kehlx2

We have just recently returned from a cruise that stopped in Rome (12-21-09)--we used RIL while here & had a FABULOUS tour with Nicola & Vatican guide Catherine both were excellent & I would use them again in a heartbeat. I also got to meet Duman himself--I think I took his picture--but I have lost my Rome pictures all of them along with another country. So we have lots of memories of this GREAT tour & would love to do it again..but I suspect time will have to wait. We would recommend this company any time. Thanks again, for the easy way to let YOU (them) do the work for us..Loved it! Thank you Jany,Duman, Nicola & Catherine for a memory we will not forget. Happy New Year to everyone at RIL may all the tourists use RIL.

Your Utube videos are GREAT & I hope it was ok--I copied the links & put them on our cruise messages & don't have them all--but only the ones pertain to our cruise---

 

I don't mind at all. The sole reason I produced these videos is for people to preview some pictures of their upcoming shore excursions or to remember past trips. The more exposure the better. Please feel free to us the links as you desire.

 

Thanks for you nice comments.

 

Ron

 

Again thanks--I also sent the link to an online friend who doesn't get to travel & she is now traveling via your videos & loves it.

Several people have emailed me requesting a specific link to one of my youtube travel videos because they were unable to find a specific destination.

 

The name of the video contains the country name, the city name or port, and possibility some other descriptive information. Unfortunately, Youtube will not let you sort the video alphabetically. You will have to arrow down the page and look for the name of the country in the title.

 

There are about 20 videos displayed on a page and there are 5 pages of videos. If you don’t find what you are looking for on the first page click the link to the next page at the bottom of the screen.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Ron aka CruzerTwo aka CruzerToo

Your Utube videos are GREAT & I hope it was ok--I copied the links & put them on our cruise messages & don't have them all--but only the ones pertain to our cruise---the links are:

It will get some started...is thered a place y0u HAVEN'T been yet? :D

http://www.youtube.com

then put in CruzerToo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Ir4P6tbAQ Athens

We used romeinlimo in November for Florence and last month in Rome and Tuscany. I had no problem filling the van for any of our tours and I highly recommend them. In Rome, I hope you are lucky enough to have Vincenzo who speaks perfect English (lived in Toronto for a few years). I have been to Rome 5 times and last month with Vencenzo we saw more sites than on the previous trips COMBINED. We went to the Catacombs, Circus Maximus, the Forum, Colosseum, an ancient house, the Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, the 'Wedding cake', lunch, and a tour of the Vatican--museum, St. Peter's, & the Sistene Chapel. One of the high points was a 4 course lunch (restaurant adjacent to the Vatican) with wine for 20 euros each. He called ahead and the restaurant was waiting for us so we had the entire meal in an hour. I can't tell you how delicious it was. Jany had prearranged a guide at the Vatican who was waiting for us as per Vincenzo's phone call. It was worth every penny.

Just keep advertising on your roll call--be certain you list what you are going to see.

KOOL--thanks for the info--BTW--a new couple joined the boards today & they have been reading our roll call & they are wanting to join us--so that takes the pressure off--even if later they change their minds I plan to be happy no matter how many book with my group or if none----as this tour company is so highly recommended if we later have to go alone--I will be prepared..so nice to know this company is so good--today I wrote & asked about if we had to get our tickets early & they told me to not worry we would not be in any lines..so this is good.:D

My point was that, unless your planned tour is eclectic or uncommon, you should have no problem finding people to share your tour but you just need to wait until most people join the roll calls and plan their tours--which won't be until the few months immediately preceding the cruise (and for many, after final payment!). So you can definitely continue your planning but stop worrying about the tour shares as that will come much much later for your December cruise. :)

We did the same thing, booked for just two of us HOPING to get some others to join. But I was willing to just go with 2 people if it turned out that way.

 

About 3 weeks before our cruise we added 3 more people for the Naples/Pompeii tour and 5 more for the Rome tour. Romeinlimo had no problem getting a larger vehicle to accomodate us.

 

But it still would have been nice to have a Mercedes sedan. ;)

YES I think if I just STOP worrying about it & plan to spend what it will be--then if we get others to join later--GREAT--otherwise we will have alot of one on one time with the driver...:D

Personally, I wouldn't wait until your final payment to arrange private tours. There are many tours that simply sell out. There were many on our last cruise that could not even book with the most recommended company in Kusadasi because they waited until after final payment. I would secure all your plans of what you really WANT to do. Worry about getting others to join you later. What you want to do won't change. I don't make any of my arrangements based on what others will want to do later. I booked all of my tours and transfers with Romeinlimo and then worried about if others wanted to join me later.

