Do you have experience with Joe Bananas Limos?

[leslierx]

After reading reviews and seeing recommendations on these boards we booked Joe Bananas for a boat tour of Amalfi Coast from Naples. It was the best tour day of our trip. Here is my review :

 

We booked a private tour by boat to the Amalfi Coast. A driver picked us us at our ship in Naples. He drove us to the lovely town of Amalfi. I think the tour was in a different order than usual so they told us we could shop around the town a bit if we liked before boarding the boat. We grabbed a pastry and coffee at a little cafe and walked about taking pictures of the beauty around us. We met our skipper Alfonzo who showed us to our boat for the day. There were 5 of us. The boat was roomy with a leather seat up front and soft leather pads to also sit on. There was also a bench in the back as well as a bathroom down stairs. We sat up front. Alfonzo drove us a nice speed, not too fast (we could wear our hats without them blowing off) and we went along the coast marveling at the beauty. He also offered us beer, wine, soda and limoncello along the way. The next stop was Positano. Another lovely town. He let us off at the dock and we walked around looking in the charming shops. We bought a few things and took some pictures then back to the boat. We so enjoyed the boat ride and Alfonzo pointed out points of interest along the way. We stopped a couple times to swim. Once in a cave which was awesome. And he even took us into a grotto with the most amazing colored water. We saw a waterfall and got to swim in a natural pool and my husband even jumped off a small cliff. My mother in law was hesitant to get in the water since she doesn't swim well, so Alfonzo grabbed a little bucket and bathed her in Mediterranean Sea water. She thought that was really funny. We went to lunch at a great restaurant on the water only accessible by boat. We anchored out in the water and a little tender boat from the restaurant came to pick us up. The staff there were great. Our last stop was Sorrento where we met our driver to take us back to our ship. Naples was our last port on our cruise and definitely the best excursion we had. Instead of rushing around to see historical sites out in the heat, we were chillin on a boat viewing the unbelievably beautiful sights of the Amalfi Coast. It was just the relaxing day we needed after the previous weeks awesome but exhausting excursions.

[L0VES2travel]

We used Joe Bananas/Italy tour sharing for a trip along the Amalfi coast from Salerno port in July and the whole experience was excellent. We joined a group through cruise critic to do the tour and everything ran smoothly. The driver/guide was there to meet us as expected and he was very informative the whole day. They chose a restaurant above Ravello for us all to have a family style lunch which was a highlight. You are in the van a long time during the trip but the driver was careful and stopped at various places for us to take photos and walk around. The whole day was brilliant and we got back to port in plenty of time for sail away.

 

My in-laws are considering this tour in September. I've already emailed the company, but would mind sharing how much you paid? I'm having trouble finding prices anywhere.

[shecola]

We used them in July 2018 for Sorrento and Pompeii. This company was fantastic. They arrived on time and we made it back to out ship with time to spear. We did not book a guide for Pompeii and our driver suggested we did. He helped us find a guide and we were extremely glad that he did because it’s easy to get lost in Pompeii and miss the historical aspects of the site. Our guide was very knowledgeable. Our driver was very friendly and knowledgeable and interacted with us. I will not hesitate to book them again.

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I feel a lot more confident in considering this company.

 

I am looking to do the tour from Naples to Pompeii, Vesuvius, and Ercolano. I havent seen a review for this specific one, so hoping its a good one. We're a group of 4, so hopefully being a private tour it will stay just the four of us. I don't mind other people, but if we want to cut something short I want to have that control and not feel like I am cheating or upsetting a stranger tagging along.

[MakingMemoriesNow]

We used Joe Banana Limo Service in both Messina and Naples. We found both drivers to be professional and very friendly and knowledgeable. We would highly recommend this service.

Tom and Lisa

[Tweety1961]

We recently used Joe Bananas tours from our NCL Epic cruise ship in Livorno. We wanted to make our own itinerary, and they were very easy to work with. We wanted to stop in Lucca, my husband's Nonni was from Lucca, so we wanted to go there for a short visit. Our driver made a stop on the way from there to Florence at the cemetery that Italy has as a tribute to American soldiers killed there during WWII, very moving! We then asked to stop at the hill overlooking Florence, beautiful view! He then brought us to Florence, drove us around a bit to show us the major points and made plans to meet us again at a determined time. They are drivers, speak English and are very informative, but they are not tour guides. They can't take you in anywhere, but they can arrange to purchase tickets for museums and such. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. Others in our group used them to go to Pisa and Florence and enjoyed their time too.

[travelbug615]

As the orginal poster, I wanted to review our experience with Joe Bananas tours and thank those who replied to my post . 

