kehlx2

We have used RIL 2 or 3 times...they are GREAT!!! I have also thought to just come into Rome & stay for some time. I'd recommend though if you are coming by cruise ship to meet your group on board & come out together saves time hunting for everyone. I would never go with others--I'd be most happy to use RIL...their people AND Jany are great--Jany I think never sleeps--she is right on to everything. All their drivers & guides are very well versed on everything & are just top notch. No need to ever worry.:D

Sorry to the original poster for hijacking the thread. We do have a roll call for this cruise:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51001304#post51001304

 

Corinna

 

Thanks I am sorry(to everyone else on this site) for butting in here also--but couldn't find the dates

Hello everyone,

 

I am planning a cruise April 2017 to the South Pacific on the Explorer of the Seas. This is for our honeymoon cruise! I have been poring over reviews and forums regarding the ship and have a lot of questions that I am desperately hoping people can answer for me.

 

-Is the ship too packed? Are there always long lines? Is it difficult to get a seat at meals, for the shows, for activities?

 

-Looking to book a balcony on deck 12. Has anybody had those rooms before that can tell me about them? I am mostly concerned about noise.

 

-Seeing mixed reviews regarding service and kindness of staff. Are they rude, neutral or great?

 

-Is there a very large amount of children onboard?

 

Thank you so much for any help or advice you can give!! Greatly appreciated.:)

 

 

I am asking if this is a roll call for the April 22 2017 to Seattle May 15 2017, as I have been hunting for a roll cal & not wanting to make a 2nd one.

I'm using RIL for our 3 Italy tours on our Med cruise next month and just about can't wait! They've been great to work with and very responsive.

 

My question is a logistical/security one. We are doing all private tours and have filled them with folks from our roll call. I'm the contact person and we are paying cash at the end of the tour vs credit card ahead of time. I'm concerned with all the talk about pickpockets, especially in Rome, about having that much money on me.

 

How did you all handle this?

 

Also, can you leave things in the vehicle during the day? Thinking of things like sweaters, umbrellas, extra water.

 

 

We have used RIL 3 times & have no problems using them again if we came back into Italy, they are great to work with Jany gets everything done & contacts you--very CALM tours because they cover EVERTHING.

 

For sure no wallets in back pockets, & I have several small bags that I have made--but similar can be bought--about 7x10 with straps to put across your body & I wear it under a jacket--the jacket according to the weather, have had no problems at all & I just wish all tours were as relaxing as RIL are. (if straps are too long--knot them at shoulder.)

 

I am sure you will have a great tour with RIL. Just a note--I have found out that if your group meets on your ship & go off together that it speeds everything up & you are out & gone long before others

Hi,

We have used Celebrity's Choice Air several times. Best pricing by far. You need to monitor the site a few months out as the pricing seems to go down during the week. We were able to purchase business class for what premium economy is selling for-- Phoenix to Amsterdam. You also choose your own seats.

 

We are on the Silhouette May 14th cabin 1235. Anyone else on this thread, on this sailing? Kitty and Roland.

 

 

 

We are on same as you....but down on the same level only Starboard as ChicagoPaul & Edward ..

Well I TRIED to correct what I didn't remember ...LOL but couldn't delete the first post

Hi,

We have used Celebrity's Choice Air several times. Best pricing by far. You need to monitor the site a few months out as the pricing seems to go down during the week. We were able to purchase business class for what premium economy is selling for-- Phoenix to Amsterdam. You also choose your own seats.

 

We are on the Silhouette May 14th cabin 1235. Anyone else on this thread, on this sailing? Kitty and Roland.

 

 

 

We are on same as you....but down on the same level only Starboard as Chicago guys (forgot the rest of his online name)..

Let RIL arrange everything in regards to the Vatican guide. That way when you get there you will be ready to enter immediately and your guide will be waiting for you. RIL makes all these arrangements trust them!

