David

If you are talking about the Restaurant and not Manfredi's or Chef's Table, all you need do is appear at the Restaurant with your party at whatever time you want to dine and they will seat you pretty much immediately.  Not sure why some sailings allow advance reservations at the Restaurant and others do not, but it is irrelevant.  Getting into the Restaurant when you want to without a reservation is not a problem.

As for Manfredi's and Chef's Table, because Viking allows suite passengers 3 reservations in each restaurant, often the best dates and times are not available for DV passengers to reserve in advance.  But if you go straight to the dining reservations desk at Customer Relations as soon as you board the ship, they will probably be able to accommodate you for at least one reservation at each specialty restaurant at a time that is suitable for you.  To dine a second or subsequent time at one of these restaurants, you will probably need to see the maitre' d for each restaurant when it opens.

We are scheduled to Board Viking Venus in Bergen on June 3.  Originally we were going to fly from Newark to Bergen via Frankfurt on June 2, arrive June 3 and Board the ship.  But we were able to get a nonstop flight from Newark to Bergen on June 1, so we switched our flight (not with Viking) and booked a hotel in Bergen overnight on June 2.  I have had several conversations with a very reliable Viking rep (i.e., I deal with her often and if I have a question, she will often seek confirmation regarding her answer before our conversation ends).  She advised me to be certain to get our PCR COVID tests not earlier than the afternoon of May 31 to ensure we had our tests within 72 hours of boarding the ship.  I had previously made appointments to get our tests at 9:30 a.m. on May 31.  When I asked her if that was going to be too early, at first she said she thought that it would; but then I reminded her of the 6-hour time difference between EDT and Bergen.  In effect, even if we Board the ship at 2 p.m. Bergen time on June 3 (and we plan to Board right at 11 a.m. when check-in begins), at 2 p.m Bergen time it would be 8 a.m. EDT, which means the 9:30 a.m. appointment on May 31 would still fall within the actual 72-hour timeframe.  She then checked with a supervisor and confirmed this.  Of course our flight arrangements do not required an intermediate stop in the US before connecting to an international flight.  Also, the place where we are getting tested provided results of full PCR tests within a few hours, so we should know by later on May 31 if we tested positive -- before we leave for our 3-hour drive to Newark airport.

Having taken several Viking ocean cruises and over 50 cruises since 1995 -- but none since March 2020 -- and both of us being in our mid-70s with at least one of us immunocompromised, we do recognize the risk of cruising at this time.  We also recognize the likelihood of being tested daily while on the ship and the requirement of isolation for 10 days if we test positive.  And we recognize that the daily tests aboard the ship, while unique to Viking and providing a two-way safety net for both the cruise line and passengers, also elevates the chances of any passenger testing positive during a multi-week cruise.  Had this not been our 50th anniversary, I think we may well have at least considered opting for some other type of travel which did not require continuous testing virtually throughout our trip.  But this is a special one, with a bucket-list itinerary that includes a private 4-day tour of western Ireland after the cruise, so we plan to go, wear masks at the airport, during the flight and in busy indoor locations to the extent that is possible, and hope for the best.

Thanks for the link to your very good review.

We are planning an around the Horn cruise in January 2016 and are debating between Star Princess out of Rio or Celebrity Infinity out of Buenos Aires -- the one you took. There are at least 3 couples involved in this decision and we all have an interest in seeing Rio. But -- Star Princess has more sea days than port days over the same 14-night period. It does stop at Falklands, but only if weather conditions permit. Beyond that, while the standard balcony stateroom on Star Princess is a little less than an equivalent on Infinity as prices are going right now, Celebrity has the 123go promotion for the standard stateroom that makes up for the difference. Moreover, as Elite Captain's Club members we have additional benefits on Celebrity than on Princess, and Celebrity is also offering an all-inclusive 123Go if you spend about $600 more for a Concierge level stateroom. The combination of OBC, free grautuites, AND the drink package is really attractive.

