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jalynn
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We just returned from a cruise on Royal Caribbean from Barcelona to Montenegro with most ports in Italy. We were touring with family and wanted them to get the most from this cruise....which was their first. My husband and I had used Rome in Limo on a previous cruise and were very impressed. So we did not hesitate to book them again for our ports in Florence and Rome. Laura was our guide from the port to Florence....where we asked for a tour of Tuscany. It was fabulous. She booked a wine tasting for us with wonderful home cooked food at a family winery. It truly was a highlight of our cruise. In Rome Alberto took us on a terrific tour of Rome with all of the highlights. We were touring with our 13 year old grandson and both guides gave special attention to him....which we appreciated. I would highly recommend Rome in Limo!

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We had two more great experiences with Romeinlimo--one in Livorno with Simona, and one in Salerno with Diego. And having been to Italy 6 other times, we not inexperienced with all of the ports and sites.

 

When alone or just with my immediate family, I tend to like to do most ports independently (i.e. train, taxi, walk with tour book). However we use driver/tours when we touring with my parents since my dad cannot walk much, and having a driver and van give us the flexibility to visit many attractions while the driver can take my dad to a cafe to rest, for example.

 

I won't go into all the details of our itineraries since we tend to do things a bit different than most first or second-timers, but as just a few examples, in Firenze, we enjoyed visiting Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte instead of Piazzale Michelangelo, and visiting the Galileo instead of the Uffizi or Accademia museums.

 

In Salerno, Diego was wonderful and flexible with our dynamically changing whims. After visiting Villa Rufulo again in Ravello, and strolling and lunch in Amalfi, we decided against taking the longer drive to Positano, and opted to spend a couple hours in Minori. While enjoying desserts at Sal del Riso and checking out some local Roman ruins, there were never more than 5-15 people within our sight-lines in Minori. Contrast this with the summer crush of many thousands of tourists in Positano! While certainly not as scenic as Positano, we enjoyed a more relaxing Amalfi experience! Also, with Diego, I learned the use of the Italian word, Allora -- it's kind of like our "Well! ..."! Funny!

 

Anyhow, another year in Italy, another couple of great tours with Romeinlimo! Grazie Jany! :)

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, appreciate your feedback as an expert cruiser and would love to see some of your pictures :)

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We are wanting to book Rome in Limo, the Rome in a day tour. Our ship is in port from 8a to 9pm and the tour states that it is 9 hours. Can we have plenty of "free time" and just have Rome in Limo take us back later around 8pm? or will we have to find alternative transportation? We were planning to do just 2 in a sedan.

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As mentioned here frequently, just ask Jany, the person in charge at Rome in Limo. Your time with Rome in Limo is totally customizable, but if you just get dropped off and don't see the driver for hours, they won't likely change the price. Plus the driver gives lots of valuable and interesting info.

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We are wanting to book Rome in Limo, the Rome in a day tour. Our ship is in port from 8a to 9pm and the tour states that it is 9 hours. Can we have plenty of "free time" and just have Rome in Limo take us back later around 8pm? or will we have to find alternative transportation? We were planning to do just 2 in a sedan.

 

I think if you just want transport into Rome and then 8-9 hours later want transport back to the port you could probably pay just their price for that, not an all day tour....but as CruiserBruce says just email Jany and she'll let you know. I also 2nd the statement about how well informed all the drivers we've had with Rome in Limo are.

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We are wanting to book Rome in Limo, the Rome in a day tour. Our ship is in port from 8a to 9pm and the tour states that it is 9 hours. Can we have plenty of "free time" and just have Rome in Limo take us back later around 8pm? or will we have to find alternative transportation? We were planning to do just 2 in a sedan.

 

Definitely contact Jany. There is a service where you just get transportation to/from Rome, however, when we requested to return to the ship after 5 pm we were told that they only work until 5.

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We have used Rome in Limo now for 5 private tours over two Mediterranean cruises. I have never been disappointed! Communication with Jany has always been prompt and efficient. Two weeks ago we returned from our most recent cruise and our group of six adults enjoyed two private tours with Rome in Limo....from Civitavecchia and Naples. We were very fortunate to have a tour with Luca from Civitavecchia who is a fifth generation resident of Rome. Luca suggested seeing The Tomb of St Paul which was amazing! We were sorry that we did not have more time to spend there. Then we had two private tours with Sarah, the first of The Forum and the second at the Borghese Gallery. She was amazing!

