Shore excursions

Does anyone have a recommendation for a tour company we can use to see Rome and Pompeii?? The RC Prices are ridiculous!!!

We are a group of 14 (inc kids) that want a semi walking tour with guide for both places. Shore pick up and drop off essential.

Any that people have used before?? Many thanks xx

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Have a look at Viator or cruising excursions

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

If you come over to the Italy board, here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=595

you will see many discussions and recommendations, including a large thread on the wonderful Rome in Limo. You will also learn the pros and cons of an operation like Viator- a broker, not a tour provider, who can't give you a discount like Rome in Limo can for multiple tours booked. Rome in Limo operates in several areas of Italy- including Rome and Naples- an advantage for you.

You can visit Pompeii yourself easily for very little cost just hop on the train it stops outside the site entrance, where you can pick up a guide yourself.

I agree RCL prices are ridiculous we never use them always book with a local operator or do it ourselves.

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How long are you in Rome? We LOVED Rome! I would advise using the hop-on-hop-off tour. We had some great advice to ride it all the way around the first time to see what things we wanted to do then go around again, getting off at those places we really wanted to see. Problem is, you need a lot of time to really do this. So much to see in Rome! Good luck!

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You might also want to check to see what other on your Roll Call are doing there.

Rome is the one port I would always take a ship sponsored excursion. You are 90 minutes from port and traffic and trains are notoriously bad. I wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy while worrying about getting back on time but the ship will wait if I am on one of their tours.

Rome is the one port I would always take a ship sponsored excursion. You are 90 minutes from port and traffic and trains are notoriously bad. I wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy while worrying about getting back on time but the ship will wait if I am on one of their tours.

Funny thing, but we have been to Civitavecchia more then 30 times and have only taken one ship's tour (the first time we visited). That tour quickly made us realize how much we disliked ship tours with their high prices, large groups, being herded like cattle, etc. And we have enjoyed every visit and never lost sleep over worrying about getting back on time. But each to their own,

As to the OP, just imagine the cost of 14 persons on a full day ships tour to Rome! We are talking about thousands of dollars. There are plenty of other options, although personally, we would not want to be involved with a group of 14. It is doubtful that 14 folks want to do the same things, and just finding a place to have lunch for 14 can limit one;s options. But 14 persons could all buy BIRG tickets (includes round trip train to Rome plus all days use of Rome's public transit systems) for less than $150 (total cost for all 14). A copy of Rick Steve's Rome book (a great guide for do it yourselfers) would add another few dollars.

Another possibility is to hire a private tour company for the entire day. One could contact reputable companies such as Romecabs, Romeinlimo, etc. and ask for their suggestions. They could certainly arrange for some type of mini-bus (for just the OPs group) and provide a professional guide....all for much less then a ship's excursion.

Hank

Does anyone have a recommendation for a tour company we can use to see Rome and Pompeii?? The RC Prices are ridiculous!!!

We are a group of 14 (inc kids) that want a semi walking tour with guide for both places. Shore pick up and drop off essential.

Any that people have used before?? Many thanks xx

 

 

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Check on TripAdvisor.

DON

For Rome, take the earliest possible train into Roma Termini and have a tour guide from Through Eternity meet you. This will be a walking tour at a fraction of the cost of ship's tours:

https://www.througheternity.com

Leave Rome by 3:30 via train to get back to Civitavecchia by 4:30 - 5 for a 6pm departure. Your tour guide will walk you to your train. You can walk to the port bus pickup area - which will take some time and you may have to wait in line for a port bus. This way, you will have plenty of time to reboard without worry.

They do Naples as well. The advantage of going on a private tour to Pompeii is you can arrive well BEFORE all the ship's tours arrive - in fact, you can get there and be done about the time they arrive. I also recommend visiting Herculaneum - which is like Pompeii only more intact. You might consider that or you might do Pompeii in the morning and then go to the Amalfi Coast to Positano and Sorrento in the afternoon for lunch and some shopping and sightseeing. Other people like to do Pompeii and then go into Naples to the Archeological Museum where you can see all the artifacts that have been taken out of Pompeii. Also, remember, pizza was invented in Naples, so you might want to go to one of the famous pizza restaurants for lunch.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Travels/Travel-Guide-Naples-Italy

The only thing is...Neopolitan pizza is NOTHING like American pizza as the emphasis is on the quality of the ingredients. You will be thoroughly spoilt after having the real thing!

We used RomeInLimo and loved their services. Three days to/from Rome. They picked us up at the airport, took us to our hotel, picked us up the next day and gave us a tour of Rome. It was awesome. Door to door service. He found us an authentic Italian restaurant where he went in with us and translated. The next morning we had RIL pick us up and take us over the countryside and back to Rome. The following morning RIL picked us up again and gave us a tour on the way to the ship. They were awesome and we know we couldn't have done it better without them.

Just so you know: a driver is NOT a guide. You must hire a guide if you want someone to accompany you. They also arranged for a private guide for us for the Vatican. Fast tracked us in. My mother was in her mid 70s and extremely hard of hearing. The guide took her arm and spoke right into her ear. Knowledgeable and wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

When we arrived for Positano RIL picked us up again. Ah, the flirting tongue of the Italian. Again, holding my mom's arm. Madam, you are so agile. You walk like a teenager down the steps. We get in the car for him to take us to Pompeii and he says we must get ahead of the buses otherwise we have to slowly follow behind them the whole way. We told him to do what he had to do. His face lit up and we zigged and zagged through the back streets and got one car length in front of the first bus. We got there, the guide was waiting for us. We gave her money for our tickets and off we went. Again, holding my mom's arm so she wouldn't fall and talking into her ear. It was so subtle that she didn't realize they were doing that until after we got home.

They have different sizes of vehicles so call them and you won't be disappointed.

14 people..in 1 Vehicle or ?? Cruise dock is a lo-oong ways from City of Rome. Private Mini-bus for the day may be the answer; then do the 'Flags on a Stick' thing. Trains and buses sounds undoable to me, 1 lost kid and you're toast. LocoLoco1