 

 

YES!! Let Jany get it all taken care of--we have used them 3 times for 3 cruises in Italy--I never have any doubts to use RIL..they are great. Have never had any issues with them--they are the BEST!! They will get your input as to different places to see & just really work with you.:D:D:D

We have used RIL twice for different areas in Italy, EVERYONE we have had from RIL has been FANTASTIC!! I would choose them again ALWAYS.:D

We are going to have an afternoon free at the Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge and are interested in going into Talkeetna. I saw somewhere that it was about an hour away.... is that correct? Does anyone know how often the shuttle buses run? Also, I was told there was a fenced in area in Talkeetna that has some reindeer in it. Is that correct?

 

Is Talkeetna worth the trip or are their enough things to do around the lodge to keep you busy for the afternoon?

 

I hope someone answers, as I would like to know also.

I just found while cleaning out a bedroom today a brand new unworn Sweatshirt that says "Love Boat"..I always loved the music playing when pulling away from the dock--so this sweatshirt is too large for me--so going to wash it & see if it will shrink up a bit & I think I will take it with me to wear on our cruise in Sept this year. (if it gets cold).:eek:

I would highly recommend RIL (rome-in-limo) we used them 3 times in Italy. Everything is pretty much taken care of & any questions you have Jany is the one to ask--I think that girl lives on the computer--she is always there to answer any questions. Their drivers know almost everything--from Naples our driver sang to us on the way back. We used them for Rome-Naples & Florence, I would not hesitate to use them any time you are in Italy. You can go online & fill up your group to save money...I don't know if you said you were on a cruise or not...but when I did it--we met on board & left the ship together & it saved hunting people down off the ship--& we got right off & our driver was right there--we left & no others were even close to leaving yet. Just have a great time. Their drivers & guides are the BEST!!@!

We too are planning our shore excursions and are considering utilizing RIL. How difficult is it to find them at the port? How is payment made? Do you pay prior to the trip or at the time the service is rendered?

 

Just a comment---in the past when I have used RIL--I found it easier to meet up with your group ON the ship (find as easy place to group together)--so you can come out together & not have to find everyone amongst the crowds--if everyone meets say 15 minutes before disembarking--they have yoru name on sign--& off you go--we were ahead of everyone doing it this way. No one says you should do this--but I found it worked pretty good for us.

How long does it take them to reply to a booking? I booked last night and still have not heard from them.

Thanks

 

2 things--remember the time zone & also it is a weekend--Jany is ALWAYS good doing her job, if as someone said if Jany is still working for Duman you'll hear soon.

Just wish we could go back again although I doubt we will been here 3 times.

 

ok---we use RIL because it was so well rated & after using them--there was no need to find another tour company, as they say--don't FIX what isn't broken!!

 

I agree having been in ship tours--buses & they cannot go within alot of the cities- it makes things a lot better & you leave the port much earlier than the buses as they are loading up. I have my group using RIL meet on the ship so we can go out together & not have any strays wandering around & then off we go on our tours.

 

Tipping it is your choice, but we are: Some of them just think Americans are crazy : ) : ^ ) we have just learned that from the time we are almost adults, if service is good or excellent--we tip.

 

We also like that we are small groups & treated great by our drivers & guides. Duman hires the BEST people to serve us tourists & to make sure we have a GREAT time.

 

Now in the future we would love to come over & spend a few days in Sorrento & we would use RIL to take us there & perhaps bring us back.

 

AND--Jany--the person who puts us all together & makes sure to answer any & ALL of our questions before we arrive.

 

Duman has a GREAT bunch of people working for him & they all are very happy--being happy means they like their jobs...OOPS--I repeated myself on this part--but that is ok--they are GREAT.

What date and what ship are you on???

 

 

 

Sorry I haven't posted--but this message that you asked about was posted June of 2009, BUT......... we have just recently got back from B2B Solstice from BCN to Cannes/Florence/Rome/Naples/Dubrovnik/Venice /Kotor & back to Barcelona where we then came west to Florida after touring Spain & Portugal, then spent 4 days in Orlando. Then home in time for the Holidays.

 

 

I already attempted to post about 3 hours ago & it went to cyber space. so thought I'd give the boards time to settle in & so far haven't lost anything YET!! I will copy & paste this one though.