 

 We used Joe Bananas  for trips out of  the port of Civitavecchia.  We utilized Joe Bananas tour sharing site Italytoursharing.com  which was great.  Our driver, Georgio was excellent and we were very happy with his service.  He managed to show us more of Rome than we were expecting, as he managed the traffic and beating the crowds.  We did the Rome including Guide and Tickets excursion.   We entered the Colosseum and the Pantheon and visited Trevi foundation and the Spanish Steps.  We also had a tour of the Vatican museum and St. Peters.  Georgio also pointed out many sights from the vehicle.  We had a sit down lunch in a restaurant close to the Pantheon. ,

 

We also used Joe Banana for Transportation from Civitavecchia Cruise port to the airport Hilton.  Another couple wished to join our group with only a day's notice and Joe Banana was able to allow that to happen.  

 

The vehicles used were new, clean and  safely driven.  I would use this company again.  We also utilized two other tour companies  in Italy during our 24 night  cruise and were happy with the services provided by all three companies.  

 

I would mention that these companies are providing drivers and not full guides.  I prepared for our "free time" that was to be given us in each tour.  I  had a map and an idea of what I wanted to do,  some of the people that joined our tours did not do this  preparation and  therefore  were not able to maximize the use of their  "free time".   Some drivers gave more '"tour guide info" and some gave more "conversational info".   Both being good in their own way.   However, to not be disappointed one might want to research beforehand whatever information that would be of interest to you.

 

[cruzinhokie]

We just used Joe Banana for our tour from the port of Livorno to Florence. We were able to customize our tour to just a day in Florence only. Joe Banana made it very simple to do this and then get other people to join our group to lower the cost per person. We decided on 8 people for this tour. In retrospect, I would recommend 6 max as the middle back seat in the van was a bit uncomfortable with limited visibility for the 2 hour ride. Our driver spoke as we drove describing the sights and helped us find our way to the entrance for our timed tickets to see the Accademia. He also showed us exactly where he would be at the agreed upon pick up time, and then we were free to enjoy the city for a few hours. I would use Joe Banana again, but limit the size of my group to 6.

[erby2283]

I am interested in booking several tours with JBL but am hoping to keep the cost in check. If I am the one who starts the tour sharing (where it's listed as my name with max passengers) and it's just two of us, what are the chances the tour is going to fill up? I would love another 6 to join us to make it more affordable but am worried to book a tour and end up paying 500EU for two of us.  I believe you have to cancel within 7 days of the tour but is that is hassle?

[copman]

We too, like many others have used JB many times and never been disappointed. Normally, you will get others to join your tours, but if not JB will work with you give you a good deal beyond what is often listed for the prices.  Key to getting others to join is communication of Cruise Critic or other social media sites.

[erby2283]

10 minutes ago, copman said:

We too, like many others have used JB many times and never been disappointed. Normally, you will get others to join your tours, but if not JB will work with you give you a good deal beyond what is often listed for the prices.  Key to getting others to join is communication of Cruise Critic or other social media sites.

Thank you. Yes, hoping to share with our roll call...once or should I say "if" it ever becomes active. Aug of 2019 so it's slow right now. Thanks again!

[b_cruise]

I have used Joe Banana Limos (also have italytoursharing.com) many times. I go to Italy every year now for the last 8 years.  LOVE IT.. I have to say Joe Banana Limos was the first tour company I ever used. I took their tour from Naples to Positano Sorrento and Ravello with Lunch.  It was awesome. Best food and views I have ever seen in my life. From there, I was hooked!!!!  They are a very reputable company and I always recommend them because they have made all my cruise excursions terrific.  Also, take the Chianti and Florence tour, it was incredible as well. If you broke 3 tours on your roll call through their tour sharing company, you do get a discount. 

 

Have fun!!  You will be hooked on Italy like me forever- expensive habit- haha

[Trish Traveler]

Another recommendation for Joe Bananas Italy Tour Sharing.  We just used them in Naples: NAP003 Pompeii, Positano and Sorrento All Inclusive La Tagliata lunch all day tour.  We liked being able to set up a group ahead of time on their website where everyone is responsible for their own payment (credit card guarantee at booking, with payment day of tour in euros).  We had an issue with our ship being delayed due to a surprise Italian ship inspection and our driver/guide Ciro was out there waiting for us in the rain 2 1/2 hours after the time we were supposed to meet.  Ciro is studying to be a licensed guide and he was very knowledgeable.  Here is the Naples excerpt from my complete Crown Princess cruise review:

 

11/2/18 Rainy.  Up early for what we thought would be a 7:30am meeting time for our independent tour with Joe Banana’s Italy Tour Sharing.  We had pre-booked and created a group online, meeting the third couple on the ship at Vine’s.  Waiting for the clearance, we instead get an announcement that there will be a surprise Italian ship inspection and we can’t get off until the ship clears.  We would get updates about every half hour for the 2 ½ hours that we were delayed.  Don’t know what they were looking for, but the announcement said that they apologized for entering our cabins!  Most people were waiting in common areas and we were in the casino which was closest to the door they would eventually be using.  This was very frustrating and the crew and officers seemed just as frustrated with the situation. 

