Safety in Naples

[A_Driver]

Hi everybody, I do tours from the port of Naples. I am not here to promote though, as I luckly already get enough business and there is already too many limo businesses promoting (even here on cc) under false names.

I am writing here to warn visitors coming to this amazing beautiful area NOT to wear jewelry and particularly NO ROLEX!!! when getting off the ship into the port expecially when walking straight into the city of Naples by themselves. You DON'T want to impress anybody in that area. You would only get the wrong people attention! Yesterday another American tourist has been dragged to the ground and hurt as thieves were stealing his GOLD ROLEX. I don't believe in hiding facts pretending everything is alright, so I'd rather share the info hoping common sense and information will prevent episodes like this.

This area has so much beauty, history great food and nice people.

Be safe and enjoy your visit!

[hylasgirl]

Thanks for the posting.

[roscoe39]

Hi everybody, I do tours from the port of Naples. I am not here to promote though, as I luckly already get enough business and there is already too many limo businesses promoting (even here on cc) under false names.

I am writing here to warn visitors coming to this amazing beautiful area NOT to wear jewelry and particularly NO ROLEX!!! when getting off the ship into the port expecially when walking straight into the city of Naples by themselves. You DON'T want to impress anybody in that area. You would only get the wrong people attention! Yesterday another American tourist has been dragged to the ground and hurt as thieves were stealing his GOLD ROLEX. I don't believe in hiding facts pretending everything is alright, so I'd rather share the info hoping common sense and information will prevent episodes like this.

This area has so much beauty, history great food and nice people.

Be safe and enjoy your visit!

 

 

an appreciated warning for readers.

This happened to me about 6 years ago. I was in a crowded Piazza with a number of people within 6 feet of me and I lost an inherited Rolex that had incredible sentimental value. I was told by the Police that I was lucky that I wasnt stabbed as they do that to distract you while they escape.

A lesson well learnt.

But you still live in a beautiful city... and I have been back twice since with another visit this year......(minus any jewelery).

Grazie mille amico mio

[Keith1010]

Thank you for posting this. I agree with you 100% as this has been our experience.

 

We've known people who have disregarded this advice saying their jewelry is insured but we say your life isn't.

 

We know someone wearing a Rolex who should have known better and two guys on Motor Bikes came right at her and yanked the Rolex off her risk.

 

We leave all jewelry on the ship in other than a very inexpensive sports watch that I wear.

 

 

Keith

[KirkNC]

And not to let Naples get painted with a bad brush, this advice applies to any city of any size in the world.

 

Kirk

[D4]

...We leave all jewelry on the ship in other than a very inexpensive sports watch that I wear. Keith

 

I go one step further and leave all my jewelry at home when we travel. I wear a plain wedding band and a Timex watch.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

It is interesting that you posted this. I have been to Naples three time and in the 1980s I was a kid and probably felt very safe in general but I could see that Naples was poorer that other cities in Italy. When I went back the second time in 2002 I felt very vulnerable in the train station, just not safe at all and no one spoke English, which is not the case in other areas of Italy. I did not feel safe there at all. When I went in 2007 we did a tour but when I saw how poor the city looked from the ship, I was glad that we weren't having to walk through the city. The tour buses pick up out front and I was glad of this.

 

So when people try to sell others on the idea that Naples is fine. No problem. I am really reluctant to say this. Nothing bad happened to me but I did not feel safe there. I live in Baltimore one of the worst crime cities in the US so am no stranger to danger. I can only imagine that with the recession Naples is even worse than when I was there in 2007.

[riffatsea]

I am looking forward to my visit to Naples in September. I do not wear flashy jewelry when I travel.

The city is so rich with things to see that I am having trouble planning 3 full days there! I will write about it when I return. It will certainly be a different experience than my visits to northern Italy but that is why I am going!

[cruisemom42]

I am looking forward to my visit to Naples in September. I do not wear flashy jewelry when I travel.

The city is so rich with things to see that I am having trouble planning 3 full days there! I will write about it when I return. It will certainly be a different experience than my visits to northern Italy but that is why I am going!

 

I will look forward to hearing your report. What are you planning? I'm hoping to spend a week in Sorrento next spring, but will be into and out of Naples sightseeing (mainly interested in the ancient Roman sites in the region....)

[Aviator of the Seas]

FYI, the tourist in question was from the U.S. (Puerto Rico). Two thieves in a motorcycle with the license plate covered tried to yank his Rolex off. He resisted and was thrown to the ground, suffering a serious head injury. He had to be operated on and is fighting for his life.

 

If you can read Spanish:

 

http://www.elnuevodia.com/malheridoturistaboricuaennapoles-970479.html

[riffatsea]

Cruisemom, The friend with whom I am traveling has been to Sorrento many times but never stayed IN Naples. This time we are staying there 3 days, then Ischia 2 days. She thought she'd go back to Sorrento afterwards to her favorite hotel there but the research we have done about Naples has made her change her mind. She decided to spend another 3-4 days there after I leave!!

We are now discussing which sites to see together and which she will see on her own.I am already planning a 2nd visit in my mind.

[CtheW0rld]

Hi everybody, I do tours from the port of Naples. I am not here to promote though, as I luckly already get enough business and there is already too many limo businesses promoting (even here on cc) under false names.

I am writing here to warn visitors coming to this amazing beautiful area NOT to wear jewelry and particularly NO ROLEX!!! when getting off the ship into the port expecially when walking straight into the city of Naples by themselves. You DON'T want to impress anybody in that area. You would only get the wrong people attention! Yesterday another American tourist has been dragged to the ground and hurt as thieves were stealing his GOLD ROLEX. I don't believe in hiding facts pretending everything is alright, so I'd rather share the info hoping common sense and information will prevent episodes like this.

