Pre-Cruise Itin Questions

Q-1-- Your home airport has flights that gives you that kind of choice of arrival times ?

Q-3-- How do you plan to get to the port from your location in Rome? What day of the week?
What time do you have to be on the boat? If it sails at 5, I suspect you have to be onboard well before then

I know you're an experienced traveler to Italy, but are you sure you want to do this? Milan-Ravenna-Florence-(Naples)-Sorrento-Capri-Rome in six full days and two partial days? You'll be on a plane, train, ferry and/or bus every one of the first five days. It sounds totally nuts to me.

I would cut out the portion involving Naples/Sorrento/Capri. It is too much too fast.

We arrived in Milan late in the day a couple of weeks ago (British Air through London) and it worked out great! Asleep by 22:00 and slept for almost 9 hours.

Give yourself two nights in Milan, then two in Ravenna and take the train to Rome for the final two nights. Basta!

Yes, Ravenna has good food. This idea of going to Bologna juts to eat a meal is nuts, IMO.

Trip to Civitavecchia is about an hour on the train from Rome, but as mentioned above, pay attention to the boarding schedule. It is probably much earlier than 5 pm.

Your cruise line should give you your boarding time...last time I departed from Civitavecchia my boarding time was around 2 pm. I got a Train from Rome at about 11 am and got to the port about 1 hr later. Shared a taxi with two other ladies joining the cruise and we swept past the line of people awaiting the shuttle bus to the boats. Completed boarding procedures quickly as I had one small suitcase that I carried on, and was in my cabin and settled in by about 1.30. Time for a leisurely lunch and a siesta before the safety drill/talk before departure at around 5.30. There will likely be a number of other ships departing from the docks, so it can be chaotic as the shore staff try and cope with registration, issuing the boarding passes, imprinting credit cards etc. for the many passengers joining the boats. The earlier you arrive the easier it is, but not too early, they won’t allow you on board before a certain time.

I would cut the Naples, Sorrento and Capri part since you won't have much time there anyway. Take the train to Rome.

We visited Bologna when we visited Ravenna and were not so impressed with Bologna. Loved Ravenna.

Thank you guys so very much for the advice, especially lanlubber and Laurel!!! Lanlubber, I will probably follow your time schedule.

@joe32F, what I have done to manage the plane time is work backwards and divide my flight. When I went to Indonesia this past June, I looked at flights that landed in Singapore in the afternoon, then booked one of those out of Los Angeles. Then I adjusted my home flight accordingly. I live in Louisiana, so I will probably fly to Newark, then do a separate booking from Newark to Milan - IF that is the cheapest gateway flight. I can use miles for the domestic flight, so it won't cost anything.

Laurel, what I am actually thinking about now to cut down on the movement is to do 2 nights in Bologna. Not to see sights in Bologna, but it is centrally located to explore the Emilia Romagna!

I don't try to see all the things, but I usually pick one sight or experience to savor. But you guys are right about all the different hotels.

So...

2 nights Bologna
1 night Florence
Possibly rest in Rome.

When I last went to Italy, I loved Sorrento but I did not get to see Capri. I was hoping to see Capri on this trip. There are tours from Rome to Capri, but it makes for a long day!

If I decide to go to Capri, should I do a tour or on my own?

Just a note that while the cruise line may assign a boarding time, its only a suggestion and you can arrive anytime while boarding is still open. I generally like to head to the ship after i checkout of the hotel. Not much sightseeing worth doing with all your stuff in tow. And we are compulsively early for everything types.

I was hoping to see Capri on this trip. There are tours from Rome to
Capri, but it makes for a long day! If I decide to go to Capri, should
I do a tour or on my own?

Hi cglover780 -
I think you made a very wise decision to take the advice above to bizbag Sorrento/Capri this time. Really, you didn't have enough time to give that region to begin justify the journey. Additionally, even taking your, "I don't try to see all the things, but I usually pick one sight or experience to savor" comment into account, the very worst way to "experience" Capri is by day trip. You'll be just one more body of far too many mobbing the island during hours the ferries run, especially during high season. IMHO, to really enjoy it, I'd recommend staying at LEAST one night. Two is even better. The golden hours are those before the bulk of daytrippers arrive in the morning and after they depart in the early evenings. :O)

It is very easy to explore Capri independently (we did). I don't know at this point what sorts of things you enjoy doing on your adventures but a great way to lose the crowds clogging the piazzas/shopping areas in Capri and Anacapri towns is to lace up a stout pair of shoes, get a map from the tourist info center, and head off to points further afield where many tourists don't bother to go. For instance, the trek up to the ruin of Villa Jovis is great fun ( we thought so, anyway), the scavi is interesting, and the views of the gulf are expansive. Capri's tourism website provide great directions for doing this yourself:

https://www.capri.com/en/s/villa-jovis-mount-tiberio

Pizzolungo/Natural Arch is another nice walk:
https://www.capri.com/en/s/arco-naturale-and-pizzolungo

While a popular activity with many visitors, the chairlift up to the top of Mt Solaro (from Anacapri) is fun and there's a little cafe up there for a snack or beverage while enjoying the view:
https://www.capri.com/en/s/mount-solaro-cetrella

Lots more ideas on that website, and you can ignore the touts for expensive tours; you don't need them. The one thing I'd personally give a skip is the Blue Grotto. IMHO if there's a tourist trap on the island, it's that one. Based on the many comments from folks who'd had a lousy experience - and are still having lousy experiences - we gave it a skip ourselves and have never been sorry: tip hassling, long wait times and too much $ for the very few minutes you're in the thing. Some folks with tender stomachs also report having become uncomfortable queasy during long waits in the bobbing boats.

Capri is easy to do on your own.

cjglover780 Not much help with your itinerary but curios as to what cruise you are taking, since we are doing something similar.

If you want to see the Last Supper, investigate the procedure for obtaining tickets. By all accounts, it's not easy, and often people end up buying a tour that includes the Last Supper because they weren't able to get tickets on their own (the tour companies buy them all up). Particularly since you only have one day, you may need to be up and on your computer the minute the tickets are released, or else just commit to taking a tour.

Should add, I was on the QEIII which was moored in a part of the dock easy to reach by taxi; your ship may be moored on the long quay and you would be dropped at the dock gates and have to take the shuttle. It can be a long haul!

You guys are so awesome!!!!

Kathy, thank you so much for the detailed advice!

Tmalave, I will be on the Celebrity Apex. First port stop is Naples, but that would be on the Sunday. Last time I was on the Amalfi Coast was on a weekend - it was very very busy!!! Which is why if I do go to Capri, it would be a weekday. Tourist would still be there but weekends are local families as well as tourists. Will probably do Ischia or stay on the ship.