 

Finally, got clearance around 10am and luckily we were some of the first off the ship.  Our tour guide had also been waiting all that time without knowing what was happening as we didn’t have any cell service.  And it’s still steadily raining with no end in sight.  Our guide Ciro warmly greeted us and ushered us into his warm, dry vehicle to begin our tour:  NAP003 Pompeii, Positano and Sorrento All Inclusive La Tagliata lunch all day tour.  Obviously, we were not going to get all that in now.  Sadly we had to scratch our visit to Sorrento totally.  We stopped briefly at the Limoncello store for a tasting.  Continuing on we weaved our way through the winding roads of the Amalfi Coast for stunning views, despite the rain, and Ciro shared his knowledge of the area.  We had our scheduled stop in Positano, and began the march of the umbrellas to visit the tiny shops along the route to the bottom.  Some chose not to go all the way down to the beach in the rain.

 

Time for lunch at the beautiful La Tagliata perched on a cliff above Positano, with stunning views.  We had an amazing authentic family style Italian meal of bread, mozzarella with prosciutto, two kinds of beans, spinach, broccoli, lasagna type appetizer and that’s all before the four different pastas arrived!  The red wine and Peroni beer were also included - Saluti.  Dessert was a choice of five different delectable items and a shot of limoncello as a digestif!  Mangia, Mangia!  This amazing meal warmed our bodies and souls. 

 

Time to move on to our Pompeii visit…in the rain.  Rain coats, hats, ponchos and umbrellas ready to meet our funny guide Paulo.  This is an amazing, huge site.  You definitely need a guide here also, and we had a great one who made the sad story come alive as we maneuvered through the site along with many other visitors with umbrellas.  Glad we were able to visit and learn about life in this town so long ago.  Finally, time to head back to busy Naples port in the dusk to bid farewell to our excellent driver guide Ciro.

[mapleleaves]

Thank you for this review. 

And a big thank you for your trip report!   I came across it while doing a search on Med cruises.  You provided so much useful info .... very helpful for people like me who are researching their Med cruises next year.   Thx again !

Edited November 13, 2018 by mapleleaves

[b_cruise]

Haven't been on this forum for a while (until today)

 

I am so glad you enjoyed your tour with Joe Banana Limos. They are great hey!!!  This company got me hooked on Italy like crazy hooked. Ive graduated from causing to land vacations now although I like to check back in and share my knowledge with fellow cruisers.

 

 Italy and Spain are my favourite european destinations. 

 

If anyone gets a chance to see Matera, please do it!! Tour companies should offer this experience. It is an amazing site. Went in June 2018. 

I see Carnival is going back to Europe in 2020, may have to book another cruise. 

 

I have been to Italy many times now, so if anyone wants to pm me, Id love to share any helpful advice. 

 

 

[fishman620]

Our experience with Joe Banana Limo Tours was EXCELLENT!  We went with a "shared group" from Naples cruise port to the Amalfi Coast.  The transportation wasn't in a limo but a nice van, the size of our group was 7 people.  One of the things that I liked about Joe Banana is that you can join a "shared group" from your cruise ship and the cost is less.  Our tour guide/driver was phenomenal, lots of knowledge and expertise of the area.  Some of the people on our Amalfi Coast tour had taken a Joe Banana Tour in Rome and loved it too. I would highly recommend Joe Banana Limo Tours!

[BucketListTM]

We (two couples travelling together) used Joe Banana Limos for a tour from Messina in May 2019 from our cruise ship. We were delighted with the tour. Our driver, Roberto, was right on time, easy to understand, quick to stop for a photo opp, and able to answer all our questions whether they were on medieval times or current events. We had 7 private tours on this cruise and this was certainly in the top two. 

[CARALOU20]

We used Joe Bananas (Actually we used their Italytoursharing dot com site) in May 2019 for 2 of our port tours. On tour sharing they had a number of choices and you could book and chose the maximum number of people you are wanting in your group. We chose 8 and then posted to our Cruise Critic and facebook group asking for other interested people. It was so popular that others in the group asked how to do it and we ended up with 3 or 4 vans full. The Rome tour included a Guide for the Vatican with Skip the line tickets. Our Driver Maxillian was fantastic and kept us amused for the day. He was able to answer most our questions and had many tidbits of information to share along the way. He really tried to get us to most of the spots we really wanted to see as a group with the limited shore time. In Naples it was the same. Our driver was born in a small village on the Amafili coast and he was very knowledgeable and adapt at getting us into the tiny villages along the way. He gave us great tips on where to walk and what to see. We also hired a guide for Pompeii and she was also amazing. You could tell that she lived and breathed Pompeii. She loved what she did and it showed throughout the tour. I have no hesitation recommending Italy Tour Sharing and live use them again next year on our return trip. 

