RomeInLimo questions

[billrco90278]

Has anbody done Rome in Limo's "Rome as Your Taste" tour? Did the driver know of your plans before he picked you up and was he prepared? We want to foocus on ancient Rome and the city center with little time, if any, at the Vatican.

[hylasgirl]

Has anbody done Rome in Limo's "Rome as Your Taste" tour? Did the driver know of your plans before he picked you up and was he prepared? We want to foocus on ancient Rome and the city center with little time, if any, at the Vatican.

 

 

We do this all the time now. I've done so many tours with Romeinlimo in Rome that now we pick our own itinerary for the day. I discussed a few things about what I wanted to do with Jany via email, and then she said to make sure that we went over everything directly with the driver in the morning when he picked us up. There is just NO WAY to see everything in a single day in Rome, so it's best to pick your sites according to priority. You don't have to see the Vatican at all if you don't want to. That is another beauty of a private tour. Discuss what it is you really want to do with Jany, finding out what you have time to see... and then go over that schedule with your driver on the morning of the tour before you go into the city center.

 

Have fun! Romeinlimo is amazing!

[TLCOhio]

We do this all the time now. I've done so many tours with Romeinlimo in Rome that now we pick our own itinerary for the day. I discussed a few things about what I wanted to do with Jany via email, and then she said to make sure that we went over everything directly with the driver in the morning when he picked us up. There is just NO WAY to see everything in a single day in Rome, so it's best to pick your sites according to priority. You don't have to see the Vatican at all if you don't want to. That is another beauty of a private tour. Discuss what it is you really want to do with Jany, finding out what you have time to see... and then go over that schedule with your driver on the morning of the tour before you go into the city center. Have fun! Romeinlimo is amazing!

 

Great points noted above by Steph about Rome. You can't see ALL or even half of Rome in a day. You need to research and plan accordingly. Tell Jany your priorities, personal interests, etc. They can do a great job figuring out and suggestion how to best make that flow be smooth, time efficient, etc.

 

Just saw the Mac iMovie that our friends from Arizona made regarding their cruise in the Med. They just loved what I suggested and they did with RomeInLimo for their three stops in doing Florence, Rome the Amalfi Coast. I'm a super, super hero to them in getting focused properly and by them using RomeInLimo. Appreciate RomeInLimo making my look so great in their eyes.

 

Here are just a couple preview pictures for what you can see and experience in wonderful Rome. Many more on my full live/blog, including great details for what we did in the Tuscany and Naples/Amalfi areas through Jany and RomeInLimo.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 94,458 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

As we walked from St. Peter’s, we crossed the Tiberi River and saw this view of Castel Sant’Angelo. This castle has great history, starting as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian in 139 AD. It later provided security for Popes in times of attack.:

 

 

 

Inside the Pantheon in Rome, this photo with my wide angle lens shows what is regarded as the best preserved of the ancient buildings in Rome. It is based on the classical Greek temple design and has a hole in the middle of the domed ceiling. It was the Roman “temple of all the gods”. You can see the light shining through the roof to part of interior on the left side.:

 

[Yankee123]

Just saw the Mac iMovie that our friends from Arizona made regarding their cruise in the Med. They just loved what I suggested and they did with RomeInLimo for their three stops in doing Florence, Rome the Amalfi Coast. I'm a super, super hero to them in getting focused properly and by them using RomeInLimo. Appreciate RomeInLimo making my look so great in their eyes.

 

Hi TLCOhio,

 

Would it be too much to ask if you could share with us also what should we ask our driver. We have RIL in book in Rome, Livorno (Florence/Pisa) and Naples/Pompeii. Hopefully you can be our hero also :D

[TLCOhio]

Hi TLCOhio, Would it be too much to ask if you could share with us also what should we ask our driver. We have RIL in book in Rome, Livorno (Florence/Pisa) and Naples/Pompeii. Hopefully you can be our hero also :D

 

Happy to be a "hero" to you, also. BUT, it wasn't what I told my friends that they then told their driver on the tour day. It was getting my friends focused about a month BEFORE their cruise to consider and think about what they wanted to see and do while in these three different parts of Italy. We talked about those options, their interests and desires, etc. THEN, they contacted RIL, shared their needs/interests, got a tour set-up, lined up others to join them, etc.