Can anyone here provide any recommendations on which cruise to book, given the above considerations and anything you can add? We would like to make our decision in the next week or two.

Many thanks.

David

MBNancy:

We had 6 people in the group. The driver took us through the narrow streets of inner lucca in the van, stopping several times along the way, and even twice in the same location so that we could do some shopping (as the shops were closed because it was too early the first time we stopped at this piazza to visit one of the churches).

It was very interesting how the pedestrian traffic got busier as the morning wore on and I was very impressed with Vinny's skill in negotiating the narrow streets with so many people walking along them.

David

Hi All:

I recently returned from a 14-night cruise on Independence of the Seas and have posted a long review in the Member Review Section of this website. I am appending below the portion of the review relating to our experience using Romeinlimo (for the third cruise) at the ports of Livorno and Civitavecchia.

David

Livorno (11.5 shore hours available): We returned to Livorno after having had a two-day overnight port stop during a 12-night cruise around Italy on Legend of the Seas in 2009. Once again we hired Romeinlimo for a 9-hour tour, having used them several time before during port stops in Italy in 2003 and 2009 – including 4 full-day tours in 2009. So much has been written about Romeinlimo in recent years that there is little that I can add except to say that they totally live up to their incredibly positive reputation; in all my cruising experience, Romeinlimo is by far the best touring company I have used – and most of our private tours have been very good. Duman, the owner, and Jany, who does most of the email arrangements, are great to deal with. Their drivers are friendly, share their extensive knowledge of the region, assist getting you into major attractions without waiting in long lines, and are just fun to chat with. If you are planning a cruise that stops in Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, or Messina (Sicily), do yourself a favor and hire them to take you around for a truly memorable day.

Having been to Florence, Pisa, San Gemignano, and Sienna with Romeinlimo in 2009, we arranged a tour of Lucca and the Bolgheri wine region southwest of Pisa. Vinny, our driver met us at the pier at 8 a.m. and off we went to Lucca, birthplace of Puccini. We spent the morning driving and walking through the central city, which is circumvented by a large wall. Our tour included stops at 3 churches, and we had plenty of time to wander the streets and shop. Vinny was very patient and helpful, ensuring that everyone in our group found the items they wanted to purchase. Lucca is a lovely town that is often overlooked by tourists, especially from the cruise ships because so many passengers go to Florence and Pisa – but I thought it was well worth seeing. After the drive to the Bogheri region we stopped in a small village for lunch at one of the wineries and sampled one of the local wines. We then drove to a nearby village atop a hill that provided wonderful panoramic vistas of the southwestern portion of Tuscany. In short, we had a lovely day with Vinny seeing portions of Tuscany that most cruise passengers just don’t get to see.

Civitavecchia (11.5 shore hours available): This port for the city of Rome is located northwest of the city. In 2009, our cruise began and ended here and we had three full days in Rome prior to our cruise. In addition to the 4 full-day tours that year, Romeinlimo also provided our transfers between Fiumincino Airport, our hotel in Rome, and the ship. Because we had seen most of the essential places in Rome in 2009, we hired Romeinlimo to take us to Tivoli, located in the northeast suburbs of Rome. Our driver, Mauro, met us at the pier at 8 a.m. and took us to Tivoli, passing through part of Rome, and we stopped at an overlook adjacent to the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican and a beautiful fountain and monument, located atop one of the hills on the southeastern side of Rome, where we had a panoramic view of the city in the morning light. There were cypress trees nearby that I recognized from photos I had taken from the steps of St. Peters two years ago looking up to a hillside overlooking the city. We then drove to Tivoli, which has two sections – a lower part and an upper part located atop a large hill. In the lower part of Tivoli we visited Hadrian’s Estate – a rather large area somewhat reminiscent of Pompeii and other Roman excavation sites we’ve visited. Although nicely laid out, there was a fair amount of restoration going on and the signage was not very good, and so it was not always easy to find our way through the site. Mauro then took us up the hill to the Villa d’Este – a remarkable estate with gardens and fountains that nearly rival those at Versailles. The panoramic views of the Estruscan countryside were magnificent, and the garden and fountains were truly extraordinary. This place proved to be a highlight, and we thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Mauro throughout the day’s driving. We returned to the ship just in time to clean up and head for James and the Diamond Lounge for pre-dinner cocktails. Once again, Romeinlimo provided us with another wonderful day of sightseeing in Italy. Gracie, Duman, Jany, Vinny, and Mauro!

