Joe Banana Limos

Has anyone used Joe Banana Limo's in Livorno, Rome or Sorrento. They have great reviews on Trip Advisor but I can't seem to find anything on them on Cruise Critic?

Thanks Lauren

How about this thread from a couple of days ago:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1147823&highlight=joe+banana+limo

Or this one from a couple of months ago:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1397958&highlight=joe+banana+limo

DH and I just returned from a cruise with most ports in Italy. We were, unfortunately, on the Carnival Breeze's last European cruise of the season and there were several problems regarding the cruise, but that is for another post. This post is regarding Joe Banana Limos. Prior to leaving the U.S. for our cruise, we had booked tours for Rome and Messina with Joe Banana Limos. We had asked for some changes to the regular tour provided by Joe Banana and they had no problem accommodating us. During the cruise we had three, yes three, changes in itinerary! While cruising we were able to email Joe Banana regarding the changes in our itinerary (cancelling one port and changing the port date for another). Joe Banana graciously made the changes we needed with no charge for the port we were to miss. A couple of days later, we were informed that the port which was cancelled would be called on on a different date, so we were left with no tour for that port. Again, we contacted Joe Banana to see if the tour we had cancelled could be rebooked on short notice for a new date. Joe Banana again graciously, booked a tour for us on the new port date. We enjoyed both tours provided by Joe Banana Limos and would recommend them. Our day in Messina was wonderful and Rome was, as always, a delight. The tour guide/driver we had in Rome could have been a university professor of Roman history.

My daughter recently used them (less than 2 weeks ago) on her land based holiday to Sorrento and Rome. She was very nervous about her transfer from Naples airport to her hotel in Sorrento as she was travelling alone with her four year old daughter (our grand daughter) she was meeting us when we docked in Naples for two days and then post cruise in Rome.

Joe Banana were wonderful, the driver was safe on very busy roads and was a true gentleman. They provided a child seat (a new one) as requested and the driver escorted them into their hotel when they arrived under a large umbrella as it was raining and went back for the bags.

Three days later when they transferred from their hotel to the train station in Naples for their journey to Rome it was the same driver. He and my four year old grand daughter got into whistling competitions on the journey! :D

We intend to use them next year when we return to Naples for an Amalfi tour.

We just returned from Italy and used Joe Bananas in Positano. Actually, due to high seas, we diverted from Positano to Naples, and they were great. They had the guide meet us in Naples on fairly short notice. The guide was excellent, made recommendations as to how to adjust our plans to deal with the changed location, told us where to shop more economically, and made some restaurant recommendations. We had a great time.

We were going to use them in Taormina, Sicily, but had to cancel due to rough seas and not being able to tender. They had worked with us to modify a tour to work with the amount of time we were going to have, and were very easy to deal with.

I recommend them very highly.

Has anyone used Joe Banana Limo's in Livorno, Rome or Sorrento. They have great reviews on Trip Advisor but I can't seem to find anything on them on Cruise Critic?

Thanks Lauren

We hired Joe Banana Limos last week for customized tours of the Sorrento/Amalfi Coast area and for Rome. Both of these tours were excellent. The two drivers were able to navigate their areas expertly (no small feat, given the narrow and crowded streets and the hilly areas we covered). Both of the drivers were at the top of their game - by the end of the day, we felt that we were leaving new friends. Paolo, who took us through Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast was personable, engaging and informative. He obviously has a lot pride in living there and it showed in the enthusiasm he displayed while educating us about the history of the area. We thought that Luca, who was our Rome driver, was especially welcoming and friendly to us and I can't believe we were actually able to cover all the objectives on our customized itinerary. I don't normally write such glowing reviews, but our expectations were exceeded in both cases, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Joe Banana Limos to anyone I know.

This was the first time we have tried doing private tours instead of the Ship's excursions. Five of us booked with Joe Bananas limos in November while on the Celebrity Equinox. There is nothing nicer than getting off the ship in Naples, and having someone meet you with a sign with your name on it! We had a full day tour of Sorrento (with time for shopping as we had requested), and the Amalfi Coast. Because it was near the end of the tourist season, we did not have to fight the crowds as is usual in summer. Since we had a van, we were able to go right in to Positano, while the regular tour buses cannot do that. We had a delightful lunch in Ravello, and were returned to our ship at the agreed time. Cost for the five of us was less than if we had booked a shore excursion. We will definitely do it again, and have no hesitation in recommending Joe Bananas!