 

It is not what you tell your driver on tour day. The secret is to consider your priorities and share that in advance with Jany. Does this help a little?

 

Reactions and added questions?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 94,458 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[billrco90278]

Happy to be a "hero" to you, also. BUT, it wasn't what I told my friends that they then told their driver on the tour day. It was getting my friends focused about a month BEFORE their cruise to consider and think about what they wanted to see and do while in these three different parts of Italy. We talked about those options, their interests and desires, etc. THEN, they contacted RIL, shared their needs/interests, got a tour set-up, lined up others to join them, etc.

 

It is not what you tell your driver on tour day. The secret is to consider your priorities and share that in advance with Jany. Does this help a little?

 

Reactions and added questions?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 94,458 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

Excellent advice, Thank you TLC Ohio!

[Gracie115]

Excellent advice, Thank you TLC Ohio!

 

 

I'll just add my 2cents here too...TLC is right! We communicated off and on with Jany for months before our visits and she was able to help mold the tours so that we saw what we wanted. We added an hour to a walking tour so that we could see the Lux Arcana Vatican exhibit in May, and last year instead of just taking a a transport to the port we visited a castle at Lake Bracciano on our way there.... If you explain what you want in advance it will help them get what you want. Enjoy!!:D

[pklein9747]

Wait a minute. You were able to prepay? We are booked with them in three ports and were told our only option was to pay in cash or Euro traveller's checks at the end of each day's trip.

 

I would love to prepay and not have to worry about carrying that much cash or finding ATMs!!

 

Burchrod: RIL offered those of us who had booked very far ahead the opportunity to prepay as a holiday incentive/gift. I believe this is something they only do once a year. Believe me...it was tough organizing this prepay with 3 tours - 15 people from all over the world on each tour. But we did it...and yes, it is great to not have to worry about paying for these when we tour in October.

[bellavita1]

Wait a minute. You were able to prepay? We are booked with them in three ports and were told our only option was to pay in cash or Euro traveller's checks at the end of each day's trip.

 

I would love to prepay and not have to worry about carrying that much cash or finding ATMs!!

During the Christmas season they were offering a special for those who already booked option to pre pay. I jumped on it because I did not want to walk around Europe with thousands of dollers in my pocket. I think they normally do not offer this on a regular basis. Maybe they needed some cash flow for the holiday season. Ask them and see.

[Yankee123]

Happy to be a "hero" to you, also. BUT, it wasn't what I told my friends that they then told their driver on the tour day. It was getting my friends focused about a month BEFORE their cruise to consider and think about what they wanted to see and do while in these three different parts of Italy. We talked about those options, their interests and desires, etc. THEN, they contacted RIL, shared their needs/interests, got a tour set-up, lined up others to join them, etc.

 

It is not what you tell your driver on tour day. The secret is to consider your priorities and share that in advance with Jany. Does this help a little?

 

Reactions and added questions?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Thank you Terry - This is great advice. I had just booked it with the hope that their default plan would work best. I need to get down and ask everyone what they would like to see specifically - lol. :D

 

Thank you

[TLCOhio]

Thank you Terry - This is great advice. I had just booked it with the hope that their default plan would work best. I need to get down and ask everyone what they would like to see specifically - lol. :D Thank you

 

Appreciate your follow-up. In Europe, there is really NOT a "default plan". One size does not fit all interests and styles!! Many, many options and potentials are in these various, great ports. Keep researching, planning and preparing!!! Let us know any follow-up questions.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 94,602 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[loradora]

We just retuned from an Oceania cruise from Venice to Barcelona. I was put in charge of doing the port research and and decided to book two port tours with RomeInLimo. We were two couples who had been to Florence before and decided we'd like to see some of the countryside while in port in Livorno. We were interested in seeing Pisa so we took the suggested intinerary of Pisa and Lucca. Our driver/guide was Elizabeth. She was very professional and very knowledgeable. The beauty of the private tours is that you don't have to be herded around like cattle and you have flexibility in what you do for the day. We also took a RomeInLimo tour in the port of Taormina where Alexandro was our guide. He took us to Mt. Etna as well as around the town of Taormina. We were also very pleased with his knowledge and professionalism. We booked with Jany via the internet about two months before sailing.

