First Med Cruise - private shore excursions

Interesting that some have found private tours to be more expensive this year. I recently paid the same price (including a three-tour discount) as I did in 2009. The competition is really fierce with many foreign-owned companies infiltrating markets of the locally-owned small companies in Italy and throughout Europe. Please try to use these local companies rather than the big conglomerate companies that offer shares. It is really hurting local companies that find themselves hiring out to the share tours of the big companies and pay a hefty percentage.

A recent example with All Around Italy, I booked a new Mercedes van which holds eight passengers. It was 550€ with my 3-port discount. I never book eight people so no one has to sit in the middle in the front, and also to give the opportunity to a solo passenger to take a private tour. 550€ divided by seven came to a little less than 80€ pp. I was also told that advanced bookings for local owner-operated companies is way down this year. Please try to support these people! Off my soapbox now.

http://www.allarounditaly.net

We recently did a full day tour (9 hours) from Livorno with Giovanni Sirabella and it cost 460 Euro. We went to Florence and San Gimignano. He is an excellent driver and has great knowledge of the area. He is happy to plan the tour around your wishes. Highly recommend you look into his tours. http://www.giovannisirabella.com/index.htm

We are doing our first Med cruise on Sept 6th on the Norwegian Epic our of Rome. I was stunned to see the prices on their website for their excursions especially the Pompei, Sorrento, etc location. $467.00 Canadian for one person for the tour we are interested in which seems incredibly expensive. Can anyone recommend some reliable private tour companies for that port as well as the Florence/Pisa stop.

Our first (and only) Med cruise was 2 years ago (Barcelona to Rome) and we booked all our excursions through our roll call. All were excellent!! Here are a couple of the excursions we took:

Florence/Pisa: full day tour for 75 euros pp

Pompei and the Amalfi Coast (including Sorrento and Positano) full day tour for 100 euros pp

Unfortunately I don't know the tour operator names as I didn't organize them. We had a very active roll call and the various tour organizers did a lot of research to ensure good quality tours. We made some new friends and still keep in touch :) It was an amazing cruise!!

We have a second med cruise planned for Sep 2018 and I am hoping we have the good fortune to have another active roll call.

You've come to the right place. There are a number of private tour companies recommended for just about any Italian port if you just take some time to go through the posts. (Or use search, assuming it is working...;))

 

Almost all of the recommended companies can and should provide a better experience than a large bus ship tour. But do be aware that most of the services recommended are for DRIVERS not GUIDES. Drivers can get you around the sites you want to see and can usually pick up and drop off right at the ship. But they cannot accompany you into the site and guide you.

 

Some companies will arrange a guide (at significant extra cost) for you for key sites -- such as the Vatican museum. You also are often asked to arrange your own tickets for entry.

 

As the previous poster said, Europe is expensive. Hiring a car for the day isn't cheap due to the distances involved in reaching some cities from port (a least an hour to Rome, 90 minutes to Florence, etc.) and the cost of gas.

 

There are also options to do some ports on your own. For example, you can take a local train into Rome and get yourself around on the local bus and metro for about 12 euro per person. (Plus entry fees, of course.) And in most cases you can buy tickets online yourself to save waiting in line when you get there.

 

If you have any specific questions about ports, feel free to ask for more info.

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We need some help.

We have been to Livorno/Florence twice before, this time I truly want to experience the vineyards of Tuscany with my husband.

We are travelling on the Epic Oct 08, 2017.

After checking the tours with viator I do not want to pay $730USD for a private tour so I have found no alternative but to look at the follwoing tour with NCL. I find it too long with the given free hours to shop.

I prefer to see and spend the time absorbing the countryside and vineyards etc.

We are avid cruisers and travellers over many years although I have never used cruise critic or "roll call" before??

Can anyone please point me in the direction to spend maybe 7 hours driving through the countryside, visiting a winery etc for 2 people at a much better reasonable cost than having to pay an absorbitant amount of money.

Please and Thank You very much.

• 9

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  Meal

  
  

Enjoy free time to explore the medieval town of San Gimignano and then visit a nearby farm for a traditional lunch and a selection of locally produced wines.

After departing from the pier, you will settle in for a picturesque drive through the charming Tuscan countryside towards the medieval walled town of San Gimignano. The architecture, particularly the 14 soaring tower-houses, has earned the town a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The exact purpose of the towers is disputed. Some believe that they were built as fortifications; others insist that the towers were merely meant to be signs of wealth.

Upon arrival, you have approximately two hours of free to experience the city at your leisure. You might start in the Piazza della Cisterna, which features the square’s namesake well, or the 13th-century Piazza Duomo, a square dotted with monuments and flanked by mansions. Regardless of where you choose to explore, hillside San Gimignano will exude a medieval atmosphere, much like it did at the height of its power and status.

Rejoining your coach, you will drive to nearby San Donato, a farm and winery characteristic of Tuscany. While enjoying a buffet lunch and wine tasting, you will discover that many of the ingredients are produced at San Donato, particularly the olive oil, saffron and four varieties of grapes.

The wines will be chosen upon your arrival, but it is likely that Chianti Classico, made entirely with sangiovese grapes, will be amongst the selections. Afterwards, you will transfer back to the pier in Livorno

========================================================

 

We need some help.

