Has anyone used shareashoreexcursioninitaly.com

Had a very knowledgeable and courteous driver in great van. Even varied the route to add some things. Definitely would book them again. Back to ship in plenty of time.:)

We used shareashoreexcursioninitaly in November 2011 out of Naples to see the Amalfi Coast with great success. The advantages to using them were:

- We decided on the tour, including a good (not cheap) meal and NO shopping. Then we offered this tour to our fellow cruisecritics and put together a group who all agreed.

- We had no liability for no-shows, because each person joining us went to the website and paid his deposit to the company, not us. We didn't have to handle their money.

- They sent an excellent driver with van, and that driver happened to be an excellent guide - which we had not paid for because we were only looking at views needing no explanation. But that driver (whose name I forget) lived in Sorrento, was educated and could answer all our questions. He took us much farther than any bus could go, because of the narrow windy roads.

which is advertised at the top of the cruise critic page periodically? I've posted on my roll call asking to share shore excursions and have had no response. Our cruise is in July and we are past final payment so I would think people would be making their arrangements. Unfortunately, our roll call is very quiet and does not have a lot of posts. I'd like to plan shore excursions for Rome and Florence and there are just the two of us so 900 euros for both is expensive.

 

I went to www.shareashoreexcursioninitaly.com and it appears very straight forward. They have a banner ad here so I guess they are reputable. I've searched for posts regarding this company but cannot find any. Has anyone successfully used them? Thanks!

We used Share a Shore Excursion for a group of 8 traveling from the cruise port of Naples May 12, 2013. Roberto was our guide, and suggested that morning was best time to visit Pisa, he was correct--quiet and simply beautiful. Next off to Florence via a drive thru Tuscany with a stop at a local winery. He arranged a private tour, tasting & lunch for us. All prepared and grown on site. Simply the highlight for me. Florence was grand, even in the rain (Roberto provided umbrellas for those in need) visited the Accademia Gallery to see "The David" then on to the Duomo and the market, have lunch and an afternoon espresso. Ample time to see the sights. Roberto was very knowledgeable, enjoyable and accommodating. Back to port in good time to sail. Would highly recommend this company (and Roberto!)

which is advertised at the top of the cruise critic page periodically? I've posted on my roll call asking to share shore excursions and have had no response. Our cruise is in July and we are past final payment so I would think people would be making their arrangements. Unfortunately, our roll call is very quiet and does not have a lot of posts. I'd like to plan shore excursions for Rome and Florence and there are just the two of us so 900 euros for both is expensive.

 

I went to www.shareashoreexcursioninitaly.com and it appears very straight forward. They have a banner ad here so I guess they are reputable. I've searched for posts regarding this company but cannot find any. Has anyone successfully used them? Thanks!

We are hoping to use Share a Shore this Fall--hope you have had some luck by now! 90golfer/Happy Wander group

My husband and I organized two tours through Share a Shore Excursions in Italy last fall. We did Florence and Rome with them. It was absolutely great and we enjoyed it tremendously. We went with another group on the Naples tour to Sorrento, Almafi Coast etc. Our boards on cruise critic had an attachment with all the tours everyone was planning....so if there was room anyone could just jump on the website and add themselves to the tour then update the tour page so everyone could see where the tours were and where there was room. The only suggestion I would make when arranging the tour is that you request a good English speaker. Our tour guide in Rome was way better to understand than the Florence one. Also, remember if someone or a couple drop out....you can either cancel or the group can decide to just absorb the extra cost. We had one woman who had to cancel because she broke her leg. We just decided as a group to go forward and it was little cost to all of us. Getting nearer to the cruise it's harder to another single or to start a new one. The company was great and we would recommend them !!!! I wish they were in AU/NZ for our cruise in November !!! ;)

We just returned from a cruise in June and booked with Share a Shore for Rome. We'd also booked for Athens, but due to a general strike in Greece, our ship did not dock there. We contacted Share a Shore through the ship Reception desk and let them know the evening before. We had office and cell phone numbers on our reservation and received prompt response every time from Sh a Sh. As for our Rome tour, there were 6 of us, and we were so happy with the service and attention we received, both at the time of booking, and on the tour itself. The driver, Claudio arrived impeccably dressed, in a new Mercedes van with high windows, gave us overviews, history as we traveled, got our front of line tickets for the Forum and Coliseum, took us close to everything we couldn't stop at, and even fit in a short tour of a catacombs at our request. We requested (extra cost) a Vatican tour guide for this tour through Sh a Sh, and were very pleased with our guide Anna. Everything was coordinated well between Claudio and her. We were so glad we booked for our small group traveling together. We saw as much as possible and were back to the ship when we needed to be. Share a Shore is an excellent organization and very trustworthy. Recommendation from traveling fork

We were on Nieuw Amsterdam in May 2013. For the port call in Livorno, having been to Florence and Pisa before, we decided we wanted to see Siena and San Gimignano instead. We found Share a Shore Excursion in Italy on the internet (not sure whether through Cruise Critic or somewhere else) and decided that it looked like a good way to go.