[ericinkw]

July 29, 2012

 

Owner, Rome in Limo Company

European Office

Skvadronsbacken 84

17456, SBG

SV

 

RE: Driver "Mike" from Rome, 7/18/12 Tour

 

To Whom It May Concern:

 

Just wanted to take a moment to compliment your company on the excellent service and outstanding performance of one of your employees, our driver "Mike" from the Rome In Limo tour of Rome. If Mike is representative of the type of people you employ there, you should be very proud of the caliber of company you have put together.

 

I took the Norwegian Epic Western Mediteranian cruise primarily to see Italy, and specifically to see Rome, so my anticipation was high going into that day. I was part of the Roger Harris party of 8 that we had pre-booked prior to the cruise. Customarily early, I was the first of the party to disembark and was met promptly by Mike at the port, and we had a half hour before the departure time. Engaging and friendly, with excellent English skills, Mike was the perfect host for our tour. The Mercedes van was spotless, the AC worked perfectly and Mike was informative, engaging and funny, and answered all of my multitude of questions on the way to Rome.

 

My little bit of drama came when Mike introduced us to our tour guide, an engaging young lady who eventually almost lost her voice towards the end of our Vatican tour, but was excessively informative nonetheless. As we exited the Sistine Chapel and made our way to Saint Peter's Square, I was in awe at the expansiveness of the surroundings, and stopped to take a few photos. When I turned around, our little group of 8 had seemingly vanished. Later, I learned that they had taken an abrubt right, when I had anticipated they were moving straight ahead. Needless to say, I was a bit anxious that I had lost my group in the vastness of the multitudes of people in that square. So I did the only thing I could think to do, noted the time before I absolutely had to be back on board the ship and how long it would take for a taxi ride back on my own, and moved to the nearest exit / Taxi Stand in front of the square to wait to see if they might come along to collect me. I had almost given up hope, when lo & behold, here comes Mike from your company to save the day!

 

Mike later informed me that a taxi ride back would have cost me more than $350 to get back to the ship, and when I learned that, I attempted to give him "a little extra" tip, which he refused. He is a credit to your fine company, and I will forever be grateful for his extra efforts in locating me on that hot July afternoon. Our group laughed about my getting lost, of course, all the way back to the ship. Mike felt bad about the young lady who gave us the Vatican tour, and I want everyone involved to know that it was in no way her fault for my getting seperated from the group. She did a fine job as our guide.

 

Once again, I just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to have experienced such a wonderful company such as Rome in Limo, and I have already sang your praises on CruiseCritic.com and will highly reccomend your services to any and all who ask for it. Please feel free to use this letter in any of your promotional efforts or online in any way.

 

By the way, our group also did the Pompei / Sorrento / Almafi Coast tours and the San Gianagmo / Tuscany Wine Tasting experiences and in all of my 51 years of travel I have never had a better time with either Giovanni (Naples) or John Marie (Livorno) as host drivers, and I can speak for the rest of my little tour group that you should be proud of the quality of service, people and overall excellence that your company has provided me, on what was one of the best trips in my life.

 

Sincerely,

 

Eric Darling

JP Morgan Chase

2546 Golden Park Lane

Tallahassee, FL 32303

863-414-4863

ericinkw@aol.com

 

 

 

[happyfarmer]

We just returned from the July 10 sailing of the Celebrity Solstice to the Mediterranean. My wife and I were travelling with our two daughters, ages 9 and 6, and we booked three (kid-friendly) tours with RomeInLimo: Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples (Amalfi coast, Positano, Pompeii).

 

All three tours and the driver/guides (David, Sergio and Ciro) were outstanding: informative, fun and well paced with great suggestions for lunch and gelato! And for a cost much lower than the cost of a ship based tour with the added benefits of a private tour! This company is very professional: from the reservations office when we made our first enquiry with the very friendly and helpful Jany all the way to the drop off and warm farewell from our driver/guide right next to the ship.

 

We unhesitatingly recommend RomeInLimo for your shore excursions in Italy, especially for families.