Joe Banana service arrived on time and took us to destinations offering knowledgeable service to all of us. He even gave gifts. Rates are inline with the industry. Vehicle was nice and clean. Good and fluent english speaking and knows Italy inside out.

Highly recommended..

I recently organised a group through Cruise Critic to join us on a tour of the Amalfi Coast with Joe Banana Limos. We sailed on the Norwegian Jade in November. The company is brilliant with communication prior to the trip and our driver/guide on the day,Paulo,was fantastic. His suggestion for lunch was awesome if you love great food at good prices with amazing views. Paulo is wonderful if you have an opportunity to ask for a driver. Would strongly recommend Joe Banana Limos.

Hi all-

We're booked with JBL for excursions in Livorno, Rome, and Naples on our upcoming cruise. We're really looking forward to the tours- Giovanni has been great to work with. I'm trying to make sure we follow proper tipping etiquette. :) Everyone seems to have a different opinion on tipping in Europe so I figured I'd check with those that also used JBL so I would know what they expect. Did you tip after your tours, and if so did you give the standard 10 -20% Americans generally follow or was is more of a flat fee per person (I've seen 5 euro per person as well)?

Thanks so much for your advice!

Joe Banana service arrived on time and took us to destinations offering knowledgeable service to all of us. He even gave gifts. Rates are inline with the industry. Vehicle was nice and clean. Good and fluent english speaking and knows Italy inside out.

 

Highly recommended..

How soon do you need to reserve with them?? We won't be there till Oct of this year.

How soon do you need to reserve with them?? We won't be there till Oct of this year.

It does not hurt to book early. Then it is easier to FILL your private tours. I am a month out & need to fill 4 spots on 2 of my tours to get the best price. Book now is my recommendation.

I am trying to get eight together for a Joe bananas tour from Livorno to cinque terre. Has anyone done this tour? Would they stop at Pisa? But my bigger question is...on the form you have to prepay? How do you collect from people who you do not know on the roll call or does everyone pay separate? Or does Joe collect when we arrive? How did you guys handle this? Thanks in advance. I really do not want to prepay in case someone is a no show.

I have had several interactions with Joe Bananas & each has been a great experience. Giovanni is always very quick to answer all emails/questions & is extremely accommodating with requests. I have used Joe Banana Limos to book tours for myself as well as clients, who have also raved about their experiences with Giovanni & his drivers. My husband & I had been to Rome several times before but were going again with our 15 year old son. We wanted him to see the main tourist sites but we wanted to see something new ourselves as well.

We arrived in Civitavecchia & were met by the wonderful Daniele who whisked us away, armed with a crazy, packed-full itinerary that I had concocted. Daniele was very friendly, spoke English quite well & said he would do his best to try & make sure we saw everything on our list. Not only did he keep us on schedule & get us to every single one of our requested sites, he saw a trend of what was interesting to us & suggested a few more stops that he thought we would enjoy. We were delighted with each of his additions & were so glad that he had taken the time, thoughtfulness & initiative to take us to a few places that he thought were special & that we would like.

Since we had so much we wanted to see during our visit, we didn't want to spend much time sitting down to eat but did want to find a quick bite somewhere with a local flavor. While we were inside the Colosseum, Daniele scouted out a nearby area & found a great, little place were he had bargained a special deal on a sampler type menu for us so we could try several different local specialties. It was all delicious & quick!

Our son sat in the passenger seat & Daniele was really great to explain areas, sites & history of everything to him. He had just learned about Roman history in school & had several questions which Daniele was pleased to answer & again, went out of his way to drive by & point out a few of the things our son had asked about. It was extremely hot that day & Daniele made sure that we were always comfortable & when were stopping to get out, made sure we were near somewhere that we could grab a drink if we wanted to. When going in somewhere on our own, he was always very clear & precise in his directions of where we needed to go & where we should be to meet back up with him. He also had a cellphone with his # stored in it that he gave us so we could call him if needed.

