Educational Groups

Educational & Academic Group Trips

Welcome to Stuart Line Cruises, where your next educational or student group excursion becomes an unforgettable experience. We offer captivating and tailored journeys on the stunning River Exe and the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast, transforming our versatile vessels into the ideal platform for your needs. Whether you’re a primary school delivering a curriculum field trip, a college seeking an ecological case study, a language school arranging a cultural sightseeing tour, or a university society planning a unique social event or formal, we provide a safe, engaging, and professional service for every age and purpose.

To ensure a comfortable experience, our vessels offer full on-board facilities, including toilets and a bar serving hot drinks, snacks, and a variety of beverages. For example, for our younger educational groups, we are delighted to offer convenient pre-orderable drinks packages, including squash, bottled water, or fruitshoots, simplifying supervision and catering for your trip.

Primary Schools

Bringing the Curriculum to Life

A cruise with Stuart Line is the perfect way to provide Key Stage 1 and 2 students with a tangible, real-world experience that directly supports their learning. We transform the stunning Exe Estuary and South Devon coastline into a hands-on classroom for subjects like Geography, Local History, and Science (Ecology). Students gain unparalleled views of coastal flood defences, observe the natural habitats of wading birds, and learn about the local heritage of the maritime environment—all delivered through engaging, age-appropriate commentary designed to spark curiosity.

Safety, Supervision, and Ease of Planning

We prioritise the safety and comfort of your youngest learners. Our vessels provide a highly contained and safe environment on a private cruise, allowing teachers and supervisors to maintain constant oversight. We understand the specific administrative demands placed on primary schools and provide clear, ready-to-use information regarding Risk Assessments, Coach Drop-off, and Parking upfront. Our simple booking process ensures that organising a fantastic, curriculum-linked day out is stress-free for teachers and easily justifiable to parents and headteachers.

Secondary Schools

In-Depth Fieldwork and Core Curriculum Links

Our cruises provide an unparalleled location for in-depth, syllabus-specific fieldwork, making abstract concepts tangible for your GCSE and A-Level students. We offer the ideal platform for case studies in Physical Geography, providing direct, uninterrupted views of the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast for lessons on erosion, deposition, and geological faulting. Furthermore, the Exe Estuary serves as a vital case study for Environmental Science, allowing students to observe and analyse coastal management strategies and conservation efforts in a RAMSAR-protected area.

Supporting Academic Rigour and Student Management

We understand that secondary school trips require rigorous logistical support. Our vessels offer spacious, comfortable seating, which is perfect for student briefings and note-taking. We facilitate advanced learning by providing live, relevant commentary, ensuring students gain the precise, location-specific data points needed to complete assignments or inform coursework. Our flexible booking and clear administrative process—including providing the necessary safety and risk assessment documentation—ensures your focus remains entirely on delivering the educational content.

Colleges & Universities

Unforgettable Social Events on the Water

For university societies, halls of residence, and Further Education groups, a cruise offers a unique and memorable social event far more engaging than a standard on-campus venue. Our vessels are ideal for welcome parties, end-of-term celebrations, committee mixers, or department farewells. We offer flexible private charter options with capacity for large groups, allowing you to tailor everything from the route and duration to onboard catering and music.

Specialized Fieldwork and Accessible Learning

Beyond social events, our cruises provide an exceptional and accessible platform for specialist fieldwork and learning. Departments such as Geography, Marine Biology, Environmental Science, and Geology can utilize our boats as floating classrooms for case studies on coastal management, estuarine ecology, and the Triassic cliffs of the Jurassic Coast. We are fully committed to supporting academic needs and can discuss specific data collection requirements, ensuring your students gain direct, relevant experience on the water.

Language Schools

Cultural Immersion and Practical English

For international students visiting the South West, our public cruises offer a safe, structured, and highly visual environment for cultural immersion and practical English language practice. A Stuart Line Cruise provides the perfect break from the classroom, giving students real-world context on British heritage, geography, and ecology. Our live commentary is delivered by an expert crew, offering authentic exposure to spoken English while providing clear, engaging information about the landmarks, wildlife, and history of the stunning Exe Estuary and Jurassic Coastline.

Effortless Logistics on Public Sailings

As language groups frequently book places on our scheduled public sailings, we have streamlined the process to be as simple as possible. Your group can benefit from our flexible booking system—confirming your large group reservation is easy, and final payable numbers are only required one week before the trip ( or 1 month for special events). With coach drop-off right by our office and convenient nearby coach parking, your supervisors can focus entirely on student safety and engagement, making the excursion a stress-free and valuable part of your teaching program.

Safety and Compliance

Vessel Safety: "All our vessels are licensed and inspected by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and adhere to stringent UK safety regulations. Our crew is highly experienced and fully trained in emergency procedures and first aid."
Risk Assessment Support: "We can provide you with, pre-completed Risk Assessment forms and supporting documents to save you time. These cover key areas such as embarkation/disembarkation, movement onboard, and general travel risks."
Contained Environment: "Our boats offer a secure, contained environment, ensuring effective supervision is maintained throughout the trip. Students remain under adult supervision at all times."

Logistics and Coach Information

Coach Drop-Off: "Direct coach drop-off is available immediately adjacent to our booking office on Exmouth Marina, minimising walking distance for your group."
Coach Parking: "Clear directions for nearby, dedicated coach parking facilities will be provided upon booking confirmation for the driver with a pass to park."
Accessibility: "Our main vessels offer accessible boarding and facilities. Please advise us of any specific access requirements (e.g., wheelchair use) during the booking process."
Sound System: "If you wish to use the speakers and portable microphone to aid in your teaching, please let us know at the time of booking for private educational group bookings."
Refreshments & Facilities: "Our main vessels feature a fully stocked bar offering hot drinks, snacks, soft drinks, and light refreshments for purchase. This ensures your students and staff have immediate access to everything they need on board. For those of age, we also offer a full range of alcoholic drinks."

Supervision Ratios & Support

Supervisory Ratios: "We recommend minimum supervision ratios in line with typical school policy (e.g., 1:6 for Primary, 1:10 for Secondary), but your organisation's own safety policy takes precedence."
Staff Communication: "Have a question or need a concern addressed before your cruise? We have a manned office at the end of phone, or by email, who will be able to help at every stage."

Easy Booking Process

Let us know a date, upto 2 years from now, you want to make a booking for.

Let us know the maximum number of people within your group booking and purpose.

We will let you know the availability of cruises suitable for your educational group.

Make a booking Enquiry today

Booking a cruise for your group is quick and easy. If you are interested in booking your group onto one of our cruises, please complete the below contact form and we will be in touch as soon as possible. * - Required field.

*Company/Group Name

*Contact Person

*Email Address

*Phone Number

*What type of group are you?

Educational Group (School, University etc)Coach or Tour OrganiserInternational Tour OrganiserGeneral Group Organiser

Preferred Date of Cruise:
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Please use the below box to give details of which cruise(s) you are interested in booking, along with any special requirements you may have.

Alternatively, you can upload a file with a list of all the cruises and dates you are wanting to book as a .xlsx, .xls or .csv file.