[Newcruise2k12]

Was on the NCL Epic from Barcelona July 15th 2K12 . We were met dockside by Lello in nice & clean Mercedes MiniVan in Naples for our trip along the Amalfi coast. What an amazing day. Lello was insightful and we saw things that would not have been possible using a cruise tour bus. In Roma we were met by Enzo in his Mercedes 500S. Again what a day. No worries about leaving your bag in the car where to go or what to see. We didn't want to go into the Coliseum, just wanted to see it. No problem nice slow drive around and pull off to the side we get out and look around and take pictures. We asked for the catacombs- again no problem. He takes us to the catacombs and is waiting right outside whenever you are finished. Same for the Trevi Fountain & Forum. Both tours were well worth the $$. BTW- The ship offered a "similar" package in Rome only thing it was maximum of 2 people . Cost of NCL "personal guide for 2" $1500! Roma in Limo $450 for the 4 of us.

 

In Livorno/Florence we went it alone. Take the NCL shuttle to the main Livorno train station & take the train to Florence or Pisa. Maybe 2 stops to Pisa, about an hour to Florence (you want the 2nd Florence station). no issues at all.

[maxs mom]

More accolades for rominlimo here!

We are just back from our Med cruise and used rominlimo in Rome and Florence. Our drivers.....Vinny in Rome, and Ricardo in Le Spezia, were top notch. We had no real set agenda in either port so both these guys were great at being flexible and putting together something for us on the fly. We had an amazing two days. Wish we could have used them in more ports. I recommend rominlimo without hesitation. You will have the time of your life!

[cjcruises]

We just returned from the July 10 sailing of the Celebrity Solstice to the Mediterranean. My wife and I were travelling with our two daughters, ages 9 and 6, and we booked three (kid-friendly) tours with RomeInLimo: Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples (Amalfi coast, Positano, Pompeii).

 

All three tours and the driver/guides (David, Sergio and Ciro) were outstanding: informative, fun and well paced with great suggestions for lunch and gelato! And for a cost much lower than the cost of a ship based tour with the added benefits of a private tour! This company is very professional: from the reservations office when we made our first enquiry with the very friendly and helpful Jany all the way to the drop off and warm farewell from our driver/guide right next to the ship.

 

We unhesitatingly recommend RomeInLimo for your shore excursions in Italy, especially for families.

 

Happy Farmer, I would love to find out details of your tours. We are planning to book 3 tours (in the same ports) with Rome in Limo while on Solstice in Sept. We are also travelling with children (11, 11, 9) and I would love to know which tours you did, if you customized them at all & any suggestions you might have about what your children enjoyed while in these (and the other) ports.

Thanks :)

[hylasgirl]

Happy Farmer, I would love to find out details of your tours. We are planning to book 3 tours (in the same ports) with Rome in Limo while on Solstice in Sept. We are also travelling with children (11, 11, 9) and I would love to know which tours you did, if you customized them at all & any suggestions you might have about what your children enjoyed while in these (and the other) ports.

Thanks :)

 

 

We took our 3 children in 2009. They had a fantastic time. Ours were a bit older, but they still had the best day. Our day out of Naples was a highlight for everyone. We did Rome, and Naples. All the kids loved Pompeii. Even with the heavy historical aspect they were all very interested. We hired a guide with Romeinlimo and everyone enjoyed her. She kept the history on a light end so no one ended up getting too bored. We also had an incredible pizza lunch in Sorrento. I do know they have some specialties tours set up for children, but in the end we tried to do something that made everyone happy. Our driver in Naples will always be remembered with our kids. We had Raffaele and he was the most charming of anyone I've ever had with Romeinlimo.

 

Good luck! They will custom make any tour to suite you and the ages of your party. You can't go wrong. Have a blast!

[happyfarmer]

Happy Farmer, I would love to find out details of your tours. We are planning to book 3 tours (in the same ports) with Rome in Limo while on Solstice in Sept. We are also travelling with children (11, 11, 9) and I would love to know which tours you did, if you customized them at all & any suggestions you might have about what your children enjoyed while in these (and the other) ports.