 

No matter if you get stuck with the entire private tour or not, you are still in a better place. I have NEVER not found others to join me. NEVER! And I have done this many times now. Also... until the very last minute, Romeinlimo (for example) increased their vehicle size to accommodate my growing group.

No this is the only tour thus far I am worried about--we plan the Egypt tour from the ship for the day only (I know it will be a LONG day) then just see Alexandria the 2nd day. I AM/HAVE booked our other tours in advance--just working on Athens soon. Only worried about the Rome tour as it is over $400 each with guide for the Vatican...:eek: Oh well if it ends up that way--we certainly will have a GREAT tour I am sure.

thanks everyone..

Why don't you wait until your roll call builds up sometime after final payment. For our upcoming cruise, I organized and got tour shares around 20-30 days before we sail.

 

Even if you found someone to share your tour now, you can't guarantee that those folks won't change their plans or cancel their cruise between now and then. So I wouldn't even think about these things until you are well inside the final payment window. JMHO

Thanks, Yes I had thought to do this--& I am sure this is what I will be doing. I have the word out on our roll call--just need to get new ones that are asking for help..worst case--we spend the amount that is to be billed as it shows for just us. (but my job is to WORRY---AND I do it WELL)!! :D

I have booked this for 2 of us--I am not getting very far on trying to get others to join from our group--most of them have already booked their tours.

As it is VERY costly for only 2 I am wondering if anyone that has used them ever asked if they had others who might need to join a group for the cost to come down? It would be great for just 2 but way too costly should I just write & ask them or does anyone have any idea if this can be done?

I know we have quite a while to go yet..but I do worry about the cost of this one..so trying to figure out what we can do--I do not want to take the ships bus to edge of the city nor do I want to try to do it ourselves. (we also have a guide for the Vatican & it has also added to the cost).

Not yet - we are booked with Stephen next month :)

I see you should have gone in Feb 2008--did you go & if so was it good? 3 of us our thinking about signing up for this tour in Sept.

If you want to snorkel, than that narrows it down to Sapphire and Coki, since there is no snorkeling at Magens. Magens will also be the most crowded. Between Coki and Sapphire, I would pick Sapphire since I think it is nicer scenery. Here's some pics of Sapphire.

 

 

thanks toonjie I sorta thought perhaps Sapphire might be the best one to go for.

You got the best! Congratulations, you'll love it!

toonjie..this isn't a priceline question ..but see your name & thought I would ask you on 3 beaches in St Thomas..after taking a tour of St Thomas & can be left for a time at the beach which beach would you recommend...Magens Bay Beach...Sapphire Beach or Coki Beach..I believe we have been to Magens--but when you travel alot--alot of the beaches seem the same until you go back to them..but some of us on our CC are trying to decide which beach to be dropped at, after touring with GodfreyTours..might just float around--would love to snorkel--but not sure any of those would be any good for that.--only one other ship will be in port on the same day--but it has about the same number of people to find their way to the beaches.

Just would like your input on this & perhaps why you'd choose one over another...

Okay, here's all the pics I have from the Water Club:

Me at the roof bar:

 

 

Wife at the roof bar:

 

 

Bird of Paradise at the roof bar:

GREAT pics--now I am thinking it will be just FINE..I think the "kids" son & dil will like it...& I like funky so should be GREAt.

Thanks again for your coments

Have been trying to secure a pre cruise room for about 2 months now for Jan 12.

Started tonight with a bid on 3 star in SJ area at $125. Got a message that if I increased by $22, I could bid same area again. Went back in on a free bid, increased $10 and got the San Juan Water and Beach Club Hotel, a boutique listing.

 

Can anyone who has stayed there tell me anything about it? I was hoping to get closer to OSJ but that's the luck of the draw I guess. (I had a back-up booked at the Comfort Inn and will cancel it now.)

Hi...having only used Priceline once--& what I wanted WAS the only one in the area I picked with the stars (in Sydney Aus) someone on CC helped me thru it...so this time I was on my own--our son & dil are coming with us & he was startign to worry about a hotel--actually I wanted one of the "fire-hazards" in Old San Juan..none the less I kept going back & forth--our ship won't be leaving from #3-4 pier--but across the bay I think..so as son wanted better I was trying for "RESORT"--starting at $100..but it came back & said no but I needed to change something...well I really only HAD to choose SJ area..so I backed out & went looking again & thought I could go for 3*'s & hope--but I put it in & all of a sudden it came up "BOUTIQUE" & it took my bid (got it for $110 + taxes)--the hotel is the SAME as you are at...which wasn't even in the listings..I see it is a "modern" & looks clean so it should be fine--but quite a way to Old SJ--as wanted son/dil to see the forts--we have been there twice. So hoping the hotel is ok...it should be fine.. Still trying to figure out a waterfall in the elevator.