This was a really good choice. Their system -- sign up for a group, designate how many you're willing to share with, and wait for others to join -- worked very well. With just a couple of posts on the CC message board for our cruise, we quickly gathered a companionable group of 8 to share a van. Our pick-up was very smooth, and our driver Manny provided to be a treasure. He was very personable, very helpful to those in the group who had minor difficulties getting in and out of the car, and very knowledgeable about the lovely Tuscan countryside through which we were passing. He dropped us off and picked us up much closer to the walking areas in Siena and San Gimignano than a large coach could have done, and we traveled in greater comfort than would have been the case on a coach. And there was no waiting for the stragglers that are always found in a group of 35-40 on a bus. Manny also took us to a very nice restaurant in San Gimignano where we had a great, and reasonably priced, lunch. And all of this at a fraction of the price that HAL would have charged for a similar itinerary.

To summarize, we recommend Share A Shore Excursion very highly, and we'll definitely use them again if we ever cruise again in the areas they serve.

We have just returned from a fabulous cruise to the Mediterranean with Celebrity Cruises cruising on the Eclipse. My husband and I had the most wonderful time and well recommended. We did a tour using Share a

Shore Excursions. When we were in Rome, we found them to be fantastic. They were very obliging and helpful from the time we contacted them and then booking the private excursion for 8 people, they could not do enough for us to make our trip enjoyable and memorable.

Our Driver was called Manny and well recommended.:)

Very interesting thread, thanks for all the information. We are taking our first cruise next July and will be stopping at Civitavecchia, Livorno and Genoa.

My main concern is that I really like to plan ahead and have everything tied down so that I don't need to worry about stuff while I'm on holiday. Obviously the natural answer to that would be to use the cruise excursions, but they are just so expensive (especially as there are 4 of us for me to pay for).

Hi ArthurFowler

I am happy to give you information about the private tours we took whilst in Rome and Genoa.

We took a private tour when the ship arrived in Rome and we organised this through Limousineservicesinrome.com. The owner/Driver Manilo Tranquilli was the person who took us on the tour and there were 8 of us.

Nothing was too much trouble for Manilo and he spoke excellent English.

He tailor-made the tour to suit our requirements, and his charge was 600eurs for a maximum of 8 passengers and we were with him for around 10 hours.

We put a post on Cruise Critic for the cruise we have just completed, asking for anyone interested in joining us. We managed to fill the vehicle and we all had a great day. Also, the fact that he drives a smaller vehicle rather than a big bus, meant we were able to drive right up to the all the main entrances to the major attractions. This meant we saved a lot of time without have to walk distances, as you have to with a bus tour.

When we arrived in Livorno we took another private tour, this time using Share a Shore Excursion. We did not book this tour, as another couple from Cruise Critic who was also on our ship, arranged this one, which we joined with another 2 couples which made 8 people in total. We visited Florence and we went into Tuscany and visited a beautiful hilly town which we can give you the details of, if you are interested. As we had been to Pizza before, we decided to take this tour as it contained places we had not visited before. Again, this was tailored to the needs of us all.

The driver spoke very good English He could also drive us into the middle of Florence and park nearby.

With regards. Genoa, we used the Hop On Hop Off buses which depart from outside the wharf. Hope this information is of use to you. Any further information, we will be happy to give.

Thanks very much weinst :)

Yes...we have organized and used shareashoreexursionsitaly on our last mediteranian cruise. 'we used them in Florence and Rome and joined another in Naples. They were wonderful !!!! Just make sure you request a guide that speaks English well....it was wonderful and the price much better and a smaller group than the cruise ships...

which is advertised at the top of the cruise critic page periodically? I've posted on my roll call asking to share shore excursions and have had no response. Our cruise is in July and we are past final payment so I would think people would be making their arrangements. Unfortunately, our roll call is very quiet and does not have a lot of posts. I'd like to plan shore excursions for Rome and Florence and there are just the two of us so 900 euros for both is expensive.