Thanks :)

Hi,

 

Each tour started with an 8:00AM ship-side pick-up lasted about 9-10 hours well in time for ship departure and long enough for young kids. For Livorno, we visited Pisa first, for the leaning tower (30 minute stop, roughly), then headed to Florence. Had a short visit at the pretty San Miniato church with a great view overlooking Florence. Had lunch (great recommendation from our driver, David)near Santa Croce church followed by visit to Accademia to see David statue. (could have done Uffizi instead but for young kids Accademia is a better bet...no time to do both museums if you visit Pisa---make sure to reserve tickets ahead of time-phone is better, website very quirky)). We had some free time to visit the Duomo cathedral but very long lines to get in so we opted instead for a walk near Palazzo Vecchio and to the old bridge Ponte Vecchio. Drive each way from/to ship is about 90 minutes. You can tailor the tour any way you like. Had it been just my wife and I we would have skipped Pisa and spent more time in Florence...but Pisa was a real treat for the kids.

 

Rome was the most intense tour, especially for our 6 year-old. We started off at the Vatican museum (must reserve a specific date and time ahead of time---RomeInlimo will suggest the time and then you can book on the very user friendly Vatican museum website beginning 60 days before your visit.) The Vatican museum is very crowded (tough on young kids with a lot of walking) , especially the Sistine chapel but the visit to St. Peter's is much easier. Both are stunning. We had about two hours. We then had lunch at an exceptional little place recommended by our driver Sergio (I forget the name) close by with superb pasta and pizza and wine, making it now difficult to eat North American versions. After lunch, visits to the Parthenon, Spanish steps and Trevi Fountain. The kids loved the fountain and throwing the coins. After a stop for gelato, we went for a one hour visit of the Colosseum (reserve on-line, need only specify date, not time) , great for kids and drove by other sights like the Forum, Circus Maximus etc., before heading back to the ship. (about 90 minutes)

 

In Naples, we drove along the Amalfi coast to Positano (stunning views), with a one hour stop, and then stopped for (another excellent) lunch in Sorrento with time to walk around the town for shopping etc. After a gelato stop, we drove to Pompeii for a two hour visit which the kids adored (the highlight of all the tours for them). Buy the "before and after guide" overlaying the original buildings on top of the current ruins.

 

To sum up, all the tours and drivers were outstanding and they were all very flexible. They were great with our daughters as well. With our kids, the long waits and standing around (e.g. Vatican museum) are the most frustrating while the ability to run around (e..g Pompeii) are welcome as are the gelato breaks (for the parents as well)! Within the broad time constraint you can tailor the tour as you wish. For example, instead of a sit down lunch you can opt for a sandwich on the go but with our young kids, we preferred the sit down lunch...service was nonetheless very quick at all three places---just go early, 11:30 or 11:45 The Rick Steves guide to Mediterranean cruise ports is fantastic for these and other ports as were his free audio guides (e.g. Vatican, Colosseum, Pompeii etc.) For ports like Villefranche (we travelled to Nice but if we were to return we would have spent the day in Villefranche, a very charming little town), Kotor, Split, and Venice, you can easily do these independently, although in Kotor we took the ship shore excursion up the mountain (over 25 switch backs,,,a bit scary but great views) and for the second day in Venice we did the ship shore excursion to Murano and Burano. Both ship excursions were of excellent quality but are overpriced. Certainly, for the three Italian ports served by RomeInLimo), it makes no sense to use ship tours (for a family of four). RomeInlimo will provide a private tour for much less than the total cost of a ship bus tour. It is amazing how much we did see in the limited time (lots of travel time for each port) Of course, the downside with visiting these beautiful places on a cruise is you really need days to do them justice, not hours...so it is all a bit of a flash.. Remember to take lots of photos which will help recreate the moments.

 

I have also reviewed the Solstice under Happy Farmer and was overall very pleased, the best of 15 cruises Feel free if you have any questions. Hope this helps. Have fun!

[happyfarmer]

...of course, I meant Pantheon, not Parthenon!!

