How much time needed to see Capri?

[cruisemuse13]

I will be cruising on the Quest in October and we have 2 days in Sorrento. The first day we will be touring the Amalfi coast. On the second day I wanted to go to Capri, and thought I would use my OBC to book a ship excursion since we have an earlier departure of 4:00.

(I have read some previous threads that have advised against going to

capri the second day because the weather in October can be rough and the ferry cancelled . which is why I wanted to go with the ship tour) However, today, when I checked for the shore excursion to Capri, it is only offered on the first day, and not the second.

 

So my question is for any previous cruisers to Sorrento. Is it feasible to see Capri and be back before 4 or is that rushing things too much?? We do want to take the funicular and the chairlift to get to the summit.

 

Thank you for any advice and suggestions.

 

.

[hammerman]

When you arrive in Sorrento, (or even before), you should be able to get a reasonably accurate Marine forecast for the next day or two. While hydrofoils get canceled in rough seas, Ferries usually operate.

 

You should have no problem Getting to Capri and back in time to sail; But if you decide to try:

 

(1) I would get an early start

 

(2) As soon as you get to Marina Grande, take the funicular up to Capri.

 

(3) Don't plan on getting on (a) The last possible funicular back down; or, (b) The last possible ferry

 

(4) Have a working hand-held marine radio or at least a working cell-phone, so you can contact the ship or at least the port agent if there is a problem.

 

We'll be in Sorrento on October 30th and November 1, and I'm thinking of going to Capri -weather permitting.

 

Of course, you also have the option of going to Capri on the first day, then doing the Amalfi Coast by road on the 2nd day.

[suec12]

Well it would be a bit tight for my tastes but I am terribly cautious - so my question is, where is the next stop, just in case? I read several boards, is Az the cruise line that has started fining passengers if the ship waits for them? but at least they might wait! Sorry to be Susie-downer - it is probably do-able but do head over as early as possible. In my experience the ferries / hydrofoils do run on time - sometimes the bus service on the island can be a bit irregular, esp. up to Anacapri. You can't switch the days and do Capri the first day and the tour the second?

[wripro]

I believe the OP said he would use OBC to get a ship's excursion to Capri. In that case, should they tour be late they ship will wait. It's the ONLY advantage to a ship's tour imo.

[Long Reef]

I have just returned from our cruise and we stopped in Sorrento. We stood in line and bought our own tickets for the ferry. While on the ferry queue we were approached by a local 'Capri resident' named Jerry who runs his own little tours. We joined him on his small bus (around 20 people) and enjoyed the sites and his hilarious commentary. He took us around the winding roads, including the corner that he said is locally know as "OMG" at which time he tells you to look to your right and your first reaction is OMG! - it is so scary, but fun. We were taken to the chairlift which we went on, at our own expense. If you didn't want to do the chairlift you could use that time to walk around the shops or take in the scenery. He arranged a time to meet us again at that same spot. From there, he gave us 3 alternatives - a place for lunch, more wandering time at Anacapri or a lift back down to Capri. He provided everyone with a funicular ticket to take them back down to the ferry when they were ready. We had a good day and saw as much as we could with the time available. We made sure we aimed for the second last ferry - just in case. We even had time to catch the shuttle up to town in Sorrento for a quick look.

Oh, and I should mention that Jerry took no money from us until right at the end when he took us back to the funicular and gave us our tickets. So, if you weren't happy, you didn't pay. We were happy.

[cruisemuse13]

Thank you all for your comments.

 

ON the first day in Sorrento, I have already committed to join a group of fellow cruisers who have arranged a private 9 hour tour of the Amalfi coast. so I cannot switch that trip to the second day. ( it does sound like a great day and the cruiser negotiated a good deal for us, so I do not want to back out) The ship does not offer a shore excursion to Capri on the second day, which is what made me worry about the time constraints.

 

LongReef, thank you for the description of your day on Capri, it sounded perfect! Do you remember what time you boarded the ferry for the return trip?

 

I am finding planning my first cruise to Europe much more complcated than my usual trips to the caribbean. The ports offer so much variety!

I find the advice on cruise critic invaluable.

[MesaJandC]

Just returned from Capri last week and had a very similar schedule, two days in Sorrento. The first day we had a private tour of the Amalfi Coast with Francesco Marrapese. He was excellent. Not sure who you booked with but I think going with a small group was a very good choice. It wouldn't be the same in a large bus.

 

The second day we did Capri. We caught an early express ferry (0805 I believe). Once there we bought tickets to take the boat to the blue grotto. If you want to do the blue grotto, go as early as possible as it can get crowded in the afternoon. We had a fun time with this. Just be ready to get nickled and dimed. We bought our tickets to the Blue Grotto for 12 euro I believe and thought this was the entire cost. This was just for the boat to the blue grotto, then had to pay for the row boat, then the entrance fee. It was fun and nice to see some of the coastline up close. Depending upon your interests you could pass on this and have more time to see the sights. There are a lot of tourist type shops, galleries, designer shops, etc.

 

We then bought tickets for the funicular to Capri Town. We walked around there briefly then took the bus up to Anacapri and strolled around and had lunch and did some more strolling. We happened upon the Church of S. Michele Arcangelo (because it was next to the gelato/bakery) and were very happy we did. The entire floor of the church is done in painted tiles depecting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

 

We then took the local bus back down to the Marina and caught a ferry. I don't recall the time of the ferry, but we were back with plenty of time. Be sure to check the ferry schedule online as the schedules begin cutting back as the peak tourism period declines. Have a great trip.

[cruisemuse13]

[. Be sure to check the ferry schedule online as the schedules begin cutting back as the peak tourism period declines. Have a great trip.[/quote]

 

thank you for sharing about your recent trip. I checked the ferry schedule for the trip to Capri and there are a lot of ferries running in the morning. Today I checked for the ferry schedule returning from Capri, and they are not nearly as regular as the morning schedule. It looks like i would need to catch the 1:30 ferry back. the next one isn't until 3:20 which would be too late for a 4:00 sailaway.

 

i was hoping for a ferry around 2:30 but think I am out of luck.:(

[GailnBrad]

Having just returned from our two days in Sorrento on the Quest, my advice would be to NOT try to 'do it all'. Yes, you want to try to maximize your visit and see as much as possible, but not at the expense of being worried, concerned, watching the clock,,,etc, Dont try to do too much. pick one or two highlights and dont rush the rest, Better safe than sorry with the time. The ship will NOT wait for you if you are out on your own. I wouldnt risk it.

[Architect]

sorry, double post due to site seizure!

[Architect]

The highlight of my trip to Capri was the trip up Monte Solaro, including a chair lift over vineyards (the workers shared some grapes with us as we passed overhead!). The landscape and views from the peak are stupendous. But this is beyond even Anacapri and it's all sort of 'iffy' if you're on a tight schedule. Our ferry back to Amalfi encountered very rough seas and had to go slow--it was a hydrofoil but had to navigate like a regular boat due to choppy conditions. Took forever!