Experience with "Shore Excursions Group"?

[zteamtwo]

Sailing Riveria on Dec 3 2021.  Looking at shore excursions with Shore Excursions Group.  Any experience with these people?

[LHT28]

I believe  they are  a middle man

Booking  with  a local  will probably be the same  price maybe even same person

[davencl]

NCL uses them for most of their shore excursions.  You can book thru NCL or directly thru them.  Sometimes it's cheaper to book thru them but not always.  Sometimes when NCL was sold out they still had slots available. YMMV...

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, davencl said:

NCL uses them for most of their shore excursions.  You can book thru NCL or directly thru them. 

That is  surprising

I would think NCL would have their own shore excursions dept 🤔

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, LHT28 said:

I believe  they are  a middle man

Booking  with  a local  will probably be the same  price maybe even same person

 

1 hour ago, davencl said:

NCL uses them for most of their shore excursions.  You can book thru NCL or directly thru them.  Sometimes it's cheaper to book thru them but not always.  Sometimes when NCL was sold out they still had slots available. YMMV...

 

3 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

That is  surprising

I would think NCL would have their own shore excursions dept 🤔

Yes, Shore Excursions Group is a  middleman/aggregator and yes NCL has its own shore excursion department.  One of Shore Excursion Group's main marketing claims is that their excursion groups are far smaller than the cruise lines' excursion groups, at 12 persons versus 50 persons, so to say "you can book thru NCL or directly thru them" isn't true because while the excursion itineraries may be similar, it isn't the same excursion experience, one being on a large bus, the other on a much smaller vehicle.

 

In some ports NCL and Shore Excursion Group may be offering the same excursions but that doesn't necessarily mean NCL is buying them through Shore Excursions Group.  Rather it's because NCL and Shore Excursions Group are both using the same local tour operators , as may other cruise lines calling on the same port...because in many locations are very limited in number of tour operators  .

 

[davencl]

50 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

 

 

Yes, Shore Excursions Group is a  middleman/aggregator and yes NCL has its own shore excursion department.  One of Shore Excursion Group's main marketing claims is that their excursion groups are far smaller than the cruise lines' excursion groups, at 12 persons versus 50 persons, so to say "you can book thru NCL or directly thru them" isn't true because while the excursion itineraries may be similar, it isn't the same excursion experience, one being on a large bus, the other on a much smaller vehicle.

 

In some ports NCL and Shore Excursion Group may be offering the same excursions but that doesn't necessarily mean NCL is buying them through Shore Excursions Group.  Rather it's because NCL and Shore Excursions Group are both using the same local tour operators , as may other cruise lines calling on the same port...because in many locations are very limited in number of tour operators  .

 

Admittedly my memory is a bit hazy but the reason I thought this is when I was on NCL's website booking shore excursions it routed me to shoreexcursions groups website.  Still had all the NCL logo's etc. but a different website.  This was 2 years ago.

[LHT28]

interesting

 I usually just book with a local guide & keep my group about 10  

12 is my maximum

 I did book once through a 3rd party site  & we had Greyline as the tour operator ..I had 6 pax in the group

 YMMV

[Tranquility Base]

A slightly different situation, but on some occasions I have found the "book a seat only" directly with  local tour operators to be worthwhile.

The downside is you have a fixed itinerary, ie not a private / flexible tour.

The upside is no responsibility with having to arrange and monitor the private tour.

I then simply post the details on the roll call and others join in directly with the tour company.

Has worked well for a few ports where the fixed itinerary is what we wanted anyway.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, davencl said:

Admittedly my memory is a bit hazy but the reason I thought this is when I was on NCL's website booking shore excursions it routed me to shoreexcursions groups website.  Still had all the NCL logo's etc. but a different website.  This was 2 years ago.

I've never seen that and I've booked and taken many, many NCL cruises and their shore excursions over the years.

What I have seen is travel agency websites directing you to Shore Excursion Group tours. Perhaps that's what you recall.

[Queen of DaNile]

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