 

So as per RIL--they are FABULOUS I would never consider anyone else for Italy. This was my 2nd time using them. ( we used them in 2009 & this time 2011) Duman & Jany are FANTASTIC & so are those who work for them. I haven't even had time since coming home to sort thru my photos (lets say almost 16gb of them) & I have a horrible memory for names. (AND it will be a bit more time before I can load them & go thru them--I am having a big toe joint replacement next Wed & will be FLAT on my back with the foot up & ice for 5 days.)

 

I had 2 vans of 8 people each for Pisa & Florence--GREAT tour & sightseeing we had 2 drivers Gian (ours) & Walter for 8 other people. It was cold that day & when we got out of the van I immediately bought a souvenir "a Pisa sweatshirt".

 

Rome, we had been there as I said in 2009 so we did the Vatican & Sistine Chapel then. So this time we got 1 van for the Catacombs plus around Rome--since I lost all my pics from 2009 from BCN & Rome-- I got new ones.:D

Our driver in Rome was Rolando who was GREAT. I try to get my groups together on the ship so that when we go off we are pretty much all together & then we can get ahead of alot of other tours while they are loading up their people--this seems to work well.

Rolando gave us all sorts of information & our day & tour was GREAT--even on the way back to the ship we did talk about what would happen if it was late....Rolando told us he'd just drive us down to Naples the next day stop, & I bet if he'd thought he would be late he WOULD do the driving. We got to listen to his daughter's music CD & then when she was done he sang for us, so we now know where she got her beautiful voice from.

 

Naples we joined one of Rosemarie's tours ( Hi Rosemarie) also using RIL our driver was Ciro. We also had a great tour with him & as Rosemarie said we had a guide...thank goodness or we'd not have know half the stuff--as we were leaving Pompeii the sun was starting to set--beautiful pictures Well I haven't had time to look at them yet.

 

We have never had any worries (even if we thought we might) using RIL Duman must make sure really well that the people he hires REALLY know their way around each area & are very polite.

 

On the Naples tour we made stops in Sorrento & Positano. Now I would love to go back & spend a bit of time around Sorrento & Positano, although I was able to do some Christmas shopping while there.

I just love Italy & again I would NEVER give a thought to hiring anyone in Italy just RIL, they take care of you well. :D:D love them.

Just used RIL very satisfied. On their website they have an option to create a group where other can join in. I used it to create a group tour in Rome worked out very well

 

My quote that was used for this message was written in June 2009--we got our group with not any problems & I have 2 vans booked (full) for Pisa/Florence for Nov 2011 & 1 van booked for Rome Catacombs full.

So even if at the time I wrote this it WAS the FIRST time I used them & I am sure I was worried, I am not worried at all this time. I would not be worried--just thought I should post this as because the date of it was very OLD!!

Oh you can go and sit in a tour bus with 50 other people to see the sights. As for us, my wife and I will happily sit in our luxury sedan and be driven from one spot to another in style.

 

Actually, I was being quite economic. The cost for two people to take cruise ship tours was about equal to that of the cost of renting a private sedan. It was therefore a no-brainer to book private tours with experienced drivers.

 

I must admit that I did not expect to get a Mercedes sedan along with a Mercedes van for some of the tours but that is what happened. I was not going to object.

 

The advantage for tourists like us is that these vehicles have permits that allow them to go where private cars cannot go and moreover where tour buses are too big to go. Just think how spoiled we were… walk around for about 20 minutes at a particular location, come back to the car for a glass of cold water as you are being driven off to the next place to visit. After a long day of touring around, it was nice to be in the air-conditioned sedan being driven back to the port and being able to nod off a little bit to rest up for the evening adventures on board the ship.

 

We chose RIL for Rome and Florence tours because of the positive reviews on here. We were not disappointed

 

Each of our drivers had their own distinct personalities. Vincenzo was the grandfatherly type who showed us around Rome. He had his own guidebook that showed us what some of the sites look like before and after. It is unbelievable what the Coliseum and the Circus Maximus which could hold 250,000 people looked like in their prime and look like today.

 

We told him specifically that we just wanted to see the main sites to get a feel for the City and were not interested in rushing to see everything possible in a very short period of time. Rome was not built in a day and could never be seen in a day either. We saw all of the touristy sites which is exactly what we wanted to do and then had time to have a leisurely lunch in a seaside restaurant on the way back to the port and to see a panorama of Rome from one of the Seven Hills..