This has probably been said before, but the only sites you really need a professional tour guide rather to get the most out of your visit is the Vatican and Pompeii. Otherwise, the RIL drivers will provide as much information as you need to really enjoy the various places they take you to, and they will either accompany you along in your visit to villages or towns, or give you a time and place to meet up and you can explore on your own. And, of course, if you arrange in advance with Jany or Duman, they will get you admissions to the busiest sites without your having to wait in line or experience any delay. It all works incredibly smoothly and efficiently -- and you will be happy beyone all expectations!

David

The tour companies certainly "monitor" this website and others, such as Trip Advisor. And why not? That is one way they receive feedback about their work that is likely to be more balanced (rather than solicited reviews for their website).

Generally, I am inclined to share my experiences on this board whether or not a company asks me to. But I don't have a problem if, at the end of the tour or, in the case of some companies, after the vacation, I receive either a verbal or email request to share my experiences either on their website or on this or other major boards.

Any business has a right to increase their clientele. Asking satisfied customers to share their views with others in this fashion is perfectly legit. I don't know if many contributors to this board have been asked to edit their comments by a company so as to mask any criticisms, but I do know that such a request would NOT resonate well with me and, as others have already said, would result in a less than favorable comment about the company. However, neither RIL or any other company I've used in the past has tried to influence my opinions -- either on their websites or on this and other boards.

David

We used RIL for our stay in Rome and cruise around Italy -- transfers plus full day tours in Tuscay (2 days), Messina, and Naples. Duam and Jany are absolutely wonderful to deal with in planning, and all of our driver/guides were extraordinary. RIL doubled the enjoyment of our vacation.

You really don't need a separate guide in Rome anywhere else but the Vatican -- and there I would strongly recommend using one. If RIL is taking your around Rome for the day, ask them to arrange for the Vatican guide.

The other place a separate guide is essential is Pompeii. Like the Vatican -- there is so much to see and information to digest -- the way to make the most of this is to have a professionally licensed guide for the site.

As for gratuities, you will certainly want to do tip your drivers and guides because you will get so much out of their efforts. Gratuities are personal, and so it is difficult to say how much to tip. Others on this post have pointed out that in most cases the tips are very much appreciated, regardless of the amount; that has certainly been my experience. Others have indicated that some driver/guides expect a tip -- and I think that this is probably true -- but if they know they did a good job, why shouldn't they expect something extra? They deserve it -- and most people offer it. In our case, I think we used a 10% gratuity as a general guide but always rounded up to the next 5-euro per person mark.

David

I'll second that last posting about the drivers being local. virtually every company -- and definitely Romeinlimo, uses drivers who are local to the ports. Our drivers in Tuscany lived there their entire life! The same is true for our drivers in Messina (or drivers were from Taormina, where we spend half the day), and Naples. Our problem with RIL during the Naples day was not really with the quality or knowledge of the drivers, but with the realities of the ambitious itinerary for the day and our sense that RIL drivers doing day tours of the Amalfi Coast tend to prefer the same hillside restaurant. Had we known where the restaurant in Sorrento would be and how little time would be remaining to see Sorrento before we stopped for lunch, I'm certain we would have prevailed on the drivers take us straight to Sorrento (although I felt that one of our drivers was a bit put off that we rushed him out of the restaurant).