This area has so much beauty, history great food and nice people.

Be safe and enjoy your visit!

 

this should be common sense wherever you travel. don't make yourself a target.

 

i agree, too, about naples being a nice place. been there 3 times now.

[4774Papa]

Thank you for posting this. I agree with you 100% as this has been our experience.

 

We've known people who have disregarded this advice saying their jewelry is insured but we say your life isn't.

 

We know someone wearing a Rolex who should have known better and two guys on Motor Bikes came right at her and yanked the Rolex off her risk.

 

We leave all jewelry on the ship in other than a very inexpensive sports watch that I wear.

 

 

Keith

I was in Madrid in the 80s and a woman had a large gold chain necklace that a guy on a motor scooter came by and grabbed her necklace dragging her down the street, eventually putting her in the hospital.

[Keith1010]

One needs to be very careful in cities all across the world. I always think more so as a tourist because there is always the chance of walking in undesirable areas and also the reality that we stick out more as tourists.

 

With that said all cities are not created equal. In the USA clearly Cedar Rapids is not the same as Los Angeles.

 

And when we travel the world there are some cities with more problems than other area. Examples, include Naples, Barcelona, Rio, Buenos Aires just to name a few.

 

We do leave our jewelry on the ship, and what we carry in the way of money/credit/debit card(s) does vary based on what city we are visiting. And, we try to be what I call street smart and observant and try not to let our guard down.

 

Keith

[CtheW0rld]

With that said all cities are not created equal. In the USA clearly Cedar Rapids is not the same as Los Angeles.

 

 

Keith

 

funny you should mention cedar rapids. a few nights ago a cabbie was murdered after picking up a fare.

 

i was born and raised there (but no longer live there) and there are parts of town i would not want to be walking around in. crime is everywhere.

[Keith1010]

Of course crime is everywhere but the reality is that it is more prevalent in some cities and ports of call than other places. We don't see the same level of crime in Sorento as we do in Naples. And we don't see the same level of crime in say the tourist areas of Sydney, Australia as we do in say Rio. That doesn't mean that there isn't crime in Sorento but it is far less prevalent than in other places.

 

I didn't live in Cedar but actually spent a good teal of time there on business. Yes, there are some problems in part of the town.

 

Keith

[wcook]

With that said all cities are not created equal. In the USA clearly Cedar Rapids is not the same as Los Angeles.

Random stuff found on the intenet

 

2006 Crime Statistics

 

Murder per 100,000 people: LA = 12.4; Cedar Rapids = 4.8

Forcable Rape per 100,000 people: LA = 27.3; Cedar Rapids = 31.5

Burglaries per 100,000 people: LA = 524.8; Cedar Rapids = 900.0

 

Often, our views on the amount of crime in a city is based more on preception and reputation than on fact.

[4774Papa]

Has Cedar Rapids had a significant demographic change in recent years?

[KirkNC]

Random stuff found on the intenet

 

2006 Crime Statistics

 

Murder per 100,000 people: LA = 12.4; Cedar Rapids = 4.8

Forcable Rape per 100,000 people: LA = 27.3; Cedar Rapids = 31.5

Burglaries per 100,000 people: LA = 524.8; Cedar Rapids = 900.0

 

Often, our views on the amount of crime in a city is based more on preception and reputation than on fact.

 

Wow, CR is a major crime zone if it beats LA :eek:

 

Kirk

[Keith1010]

Random stuff found on the intenet

 

2006 Crime Statistics

 

Murder per 100,000 people: LA = 12.4; Cedar Rapids = 4.8

Forcable Rape per 100,000 people: LA = 27.3; Cedar Rapids = 31.5

Burglaries per 100,000 people: LA = 524.8; Cedar Rapids = 900.0

 

Often, our views on the amount of crime in a city is based more on preception and reputation than on fact.

 

All I know is I have visited Sorrento and Naples several times. On none of our cruises have I seen first hand or heard of any passenger having any issues in Sorrento (I'm not saying there aren't issues) but I did see first hand and also heard of others having problems in Naples. There is a difference between those cities.

 

And there is a difference between Cedar Rapid and Los Angeles. And if that was not the right one then there is a difference between Ames, Iowa and Los Angeles.

 

All cities are not the same.

 

Keith

[4774Papa]

I live on coastal Georgia and Saint Simons Island has a very low crime rate, but on the mainland, Brunswick is not. There is an area in Brunswick that I won't drive through during the daytime.

The problem when you are overseas is that you don't know the bad areas unless you do research. I remember when I was in Paris on one trip there that I wanted to go to see the oldest cathedral in Europe at St. Denis. No taxi driver would take me there in the day. I was told that it was not a good place to be.

[LauraS]

Hi everybody, I do tours from the port of Naples. I am not here to promote though, as I luckly already get enough business and there is already too many limo businesses promoting (even here on cc) under false names.

 

 

Why don't you send me an email with the information. community@cruisecritic.com.

[iancal]

We in the UK recently at the time when those 2 British men were murdered in the FLL-MIA area. Lots of bad press but people soon forget and move on.

[easy spirit]

Being said that it was very imprudent of this gentleman to be wearing a Rolex watch while visiting Naples, IMO this city is among the most dangerous we have visited.

The same exact situation happened to us in Naples around 8 years ago.... the watch was stolen but fortunately we had NO physical harm.

This gentleman is from my home country. A very loved & well known ex- political person. Today the the local newspaper, radio & TV shows have presented interviews with relatives. It's very sad that a vacation turns into a nightmare. My thoughts & prayers goes to those persons.

[soccer71]

Thanks for letting us know