Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I book a tour?

We welcome you to create a group or join a group already created on our site. 

If the credit card provided at the time of booking expires prior to your scheduled tour date, you will need to submit updated credit card details prior to the month of expiration for the credit card used. 

3. I am trying to create a tour, but the date I want is not available on the calendar. Why? 

If the date on the calendar is blocked, this means that, unfortunately, we no longer have availability for new tours to be created on that date. We invite you to enter your requested date in the "Tour Finder" calendar to search for tours available from your cruise ship on that date. 

4. I want to create a group for up to 8 guests, but there are only 2 adults in my party, how do I do this on the reservation form?

Under the section "Your Information", you would enter the number 2 for the total number of Adults and 0 for the number of Children in this section. This is your personal party, the total number of guests for whom you will be financially responsible. 

Then, in the "Tour Information" section of the form, you would enter the number 8 for the "Max Pax". This sets the total possible number of guests in your group as 8. 

The fixed number below the "Max Pax" is the maximum number of guests possible in a group for that tour in general (as indicated on the individual webpage for the tour), not for the specific group you have created. 

5. As group creator, am I financially responsible for all members of the group? 

One of the advantages to utilizing our website is that each party within the group is financially independent. The group creator is not financially responsible for each member within the group, they are only responsible for their individual party. 

Each party within the group must submit their own financial guarantee at the time of booking, therefore, all parties within the group are financially independent. 

6. Is the group creator responsible for collecting payment from each member of the group and submitting one payment to the driver at the end of the tour day? 

Each party within the group is financially independent. We do require a credit card to be provided at the time of booking,which will be charged 5 days before service date as per terms and conditions. Each party’s reservation is guaranteed by their own credit card so the group creator does not assume liability for other parties within the group.

7. I submitted a reservation form, why didn't I receive a confirmation voucher? 

We do apologize for this inconvenience, however sometimes the confirmation vouchers are sent to your spam folder. Kindly check in your folder and if you have not received it, please contact us via email and we will re-send the voucher. In order to avoid any issues, please add our email, info@joebananalimos.com, to your address book. 

8. What happens if the group does not fill up? 

We proceed with tours even if they do not fill up to the max number of guests indicated. We only cancel a tour upon written request in accordance with our cancellation policy.

9. Do you book the tickets for us?

There are tours where the tickets are included and tours where are not included, please check the details of each tour.

10. What happens if our cruise ship is unable to dock at the originally designated port?

If the cruise ship doesn't dock due to any circumstance out of your control, you will not be charged and we will try to re-schedule your service according to availability. If your cruise ship docks in a different port, for example La Spezia Port instead of Livorno Port, we will change the pick up location, however there will be a fee associated with the change of port.

11. How long will the driver wait for the members to arrive?

Waiting time is 20 minutes after designated pickup time for all the members of the group to arrive at the designated meeting point, after that, the tour will start and anyone not present will be considered a 'no-show', the rate will stay the same for all the other participants.

12. What happens if someone in the group is a "No-Show" on the day of a tour? 

As each party within the group is financially independent (i.e. submits their own guarantee for services), if someone is a no-show the day of the tour, this does not affect the rate for the other members of the group. The per person rate for the tour does not change if someone cancels less than 7 days before the scheduled service or is a no-show the day of the service. As per our terms and conditions, no refund will be issued for those who cancel less than 7 days before a tour or do not show up the day of the tour.

15. Can parties from different cruise ships join the same tour? 

Unfortunately, we require that all participants in a group be sailing on the same cruise ship. Due to the multitude of risks associated with combining guests from different ships, such as different in port times and terminal locations at ports, we are unable to accommodate groups comprised of a mix of guests from different cruise ships. 

16. How can we locate our driver upon arrival?

Please note that one of our drivers will be waiting for you at the gangway of your cruise ship or outside the cruise ship terminal, upon exit of customs, holding up a sign with the group's name on it. The email that accompanies the voucher you receive at the time of booking will indicate the meeting point for each specific port. 