Let me put in my two cents because we used RIL for two full day tours in Tuscany, plus tours in Messina and Naples. We also used them for transfers from FCO to our pre-cruise hotel in Ropme, from the hotel to the ship, and from the ship to FCO. Overall, RIL met and in most cases far exceeded our expectations, which were already sky high from having used them before and from all the glowing reviews on Cruise Critic.

However, we had a problem with our day tour of the Amalfi Coast. We had two drivers, but not Rafaele. Part of the problem, as has been mentioned, is that the roads, especially in the the summer, are very crowded and slow along the Amalfi Coast. distances are greater than they seem because of all the switchbacks, and the traffic is very bad, particularly in and around Positano, because it is a large town built on a steep hill with basically one street to drive through -- and share with all the other traffic, including buses. It's not easy!

On our first visit to the Amalfi Coast we went to Pompeii in the morning, and then Ravello and Amalfi in the afternoon. We had a wonderful leisurely lunch near Ravello. This time we were much more ambitious. We went to Ravello and Amalfi in the morning, then on to Positano and Sorrento, which we hadn't seen at all the first time. The one problem we had with RIL was that they were very keen on taking us to that hillside restaurant for lunch overlooking Sorrento. It is, indeed a beautiful spot, and the restaurant people, while they had a small menu, were very nice about feeding us quickly, as we were running out of time to actually see Sorrento, and some of the people in our group needed to stop at a couple of places to shop in Sorrento. What troubled me is that we found our drivers meeting up with other RIL drivers and having a casual meal; our sense was that they all go to this place, and we would have preferred, in retrospect to go straight to Sorrento and have pizza in the center of town in order to have more time in Sorrento. By the time we realized how short on time we were, we were already at the hillside restaurant and nobody wanted to seem rude and tell the drivers we had to leave immediately for Sorrento, and so we stayed long enough for a relatively quick, light lunch, which was fine -- but we really didn't have enough time in Sorrento.

Again -- I think future travelers should be aware of the time constraints and plan their day on the Amalfi Coast somewhat less ambitiously. And I think RIL should be upfront at the beginning of the day and offer their clients the choice of going to their "favorite" restaurant on the hillside outside of Sorrento or grabbing something in the ceter of town.

HCAT:

I think you'll find that the service you get from Romeinlimo will be superlative -- much more personalized than if you took a taxi. We had two vans pick up 12 of us at FCO and bring us to our hotel in central Rome. Most of the drivers will provide information about the city or point out various places you see as you drive throught the city. Having a car for 2 people will mean the ride will be even more personalized than with vans.

In general, we found that the drivers were quite satisfied with a 10% tip -- but we always rounded up to the nearest 5 euro. On the days Romeinlimo took us on full-day tours, we rounded up to the next 5 euros that divided evenly among each of the couples. For example, we had two vans take us on a full day tour of Tuscany for a total cost of 1100 euro. Divided equally among 6 couples, that came to about 183 euro. The drivers were extraordinary; the day was wonderful; and we each gave the drivers 210 euro per couple (although 10% rounded up to the next 5 euro would have been 205).

Since there are only two of you, if you are paying 130 euro, I would think a reasonable tip would be 15 euro. In the end, of course, gratuities are at your discretion.

Hope this helps.

David

Hi Cheryl:

Romeinlimo picked us up at the pier in Naples and we visited Ravello and Amalfi during the morning, then drove to Positano, but did not stay there very long because the driver had made late lunch reservations for us at a lovely restaurant on a hillside overlooking Sorrento and the harbor. We had about an hour in Sorrento after lunch before we had to head back to the ship.

It was a lovely day and the variety of beautiful sights on the Amalfi Coast was breathtaking. I also loved riding on the coastal and mountain roads -- but the coastal road, in particular, can get very congested with traffic around Amalfi and Positano, in particular, and so the drive itself, while a wonderful experience, does take time away from walking around the towns.

