The Cruisin' Cabes: Part 4

Day 5:  Naples



I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to write this post, because this was my favorite day of the cruise!  Remember I said at the beginning that we went on the cruise with the Page family?  You probably forgot because I haven't mentioned them since!  Between all of the busy sightseeing days, Camp Carnival for the Page kids, and lots of quality couple time for Freddie and Jen, we didn't see them very much during the cruise.  That is one of the reasons, I was really looking forward to the Naples port day.

Jen found a company (owned and operated by an American woman) that offered private boats for tours around the island of Capri.  We opted for the 3 hour cruise, and since this was the first time Jacob would be on a boat and in a life jacket, I was honestly a little nervous that he would be hot and miserable...thus making all of the adults trapped on the boat with him, miserable as well.  Being the awesome parents of three that they are, Freddie and Jen assured us that they could handle anything Jacob threw at them.

We had to take a ferry from the Naples port to the island of Capri.  The plan was to meet our boat captain at 2pm, so we had lots of time in the morning to get a good nap in for Jacob.  Because of some miscommunication, we got on a different ferry than Freddie and Jen.  Matthew had gotten off the boat that morning to go buy our ferry tickets, and only saw one company (the larger, slower, car ferry boats).  After we were already on, Freddie called to say they had found the faster, people-only ferry boat, but unfortunately the one they were waiting in line for had just sold out.  They had to wait for the next one, but because ours was slower, we should all arrive about the same time.  The boat we were on was hot, and smelly, and the rocking was really getting to Matthew and me.  We had planned to eat lunch in Capri, and our empty stomachs were doing somersaults with the boat.  I have never wanted to get off a boat so much in my life!  Thankfully, the ride wasn't too long, and soon we were off and breathing the fresh, beautiful, Capri air.  We found out Freddie and Jen's boat was behind schedule and had time to grab some lunch.  I had to order a margherita pizza, since it was invented in Naples!

Freddie and Jen's ferry was really late getting in, so we ended up meeting the boat captain and getting everything settled while we waited.  Our captain was a young Italian- Pierre Paulo, who was born and raised on the island of Capri.  Freddie and Jen finally arrived and all of the stress of the sea sickness, heat, and late ferries was forgotten as soon as we got on our beautiful, little, wooden, Italian boat, and cruised out of the Capri port.

I can't even begin to describe the color of the water.  It looks pretty amazing in the pictures, but I don't even think the pictures does it justice. It is simply breathtaking.  We cruised around the island and Pierre Paulo told us stories and legends of the different coves, bluffs, and villas dotting the rocky terrain.  He also drove the boat into some of the coves and back into the grottoes.  Each had its own name and story.  They were beautiful.  Pierre Paulo also found a great little cove where we could swim, with no one else around!  Jacob wasn't quite sure about the water, so I stayed on board while Matthew, Freddie, and Jen swam.  Pierre Paulo also gave them goggles so they could swim under this big rock that was in the middle of the cove.  There was also a concrete landing at the bottom of some stairs that led up to a villa.  They decided to climb onto it and jump off.  (Of course Matthew just had to climb out over the rocks so he could jump off something higher.)

Jacob was warming up to the idea of swimming, so we tried again, and he happily splashed and kicked around in the waters of the Mediterranean.  Too bad the poor kid won't remember all of these adventures he has been on. 






All to soon, it was time to get going again so we would have time to make it all the way around the island in time to catch the ferry back to the cruise ship.  I really love my son, but if he had been old enough to stay on the ship at Camp Carnival, this would have been the day for that.  He was such a trooper and after his swim, slept in my lap the rest of the way.  But, if the four of us could have been sans enfants, the cruise around Capri would have been pure heaven. I didn't even get a chance to lounge in the sun on the pillow covered bow of the boat.  Maybe next time I find myself on the island of Capri...


For the ferry ride back, we all were able to get on the fast ferry, that did a lot less rocking, and by the time Carnival pulled up anchor, we were all hanging out poolside after another glorious day of cruisin'.