 

Hi,

 

Each tour started with an 8:00AM ship-side pick-up lasted about 9-10 hours well in time for ship departure and long enough for young kids. For Livorno, we visited Pisa first, for the leaning tower (30 minute stop, roughly), then headed to Florence. Had a short visit at the pretty San Miniato church with a great view overlooking Florence. Had lunch (great recommendation from our driver, David)near Santa Croce church followed by visit to Accademia to see David statue. (could have done Uffizi instead but for young kids Accademia is a better bet...no time to do both museums if you visit Pisa---make sure to reserve tickets ahead of time-phone is better, website very quirky)). We had some free time to visit the Duomo cathedral but very long lines to get in so we opted instead for a walk near Palazzo Vecchio and to the old bridge Ponte Vecchio. Drive each way from/to ship is about 90 minutes. You can tailor the tour any way you like. Had it been just my wife and I we would have skipped Pisa and spent more time in Florence...but Pisa was a real treat for the kids.

 

Rome was the most intense tour, especially for our 6 year-old. We started off at the Vatican museum (must reserve a specific date and time ahead of time---RomeInlimo will suggest the time and then you can book on the very user friendly Vatican museum website beginning 60 days before your visit.) The Vatican museum is very crowded (tough on young kids with a lot of walking) , especially the Sistine chapel but the visit to St. Peter's is much easier. Both are stunning. We had about two hours. We then had lunch at an exceptional little place recommended by our driver Sergio (I forget the name) close by with superb pasta and pizza and wine, making it now difficult to eat North American versions. After lunch, visits to the Pantheon, Spanish steps and Trevi Fountain. The kids loved the fountain and throwing the coins. After a stop for gelato, we went for a one hour visit of the Colosseum (reserve on-line, need only specify date, not time) , great for kids and drove by other sights like the Forum, Circus Maximus etc., before heading back to the ship. (about 90 minutes)

 

In Naples, we drove along the Amalfi coast to Positano (stunning views), with a one hour stop, and then stopped for (another excellent) lunch in Sorrento with time to walk around the town for shopping etc. After a gelato stop, we drove to Pompeii for a two hour visit which the kids adored (the highlight of all the tours for them). Buy the "before and after guide" overlaying the original buildings on top of the current ruins.

 

To sum up, all the tours and drivers were outstanding and they were all very flexible. They were great with our daughters as well. With our kids, the long waits and standing around (e.g. Vatican museum) are the most frustrating while the ability to run around (e..g Pompeii) are welcome as are the gelato breaks (for the parents as well)! Within the broad time constraint you can tailor the tour as you wish. For example, instead of a sit down lunch you can opt for a sandwich on the go but with our young kids, we preferred the sit down lunch...service was nonetheless very quick at all three places---just go early, 11:30 or 11:45 The Rick Steves guide to Mediterranean cruise ports is fantastic for these and other ports as were his free audio guides (e.g. Vatican, Colosseum, Pompeii etc.) For ports like Villefranche (we travelled to Nice but if we were to return we would have spent the day in Villefranche, a very charming little town), Kotor, Split, and Venice, you can easily do these independently, although in Kotor we took the ship shore excursion up the mountain (over 25 switch backs,,,a bit scary but great views) and for the second day in Venice we did the ship shore excursion to Murano and Burano. Both ship excursions were of excellent quality but are overpriced. Certainly, for the three Italian ports served by RomeInLimo), it makes no sense to use ship tours (for a family of four). RomeInlimo will provide a private tour for much less than the total cost of a ship bus tour. It is amazing how much we did see in the limited time (lots of travel time for each port) Of course, the downside with visiting these beautiful places on a cruise is you really need days to do them justice, not hours...so it is all a bit of a flash.. Remember to take lots of photos which will help recreate the moments.

 

I have also reviewed the Solstice under Happy Farmer and was overall very pleased, the best of 15 cruises Feel free if you have any questions. Hope this helps. Have fun!

[prefer2cruise]

Thank you Andrea for our stunning tour of Rome. Your prompt pick-up and drop-off Solstice ship-side were appreciated. The in depth knowledge you had of Rome's antiquity's and Italian history were phenomenal as was your ability to find a parking spot within a block of major sites. We saw more of the old and new Rome in a day than most visitors see in a week and all with expert guidance! Even the local restaurant you suggested was unique and served excellent fare. We splurged on this excursion and it was more than worth it. Thank you again for the finest excursion of our cruise!