If we had it to do over again, I think 3 towns is about all you can have reasonable time for -- especially if you want to enjoy a relaxing lunch. There is really far too much to see in a single day, and so one has to make difficult choices. On our previous cruise stop in Naples we went to Pompeii in the morning and had time to see Ravello and Amalfi in the afternoon. We have yet to go to Capri, and I would love to have a little more time in Positano and Sorrento (so that's probably two more days at least for future visits to the Amalfi Coast).

David

We just returned from the 12 night cruise on Legend of the Seas, which leaves from Civitavecchia. We stayed in Rome for 3 nights prior to the cruise, which gave us, effectively 2.5 days to see Rome (since our Romeinlimo transfer got us there around 11 am and we had little time the morning of the cruise before the Romeinlimo transfer to the ship.

We stayed at the Hotel Golden Roma, which I found on Trip Advisor and one of the other threads on Cruise Critic. It's a small B & B occupying the first floor (really the first floor up in Italy, as what we think of as the first floor here is the ground floor in Europe). There are 15 rooms, of varying size, but all containing the full amenities we Americans come to expect. We booked early and found a web price of 100 euro per night. It is family run, and the principal contact is Giuseppe, who was wonderful to deal with through emails and extraordinarily accommodating, booking us on a great 3-hour tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's, as well as making dinner reservations. The breakfast room is small and our group pretty much filled up the chairs, but the breakfast is quite ample and good -- plenty of choices. We would highly recommend this hotel and readily stay there again. It is located one block east of the Via Veneto and one block from the Galleria Borghese. We took taxis to the Vatican and Ancient Rome that generally cost less than 10 euro and took 5 minutes, even in the height of Rome summer traffic.

As mentioned in the message above, Rome and Florence deserve a week, but we really economized on our time and in the 2.5 days spent a half-day at the Vatican, a second half-day in Ancient Rome, and still had time for the Castel Sant Angelo, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and several other key sites in the Centro Storico. We did a lot of walking, which balanced off all that pasta and pizza and great vino!

David

I just returned with a group of 12 people from 15 days in Italy (3 in Rome and then a 12-night cruise on Legend of the Seas). We used Romeinlimo for our transfers from FCO to our hotel in Rome, from our hotel to the ship in Civitavechhia, and from the ship to FCO at the end of the cruise. The transfer service was outstanding! The drivers were prompt, courteous, and expert at staying together even though we always had two vans. Duman, especially, was a fountain of knowledge preparing us for our upcoming port visits during our drive from Rome to the ship.

We also used Romeinlimo for full-day tours during our two-day port stop in Livorno, in Messina, and in Naples. During our two days in Livorno, David and Clara were our driver/guides for both days. The first day they drove us through Pisa and stopped for a brief visit to the Leaning Tower, then on to Florence, where we were able to get right into the Uffizi Gallery. We also had time to see the Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce, the Synagogue, and the Duomo. Before that, we stopped at a wonderful spot overlooking the city of Florence, and David explained all about many of the sights laid out before us. Having taken a cruise exursion to Florence 6 years ago, I can attest how much more we got out of our visit this time around using Romeinlimo.

The second day David and Clara took us to San Gimignano and Siena (and also to an old fortress village in between the two towns where we had a light lunch and sampled the local white wine and a chianti classico. Besides the two wonderful, historic towns we visited, we saw much of the beautiful Tuscan countryside -- something I had not been able to see 6 years ago, and David and Clara provided almost continuous commentary during the drive, providing extensive history and information about Tuscan culture. They were truly gifted professionals who loved to share their knowledge.

In Messina our drivers were Allesandro and Dominic (not certain about the second name). We spent the morning visiting Godfather Ccountry (the hillside villages of Savocca and Forza di Agro, where portions of The Godfather movies were filmed). We then had lunch and spent the afternoon in Taormina. Allesandro brought us to a wonderful restaurant on The Corso Umberto (the main street in Taormina) where we enjoyed the local specialites and were entertained by a terrific tenor! It was another perfect day that would have been impossible using the cruise line shore excursions.

