-
Privacy Policy
Updated: January 5, 2026
- What personal information we collect;
- How we use your personal information;
- With whom we may share your personal information;
- Legal basis for processing the data;
- Storage and security of your information;
- Your Privacy Rights, Choices and Disclosures, including those for Europe and California;
- Users outside the United States;
- Links to other sites;
- Privacy Policy updates; and
- Contact Information.
1. Personal Information We Collect or Process
We may also use tracking pixels (clear GIFs or pixel tags), typically one-pixel clear images that are embedded on a page of the site. These tracking pixels may be in our site or communications such as email messages. This technology helps us verify when a certain page of the site is viewed, when a message or ad is opened, when links are clicked and other content in a message is viewed, and the originating source of a click or view. We use the information collected for similar purposes as the information collected through cookies, as described above.
We also work with service providers and advertising partners that use cookies, tracking pixels, and other tools to collect information about your visits to our Websites and your behavior while on the Websites. This information is used to deliver targeted advertisements to you across the internet based on your site usage on our Websites. The information collected and used in this manner is generally anonymous and not personally identifiable. If you would like to learn more about this practice, you can visit the Digital Advertising Alliance at aboutads.info/consumers.
We use Google Analytics, a third-party web analytics service, to help us track and analyze the use of our site and measure the effectiveness of advertising, site content, and email communications. The tools, including cookies, tags, and tracking pixels, help us understand the usage of our site. To opt-out of this use by Google, click here.
We operate social media pages on third party networks and have social media icons on our Websites. When you visit or link to our social media pages, data is processed both by us and the applicable social media provider. Social media providers are unaffiliated with us, and we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of social media providers. Social media providers have their own terms of use and privacy policies, and we encourage you to review those policies whenever you visit their websites or interact with their platforms.
When using your mobile device to visit, access or use the Websites, then additional categories of information that we collect may include:
- Your name associated with your mobile device
- Your telephone number associated with your mobile device
- Your geolocation
- Your mobile device ID information
- Information Voluntarily Provided. We also collect information that you provide to us voluntarily, including in the following situations:
- When you purchase event tickets.
- When you complete a contact form.
- When you sign up sign up for e-mail services such as First Mate Club, status alerts, newsletters, and e-mail alerts.
- When you participate in online sweepstakes, contests, and games.
- When you participate in an online survey.
If you inquire about a career with us, we will collect personal information about you, which may include name, contact information, resume, employment history, and references. We will use the information for recruitment and evaluating candidates.
Using Chat Features. We may now or in the future utilize a chat feature to provide customer support. Use of the chat feature is completely voluntary. Chat sessions are recorded and used by both us and our chat service provider. We may now or in the future provide customer support via chatbox or email that utilizes artificial intelligence and natural language processing to understand customer questions and automate responses to them, simulating human conversation. If you do not consent to these terms, please do not use the chat feature and contact us via email.
The Websites are general audience websites and not directed towards children. We do not knowingly collect information from users of our Websites under the age of 13 and/or their internet usage.
2. How We Use Your Personal Information
We use the personal information we collect as follows to respond to your inquiries, complete transactions you initiate, manage your reservations, changes and refunds, perform our contractual obligations, provide updates and other important information related to your events, send you marketing communications, inform you of new services or changes in Services, administer the Services, fill employment positions, enter into contracts for services, to fulfill legal obligations we have to governmental authorities or other third parties, and for other legitimate business purposes. You will have the opportunity to opt out of any electronic marketing communications you may receive from us.
- To process payments, confirm reservations, provide service‑related communications, and manage refunds or changes.
- To send you marketing communications.
- To fill employment positions.
- To present advertisements on third-party websites, which may be tailored to your interests.
- For general business purposes, including managing your relationship with us, responding to enquiries and requests, and administrative purposes.
- To manage and assure the integrity of our platform.
- Provide the information you request.
- To communicate with you, including to provide status updates, transactional emails and other service communications.