-Jim and Mary-Ellen

 

:)

[samavarcruiser]

Hi,

 

Each tour started with an 8:00AM ship-side pick-up lasted about 9-10 hours well in time for ship departure and long enough for young kids. For Livorno, we visited Pisa first, for the leaning tower (30 minute stop, roughly), then headed to Florence. Had a short visit at the pretty San Miniato church with a great view overlooking Florence. Had lunch (great recommendation from our driver, David)near Santa Croce church followed by visit to Accademia to see David statue. (could have done Uffizi instead but for young kids Accademia is a better bet...no time to do both museums if you visit Pisa---make sure to reserve tickets ahead of time-phone is better, website very quirky)). We had some free time to visit the Duomo cathedral but very long lines to get in so we opted instead for a walk near Palazzo Vecchio and to the old bridge Ponte Vecchio. Drive each way from/to ship is about 90 minutes. You can tailor the tour any way you like. Had it been just my wife and I we would have skipped Pisa and spent more time in Florence...but Pisa was a real treat for the kids.

 

Rome was the most intense tour, especially for our 6 year-old. We started off at the Vatican museum (must reserve a specific date and time ahead of time---RomeInlimo will suggest the time and then you can book on the very user friendly Vatican museum website beginning 60 days before your visit.) The Vatican museum is very crowded (tough on young kids with a lot of walking) , especially the Sistine chapel but the visit to St. Peter's is much easier. Both are stunning. We had about two hours. We then had lunch at an exceptional little place recommended by our driver Sergio (I forget the name) close by with superb pasta and pizza and wine, making it now difficult to eat North American versions. After lunch, visits to the Parthenon, Spanish steps and Trevi Fountain. The kids loved the fountain and throwing the coins. After a stop for gelato, we went for a one hour visit of the Colosseum (reserve on-line, need only specify date, not time) , great for kids and drove by other sights like the Forum, Circus Maximus etc., before heading back to the ship. (about 90 minutes)

 

In Naples, we drove along the Amalfi coast to Positano (stunning views), with a one hour stop, and then stopped for (another excellent) lunch in Sorrento with time to walk around the town for shopping etc. After a gelato stop, we drove to Pompeii for a two hour visit which the kids adored (the highlight of all the tours for them). Buy the "before and after guide" overlaying the original buildings on top of the current ruins.

 

To sum up, all the tours and drivers were outstanding and they were all very flexible. They were great with our daughters as well. With our kids, the long waits and standing around (e.g. Vatican museum) are the most frustrating while the ability to run around (e..g Pompeii) are welcome as are the gelato breaks (for the parents as well)! Within the broad time constraint you can tailor the tour as you wish. For example, instead of a sit down lunch you can opt for a sandwich on the go but with our young kids, we preferred the sit down lunch...service was nonetheless very quick at all three places---just go early, 11:30 or 11:45 The Rick Steves guide to Mediterranean cruise ports is fantastic for these and other ports as were his free audio guides (e.g. Vatican, Colosseum, Pompeii etc.) For ports like Villefranche (we travelled to Nice but if we were to return we would have spent the day in Villefranche, a very charming little town), Kotor, Split, and Venice, you can easily do these independently, although in Kotor we took the ship shore excursion up the mountain (over 25 switch backs,,,a bit scary but great views) and for the second day in Venice we did the ship shore excursion to Murano and Burano. Both ship excursions were of excellent quality but are overpriced. Certainly, for the three Italian ports served by RomeInLimo), it makes no sense to use ship tours (for a family of four). RomeInlimo will provide a private tour for much less than the total cost of a ship bus tour. It is amazing how much we did see in the limited time (lots of travel time for each port) Of course, the downside with visiting these beautiful places on a cruise is you really need days to do them justice, not hours...so it is all a bit of a flash.. Remember to take lots of photos which will help recreate the moments.

 

I have also reviewed the Solstice under Happy Farmer and was overall very pleased, the best of 15 cruises Feel free if you have any questions. Hope this helps. Have fun!

 

Thanks for sharing your exprince with us :)

[KansCocoa]

We are back from our June 22nd sailing to the Eastern Mediterranean, where we had three stops in Italy: Livorno, Rome and Naples. In each of these ports, we used RomeInLimo, and we had an outstanding time.