Our second tour with Rome in Limo started in the port of Naples and we were very lucky to have Alex as our tour guide. He drove us through small towns on the Amalfi Coast and high into the mountains overlooking Pompeii. The day started with a breathtaking drive to Ravello and then onto Amalfi, lunch in Positano and ending with a limoncello tasting in Sorrento. He was excellent and told us that he was getting married the next day! Great company, great service! Thank you Jany and Rome in Limo for another wonderful visit to our favorite, Italy!:)

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I think if you just want transport into Rome and then 8-9 hours later want transport back to the port you could probably pay just their price for that, not an all day tour....but as CruiserBruce says just email Jany and she'll let you know. I also 2nd the statement about how well informed all the drivers we've had with Rome in Limo are.

 

But of course (as you yourself have also pointed out when people have complained on this thread) there is not any GUARANTEE that every RIL driver will be so well informed and communicative. It may be likely, but it's not guaranteed.

 

I think it's a little disingenuous that it always seems to be promised by happy posters on this board, yet when someone doesn't have that same experience, the same posters tend to jump all over them and draw attention to the fact that a driver is just that -- a driver.

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But of course (as you yourself have also pointed out when people have complained on this thread) there is not any GUARANTEE that every RIL driver will be so well informed and communicative. It may be likely, but it's not guaranteed.

 

I think it's a little disingenuous that it always seems to be promised by happy posters on this board, yet when someone doesn't have that same experience, the same posters tend to jump all over them and draw attention to the fact that a driver is just that -- a driver.

 

And that may be true in some instances, we certainly have not had every driver RIL employs so can't provide a blanket statement about all of them. We have however experienced close to a dozen and while some were better than others they were all good. And in fact our last driver was not just a driver, he was also a licensed guide...

 

As I said in my post "the drivers WE have had" I have no doubt some aren't great....every company has good and not so good employees....RIL DOES seem to have far more good than bad...

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Had a good tour with Rome in Limo last week in Rome they get you to lots of places which is great. I was disappointed with our Vatican tour guide though she spent so much time explaining the painting of the Sistine Chapel out in a hot little courtyard (cause you can't speak in the chapel itself) that buy the end of the tour we had 2 min total in the Basilica and no time to mail a post card or buy a souvenir. Overall a very nice day.

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used this tour company for a trip to Pisa and Florence on our Mediterranean Cruise on Navigator of the Seas. On leaving the ship we were met at the quayside by Simona our driver who quickly loaded us on board and off to Pisa first. Having been to Pisa before I was surprised at how quickly we arrived compared with the ships tour buses and we entered the site by a different gate very close to the tower itself. Simona showed us where she had parked and where to find her after we had toured the Pisa site. Following on to Florence she kept us informed of local sites and history which was informative without being too overwhelming.

Once we arrived we were again shown where the van would be and given plenty of time to see Florence and visit the Cathedral.

At all times Simona was friendly without being intrusive and any one wanting a 5 star service to see Pisa and Florence should use this company as I cannot fault the service provided.

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I was on the Princess Royal for the Greek Mediterranean and used Rome in Limo after reading someones review of their cruise. We had Vinny for the Florence/Pisa excursion. On the way to Florence he asked us "Do you want to stop by a winery?" Well of course we do, so off the beaten path we go through scenic countryside to visit this cute winery, take photos and buy some wine. Florence we had tickets to see the "Statue of David" and being the height of the tourist season there were long lines. He happened to know someone who got us in quickly and lifted the rope like we were VIP bypassing the line and long wait. Once out he recommended a restaurant right there at the square and we had a great lunch with no wait right before the crowds. Off to the Tower of Pisa to climb the tower and he took us to "the best Gelato in town". A great day with a great driver who was spontaneous with suggestions and it all worked with no problem getting back to the ship.

Our second tour was with Nivk to see Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Trevi fountain and a couple other sites I can't think of the name at the moment. We used Aurora for a private guide for the Vatican as I saw someones else's recommendation for that. She was able to get us through quickly as we don't have all day to spend there. She was full of information and kept a great pace to maximize our time. Meanwhile Nivk was the ultimate Italian driver who entertained us and was full of history. He would pull right up to the front of the Colliseum and when we were done be right there in front to pick us up. We felt pretty special with service right in front while everyone else was trudging away in the heat. They offer whatever you want to do and give you all options for eating. We chose the quick and easy today so Nivk took us to a small pizza place, unassuming but my husband swears it's the best pizza he's ever had. We didn't get to see the catacombs because there just wasn't enough hours in the day....so next time. We thoroughly enjoyed Nivk and his sense of humor, accommodations (Oh yes and he had free wi-fi on his van which my teens were excited about) and getting us in as close as he could. When you are with Nivk it's like he is taking care of you and no one is going to bother you.