 

I went to http://www.shareashoreexcursioninitaly.com and it appears very straight forward. They have a banner ad here so I guess they are reputable. I've searched for posts regarding this company but cannot find any. Has anyone successfully used them? Thanks!

We used Shareashorexcursion for 4 tours last October. They were all fabulous! Great responsiveness via email when booking or if you have any questions. Great tour guides that provide a personalized amazing tour experience not available in the big group tours offered by the cruiselines. Very affordable when you plan ahead, build a tour, advertise on Cruisecritic for others to join your group. Built in fail safe if you structure your tour to be a no go if you can't fill enough spots to fit your budget. Absolutely recomended!

Yes....we have used them also. We had them in Rome, Florence and Naples. You just go to their website and look first for someone who has already started a tour that you could join...or start your own. We did all of these and filled all our vans...usually 8 passengers. They were great, much better price than cruise ship and much more flexible as to what we wanted to see and where to stop. On that Mediteranean cruise someone attached a sheet listing all the excursions and how many spots were left. Then everyone could see to add their name to a tour. I would of liked to see that on this Sydney trip, but there isn't one and I'm not "techy" enough to do that !!! Getting Closer !! We just booked our last excursion in New Zealand today !! ;)

We want to book a private excursion for 6 to Cinque Terre from Livorno and this company seems to be just what we want. We would appreciate any comments on this company or any other one for this excursion. thank you.

We returned on Sunday from a 21 day Med cruise...while we were in Italy, we used www.shareashoreexcursioninitaly.com. We used them for Florence, Rome, and Naples. In Naples we did the Amalfi Coast...Ravello, Amalfi, Positano, and Sorrento. Truly, it was the highlight of our 21 days. We had six people from our Roll Call and all agreed beforehand to have lunch at Fattoria La Tagliarti in Positano...it was fabulous!

The guides were very knowledgeable as well.

Thank you so much for the information. I was worried it might have been too much on/off ferries and too much travel to and from the Livorno port, but I think we will go ahead and do it. Thank you again.

Our driver in Livorno had some extra time so we drove back to the ship through the Tuscany countryside and visited a vineyard...it was the best route diversion ever!

Just came back from a Mediterranean cruise and went with share a shore for tours and it is worth it.... Best value is having a group go 8 .... Lowers the fee!!! Great drivers and tour guides!!!! Good luck!!!!

This company is absolutely a 5 star performer and very competitively priced!

June 6, 2014

We were greeted enthusiastically by our driver and shown to our vehicle while he waited for the remaining two passengers. When they did not show, he successfully searched for them so we would not miss any of the planned activities. From the minute we hit the road, I suspected this would be an excursion to remember. The van was clean & comfortable, the AC was working properly and we could all hear our driver. After he welcomed us onboard, he gave us a snapshot overview of the day's agenda and a little background on the founders of shareashoreexcursion.com and why he loves his job so much.

The tour was fantastic in every aspect from the venues to the skip the line tickets to the wonderful lunch and the walking tour guide you arranged and everything in between and after. And the key driver in our total satisfaction was Big Luca. He is very knowledgeable and entertaining and one can easily sense his genuine passion for exceeding his clients' expectations. I cannot say enough about how wonderful Big Luca is and what a tremendous asset he is to your firm. We enjoyed him as much or more than the tourist sights! He should be listed as a national treasure as Big Luca is as grand as the Coliseum!

This was the first time that any of the six of us had every used your excursion services. Everyone agreed that there was no doubt that you easily outperformed even the cruise line's venerable excursion offerings and at a competitive price. We had some friends who went on a similar excursion the same day and they were devastated when we compared what we had seen and done. Due to Big Luca's phenomenal knowledge of Rome's back streets and alleys, we were able to see much more in the same period of time. Each of us insisted on getting a few business cards from Big Luca for future use by ourselves and our friends & family who might be traveling to Europe soon.

which is advertised at the top of the cruise critic page periodically? I've posted on my roll call asking to share shore excursions and have had no response. Our cruise is in July and we are past final payment so I would think people would be making their arrangements. Unfortunately, our roll call is very quiet and does not have a lot of posts. I'd like to plan shore excursions for Rome and Florence and there are just the two of us so 900 euros for both is expensive.

 

I went to http://www.shareashoreexcursioninitaly.com and it appears very straight forward. They have a banner ad here so I guess they are reputable. I've searched for posts regarding this company but cannot find any. Has anyone successfully used them? Thanks!