 

I've written an extensive trip report of our adventures here on Cruise Critic (that has over 130,000 views and counting, as we speak!). If you have five hours or so to spare (hee hee), and want to read a detailed, and yet humorous story of our family's adventures in Europe, feel free to click on this link here on Cruise Critic. Within the review, I have detailed info (and lots of photos) of our time in Italy, with information (and tips) on what we did in each port. Some things we did right; some things we...um...could have done better. :rolleyes:

 

RomeInLimo was always very courteous and informative and prompt. Our drivers were excellent, and my three kids were always impressed with them. Which, having teenagers, is saying a lot. When THEY can be impressed! :D

 

When we return to Europe - which we're determined to do, one of these days - we'll be sure to use RIL again.

[samavarcruiser]

We are back from our June 22nd sailing to the Eastern Mediterranean, where we had three stops in Italy: Livorno, Rome and Naples. In each of these ports, we used RomeInLimo, and we had an outstanding time.

 

I've written an extensive trip report of our adventures here on Cruise Critic (that has over 130,000 views and counting, as we speak!). If you have five hours or so to spare (hee hee), and want to read a detailed, and yet humorous story of our family's adventures in Europe, feel free to click on this link here on Cruise Critic. Within the review, I have detailed info (and lots of photos) of our time in Italy, with information (and tips) on what we did in each port. Some things we did right; some things we...um...could have done better. :rolleyes:

 

RomeInLimo was always very courteous and informative and prompt. Our drivers were excellent, and my three kids were always impressed with them. Which, having teenagers, is saying a lot. When THEY can be impressed! :D

 

When we return to Europe - which we're determined to do, one of these days - we'll be sure to use RIL again.

 

What a great review sherri, thanks a lot for sharing this with us :)

[Burchrod]

We hired Rome in Limo for all three of our Italy ports in early August on the Norwegian Epic - Naples, Civitivecchia and Livorno. It was the best decision we could have made.

 

Our drivers were all interesting, informative, flexible and full of wonderful suggestions.

 

Naples: Diego was wonderful - he told us stories (and even sang a song) as we drove. He was very open to whatever we wanted to do and made some perfect suggestions.

We had not booked a Pompeii guide in advance as we weren't sure we wanted one. Once we decided we did - no problem - Diego made a 10 second phone call and a guide was waiting for us at the gate. We were literally the first ones into Pompeii that morning!

Diego's original plan had been to visit Sorento on the way to Positano until we told him we would really like to lunch in Positano somewhere with a view. No problem - another 10 second phone call and we had a reserved window table at a restaurant above the town. It was possibly the best meal of our trip and the views were incredible.

We hit Sorrento on the way back to Naples. On the way, I casually mentioned that after he dropped us off I was planning to walk into Naples to see the Galleria Umberto. He insisted on driving us there himself and returning us to the ship after.

Diego is an absolute gem!

 

Civitavecchia: Nicola drove us to his hometown of Rome. His tour was very different, mostly because there was simply so much to see and so little time. He was a wealth of information, pointing out things we would never have noticed and showing us things we never thought to ask to see - such as the keyhole of the Knights of Malta on the Avantine Hill.

With so much to see in such a short time, we asked for a quick pizza lunch and he directed us to a hole-in-the-wall pizza counter with some of the best pizza we'd had.

I had wanted to tour the Forum, but Nicola talked me out of it. He was absolutely right, as it turned out; but if I had insisted he would have happily taken us wherever we wanted to go.

Hiring a driver just for their advice alone would have made the money worth it.

 

Livorno: Fabrizio was an absolute hoot! We loved spending time with him and learned so much about Italian history.

At our request, we took the scenic route into Florence, leaving the highway about 10 miles outside of the city. He took us to a little olive oil factory to see if it was open, since it wasn't the season. They were open and quickly prepared a tasting for us.

From there we headed into Florence where Fabrizio gave us wonderful advice (and directions - he even bought us a street map at his own expense!).

When I told him I had not yet had gelato he about had a fit and took us to a wonderful place.

We stopped at Pisa on the way back - he had suggested heading straight to Florence to enjoy walking around when the day was not so hot.

 

Our experience with Rome in Limo was top notch, professional and very entertaining. I would recommend them to anybody; and we would definately use them again.