Shore Excursions Group LLC

Shore Excursions Group: Shore Excursions for Cruise Passengers

Shore Excursions Group LLC is an American company dedicated exclusively to selling shore excursions for cruise passengers. Its catalog covers destinations such as the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Africa, the Arabian Gulf, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and New England, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera, the Pacific Coast, the Panama Canal, South America, the South Pacific, the Atlantic, and river cruises.

The company presents itself as the world's largest shore excursion operator and claims to have delivered more than six million excursions since its founding in 2008. Its proposition focuses on smaller tours, lower prices than those of the cruise lines, and a guaranteed return to the ship.

Business Model and Differentiation

Unlike cruise lines and other companies that also sell cruises, Shore Excursions Group focuses solely on shore excursions. According to its own presentation, this specialization allows it to select high-quality tours operated by local providers and offer them at a lower cost. The company maintains that its groups are smaller than those of the cruise lines, which favors a more personalized experience, and that part of its offering is not available through the cruise lines.

The company states that it works with a network of associated tour operators and has a team of cruise and travel experts with more than one hundred years of combined experience in the sector.

Excursion Types and Group Sizes

The catalog is organized according to group size and type of experience. In terms of size, private excursions are offered, to travel only with one's own group and, in many cases, customizable; small group excursions, from 2 to 20 people; and standard excursions, from 20 to 50 people, similar in size to those of the cruise lines. The company indicates that its departures average around 12 participants.

By theme, excursions are classified as cultural, scenic, active, water and beach, and culinary. This variety allows passengers to choose between experiences focused on local heritage and customs, natural environments, adventure activities, marine life, or regional gastronomy.

Coverage and Operating Volume

The company claims to operate in more than 300 ports worldwide. Its catalog has come to include nearly 4,000 tours, although at different times in its communications it mentions 4,500 excursions. Among the destinations covered are the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Africa, the Arabian Gulf, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and New England, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera, the Pacific Coast, the Panama Canal, South America, the South Pacific, the Atlantic, and river cruises.

Services for Passengers and Travel Agents

The platform allows searching for excursions by cruise line, ship, and sailing date. The company offers an itinerary search tool that displays excursions compatible with the ship's arrival and departure times in each port, as well as multi-port packages with the top-rated excursion in each port of call and an additional discount.

Featured services include a traveler hotline available 24 hours a day, every day, a money-back guarantee, and the guaranteed return to ship. The company also has programs for travel agents and an affiliate network.

Ratings and Awards

The site shows an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 based on more than 58,600 customer reviews. The company states that it has received several industry awards, including the Travvy Award from travAlliancemedia for best shore excursion and several Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly, in categories such as best marketing website, best trade marketing website, and best overall tour operator.

Language and Currencies

The site operates in English and allows prices to be displayed in US dollars, Australian dollars, British pounds, Canadian dollars, euros, and New Zealand dollars.