We have been to Livorno/Florence twice before, this time I truly want to experience the vineyards of Tuscany with my husband.

We are travelling on the Epic Oct 08, 2017.

After checking the tours with viator I do not want to pay $730USD for a private tour so I have found no alternative but to look at the follwoing tour with NCL. I find it too long with the given free hours to shop.

I prefer to see and spend the time absorbing the countryside and vineyards etc.

 

We are avid cruisers and travellers over many years although I have never used cruise critic or "roll call" before??

 

Can anyone please point me in the direction to spend maybe 7 hours driving through the countryside, visiting a winery etc for 2 people at a much better reasonable cost than having to pay an absorbitant amount of money.

Please and Thank You very much.

 

 

San Gimignano & San Donato Farm - $219.00 per person

 

DETAILS

 

• 9

  hrsEstimate Duration

  
  

• 

  Meal

  
  

Enjoy free time to explore the medieval town of San Gimignano and then visit a nearby farm for a traditional lunch and a selection of locally produced wines.

 

After departing from the pier, you will settle in for a picturesque drive through the charming Tuscan countryside towards the medieval walled town of San Gimignano. The architecture, particularly the 14 soaring tower-houses, has earned the town a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The exact purpose of the towers is disputed. Some believe that they were built as fortifications; others insist that the towers were merely meant to be signs of wealth.

 

Upon arrival, you have approximately two hours of free to experience the city at your leisure. You might start in the Piazza della Cisterna, which features the square’s namesake well, or the 13th-century Piazza Duomo, a square dotted with monuments and flanked by mansions. Regardless of where you choose to explore, hillside San Gimignano will exude a medieval atmosphere, much like it did at the height of its power and status.

 

Rejoining your coach, you will drive to nearby San Donato, a farm and winery characteristic of Tuscany. While enjoying a buffet lunch and wine tasting, you will discover that many of the ingredients are produced at San Donato, particularly the olive oil, saffron and four varieties of grapes.

 

The wines will be chosen upon your arrival, but it is likely that Chianti Classico, made entirely with sangiovese grapes, will be amongst the selections. Afterwards, you will transfer back to the pier in Livorno

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2400732&page=14

above is link to your roll call and there is mention of a Tuscany private tour asking for 2 more

Viator is a third party operator

there are lots of names of actual tour companies in this thread and lots more if you look through

good luck with your search

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2400732&page=14

 

above is link to your roll call and there is mention of a Tuscany private tour asking for 2 more

 

Viator is a third party operator

there are lots of names of actual tour companies in this thread and lots more if you look through

good luck with your search

Thank you so much for your valuable assistance. I still don't understand how to view roll call availabilities but I appreciate your help with this info. I have contacted the person looking for the 2 additional people.

Thank you so much for your valuable assistance. I still don't understand how to view roll call availabilities but I appreciate your help with this info. I have contacted the person looking for the 2 additional people.

negotiating your way round cruise critic seems daunting at first but you soon get used to it

on the "home" screen there are lots of sub forums

ports of call

roll calls

and cruiseline boards are most useful

if you click on your own username that will show which posts you have responded to

negotiating your way round cruise critic seems daunting at first but you soon get used to it

on the "home" screen there are lots of sub forums

ports of call

roll calls

and cruiseline boards are most useful

if you click on your own username that will show which posts you have responded to

Brilliant you have been most helpful. I am awaiting the response to join the Tuscany tour and will look for others to hopefully join in France and Rome.

We are doing our first Med cruise on Sept 6th on the Norwegian Epic our of Rome. I was stunned to see the prices on their website for their excursions especially the Pompei, Sorrento, etc location. $467.00 Canadian for one person for the tour we are interested in which seems incredibly expensive. Can anyone recommend some reliable private tour companies for that port as well as the Florence/Pisa stop.

Whaaaaat... 467 Canadian dollars each??? Look if you need help in Naples for Amalfi coast tour Pompeii or what you desire contact a guy that we used for our excursion... His name is Ciro ..you can find him at mrcabdrivernapoli@gmail.com or using his fb page at taxi mister cab driver Naples & Amalfi coast .. I suggest him because Now for me is a family friend..and i think is the same for all people that use his service..just i can say that price you showed for person is pratically what all of us paid for the total tour ... He also has contact for Livorno and Rome... but surely.. he represent the best experience of our cruise

Andy

I thought of a question that hopefully someone can answer.

If you start a tour with a toursharing company that expects 8 people, are you responsible for the balance of money if you get less people to join than the 8 from your roll call?

the tour company knows they are getting a certain amount of money for the tour. I don't want to be stuck for a lot more money if you cannot get a total of 8 people to join

I thought of a question that hopefully someone can answer.

 

If you start a tour with a toursharing company that expects 8 people, are you responsible for the balance of money if you get less people to join than the 8 from your roll call?

 

the tour company knows they are getting a certain amount of money for the tour. I don't want to be stuck for a lot more money if you cannot get a total of 8 people to join

Yes. You have booked the vehicle (not really the tour) for X hours, max 8 people, for whatever agreed upon cost. The company is not going to discount it because you have less than 8 people. The vehicle has a fixed cost of whatever the price is. That doesn't change if, for example, you only put 5 people in it.