Like the wonderful Archaeological Museum in Naples with all the finds from Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other sites).

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We experienced a beautiful day there around mid-November. Fair warning I am not a shopper but it didn't seem to me that many things were closed down. We took a scenic walk up to the Villa Jovis (which belonged to emperor Tiberius) and enjoyed a picnic lunch there. Then we headed to Anacapri and visited the Casa Rossa, which has a very interesting history and some Roman sculptures recovered from the sea. Ended the afternoon hiking from Anacapri over to the (scanty) remains of another Roman villa, Villa Damecuta.

 

It was a great fall day -- sunny, not too hot, and of course not crowded with tourists.

 

Edited to add: If you are worried about the weather, don't pre-purchase tickets. You can decide on the day of arrival whether or not the weather looks promising. If it's rainy, you can opt for something else. (Like the wonderful Archaeological Museum in Naples with all the finds from Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other sites).

 

Sounds like a perfect day. We will wait to see how the weather is. We have two stops in Naples on a 42 cruise, so maybe we will luck out.

Thanks Hank and Cruise mom

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  • 3 weeks later...
We are also looking at doing Capri on our own, your information has been great. We will be on a cruise in October and would like to see The Blue Grotto, is it easy enough to find once on Capri?

 

Very easy. Right next to where the ferries come in is a small harbor where the boats depart for the Blue Grotto. Be aware that you will likely have to get into a smaller boat to actually get in to the grotto -- and will be expected to pay an additional amount for that.

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Very easy. Right next to where the ferries come in is a small harbor where the boats depart for the Blue Grotto. Be aware that you will likely have to get into a smaller boat to actually get in to the grotto -- and will be expected to pay an additional amount for that.

Thank you!

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It is easy to get there from Marina Grande, where you arrive on the ferry.

 

You can also reach the grotto from Anacapri by taking a bus and then walking down some stairs to the beach.

 

There is lots of detailed information here (scroll down past the ads to find the DIY information): https://www.capri.net/en/s/la-grotta-azzurra

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You will enjoy Capri much more in October or November, as it's not overrun with tourists a. In high summer July and August it can be very unpleasant as nowhere to go to escape numbers, just getting a coffee or ice cream can take for ever .The funicular up from the port to Capri town the queues can be horrendous. Same for boats to the blue grotto.

Definitely a place to go out of season, to see the beauty and take in its charms. Equally the weather in the autumn is usually less oppressive, the odd shop closed no real problem.

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