Back on the ship, our table-mates at dinner were extremely jealous of our day compared to theirs. We had all paid about the same price per person for our tours - they took a ship tour & saw roughly 4 main sites & had lunch...we saw everything they had plus at least a dozen or so more & felt like we had seen a more intimate side of Rome - things off the beaten tourist path.

It was a fantastic day from beginning to end. I have tours currently booked with Joe Banana Limos for clients this summer as well as another for myself & will book again with them in the future without hesitation!

I am trying to get eight together for a Joe bananas tour from Livorno to cinque terre. Has anyone done this tour? Would they stop at Pisa? But my bigger question is...on the form you have to prepay? How do you collect from people who you do not know on the roll call or does everyone pay separate? Or does Joe collect when we arrive? How did you guys handle this? Thanks in advance. I really do not want to prepay in case someone is a no show.

You do not prepay. On the form, a credit card # is taken to hold the reservation but is not charged. The driver will collect the payment, in cash (euro) at the end of the tour.

You would need to ask Giovanni if they can stop in Pisa. They are very accommodating & will fit in anything that is feasible, whenever they possibly can. Just ask about it on the form & Giovanni is very good about getting back to you with an answer right away.

We used JBL from Naples. We had 10 people (was supposed to be 12) so we had 2 vans. Paolo was our driver and the other van had Giovanni (Joe) as theirs. Everyone had a great time. We stopped at Pompeii first and then went on to the Amalfi Coast. It rained in the morning (at Pompeii) but did clear up a little bit later in the day. I would definately use them again.

We've just returned from a fantastic cruise, made even more fantastic by Joe Banana. Giovanni organized our pick up and transfers in Rome. Even though our flight was delayed, a handsome face with a sign with our name was waiting for us. A few days later, the same driver took us to the port. Unfortunately I've forgotten his name, his english was limited but for a transfer more than adequate. Giovanni, with Nunzio then picked us up in Naples for an incredible day of touring the Amalfi coast. I don't know how the day could have been any better. Getting a bottle of limoncello as a gift just put things over the top.

I would recommend JBL in a heartbeat.

April 22, 2013 we took the Carnival Legend for a 12 day cruise. During the trip we booked a tour with Joe Banana Limos in Pisa/Florence and hooked onto another JB tour for Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi coast.

JBL contracts with local guides to provide services. The advantage of JBL is they are quite experienced dealing with cruise ships and the changes in schedules that seem common in this part of Europe. Emails and phone calls are responded to promptly. On this trip we used Smart Cruise and JBL to provide guide service, and while both did well, the guides provided by JBL were exceptional

JBL used Marzia Borghi as the local guide in Florence/Pisa and she was absolutely awesome. Knowledgeable, friendly and very willing to adjust the tour to accommodate everyone’s desires. If you’re in that Pisa and Florence we’d recommend JBL and especially asking for or finding Marzia Borghi to be your guide.

Our tour in Naples/Pompeii/the Amalfi coast was led by Paolo who has been cited in other reviews…again another winner. Our guide in Pompeii was Vincent and all the women in the group fell in love with this handsome, mature and very knowledgeable guide.

We booked JBL based on recommendations of other travelers and were very pleased with the results.

I would definitely recommend Joe Banana Limos. We did a lot of research on tour companies both on CC and Trip Advisor and found a lot of great reviews on them. We contacted a couple of different tour companies, and Giovanni of JBL was by far the most pleasant and responsive out of all of them. His prices are great, there's a lot of tour options, and you can customize any trip to your liking. We are sailing on Tuesday and have been working with Giovanni since November on planning our excursions from Livorno, Rome, and Naples. He has been fantastic to work with- he's always very quick to answer any questions I had, has worked with us to make sure we will be able to see the sights we want within our timeframes, and has made great recommendations on places to go and sights to see and the best order to see them. He was even able to get us tickets to climb the tower of Pisa when our group found out that the time we needed was sold out.

You won't be disappointed with Giovanni and JBL- we are working with several tour companies on our Grand Med cruise and he has been the best to work with out of everyone. I can't wait for our tours with him next week!

