World Gallery

That is actually very close to the price we paid for RIL to take us to Pompeii/Herculaneum & Sorrento with a guide for our party of 9 from ROME! It was an all day excursion and for all 9 of us it was only 1200 euros for the 12 hour plus tour.

 

Is the one you quoted from Naples? I am pretty sure you can get a more reasonable tour with guide from the port.

Yes, it is from Naples.

I was wondering about this: getting tours with guides at the port, just booking on the spot. I don't think I would do this for Rome but for other ports that we are unsure about and may want to wait to see what the weather is like, I may do this. But we are traveling with kids (11 - 18) and from past experiences, they are much more engaged with a good guide (and you never know what you will get when you book on the spot). If it were just my husband and I, we would use a lot of Rick Steves podcasts.

Thank you! This is very helpful. I am going to contact Jany.

I think I have it figured out for Context Travel in regards to price. Please tell me if this sounds on the high end because it does to me (but I have never been to Rome):

Context Travel 8 hour Pompeii Adventure for families (This full-day excursion, in the company of a classical historian, archaeologist, or art historian is thus designed to give you and your family a full understanding of ancient Roman civilization and its development around the bay of Naples.)

620 + 243(driver) + 147 (tickets for 7) = 1010 euros ($1362 USD).

If this is the cost for one day, we are going to have to pick and choose which ports to do a guided tour in or start downloading all of Rick Steves podcasts!

I am sorry to ask this because I am sure it has been answered in different ways. I am still a bit confused about how Rome in Limo works. When I am looking at their prices online, am I looking at "Transportation only" prices? For example, we are interested in Rome Highlights and Vatican, http://www.romeinlimo.com/kid-civitavecchia/rome-day-kid.htm. Does this mean that our driver will drive us to each place and just drop us off to be on our own? We really want a guided tour of the Coliseum and the Vatican. Also, it states: you will walk through the Piazza Navona. Are we walking alone to then meet up with the driver later?

I am trying really hard to compare "apples to apples" but it is becoming difficult because I can't figure out what tour companies include what. We will probably use a combination of Rome in Limo and Context Travel.

Also, I noticed that Rome in Limo offers "kid friendly" tours. Has anyone taken these? What makes them kid friendly? The description seems to be the same as the regular tours.

Thanks. I very much appreciate all of the help!

We just returned from Cozumel and did Punta Sur on our own. It was beautiful! We have been to Cozumel over 10 times and can't believe we have never tried Punta Sur in the past. It just isn't talked about much on these boards and I can't understand why. Since it is located on the tip of the island, one side of the park is to rough to snorkel or even swim in but it is beautiful. You can walk on the beach with lots of rock formations and watch the waves crash up between the rocks. There were 100's of hermit crabs in the rocks. You can climb the lighthouse for a beautiful view and there is a nice little lighthouse museum at the base and a few little "flea market type" stands around. The beach you snorkel out is a little further out by jeep and in calmer waters of the park. We plan to take our extended family here on our next cruise.

The Mayan ruins there are barely anything at all but we saw a tour with guide (probably from the ship) giving a lot of information about this one little area.

We went on our own by hiring a taxi that day when we got to Cozumel (very easy and organized tazi system in Cozumel). It was much cheaper than the ship. It was $70 for the driver for about 3 hours and $10 to get into the park.

Thanks mandyc! It is always good to hear about the "real tour" from someone who has done it. I am always amazed at how well their marketing department can word tours. Some tours we have had were what we expected and many were not.

I think we will have to look into a private tour. My kids (ages 9 - 16) would probably be bored with the stops. We really just want to see the beach at Lucayan National Park because I read somewhere that it is beautiful (How would you rate the beach?). The cave stop may be interesting to my kids too.

If anyone has had a good experience with a private tour, please let us know.

Thanks!

Thanks for the information. Who did you book with? This sounds very different from the one I read about. We want a lot more beach time and not a lot of riding around. How long did it take to actually get there?

Thanks.

We are going March 2011 (more time than you but I have a big group I am trying to get ideas for). Below is the description from the website, http://bestonbahamas.com/lucayan-national-park-and-cave-tour.html.

It is so hard to read through their marketing. It sounds great but I have become a bit jaded with marketing techniques so hopefully we will hear from others who have been.

The description online:

Discover the spectacular pristine splendor of the natural environment on Grand Bahama Island. Our knowledgeable island guides will lead you into the gorgeous 42-acre Lucayan National Park for an amazing half day tour.

This spectacular wildlife preserve, established by the Bahamas National Trust over 25 years ago, offers visitors the opportunity to experience the undeveloped beauty of this tropical paradise. As you trek into this primeval forest, you will walk in the footsteps of the ancient Arawak Indians, also known as the Lucayans, who once made Grand Bahama their home before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.

Descend into the mysterious caves, where archaeologists have discovered -- among the many stalagmites-- Lucayan artifacts, including the remnants of archaic burial rituals. The caverns constitute one of the lengthiest, and environmentally distinct, underwater cave systems in the world. The vast tunnel system was spawned by the seepage of acidified rainwater into the limestone bedrock of the island over the span of eons.Our experienced guides will lead you to view a garden of native flora, including mangroves, ferns and innumerable exotic flowers such as wild orchids. A symphony of tropical bird songs awaits you in the primordial landscape. The six distinct ecosystems found on the island are represented in the park, including the coastal habitat of Gold Rock Beach. Relax and sunbathe on the sugary sands of this remote seaside oasis.

Venture into an unimaginable world of natural wonder while our expert guides regale you with tales of ancient cultures, maritime explorers, and rogue buccaneers. With an introduction to 500 years of Caribbean lore, this tour is an essential adventure for visitors of all ages.

I have been reading about some of the tours offered by bestonbahamas.com, a site that was mentioned here.

We have never been to Freeport and I am having a hard to grasping the area (we are so use to the Western Carribean!)

Has anyone done this - Lucayan National Park and Cave Tour? How was it? We are a family of 7 with five kids ages 10 - 16.

Any other suggestions (other than a beach day) for a family with kids 10 - 16 (my husband and son can't do small boat trips so it needs to be land-based)?

Thanks.