Terms and Conditions |
|
Booking Conditions and Other Important Information printable pdf
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE Inter-city Travel: By private motorcoach, trains and ferries as detailed in itineraries. Touring: By air-conditioned luxury motorcoaches with on-board washroom and reclining seats for maximum comfort. * Hotel Accommodations: Prices per person are based on two persons sharing a twin-bedded room with private bath or shower. ** Air Transportation: Is included in the land price only when indicated in the Features panel on specific itineraries. *** Cruises: Per person prices are based on two persons sharing a cabin with two berths, private shower and toilet. A limited number of single cabins are available upon request at an extra cost. Please Note: Twin Share discount does not apply to tours featuring cruises. Tour Director: Escorted tours are conducted in English by a professional multi-lingual Tour Director. In Egypt and Greece, only tours of 10 people or more will be escorted by an Insight Tour Director. Hosted service is provided in London and Rome on tours 675, 968 & 969. Meals: In-flight meals and snacks are served according to airline-policy. Continental or buffet breakfast as indicated on all tours except in Ireland, provincial Britain and Scandinavia, where full national style breakfasts are served. Dinners are included as detailed in itineraries. All meals are included on cruises. Sightseeing: Excursions and entrance fees to places of interest visited as detailed on each itinerary with an English-speaking guide where necessary. Premium Highlights: The values shown on each tour page are based on approximate prices charged by some other operators for similar optional excursions. They are integral to our tours, therefore no refund will be given (or value attached) if not used or operated for any reason. Transfers: Between airports, hotels and piers only where indicated on the tour itinerary. Please see brochure for full details. Baggage Allowance & Porterage: Porterage for one suitcase on tours is included in the tour price and at arrival or departure from each tour hotel. Due to limited coach capacity this single bag should have a weight not exceeding 27kg (60lbs) and dimensions not exceeding 76cm (30”) x 46cm (18”) x 25cm (10”). Charges will be levied in the event these limits are exceeded and our promise to transport you as indicated may be invalidated. Note: Airlines may restrict check-in baggage. Please check with your carrier. Tips & Taxes: All tips are included for services on tour provided by dining-room waiters, chambermaids and porters at hotels, airports, docks and stations and to the crew on Nile cruises. * In Egypt, Iceland, and the Eastern Mediterranean, some smaller coaches without toilet facilities may be used. If, due to circumstances beyond our control, coaches are used on tours otherwise than as advertised on the itinerary page, a refund of CAD $10 per person will be made. ** When booking triple rooms please note that the third bed may be a “roll-away” bed. Availability of triple rooms is limited. Substitute hotels may be used at certain times and will be of similar standard whenever possible. Please note that single rooms in Europe will generally be smaller than twin-bedded rooms. Passengers of Hotel Frequent Traveler programmes are not entitled to earn points with any of the hotels featured on an Insight Vacations tour. *** Reservations for our Egyptian airline are given well in advance, however actual flight timings cannot be confirmed prior to departure. Internal flights in Egypt may involve very early or very late departures and arrivals. WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE Airfares to and from your destination, except where specified, airport/departure taxes; passport and visa fees; insurances of all kinds; laundry; phone calls; beverages; meals not detailed in the itinerary; tips to Tour Directors; motorcoach drivers and local city guides; items of a personal nature; excess baggage; optional excursions etc. The tour price also does not cover costs and expenses, including the return to your home, if you leave the tour at your own volition, or due to illness, or as a consequence of official action by the government of any country visited. Please Note: In Egypt, service charges (of up to 33%) will be levied on all additional services, meals, beverages etc. not included in the tour price. This service charge will be applied on your hotel bill at time of checkout.