[Mura]

I have yet to see a negative review about Joe Bananas here.  I heard about them from a CC friend and booked two tours with them in November 2017 and May 2018.  Both were wonderful.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to book them again.

 

Mura

[jancl57]

We used Joe Banana (Italy tour sharing) in Naples.  We did the Sorrento, Positano, lunch at la Tagliata ( superb) and

Pompei.  We LOVED it.  We are taking another Italy/Greek Isle cruise in May.  Naples is a port of call and we are hoping to put together a tour to Sorrento, Ravello & Positano (hopefully with lunch at La Tagliata again). Can't say enough good things about them!

[sgregel]

On 9/23/2019 at 8:53 PM, jancl57 said:

We used Joe Banana (Italy tour sharing) in Naples.  We did the Sorrento, Positano, lunch at la Tagliata ( superb) and

Pompei.  We LOVED it.  We are taking another Italy/Greek Isle cruise in May.  Naples is a port of call and we are hoping to put together a tour to Sorrento, Ravello & Positano (hopefully with lunch at La Tagliata again). Can't say enough good things about them!

I am so glad you posted about this specific tour.  I have it booked for my November cruise.  I did the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento and Pompeii 2 years ago with Joe Banana (Italy tour sharing).  That was my first trip to Italy, and I tried to see as much as possible.  When I saw the La Tagliata website, I had to book this tour.  I am really looking forward to it!

 

To the original poster, I booked 3 tours with Joe Banana (Italy Tour Sharing) 2 years ago.  It was a wonderful experience.  I have booked 2 tours with them on my trip next month.

 

Sandy

[sgregel]

On 10/24/2018 at 2:20 PM, erby2283 said:

I am interested in booking several tours with JBL but am hoping to keep the cost in check. If I am the one who starts the tour sharing (where it's listed as my name with max passengers) and it's just two of us, what are the chances the tour is going to fill up? I would love another 6 to join us to make it more affordable but am worried to book a tour and end up paying 500EU for two of us.  I believe you have to cancel within 7 days of the tour but is that is hassle?

I started all of the tours that I booked with Joe Banana (Italy Tour Sharing).  My suggestion would be to get on the roll call for your cruise and post about the tours that you are looking at.  If you get some interest, I would go ahead and set up the group.  You just have to email them prior to the cancellation period to cancel.  It really depends on how active your roll call is.  You really have to promote your tour on the roll call.  Most people don't want to join until the price drops.  If you can get at least another couple to commit and join, you can post "if we get another couple to join, the price drops to $___."  The price becomes more reasonable, and people are more likely to join.

Sandy

[Formerly known as Seabee]

On 9/23/2019 at 7:53 PM, jancl57 said:

We used Joe Banana (Italy tour sharing) in Naples.  We did the Sorrento, Positano, lunch at la Tagliata ( superb) and

Pompei.  We LOVED it.  We are taking another Italy/Greek Isle cruise in May.  Naples is a port of call and we are hoping to put together a tour to Sorrento, Ravello & Positano (hopefully with lunch at La Tagliata again). Can't say enough good things about them!

Just got back and used JB for this very same tour. Fabulous tour.  Our driver was Luca and what a personable and friendly guy he was.  Passionate about his country and loves what he is doing. He was courteous and entertaining.  As we were heading back to the ship, he received a phone call which he passed to me saying, “call for your group boss”.  It was Cindy from JB calling to ask us if we had enjoyed the day.  She was also a delight.  I would absolutely book with Joe Banana again.

[erby2283]

On 10/27/2019 at 1:10 PM, sgregel said:

I started all of the tours that I booked with Joe Banana (Italy Tour Sharing).  My suggestion would be to get on the roll call for your cruise and post about the tours that you are looking at.  If you get some interest, I would go ahead and set up the group.  You just have to email them prior to the cancellation period to cancel.  It really depends on how active your roll call is.  You really have to promote your tour on the roll call.  Most people don't want to join until the price drops.  If you can get at least another couple to commit and join, you can post "if we get another couple to join, the price drops to $___."  The price becomes more reasonable, and people are more likely to join.

Sandy

Thanks Sandy - but my cruise has come and gone as my comment was from  over a year ago. Lol. But I do appreciate you taking the time to lend your expertise. I ended up taking all my tours with Italytours.eu and had a wonderful time. 

[sgregel]

10 hours ago, erby2283 said:

Thanks Sandy - but my cruise has come and gone as my comment was from  over a year ago. Lol. But I do appreciate you taking the time to lend your expertise. I ended up taking all my tours with Italytours.eu and had a wonderful time. 

Didn't notice the date.