The 3rd one was Diego for Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano. Being that there was thunder and lightening when he picked us up he decided to take us to the farthest away spot first , (Positano) where it wouldn't be raining and do Pompeii last because it would probably clear up by then. Which it did. There were a lot of tricky hair pin turns there and back and we felt pretty safe with him as a driver. Also they will pull over whenever you want for pictures, as long as there is a spot to pull over. The roads are narrow and windy so if you see something be sure to tell them early otherwise you will miss it. Diego had a recommendation for a restaurant also but we wanted to explore Sorrento so just went on our own. It's great that they let you do what ever you want.

Jany is the person you communicate with prior to your tours and she will always get back to you right away and answer any questions you have. A great help!

 

Overall, great drivers, great communication, excellent tours and I would definitely use again and again. Great prices and great options.

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We have returned from a cruise with RCCL and an extensive time in Italy. We used RIL for all transfers between the airport to our apartment, to the port and back with Michele, 4 tours in Rome and one from the cruise to Sorrento, and hotel back to airport from Sorrento after a stay there. We had Sarah as a guide for a walking Food Tour in Rome and it was fabulous! Learned lots of history and got to sample many local dishes and beverages I had never had before. We also took a "Rome Under the Stars" tour with Alberto who was charming, witty and extremely knowledgeable of the Roman sites we were able to see at night. He took us up above the city at sunset for some wonderful photo opportunities. He was a skilled driver (which is much needed in Rome) and we were able to see many more sites than I thought possible. We even had Gelato at a local shop that heavenly! I highly recommend this tour if you have been to Rome before and are looking for something a little different, or if you are a photography buff. The photos were amazing. On the morning of the cruise Salvatore drove us and friends (8 in all) to the port, picking each family up at two different apartments (no extra charges) and gave us an informative drive to the port in a short period of time allowing us to arrive a bit early and miss the crowds.

During our port stop in Naples I also booked a "Enogastronomic Tour" in Sorrento with Alex. It was a great fun-filled day of tastings of olive oils (many more flavors than I could imagine), Limoncello, and wine as well as "Pizza School" in a local restaurant with our "Pizziolo" (pizza teacher). It was loads of fun and lots of picture taking while we made our own lunch (at least part of it). It really fun time for kids that are a bit older and can be in the kitchen. Alex was very knowledgeable about the area and its history as well as being humorous. He provided us with lots of interesting facts, and I am certain the day would not been as memorable without Alex. It was a special time for us and Alex made it even more memorable.

We also used RIL to return to Rome to the Termini to return to stay in Sorrento for a wonderful relaxing time, living with the locals in another apartment. Alex gave us many suggestions regarding places to dine and grocery store as well as local boat trips to Capri. Upon returning to Rome for a few days, we had to say goodbye to Rome and to RIL when they took us to the airport. When we left it truly felt like we were leaving good friends. Maybe all the drivers are not as knowledgeable and communicative as the drivers I have had in the past 10 years, perhaps I am just lucky? If there are any drivers that are less than the company standards I can not imagine they would last there for very long. I do know that I can whole-heartedly recommend Rome in Limo for your transfer and tour needs in Italy and I do so without reservations! Have a wonderful time in Italy! Ciao :)

Sorry for the lengthy post. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
We have returned from a cruise with RCCL and an extensive time in Italy. We used RIL for all transfers between the airport to our apartment, to the port and back with Michele, 4 tours in Rome and one from the cruise to Sorrento, and hotel back to airport from Sorrento after a stay there. We had Sarah as a guide for a walking Food Tour in Rome and it was fabulous! Learned lots of history and got to sample many local dishes and beverages I had never had before. We also took a "Rome Under the Stars" tour with Alberto who was charming, witty and extremely knowledgeable of the Roman sites we were able to see at night. He took us up above the city at sunset for some wonderful photo opportunities. He was a skilled driver (which is much needed in Rome) and we were able to see many more sites than I thought possible. We even had Gelato at a local shop that heavenly! I highly recommend this tour if you have been to Rome before and are looking for something a little different, or if you are a photography buff. The photos were amazing. On the morning of the cruise Salvatore drove us and friends (8 in all) to the port, picking each family up at two different apartments (no extra charges) and gave us an informative drive to the port in a short period of time allowing us to arrive a bit early and miss the crowds.

