RomeInLimo questions

[BigGuy25]

Simply fill in Naples Cruise Port, Civitavecchia Cruise Port, Livorno Cruise Port. They'll need to know the ship you are on as well.

 

When you get off the ship you'll find your car/van and driver waiting for you with a small sign with your name on it. It couldn't be more convenient!

[PCWalton1]

Also about payment....do you pay in advance or on the day of the trip? I can see where it asks for a credit card but I'm not sure if this is for a deposit or for the full payment? What happens if the ship changes the itinerary? Would I lose the full payment? Any advice you can give me would be deeply appreciated. Thanks!

 

We gave a credit card number but did not pay until after the tour and we paid in cash.

[polySeraph]

We gave a credit card number but did not pay until after the tour and we paid in cash.

 

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.

[kehlx2]

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.

[polySeraph]

I also make sure the site has HTTPS--the S means it is safe.

 

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.

[kehlx2]

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

[Terpnut]

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

 

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

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. Edited June 9, 2010 by Terpnut

[kehlx2]

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

[SunFunCruiser]

I think if you email Jany about this and ask him to call you for the info, they would.

[PCWalton1]

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 did not book the tour for our group but I am pretty sure it sent it by email to Jany who run their website/reservations.

[laxfanmom1]

I had the same concern with my booking. I emailed Jany and she called me 5 minutes later. I read her my CC info over the phone.

[Loubyloo]

Oh my gosh, now I'm feeling nervous. I filled out the credit card information online and I'm worried it will be hacked. Has anyone else had this problem?

[polySeraph]

Thanks to everyone who responded. I was really looking forward to booking with Rome in Limo. I've been to Italy several times in the past on both business and pleasure and was hoping that RIL would help me see Siena and Orvieto on this trip. Thanks to the great feedback, my concerns have been allayed.

 

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.

 

Well written. Thanks

 

I had the same concern with my booking. I emailed Jany and she called me 5 minutes later. I read her my CC info over the phone.

 

Thanks. Exactly what I needed to know.

 

Oh my gosh, now I'm feeling nervous. I filled out the credit card information online and I'm worried it will be hacked. Has anyone else had this problem?

 

To allay your concerns. . . . your cc company most likely has some very elaborate fraud-prevention measures in place. (I once tripped an alert by buying some electronics at Target and then stopping at Walmart on the way home to pick up a rather substantial gift card. The combination of those two actions tripped fraud prevention and locked out my card. I had to call my credit union and confirmed that I'd made the purchases to get the card unlocked.) If 90% of your purchases are made in one geographic area or a few online stores, and some strange charges come in from say, Bulgaria, your cc company will probably take notice. Just monitor your statements every 2-3 days and take precautions in the future.

Edited June 10, 2010 by polySeraph

[foxeysandy]

We just returned from an amazing 12-day luxury cruise from Rome to London, with two days on land at the beginning and end. While we participated in many cruiseline-sponsored tours in beautiful cities such as Bordeaux, Barcelona, and Lisbon, I have to say that the most fun and educational days were the two we spent with Rome In Limo. We had a group of 16 and my sister and I set up two tours in Rome--Angels and Demons for those returning to Rome and a basic Rome itinerary for the newbies. We all had a wondeful time, thanks to advanced planning assistance from Duman and Jany and the terrific drivers.

 

Two days later, we opted to use Rome In Limo from Livorno rather than the cruiseline's tour. Although we all had a generous amount of onboard credit, we felt we would get more value for our money by going with RIL. We were right! For much less than the cruiseline's price, we set up two tours for 8 persons each. The newbies visited Pisa and Florence while the rest of us went to Sienna and Voltarra (and in between, our driver, Fabrizio, took us to the location of Princess Di and Prince Charles' honeymoon).

 

We were especially pleased to meet Duman at the end of our tours in Rome!! I'm happy to report he's just as nice in person as online.

[labeachcomber]

You can pre-purchase tickets to enter the Vatican on-line no more than 60 days prior to the date you want to enter. The Vatican website is:

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking&codiceLivelloVisita=9&step=1

 

I just purchased 4 tickets a few days ago for August 8.

 

The website is very easy to use. You specify the date and entrance time (hourly), the # of tickets you wish to purchase (regular and/or child) and you have to provide the names of who the tickets are for.

 

Once you provide your charge card information to finalize the purchase, you are emailed a voucher you print out and take with you.

 

This way you skip the lines to purchase tickets.

 

I've got a lot of research to do before our Rome visit, and we were thinking of doing the same thing. Somewhere I had read that even if you prepurchased a ticket but were not using a tour, you still had to stand in the "long" line. I hope this is not true.

 

Just a generalized question... we're planning on being in Rome for three days before our cruise. So far, our plan was to buy Rick Steves' book, download his Podcasts from iTunes, and basically tour all the major attractions on our own with our iPods. Are we going to missing out on a lot? It'd be nice to have a local guide hold our hands and take us to every single point of interest, but we just don't want to be spending 500 Euro a person for each day. Seems like everybody on these boards loves the guides and Romeinlimos, but we just don't want to pay. Anyone have any experience doing this?