HOW TO MAKE RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENTS Deposit - $200 per person per tour (non-refundable) Final Payment – At least 45 days prior to departure date. 1. For online bookings Insight Vacations only accepts Visa, Mastercard, and American Express from passengers named on the booking. Your payment is not deemed made until it is received by Insight Vacations. 2. In order to secure space booked, your Travel Agent should enter your credit card number and expiration date when booking your reservation online. 3. The deposit forms part of your final payment and if not received within 7 Days of booking, the reservation will automatically be cancelled. On certain departures, deposits may be required to hold seats at the time of booking. 4. The final payment is due 45 days prior to departure.* 5. Payment in full is required at the time of booking for reservations made less than 45 days before (except for the Alaskan cruise & Canadian Rockies & Rail journey where payment is required 50 days prior to) tour departure.* 6. Insight reserves the right to cancel the reservation and apply cancellation charges should payments not be received within the above specified periods. 7. Credit Card Bookings: Your authorization to use your Credit Card number for deposit and/or final payment indicates your compliance with our booking terms and conditions, whether you have actually signed the appropriate draft. Verbal authorization of your Credit Card confirms your reservation. 8. Any special meal requirements will be made on a REQUEST basis only. Insight Vacations cannot GUARANTEE special meal requests nor will it assume any responsibility if passengers’ special meal requests are not fulfilled.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS Travel documents and instructions for joining your tour will be sent to you approximately 21 days before your departure (provided full payment has been received). If final payment is not received when due, costs to courier documents will be the responsibility of the Travel Agent.
BOOKING CHANGES, CANCELLATIONS, AND REFUNDS Online Bookings: To make changes and/or cancel a booking made online, Travel agents can contact the Insight Vacations Automation Helpdesk to modify at 1-866-261-0253 or by email at contactus@insightvacations.ca Booking changes: A fee of $30 per person will be charged for any revision or altercation made to a reservation after the booking is confirmed unless the change increases the value of the booking. A change of tour itinerary within 45 days of tour departure will be treated as a cancellation, and normal cancellation fees will apply except when the change is to an earlier tour departure of equivalent or greater value in which case a $30 per person amendment fee will be charged Cancellations and Cancellation Fees
No. of days prior to Tour Departure* Cancellation Fee 45 – 22 days 25% 21 – 8 days 30% 7 – 1 days 50% Day of departure 100% The following scale of charges will apply to the ‘ ALASKAN CRUISE & THE CANADIAN ROCKIES’ & THE ‘CANADIAN MOUNTAINEER ROCKIES & RAIL’ when notice of cancellation is given after the booking is confirmed: No. of days prior to Tour Departure* Cancellation Fee Over 50 days the non-refundable deposit 50 – 35 days 35% 34 – 20 days 50% 19 – 8 days 75% 7 days or less 100%
*PLEASE NOTE: The departure date constitutes the date indicated on Insight’s confirmation.
Airline Flights/Tickets: If flight changes are requested after the deposit has been received, or if flights are cancelled after tickets are issued, revision fees, change fees or Airline cancellation fees will be applicable and will be in addition to the above cancellation charges. In some cases, airline tickets are 100% non-refundable. Please Note: Any bookings with Transpacific flights, once ticketed, are totally non-refundable. These cancellation fees also apply to additional accommodation reserved prior to and after the tour and are in addition to any cancellation fees that may be levied by your Travel Agent. However hotel accommodation which is cancelled within 14 days of the booked dates incur a 100% cancellation charge.
Refunds and Penalties:
Illness or Absenteeism: In the event of your withdrawal from a tour after commencement for reasons of illness, you must obtain a medical certificate in support of any insurance claim. We regret that no refunds can be made for absences from a tour, including but not limited to, missed meals or sightseeing. Insight makes no representation or guarantees concerning reimbursements of funds paid by you under any insurance claim. Airlines & Airfares: No refund will be made for cancelled air tickets on air inclusive bookings until tickets are returned to Insight. Refunds for tour portion will only be processed after return of documents to Insight. Please ensure that returned tour documents which contain airline tickets are sent by certified or registered mail. Lost ticket replacement can take up to 1 year and processing fees can be accessed. Special Promotional Land + Air packages will entail more stringent cancellation penalties and may be totally non-refundable and changes of any kind may not be permitted. No changes are allowed on outbound sectors after ticketing, changes on a return flight require re-issue in Europe at an additional cost. Minimum stay seven (7) days, maximum stay three (3) months. INSIGHT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE (even if booking is deposited or fully paid) for any Government taxes of any kind or any additional charges levied by the Airlines, such as FUEL SURCHARGES.