17. Is the tip included in the quote? If not, how much should we tip the driver?

Tip is not included in the quoted rates. Gratuities are not mandatory in Italy, however we do feel that if the clients have been happy with their service, the driver should receive a tip as a token of appreciation. Standard gratuities in Europe run between 10 – 25% depending on the service received.

18. Are the prices per person?

Yes. The prices are per person and are based on the total number of the participants registered for the tour. As our cancellation policy is 7 or more days prior to the scheduled service date, the rate per person is locked in 6 days prior to the scheduled tour date. 

19. I set the max number of guests at 8 for my group and I have two guests in my personal party. Why does my voucher show the rate for 2 guests, not the rate shown on the webpage for a group of 8 guests? 

The voucher received at the time of booking reflects the rate per person based on the total number of guests currently registered in your group. 

Each time someone joins (or cancels) your group you will receive an automated confirmation voucher reflecting the new group size, contact info for members of the group and the new rate per person. Please notice, sometimes cookie/caches settings can prevent you from downloaded the updated version of the file, so please make sure you delete these and retry.

20. I didn't get your email yet!!!  Why?

We reply to your email within 24 HOURS. In case you do not get a reply within this time, please give us a call 1.888.727.4707 to double check.

21. I heard the Vatican is closed on Sundays does that mean you'll arrange to bring us elsewhere in Rome since I'm assuming it will be unavailable?

The Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel are closed on each Sunday except the last one of the month. The Basilica of St. Peter's is always open so you will be able to visit it and if you are lucky enough you might be able to see the Pope since he gives a Blessing on this day. When the Vatican museum is closed it will be replaced with a visit to the catacombs or something else you would like to see. The tour is flexible on Sundays, so we do not follow a strict itinerary and if the group has agreed upon a different location we will be happy to advise on feasibility. 

22. What is the difference between a tour guide and a driver-guide?

For those of you who are booking private tours for the first time, perhaps a little clarification would help. A tour driver and a tour guide are not the same professional figure. It is to your advantage when booking a private tour to be sure that you understand the difference and know in advance what you are paying for. A tour guide has a license, usually issued by the state / country. He/she has attended school to learn all about the sites you will see and is permitted to go into the historical sites with you and tell you about the history. Naturally, their services will cost more.

A tour driver is not licensed, has not attended "guide" school, and is not permitted inside the site to tell you about the history. Naturally, their services will be more economical. Many drivers are just as well versed in the area's history as guides are. The difference of course is that they have to share info with you from inside the car and once outside the vehicle, they cannot explain you anything about our history or they can easily get a fine from the public police.

23. What is the difference between a tour guide and a tour escort with bus with over 8 passengers?

We offer two different services that of course are quoted differently:

a) Bus with driver and tour guide. A tour guide has a license, usually issued by the state / country. He/she has attended school to learn all about the sites you will see and is permitted to go into the historical sites with you and tell you about the history. Naturally, their services will cost more.

b) Bus with driver and tour escort. A tour escort is training to be a guide but doesn't have a permit yet. Honestly their service is more requested since they study a lot and most are still in school, and give more or less the same information professional guides do. They speak English and are well mannered. However due to strict Italian laws & regulations that protect officially licensed guides, they can explain the sights only from inside the vehicle and are not allowed to do so once they are outside the vehicle. Naturally, their services will be more economical.

24. Are tickets non-refundable?

All tickets are non-refundable and in the event of cancellation within the indicated time period we cancellation will be given but the cost of all tour related tickets will charged to the credit card on file. Regarding all ticket reservations, due to low availability, we proceed with their purchase (according to availability) at the time of the booking. We cannot guarantee ticket availability due to occasional events that are out of our control including, but not limited to, internal assemblies or strikes at sites.

25. How do I get the group creator discount?

You are eligible to receive the group creator discount when you create a group for a full day tour in which you are also a participant. The group creator discount is applicable for multiple full day tours booked from different cruise ports under the same group creator name and cruise ship with the same departure date.