Has anyone used Joe Banana Limo's in Livorno, Rome or Sorrento. They have great reviews on Trip Advisor but I can't seem to find anything on them on Cruise Critic?

Thanks Lauren

You will NOT be sorry in booking with Joe Banana. I just wrote a lengthy review in Tripadvisor that is pending. This was the best decision I made on behalf of my family and our special needs. Alessandro was terrific, knowledgeable, efficient, nice, you name it. We were picked up in shiny new Mercedes van for our party of six. They made reservations for tickets to enter the Vatican, whizzed us into the place and never had to wait in any line. We had him for an eight hour tour and was able to get our party out faster and return quicker than the cruise excursion bus. But most interesting, it was way cheaper to use JBL than the ship's excursion services even with tip (10%). This saved me hundreds of dollars. Should have stayed with them for my other excursions but didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket because they ask to be paid in Euros cash. I am not effusive in praise but this was one that was deserved and needed to be posted.

Has anyone used Joe Banana Limo's in Livorno, Rome or Sorrento. They have great reviews on Trip Advisor but I can't seem to find anything on them on Cruise Critic?

Thanks Lauren

Yes, I just came back last month and I'm a repeat customer. This tour company is amazingly unique, the personalities that belong to Joe and Paolo are fabulous. This is the second time that my husband and I have used them through Naples, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. First, they are dependable, both times they promptly met us where they said they would, next, everything they said we would get, we got and for the same amount quoted. Their vehicles are clean and neat, driving us through some challenges on the road to Positano. They take you to places where you can have a picture with background thats glorious. Book these guys, you'll see this region like you've never seen it before, look forward to a return trip with my Bananas.

We used Joe Bananas in Naples and had a wonderful day with Lallo (I'm not sure how to spell his name). We visited Pompeii, Sorrento (Lallo's hometown!)and Positano. He was very knowledgable and pleasant and we certainly felt like we got a great tour for the money! We also used Joe Bananas for a day trip from Livorno to Pisa and Florence. Our driver that day, Ricardo, was outstanding also. His knowledge of the history of Italy added a lot to our day and was very personable. We would highly recommend Joe Bananas and our tour guides.

I am trying to get eight together for a Joe bananas tour from Livorno to cinque terre. Has anyone done this tour? Would they stop at Pisa? But my bigger question is...on the form you have to prepay? How do you collect from people who you do not know on the roll call or does everyone pay separate? Or does Joe collect when we arrive? How did you guys handle this? Thanks in advance. I really do not want to prepay in case someone is a no show.

Hi Brenda, Just read your post. What cruise are you on? We are interested in a tour from Livorno to Cinqueterre also. I see your post was in March and you may have already gone. We don't leave until June 2014. Let us know because we definitely want to do this.

Sam and Arlene

We just returned from our cruise on the Ruby Princess. We had decided since Naples was our last port to use a private tour to give ourselves a break from the big bus tours. I had researched this company and it seemed like a good fit and competitively priced . All our questions and emails were returned promptly returned. I had booked a tour for 4 from Naples,to Positano, Sorrento Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Our friends had to cancel due to a family emergency. When I called Joe from Crete, he was willing to,reduce the price by $100 euros but urged us to find some others.. We tried but most folks were already booked into their tours. We were met promptly at the pier by Gianluca who,was professional and very expert in his presentation. He made suggestions for the order for our itinerary due to the amount of cruise ships in the area. He was funny and knowledgable . We were able,to,drive into areas that buses cannot go. Impish we had more time in each area but cruise ships leave.....so...... He delivered us to Pompeii and introduced us to his Uncle Franco, who gave us a wonderful tour. I highly recommend this service. You pay cash in euros when the tour concludes. Would use them again!

Hi Brenda, Just read your post. What cruise are you on? We are interested in a tour from Livorno to Cinqueterre also. I see your post was in March and you may have already gone. We don't leave until June 2014. Let us know because we definitely want to do this.

Sam and Arlene

Hi Sam, you may want to post your question on your roll call. We toured the Cinque Terra with Papillon Service Tours as we wanted to visit both the Cinque Terra and Pisa. Wonderful day. I posted a review on trip advisor and the port of call reviews here on CC.

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