[Nebr.cruiser]

We were in Rome for the first time three days post-cruise in April. We did all the sightseeing on our own, except for the Scavi Tour. I used Rick Steves book extensively, but we didn't do the podcasts.

 

We felt like we had a wonderful experience; walked to all the sites, toured what we were most interested in and spent very little. Did we see everything?--of course not; not possible in three days. I don't feel like we missed anything major and yet there is plenty to see if (when) we return.

 

We bought the Scavi tour tickets and tickets to the Vatican Museum online before we left. There was no line for the museum but a huge security line to get into the Basilica, which we were able to bypass by having our Vatican Museum tickets alreadyand entereing via the 'secret' door from the Sistine Chapel.

 

We didn't feel like we missed out, but we prefer to tour on our own when possible. The one area where I wished for a guide was the Forum, which is confusing, even with the guidebook. The podcasts would be very helpful there.

[labeachcomber]

We were in Rome for the first time three days post-cruise in April. We did all the sightseeing on our own, except for the Scavi Tour. I used Rick Steves book extensively, but we didn't do the podcasts.

 

We felt like we had a wonderful experience; walked to all the sites, toured what we were most interested in and spent very little. Did we see everything?--of course not; not possible in three days. I don't feel like we missed anything major and yet there is plenty to see if (when) we return.

 

We bought the Scavi tour tickets and tickets to the Vatican Museum online before we left. There was no line for the museum but a huge security line to get into the Basilica, which we were able to bypass by having our Vatican Museum tickets alreadyand entereing via the 'secret' door from the Sistine Chapel.

 

We didn't feel like we missed out, but we prefer to tour on our own when possible. The one area where I wished for a guide was the Forum, which is confusing, even with the guidebook. The podcasts would be very helpful there.

 

Great, glad to know that you can do things on your own. We've got our guidebooks and our podcasts along with maps, etc., so I think we should be ok and able to do things at our own pace.

 

I am waiting to hear from Scavi regarding the excavations tour, this is something I just learned of recently while doing some research. One thing I'm not clear on is just what tickets/tours we need. If we book online for a Vatican museum ticket, this I assume also allows you to see the Sistine Chapel, but then do you need another ticket to get into the Basilica?

 

By having the Vatican ticket purchased online, are you allowed to bypass the Basilica line, or is the only way to bypass the line to enter through the "secret" door?

[Nebr.cruiser]

The Vatican Museum ticket does get you into the Sistine Chapel as well--it's the last room on that side of the museum. We used the 'secret' (side) door to go out from the chapel to the front of the basilica; I don't think it would work to exit at the entrance to the museum because then you'd have to walk all the way around and get in the security line for St. Peter's. But, we didn't do this, so I don't know for sure.

 

There is no charge for the basilica--totally free. When we exited the Sistine Chapel we walked around to the Scavi tour office, which is down a level and to the left of the Basilica, since that was next on our tour. After the Scavi tour we were able to go right up into the Basilica without going back outside.

 

BTW, we are both 64, though in pretty good health, so doing it all on your own is very possible. Were we tired after walking miles every day? Sure, but we felt like we really got to know the city and recovered fairly quickly. Our B&B was about a mile from the Colosseum, 3 miles from St. Peter's.

 

I might have second thoughts about this much walking in the heat and crowds of summer, though. This was late April and it was already very hot (85ish) and crowded.

[samavarcruiser]

Great, glad to know that you can do things on your own. We've got our guidebooks and our podcasts along with maps, etc., so I think we should be ok and able to do things at our own pace.

 

I am waiting to hear from Scavi regarding the excavations tour, this is something I just learned of recently while doing some research. One thing I'm not clear on is just what tickets/tours we need. If we book online for a Vatican museum ticket, this I assume also allows you to see the Sistine Chapel, but then do you need another ticket to get into the Basilica?

 

By having the Vatican ticket purchased online, are you allowed to bypass the Basilica line, or is the only way to bypass the line to enter through the "secret" door?

 

Get more ideas :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1053781&highlight=rome+your+own

[LVcouple]

We used RIL while in Rome & just can't say enough good things about everyone that we dealt with. Francesco picked us up at the airport & then we spent two more delightful days with him touring Rome. Couldn't have been better. We cancelled our ship's tour in Florence based on our good experience and went with RIL. When my husband became ill in Florence our driver was so considerate and helpful. At times like that you can really appreciate being with a private guide. It was well worth the money we spent and if you want a once in a lifetime experience go with romeinlimo!

[cruisemom42]

I've got a lot of research to do before our Rome visit, and we were thinking of doing the same thing. Somewhere I had read that even if you prepurchased a ticket but were not using a tour, you still had to stand in the "long" line. I hope this is not true.