 

Vinnie, our driver in Pisa/Florence was a walking encyclopedia of history of the area. He knew everything about everything. He spoke constantly from the time that he picked us up until the time that he delivered us into Florence telling us about the history of the region. It was amazing what I did not know about Italy even though I had studied history about the region in school. It was a pleasure learning from someone who obviously loved what he did and who had studied hard so that he could share his knowledge with his clients. I can imagine how wonderful taking tours with him for a week in the area would be as he would show you just about everything important that you would want to know.

 

In our private van which we shared with a family we met on the ship, we were able to beat the mobs who took the tour buses to see Pisa. Florence itself in the area where we stopped for several hours to look around was a tourist paradise. So much of the area was set aside for pedestrians only that it was a pleasure to walk around. After a while, it almost was like being on overload there was so much to see and to absorb.

 

Of course Vinnie showed us a great place to shop for leather jackets so my wife was very happy.

 

Thanks to RIL we were able to see a lot in a little time and in complete luxury at an economical price. Who can beat that.

 

Oh I TOTALLY agree with your review--we used RIL 2 years ago & are using them again for Florence/Rome & Naples...Can hardly wait to get there.:D

Did the driver enter the Vatican with you and become your tour guide?

Or is hiring a tourguide extra

 

A tour guide is extra & I agree with CruiserBruce. Just know that your guide is full of all sorts of information, hire the guide it is much easier!. We had a wonderful guide (& driver).

One of the wonderful things about using Romeinlimo is that you can customize the tour the way you want it.

 

In planning for our trip, I corresponded regularly with Jany at RIL. She always replied promptly to my questions and offered suggestions so we could make the best use of our time.

 

We spent four days in Rome pre-cruise, and booked 4 tours and 3 transfers with Romeinlimo.

 

I give RIL my highest recommendation.

 

Upon arrival at FCO, a RIL driver was waiting for us with our name on a sign, and off we went in a beautiful, air-conditioned Mercedes to our hotel. We checked in to our hotel, freshened up and were waiting in the hotel lobby for our next driver to pick us up for our Vatican tour. We were surprised when the owner of RIL, Duman, came to our hotel along with Sarah, our guide for the Vatican, to drive us to the Vatican.

Duman is wonderful, very professional and gracious.

 

Rome Day 2 – Full day tour of all the Rome highlights. Our driver, Angelo, was punctual, professional and very accommodating. He maneuvered the car around all the little streets that a big tour bus could not possibly manage. We saw so much in one day, and never felt rushed. Angelo always had cold water for us, and took us to a great place for lunch. At the end of our long day, Angelo gave us a nice bottle of Chianti to enjoy.

Rome Day 3 – Tivoli and Villa d’ Este tour and Borghese Gallery. Angelo was our driver again for this. I told him in the morning that I would like to see Borghese (not realizing I needed advanced reservations) and he made all of the arrangements for us to have the last tour of the day. We also went to the Catacombs. Again, his knowledge and communication skills were excellent. He truly knows his way around Rome, and the backstreets and shortcuts of getting to the best sites.

 

Rome Day 4 – Etruscan tour and transfer to port. We shared this tour with some great people I met on our Roll Call. Salvatore was our driver, and he was great. After visiting the Etruscan tombs, he took us to a local wine and olive oil tasting, and then to a restaurant. The restaurant had a beautiful view, and the BEST food I ate in Italy. After a wonderful day, Salvatore dropped us off at the port in Civitavecchia.

 

While in Trapani, Sicily, we used Romeinlimo for our tour. There were 7 of us from our Cruise Critic Roll Call. Our driver was right at the port waiting for us in a new Mercedes minibus. We visited the salt mines and Marsala. We went for a wine tasting at the Pelligrino winery. It was a wonderful day.

 

My DD and SIL are going to Rome in a few weeks, and they have their tours booked with RIL.

 

We are planning another trip to Italy this summer and have already booked some tours and transfers with RIL. They are simply the best!

