SAN FRANCISCO, CA and LONDON and SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire - Apr 2, 2012) - Viator, Inc., the leading resource for researching and booking tours and activities around the world, today unveiled a new website specifically designed to help cruise passengers find and book shore excursions with savings up to 60% off typical rates offered by cruise lines.
The new website -- shoreexcursions.viator.com -- features more than 500 shore excursions in over 80 of the most popular ports around the globe, including new destinations Juneau, Monaco and Mykonos. The site has been designed for the complex nature of shore excursion bookings and will offer only relevant tours and activities, based on the specific itinerary of the cruise ship, with itineraries available from the world's leading cruise companies including Carnival Cruises, Costa Cruises, Holland America, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean. All passengers need to do is select the cruise line, ship name and departure date, and Viator will instantly load the cruise ship's itinerary and present only those excursions that can specifically work for each port of call based on arrival and departure times, and availability.
Some of the shore excursions travelers can book on the new Viator site are highlighted below with sample savings from cruise-sponsored excursions:
| Shore Excursion | Viator | Cruise Lines | Savings |
| Mazatlan Shore Excursion: Estero Ecological Reserve Jungle Tour | $45* | Princess $79 | 43% |
| Hilo Shore Excursion: Volcanoes National Park and Rainbow Falls | $59 | Norwegian $89 | 34% |
| Naples Shore Excursion: Capri Day Trip with Lunch from Naples | $134 | Carnival $200 | 33% |
| Juneau Whale Watching Adventure and Mendenhall Glacier Tour | $131 | Princess $179 | 27% |
"The new Viator Shore Excursion platform builds on the increasing popularity of independent shore excursion bookings on Viator.com. We've taken our great inventory and added innovative technology to create the new user experience and give cruise passengers direct access to the best excursions in their ports of call to help them make the most of their time and money in every port," said Ms. Barrie Seidenberg, CEO and president of Viator, Inc. "For far too long cruise passengers have been beholden to the cruise lines for shore excursions that are often overpriced, over crowded and represent only a fraction of what's available locally."
Specific features of the Viator Shore Excursions website include:
- Easy search and booking, based on cruise ship's itinerary. Just select a ship's itinerary from thousands of options, and Viator will instantly sync and reveal only available shore excursions in their ports-of-call that match allowed shore times. For travelers who haven't chosen their cruise yet, Viator enables searches by region and port as well.
- Unique and more personalized experiences. Small group and private options or skip-the-line privileges, as well as exclusive, customizable tours led by Viator Private Guides let cruise travelers bypass large throngs of their shipmates and enjoy more private and customized experiences including:
| Shore Excursion | Viator | Cruise Lines |
| Half-Day Private Tour of New York City by Limousine | $66 | N/A |
| Full Day Private Medoc Wine Tour in Bordeaux | $71 | N/A |
| Small group tour tasting the Greek cuisine in Athens | $73 | N/A |
| Dunns River Falls and Beach Horseback Riding in Montego Bay | $115 | N/A |
- Multiple unique itineraries for a single group. Perhaps your parents would like a different experience than scuba diving -- no problem. You can now create and book multiple itineraries for each member of your group -- adults, kids, etc. -- tailored to their interests in one transaction.
- Viator's Worry-Free bookings. Worried about missing your ship if you don't book your excursion directly with the cruise line? Don't be. If a passenger misses the ship because of a Viator excursion, Viator will transport them to the next port of call at no cost to the traveler.
- Guaranteed best prices in multiple currencies. In addition to savings up to 60% off, all shore excursions qualify for Viator's low price guarantee. If you find a lower price, Viator will refund the difference. All tours can be booked in AUD, CAD, USD, GBP, and EUR.
- Last minute availability. Whether from an estate room on an iPad or a mobile phone call to Viator's call center, many of Viator's excursions are available for purchase as late as the night before arrival in port.
- Unbiased cruise traveler reviews, photos and star ratings. Browse hundreds of cruise traveler reviews and photos from actual Viator users that provide valuable first-person insights like this one from Bo, October 2011, regarding the Civitavecchia Rome in One Day Private Tour, "People on our cruise couldn't believe all that we were able to do and see. Don't miss this tour!"
From now through April 30, 2012, all bookings through the new Viator shore excursions website will receive a 10% discount off the already low prices. Cruise passengers simply enter the code SHOREX10 at checkout for this special Viator value. For more information, travelers can follow Viator Shore Excursions on the Viator Travel Blog as well as Twitter and Facebook.
*Note: All Viator prices listed are per person, represent the lowest available price for an excursion and are subject to availability.
About Viator
Viator® is the world's leading online resource for travel experiences, providing access to more than 9,000 tours, attractions and activities in 800-plus destinations in more than 150 countries. Viator -- the Latin word for traveler -- offers a one-stop shop to plan, research and book trip activities via its Web and mobile platforms with resources such as more than 300,000 traveler reviews, ratings and photos, suggested itineraries and the Viator Travel Blog. Viator's in-house travel experts hand-pick trusted local operators to ensure quality, value and service, all backed by a low-price guarantee. Viator sells its products through Viator.com, the Viator Tours and Activities App for iPhone, the Viator Ultimate Experience Guide for iPad, the Viator Shore Excursions website, local language sites for European, Latin American and Asian markets and more than 2,000 affiliated sites that include major hotel chains and airlines, online travel agencies, city-specific sites and more. Viator is a privately held company, with lead investment from The Carlyle Group, one of the world's largest private equity firms. Founded in 1995, Viator is headquartered in San Francisco with regional offices in Sydney, London and Las Vegas.