In Naples, our van driver was Gennaro. He took us in the morning to visit Ravello and Amalfi -- the first a beautiful mountaintop village and the second a seashore resort. We had ample time to explore both towns -- and then stop briefly in Positano, before moving on for lunch and an afternoon visit in Sorrento. Gennaro took us to a hillside restaurant overlooking Sorrento, which we would probably have enjoyed more if we had more time. But we needed to spend time in Sorrento itself, and it is difficult to cover so much in one full day, especially with the slow traffic around the Amalfi Coast. We also needed to meet up with another couple in our group, who Romeinlimo drove first to Pompeii and then for a visit to a cameo factory before meeting up with us in Positano.

All in all, Romeinlimo clearly made a siginificant contribution to our wonderful vacation in Italy. Jany and Duman responded to all my many questions during the planning for our transfers and tours and were extraordinarily helpful in suggesting the tour itineraries during the months preceding our trip -- and, as others have mentioned, Romeinlimo will offer discounts if you book multiple services with them. The members of our group uniformly agree that we would highly recommend using Duman, Jany, and the wonderful driver/guides of Romeinlimo, and will certainly do so again if we come back to Italy on another cruise!

David

We are booked with Romeinlimo for transfers from FCO to our hotel in Rome, then from the hotel to Legend of the Seas, then form the ship to FCO at the end of the cruise. They are providing full-day tours in Tuscany (one day for Florence/Pisa, and one day for Siena, San Gemignano, and Lucca), Messina, and the Amalfi Coast.

We have not used Romeinlimo before, but have used other companies for day trips in Italy, France, and Ireland. In every instance, we have left a gratuity, usually 5-10 euro per person for a full-day tour. I think this is customary, and in our case, it was always deserved. When we took a day tour to Rome during a Med cruise in 2003, the driver was wonderful; we got to see so many things (except for the inside of the Vatican, for which there was no time). He took us to a really good restaurant on the piazza near the Pantheon, and we treated him to lunch, so we factored that into the gratuity at the end. But in my experience these driver/guides are excellent, and deserve about a 10% gratuity, unless you treat them to lunch and/or they own the company.

Thanks so much for the information. I've reserved rental cars for all 3 ports with Thrifty, and have the local rental office phone numbers. They gave me all the shuttle information for each port, as well.

I take it there is really no problem parking the car at the Kahului and Lihue piers? How about cost of parking?

Thanks again.

David

I have a related question about car rentals in the out islands in general, as well as a couple of specific questions about rentals in Maui. We're on POAm in early August.

I plan to rent cars in Hilo, Kahului for 2 days, and Lihue for 2 days (but not in Kona). Besides Enterprise, does any other rental company pick you up at the pier and take you to get the car (and vice-versa on the return)? In particular, I'd prefer to rent through Thrifty, if possible. If not, did you mention there are shuttles between the ship and the car rental places at the airport? How much time should I allow from the time I get off the ship until I get the car and, more importantly, from the time I return the car until I get back on the ship in each of the 3 ports?

For the 2-day rentals in Maui and Kauai, where do I leave the car at the cruise terminal overnight? Is there safe parking at the terminals? If not, what are the options?

I have read that the drive up Haleakala is pretty long and possibly difficult, depending on weather conditions and our body's reaction to the steep changes in elevation. Is that correct? We really want do drive up there, but I want to be fairly comfortable about possible physical problems because of the elevation and roads. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

FYI -- we also would like to do the Old Lahaina Luau the night we're in Maui, but I would prefer to use the rental car, since we'll have it the next day. Are the roads from Lahaina to Kahului difficult to negotiate/find at night?

Thanks for the input.

David