 

Bobbie

 

WOW now to spend more than a cruise day in port!!! What great things you did--we used RIL for Rome in Dec 2009--what a great time. Still trying to find the RIGHT cruise to come back on. BUT must have Naples-Florence & VENICE on the stop, & will used RIL on all. (trying hard for this fall--but might not happen--keep hunting thru specials.)

 

I found for anyone taking this tour (or I suppose ANY private tour) get your group together on the ship & come off together--SAVES lots of time with people milling about off the ship & you will be lots of time ahead of the others.!!

 

We did have lunch (PIZZA & WINE)--followed up around the corner for Gelato-although I didn't have enough time to finish that. But NEVER felt rushed. Great company to use.

I would agree with most of the posters here--we used RIL when we were there last Dec. Everything went smoothly & we had a GREAT time--I have since forgotten who was our driver & our Guide for the Vatican though..:o

If we ever get to come back I will for sure book using this company--they are wonderful from the time you first 'talk' (email) with Jany to the end & back home--I'd love to do Rome & some other ports in the future & we will use RIL to do so--now just hoping we will be back.

Perhaps they are a bit more expensive but I used them because they were VERY highly recommended thru CC

On the questionnaire for RIL, they ask for a pickup time. Our boat is scheduled to arrive in Naples at 7. The tour is 9 hours and sounds wonderful. What would you recommend for the pickup time. We don't want to waste tour time on the dock.... Thanks so much. So much helpful information on this thread.

 

I can't pick your time but if you have a group it saves alot of time by getting your group together before getting off the ship--then you will have a sign to look for & everyone will be together & you will get in the van & off you go while others are still waiting for everyone to get to their groups. Have a GREAT time.

I would just call Jany and give her the information. She is usually very accessible and responsive to concerns.

 

PolySeraph's concern is not with Romeinlimo's handling of the credit card information itself but that Romeinlimo does not secure its booking page by encrypting your credit card and other personal information when you hit "Submit" to transmit the information over the internet. A savvy hacker could thus steal your credit card information. It is customary to use HTTPS (aka SSL) when web sites collect sensitive information and it has always been recommended that people using the web look for the HTTPS in the web address or the "lock" symbol in your web browser to know that you are using an encrypted connection.

 

Ah OK--sorry about that--I would suggest they ask Jany if they can do with out the Credit Card--I do not know if anyone will allow this tho..Perhaps there is someone on their ship or CC here that IS willing to contact them if they are planning a tour with other CC'ers

Thanks for the info. I spent a fair amount of time this am on the RIL website looking for a secure way of providing my credit card info and the only page I could find was this one: http://www.romeinlimo.com/booking.htm. This page doesn't have https; it's just http which means that any credit card info entered into the form would be transmitted without being protected by encryption. I'm hoping I've overlooked the secure link.

 

Alternatively, does anyone have any experience with providing RIL with credit card info via alternative means? Say, fax or phone?

 

I've heard such rave reviews about the quality of their tours and their outstanding customer service that I'm really looking forward to engaging them for the days I will be in Italy next year. Thanks.

 

 

I still would not hesitate to book with them online--if they did anything bad with it--they'd never be making tours again...but I understand you wanting to be safe. Email Jany/RIL & ask if they can call you or you can call them. & do it over the phone. they will not be charging your card--it is mainly incase you WALK--you will be paying cash at the end of your tour

How did RIL ask you to send them your cc number? Was it secure? I'd love to book with them for our Livorno and Civitavecchia stops but DH (works in IT) won't sign off on sending cc numbers via email. He's also leery of entering info into website forms unless they use encryption to transmit the info.

 

 

Never had a problem at all--they use that incase yo are a no show--also they do not charge it to your card--I also make sure the site has HTTPS--the S means it is safe.

 

We paid in cash tho..I also had our group meet in the center of the ship--in a certain place at a certain time--that way we all left the ship together & were WAY ahead of the others waiting for their groups to form. Saves alot of time & off you go ahead of everyone.

Here's a pic I took of Duman from our tour last year. Lots of great memories.

 

Thanks for the picture-although I am going to have to figure out how to enlarge it..thank you for posting it though.