- To communicate with you for research purposes, including to request your participation in surveys.
- To provide, maintain, and protect our Websites.
- To monitor the performance of our Websites and improve your user experience.
- To satisfy legal obligations and compliance requirements under laws and regulations applicable to us and our affiliates.
- To protect and defend our and our users’ rights and property.
- For other purposes that we tell you about when you provide information about yourself to us.
- For other legitimate business and lawful purposes.
We may obtain your written consent from time to time in electronic form by using online agreements or other acknowledgements on the Websites, including for any other contemplated uses of your personal information not addressed in this Privacy Policy. Please read all online agreements carefully before accepting them.
We may use your mobile number to send you a confirmation text when you purchase a ticket. We may send you service-related announcements when it is necessary (for example, if we must cancel or delay an event). Also, you may choose to receive promotional texts from us based on preferences that you indicate. Participation in mobile messaging is optional and not a condition of purchase. By providing your mobile number and opting in to receive these communications, you are consenting to receive autodialed or prerecorded marketing mobile messages at the phone number associated with your opt-in. The frequency and number of messages you will receive will vary. While you consent to receive messages sent using an autodialer, the foregoing shall not be interpreted to suggest or imply that any or all of our mobile messages are sent using an automatic telephone dialing system (“ATDS” or “autodialer”). When you opt-in to the service as noted above, we may send you a message to confirm your signup. Text Messaging Opt-Out: You can cancel the messaging service at any time. Just text “STOP”. After you send the message “STOP” to us, we may send you a message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed. In some cases, you may continue to receive service-related notifications.
3. With Whom We Share Personal Information
We may share your personal information with and among our current and future parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and other companies under common control and ownership
We share your personal information with third parties who perform services on our behalf, including without limitation our technology providers, payment processors, advertising providers, business partners (such as tour companies) and professional advisors.
We may disclose information if we have a good faith belief that disclosure is necessary by law or the legal process, to protect and defend our or others’ interests or property, or to enforce agreements you enter into with us.
We may share your data with a third party in the event of any reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer, liquidation or other disposition of all or any portion of our business, assets or stock with such third party.
We may share information with other third parties with your consent (such as a sponsor of a contest).
We may share aggregated and de-identified information with third parties (within or outside your country of residence) for analytical, research or other similar purposes.
4. Grounds for Using Your Personal Data
We rely on the following legal grounds to process your personal information:
Consent. Some uses of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy are subject to your consent, such as marketing email communications. To withdraw your consent, please contact us at info@shorelinesightseeing.com. You may also refrain from providing, or withdraw, your consent for Cookies via your browser and mobile settings.
Performance of a contract. We may need to collect and use your personal information to enter into a contract with you, issue event tickets, and provide our services to you.
Legitimate Interests. We may use your personal information for our legitimate interests to provide our Websites and services and to improve our Websites and services. We may use technical information as described in this Privacy Policy and use personal information for our marketing purposes consistent with our legitimate interests and any choices that we offer or consents that may be required under applicable law.
5. Storage and Protection of Your Personal Information
We retain the personal information we collect for so long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the information was collected and to perform our contractual and legal obligations. We will retain personal information required to comply with privacy requests, to manage active accounts, as required by law, in order to resolve disputes, or to enforce our agreements. We may also retain copies of your personal information for disaster recovery purposes, to prevent fraud or future abuse, or for our legitimate business purposes.
We take reasonable administrative, physical and technical precautions to protect your personal information and communications between us. This includes, when required or as we deem appropriate and feasible under the circumstances, encryption and written commitments from third parties that may have access to your information that they will protect the information with reasonable safeguards.
No Internet or e-mail transmission is ever fully secure or error free, however. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security of your information, and we are not responsible for processes and networks that we do not control. Users assume the risk of security breaches and the consequences resulting from them. Please be careful in deciding what information you send to us via email or over the Internet.