During our port stop in Naples I also booked a "Enogastronomic Tour" in Sorrento with Alex. It was a great fun-filled day of tastings of olive oils (many more flavors than I could imagine), Limoncello, and wine as well as "Pizza School" in a local restaurant with our "Pizziolo" (pizza teacher). It was loads of fun and lots of picture taking while we made our own lunch (at least part of it). It really fun time for kids that are a bit older and can be in the kitchen. Alex was very knowledgeable about the area and its history as well as being humorous. He provided us with lots of interesting facts, and I am certain the day would not been as memorable without Alex. It was a special time for us and Alex made it even more memorable.

We also used RIL to return to Rome to the Termini to return to stay in Sorrento for a wonderful relaxing time, living with the locals in another apartment. Alex gave us many suggestions regarding places to dine and grocery store as well as local boat trips to Capri. Upon returning to Rome for a few days, we had to say goodbye to Rome and to RIL when they took us to the airport. When we left it truly felt like we were leaving good friends. Maybe all the drivers are not as knowledgeable and communicative as the drivers I have had in the past 10 years, perhaps I am just lucky? If there are any drivers that are less than the company standards I can not imagine they would last there for very long. I do know that I can whole-heartedly recommend Rome in Limo for your transfer and tour needs in Italy and I do so without reservations! Have a wonderful time in Italy! Ciao :)

Sorry for the lengthy post. :)

 

How wonderful to have so much time in Italy and to have Rome In Limo to help you enjoy it is an added bonus. I agree about the drivers, we haven't encountered a bad one yet..:)

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It was a wonderful time and I am ready to do it again! Italy is one of my favorite places in the world. I could reside their in a moment (darn work prevents it currently)!

Sorrento was beautiful, yes, touristy but small town atmosphere at the same time.

I feel my family is getting larger as we make more friends with all of RIL! All we have used over the years are SUPERB! Not to that is a guarantee, just our experience! :)

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We just hired Nic with RomeinLimo. They were terrific. They tell you how to purchase tickets in advance and yes, you need a guide for the Vatican. You don't need a guide for other sites. Their drivers are fabulous

,

I'm booking romeinlimo for some of my pre-cruise time in Rome, thanks to the many accolades here on CC. My questions:

1-They are suggesting an 8 hour tour with a driver, and a guide for the Vatican. Do we need a guide for other sites? Or is the driver usually knowledgeable enough to provide info?

2-Have you ever just gotten a guide at the Vatican rather than scheduled one in advance? If so, how did that work out? Did you still have to stand in line for tickets? Can you just visit the "church" on your own without tickets? (I obviously have lots more research to do! I visited Rome years ago, but I was on a tour and they took care of everything.)

3-Do you tip on top of the fee for the driver, or is it included?

 

4- Not a romeinlimo question, but has anyone ever done a day trip from Rome to Pompeii? Is that possible?

 

Thanks in advance for answers to my questions!

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Not sure why you didn't ask on the huge Rome in Limo thread...

 

When we used a guide, the fee went to Rome in Limo, and we tipped separately. I imagine the relationship between Rome in Limo and the guide is private.

 

I see it got moved. Funny thing is that I used them 3 years ago and I don't recall if I paid the driver or the tour guide.

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Was reading a tipping thread on another board and it just dawned on me that although I pre paid for my tours, I am supposed to pay the private guide RIL reserved for me in cash.

 

Does anyone know if that entire amount goes to the guide?

 

 

You tip the guide directly. RIL does not collect tips.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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I was under the impression that tipping is not customary in Europe. Am I wrong? I am not opposed to tipping for great service, but do not want to pay more than I should, either. We are leaving for Barcelona for our first European trip in a few weeks and I want to bring the right amount of cash.

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I was under the impression that tipping is not customary in Europe. Am I wrong? I am not opposed to tipping for great service, but do not want to pay more than I should, either. We are leaving for Barcelona for our first European trip in a few weeks and I want to bring the right amount of cash.

 

It is not customary nor should it be "expected". RIL is one of the biggest offenders in terms of targeting American travelers with communications intimating that tipping is normal and even providing (IMO ridiculous) "guidelines", given the local norms.