Just returned from Italy, using this company twice. In Salerno, Mario couldn't have been more knowledgeable or helpful. He was professional and made a fun day for the 4 couples who didn't know each other before but joined up from a roll call. In Florence, Julia was exceptional. Our excursion was really simply transfers to Florence but she first took us to an overlook to give us the complete city pix and then drove a bit in the city interior so we would have a sense of direction. A perfect day again. I wrote and received many emails from the company and was always happy with the quick response. This is a wonderful way to traverse Italy. I loved how each person registered for the group on the site and that we were not fearful we'd be stuck with a higher bill because of no-shows. A very professional service with wonderful guides!

We just returned from our Mediterranean cruise on Equinox. I found Share a Shore on the Cruise Critic Board and since we prefer to tour in small groups thought I would check them out online. I researched Share a Shore and saw that they had excellent reviews on other websites. We booked 2 tours using them. I was the tour leader and posted information to fill the tours. It was not difficult and the process was very straight forward using their website. Our tours filled quickly. One was Cinque Terre and the other was Amalfi, Positano and Pompeii. Our drivers were fantastic. They had such wonderful personalities and were very engaging. The vehicles were Mercedes mini vans that were new, clean, comfortable, and had great a/c.

The areas where we were required drivers with really good skills. I can not say enough about how amazing our drivers were maneuvering through single lane, cliff hanging roads safely.

Our driver for Amalfi and Pompeii arranged for us to have an extra stop in Sorrento. As a group we decided to skip a long lunch and have more time touring. We were pleased to have this flexibility. He asked if we had a guide for Pompeii (which we did not) so he called ahead to Pompeii to secure a guide that his company uses for our time spent there. Our Pompeii guide was very well educated and interesting. He was able to make us visualize what it must have been like there when Vesuvius erupted. We were so glad that we were not dropped off at the entrance to have the luck of the draw at Pompeii.

Our tour to Cinque Terre almost did not happen as there was a transportation strike in Italy that day (which included the water ferries) Our driver was on the phone immediately with his connections and found an alternative itinerary that added a stop in Porto Venere. It was a fabulous place that we might have missed seeing. He then found us a ferry to Vernazza and drove around to meet us.

Our excursions with Share a Shore were amazing!

Regards

Ellen

POSTING THIS for my wife; it is her note to Share a Shore Excursion:

Dear Share a Shore Excursion,

I just wanted to let you know what a fabulous day we had on our Rome excursion with Big Luca, on May 24. My husband, "Tiramisu Dennis" already wrote and elaborated on ALL the reasons why our day was so wonderful, but I also wanted to send my own note too. Big Luca really made the day so enjoyable for all of us - with his big personality, knowledge of Rome, and incredible driving. We will recommend him, and your company, to anyone we know traveling to Italy - and we also hope to return someday soon. You have a super employee in Big Luca, he does your company proud. He loves what he is doing, and it shows.

Thank you 'Share a Shore Excursion Italy' for providing an excellent service.

Our group was met on the dockside, immediately adjacent to the ships exit, by our driver and guide, Big Luca. The van was extremely well presented, being spotlessly clean on both the inside and outside. The the type of van used was perfect, providing comfortable seating, airconditioning, and, with the high roof, a sense of space; access to and from the van was also perfect via the large sliding side door.

Big Luca asked each of us if there was anything in particular we would like to see, given that the time available was somewaht limited, and visits to the Colleseum and Vatican were already included within the tour.

Overall we had an excellent day, with lunch at a pizzeria recommended by Big Luca (good food at reasonable prices in Rome!), and arrived back at the ship in good time.

It is the first time we have used Share a Shore Excursion, and, despite the many glowing reviews on sites like Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor, there is alway some trepidation when committing to a (fairly) expensive day tour - we should not have been worried as everything operated like clockwork and we enjoyed our day in Rome.

Thanks again to Big Luca and the office staff for arranging the day. If ever we are in Rome again, or any of the other locations that Share a Shore Excursion operate, we won't hesitate to use the company again.

I took 3 tours with SASE: Amalfi Coast, Rome and Florence. They were all fantastic. I joined one group and started two groups. It is a pretty simple process, the office in Italy will answer your emails promptly (remember the time difference). The luxury vans are immaculate, the guides were very nice and everything went really well. I now it sounds like a too good to be true review, but believe me I say it like it is. Everything was really great and I can't wait to come back and do it again.

I posted reviews on each port as well, so I am not going to repeat it.

I booked SASE after reading reviews and I was very satisfied, I am sure you will have the same experience I had.

I was on the Epic May 2014.

Have a great trip.