6. Your Rights, Choices and Disclosures
(a) General. This section is subject to specific disclosures on privacy rights set forth below. We are committed to facilitating the exercise of your rights granted by the laws of your jurisdiction and to which we are subject, which may include the right to request the correction, modification or deletion of your personal information and the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information (as applicable). We will do our best to honor your requests subject to any legal and contractual obligations. If you would like to make a request, contact us at info@shorelinesightseeing.com. Section (b) below describes the rights of those individuals located in the European Union, the United Kingdom or another jurisdiction that has adopted laws substantially similar to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Section (c) provides disclosures required under California law.
You may opt out of receiving electronic marketing communications from us by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link on the communication or contacting us at info@shorelinesightseeing.com. Some non-marketing communications may not be subject to a general opt-out, such as communications about events and transactions, disclosures to comply with legal requirements, and other support-related information.
Subject to local law, you may have additional rights under the laws of your jurisdiction regarding your personal information, such as the right to complain to your local data protection authority and the right to appeal our decision regarding a data access request.
- Your European Privacy Rights and Choices. While we do not specifically market our services to those who reside outside the United States, we will provide accommodations for the exercise of your rights provided under data protection laws of the European Union, the United Kingdom or another jurisdiction that has adopted laws substantially similar to the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). By visiting our Websites and utilizing our services, you are consenting to the transfer of your information from your jurisdiction to the United States. Your privacy rights under GDPR include the following:
- Transparency and the right to information. Through this policy we explain how we use and share your information. However, if you have questions or need additional information you can contact us any time.
- Right of access, correction, restriction of processing, erasure. You may contact us to request information about the personal data we have collected from you and to request the correction, modification or deletion of such personal information, which requests we will do our best to honor subject to any legal and contractual obligations.
- Right to withdraw your consent at any time. When we process your personal data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.
- Right to object at any time. You have the right to object at any time to receiving marketing or promotional materials from us by either following the opt-out instructions in commercial e-mails or by contacting us, as well as the right to object to any processing of your personal data based on your specific situation. In the latter case, we will assess your request and provide a reply in a timely manner, according to our legal and contractual obligations. Some non-marketing communications are not subject to a general opt-out, such as communications about transactions and disclosures to comply with legal requirements.
- Right to data portability. You have the right to data portability of your own personal data by contacting us.
- Right not to be subject to an automated decision, including profiling. We do not make automated decisions using your personal data that may negatively impact you.
- Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. If you consider that the processing of your personal data infringes your privacy rights according to GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in the member state of your habitual residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement.
- California Disclosures
- California “Shine the Light” Information-Sharing Disclosure: California residents may request a list of all third parties with respect to which we have disclosed any information about you for such third parties’ direct marketing purposes and the categories of information disclosed. If you are a California resident and want such a list, please send us a written request by email to info@shorelinesightseeing.com with “California Shine The Light Rights” in the subject line.
- California Do Not Track Disclosure: We do not respond to Do Not Track browser settings.
7. Users Outside the United States
The Websites are controlled and operated from the United States, and our services are provided in the State of Illinois. If you are an individual from the European Union, Canada or any other jurisdiction with laws or regulations governing personal information collection, use, and disclosure that differ from United States laws, please be advised that we may store the information we collect in the United States By visiting our Websites or using our services, you are consenting to the transfer of your information from your jurisdiction to the United States.
8. Links to Other Sites
Our Websites may contain links to other websites for your convenience or information. These websites may be operated by companies unaffiliated with us, and we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those websites. Linked websites may have their own terms of use and privacy policies, and we encourage you to review those policies whenever you visit the websites.
9. Privacy Policy Changes
- Questions and Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at: Shoreline Sightseeing 474 N. Lake Shore Dr., Suite 3511 Chicago, Illinois 60611 Or send e-mail to info@shorelinesightseeing.com.
A Chicago tourism staple since 1939 Shoreline Sightseeing operates Chicago's largest and most diverse fleet of cruise boats and water taxis with 11 major tour vessels and 7 water taxis.