 

Just a generalized question... we're planning on being in Rome for three days before our cruise. So far, our plan was to buy Rick Steves' book, download his Podcasts from iTunes, and basically tour all the major attractions on our own with our iPods. Are we going to missing out on a lot? It'd be nice to have a local guide hold our hands and take us to every single point of interest, but we just don't want to be spending 500 Euro a person for each day. Seems like everybody on these boards loves the guides and Romeinlimos, but we just don't want to pay. Anyone have any experience doing this?

 

My kind of travelers! There's a lot of info on these boards for DIYers if you look. Feel free to post any specific questions and probably someone will be able to answer.

 

I try to DIY in every port I can. I learn so much more that way because of the planning in advance and actually having to "know" things on the ground. Rome is my favorite city and, as long as you are able to walk your feet off each day, you'll find it easy to get around.

 

Good luck! :)

[dcinmb]

Somewhere I had read that even if you prepurchased a ticket but were not using a tour, you still had to stand in the "long" line. I hope this is not true.

 

Re: the Vatican Museums, when we were there in November we bypassed the several-block-long line and just walked up to the security guard, showed him our prepaid ticket confirmation, and walked right on in, even though we hadn't booked a tour.

 

Just a generalized question... we're planning on being in Rome for three days before our cruise. So far, our plan was to buy Rick Steves' book, download his Podcasts from iTunes, and basically tour all the major attractions on our own with our iPods. Are we going to missing out on a lot? It'd be nice to have a local guide hold our hands and take us to every single point of interest, but we just don't want to be spending 500 Euro a person for each day. Seems like everybody on these boards loves the guides and Romeinlimos, but we just don't want to pay. Anyone have any experience doing this?

 

As others have said, Rome is surprisingly easy to do DIY, particularly as you'll be there for three days and be able to spare some time to wander and get lost, which is part of the fun. Between walking and the hop-on hop-off buses you really don't need to rely on taxis at all, unless you've got your luggage with you.

 

That said, my parents will be visiting Rome for one day in September and I have booked RomeInLimo for them. They've been to Rome before but are older and less mobile than they used to be---plus they'll be coming in from Civitavecchia---so I'm hoping RIL will enable them to get the most out of their day. I do have a question, though: Has anyone taken one of the Vatican's official tours of the Museums/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter's? I've reserved one of RIL's private guides but I'm wondering if one of the Vatican's official guided tours would suffice. I've only taken the Scavi Tour and was really impressed, so if the other tours are just as good I'm thinking the private guide may not be necessary.

 

Thanks!

 

Diana

[seabreezer]

We just returned from a fabulous visit to Europe and our tour with Mauro at Romeinlimo was a highlight. We decided to incorporate a full day tour instead of just transferring from our hotel to the ship at Civitavecchia. Mauro picked us up promptly at 8:30 and took us to Ostia Antica where he escorted us through and gave us a very informative tour. He then drove us to Ceri where we had the best meal of our entire 3 week trip at Trattoria Sora Lella. It was a wonderful little restaurant with an incredible view and truly authentic Italian cuisine. The wine cellar was an Etruscan tomb! Mauro is obviously a history lover and is really passionate about his job. He was so generous with sharing his knowledge of Italian history. He was truly delightful.

[cruisemom42]

That said, my parents will be visiting Rome for one day in September and I have booked RomeInLimo for them. They've been to Rome before but are older and less mobile than they used to be---plus they'll be coming in from Civitavecchia---so I'm hoping RIL will enable them to get the most out of their day. I do have a question, though: Has anyone taken one of the Vatican's official tours of the Museums/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter's? I've reserved one of RIL's private guides but I'm wondering if one of the Vatican's official guided tours would suffice. I've only taken the Scavi Tour and was really impressed, so if the other tours are just as good I'm thinking the private guide may not be necessary.

 

Thanks!

 

Diana

 

The Vatican guided tours are pretty good; I would say they are comparable to the Scavi tour. The guides know their stuff. Sometimes they are less chatty and entertaining than private guides, but for me that's fine. (I'm not saying the guide won't be entertaining, it's just that some are not as much so...). They will definitely give you the background and show you the highlights.

 

The only reason I'd suggest a private guide over the Vatican tour in your parents case is 1) if they would have trouble keeping up with a group, as the tour guide can move pretty quickly at times, and 2) if they have interests, or certain things they want to see, that may not be covered on the "main highlights" kind of tour.

[seabreezer]

We did the Scavi Tour and it was great but not a must do kind of thing. A better tour was with Michael Agostino in the Vatican Museum. He previously worked for the Vatican as a tour guide for many years and now freelances. He is amazing, he loves history and is passionate about Roman and especially Papal history. It was so interesting that he only briefly stopped at the works of art that had throngs of people around and then showed us incredibly interesting significant pieces that tied into his overall narrative of Papal and Roman history. More importantly, he led us straight to the AC vent in the Sistine Chapel! We also spent another half day with him touring the city. I highly recommend him.

turandotravel@libero.it