 

Of course, though many aren't aware of it, RIL is actually NOT an Italian company but an American one.

 

It's been repeated many times -- and by Europeans -- that tipping, as Americans know it, simply is not needed nor should it be solicited in Italy. I'm sure this post will solicit pushback from others, so I encourage you to read other, well-respected travel sources on this issue.

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I concur with cruisemom's post; tipping is generally not a part of the culture in most European cultures. That said, a service charge might be added to your bill at some *restaurants* (different from a cover charge) though not all - again - depends upon where you are, but tips are not expected. Why? Because the employees get paid regular wages for their positions whereas the trend in the USA has been that they do not and were expected to make up most of their earnings via tips/service.

 

Some people - locals - will just forego receiving their change or just leave the small change they receive behind by either just paying and leaving or leaving the change on the table - I am talking about nominal change, not 5, 10 percent of the bill. As a practice, tipping just isn't done by locals - I don't know if something grand or extraordinary has occurred? Again, it would depend on the country and the circumstances.

 

I have always tried to bring a small amount of cash in the local currency of a place I was visiting whenever possible (not dollars - this is not usually convenient for locals though in some cases/places it was once desired, it generally is NOT anymore and can make *helping* someone harder - now they have to get the money changed!) to facilitate small transactions in-country. I can't say I tipped because I usually practiced local customs but it still always helped to have local currency. Having some euro on hand might be helpful.

 

I was recently *horrified* :eek: when showing some visitors from a *prominent* EU country my city...we were on a Circle Line cruise at the conclusion of which the tour narrator announced "tips, as always, are greatly appreciated" because he was an employee of the company and *I* thought it seemed inappropriate. It probably didn't matter to many on the boat as a number of the guests didn't speak English anyway and I didn't see anyone handing him anything when I walked off the boat but his fists were full. My friends actually asked me - "should we?" and I said an emphatic NO! The worst part was he was advising guests to eat near the boat after the cruise - that would cost more money than it ought to for the pizza he was suggesting. :( (Also, there's not many attractions open at 9pm on the West Side, better to head to another area - or at least down to Chelsea Piers.)

 

Anyway - to a more important point - the OP's question, or rather answers sought, of which there isn't just one, or perfect answer. All anyone can give is their experience, best suggestions, practice in their country etc. As ever, we CANNOT question or comment on another member's thoughts, comments, suggestions, experience etc.

 

Please, please, please limit your message to only your ideas on tipping - not to what anyone else says in the thread. We are not a debate club, we are a message board - we are only trying to help each other out with cruising.

 

This is meant to be a fun, friendly place - we appreciate your contributions and participation and we understand your passion for getting things right. Ultimately, it is our own responsibility to take the information we receive and form our own opinions on what is right for us as individuals - right on down to tipping - because it's likely we won't ever all agree on it :D

 

As ever, all members, including hosts ;) are required to adhere to community TOS. Please keep this in mind when responding to posts and to each other on our message boards. Isn't what really matters is where's the best trattoria (or should you get a quartino or mezzo of local chianti?) not so much the issue of if/when/whom to tip? Colosseum or Forum? These are the real issues....

 

Cheers and as always, thank you - mille grazie

Edited by Host Bonjour
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  • 2 weeks later...

We used RIL for our day in Rome and I would highly recommend them. The Colosseum does not need a guide, RIL organised our entry tickets and we spent free time there. I would recommend using their Vatican guide. It is just so busy, time is short. Like speed sight seeing, and there is not time to waste. Our driver told us the history of places, background information and made sure we spent as much time as possible in the important "must see" places. He did a good job.

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We used RIL for a tour in Florence and Pisa (port - Livorno). I did not plan the tour-it was organized by another CC member.

 

There were 8 of us in the van, with the driver/guide - MarieClara. She was excellent - extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and on time. We had tix for the Academy in Florence and the Tower of Pisa (RIL had told us ahead what time we should purchase these for - as the tix were not included in the tour) and our Marie Clara made sure we got there at the appropriate time.

 

We bypassed lines, she dropped us off close to places, picked us up close, explained where to go,, where to look, etc. Everything was exact.

 

I feel like we saw so much more than if we went on a excursion with the cruise ship with a coach full of people. Of course, the price was better too.

 

* Extra kudos to our tour guide for wi-fi in the van!

 

Overall, I would highly recommend RIL. I would use them again in a minute.

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