Note: If a promotional airfare contained in this brochure is broken or extended for any reason, an additional cost may be incurred. Airfares are subject to change at any time. Changes to flight itineraries and name changes may result in penalties charged by the Airline concerned and passed on to the passengers.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS Tour Prices: Are based on costs, charges, tariffs, rates, prices, taxes, levies and exchange rates as at 25 h September, 2003. Should any of these costs change, a surcharge may be made on the price of your vacation. If the total tour price increases by more than 10%, passengers will have the right to cancel within 7 days of notification of the surcharge without penalty. No surcharges in respect of cost or currency fluctuations will be made once payment for the deposit of your Land tour is received. THIS GUARANTEE EXCLUDES FUEL SURCHARGES AND DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY TAXES, CHARGES OR LEVIES IMPOSED BY ANY GOVERNMENT OR THEIR AGENCIES, EVEN IF THE TOUR IS PAID FOR IN FULL. In exchange for these guarantees, no refund will be made if costs are reduced. Prices are per person and are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified. Tour Participation: Children under 5 years of age are ineligible. Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by and adult. Passengers with disabilities are welcome on Insight’s tours providing they are accompanied by a companion capable of providing all assistance required, and do not require special assistance from Insight personnel. Insight reserves the right to refuse to carry anyone it is felt cannot cope with the requirements of coach tour travel and who may require services and facilities that Insight cannot guarantee will be available. You agree to not hold the Insight group of companies responsible for any decision made by any of them or any service provider to refuse to carry you, provide any facilities or accommodation to you or to provide any service to you. Young Traveller 5-17 discount: Young Traveller must be under 18 years old on the tour departure date, and must be accompanied by an adult, sharing a twin room. The Young Traveller must be the specified age at the time of travel to be eligible for this 5% discount and is limited to one family discount per room. This discount does not apply for a Young Traveller receiving Triple Room Reduction or Group Discount. Children under the age of 12 discount: A child under the age of 12 sharing with two adults receives a 25% reduction off the full tour price and the two adults pay the triple rate. Triple rooms are based on sharing the existing bedding (two beds) in a twin-bedded standard room. This discount is applicable to itineraries featuring the triple room reduction offer only and cannot be combined with any other saving or discount. Itinerary Variations: Insight constantly strives to improve tour itineraries and features. If such improvements can be made, or unforeseen circumstances beyond our control make changes necessary – we reserve the right to vary itineraries and to substitute hotels. At certain peak periods duplicate departures may operate, and sometimes in reverse order in which case hotels may vary from those stated on the itinerary pages, but will be of equal standard. On tours that include cruises the ship may be changed due to operational reasons. Seat Rotation: All seats are rotated daily and particular seats on coaches cannot be booked. Smoking: Smoking is strictly prohibited on the coach, however, regular comfort stops are made on traveling days. Tour Cancellation: Insight reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule any tour departure in accordance with operating requirements or circumstances beyond its control. If cancellation is made any time prior to departure* of the tour, Insight’s only liability will be to refund to the passenger the amount it has received for the tour booking. Insight will try to re-book the same or similar tour and, where flights have been confirmed by Insight, will attempt to confirm air seats for new dates selected, subject to availability. Extended Stays: If you have arranged with us to remain at a destination before or after your tour, please understand your stay will be at your sole expense as is the transfer to either the hotel or airport. Regrettably, Insight is unable to provide transfers for passengers booking pre and post night accommodation, this accommodation when booked must be immediately before or after the published brochure dates. Please also be aware if your extra night hotel is not the hotel where your tour begins and ends, you will be responsible for your own transfer arrangements at your own expense. Insight is not responsible for any other travel arrangements affected due to our cancellations.
RESPONSIBILITY Insight Vacations Ltd, referred to as the Operators, undertake the following duties: 1. The Operators shall be responsible to the passenger for supplying the services and accommodations described in this brochure, except where such services cannot be supplied or the itinerary used is changed due to delays or other causes of whatever kind or nature beyond the control of the Operators. In such circumstances, the Operators will do their best to supply comparable services, accommodations and itineraries and there shall be no refund in this connection. 2. This brochure represents the entire agreement between the passenger and the above mentioned Operators. 3. In the absence of their own negligence, neither the Operators nor their agents or co-operating organizations shall be responsible for any cancellations, delays, diversions or substitution of equipment or any act or omission whatsoever by air carriers, hotels, transportation companies, or any other persons providing any of the services and accommodations to passengers including any results thereof, such as changes in services or accommodations necessitated by same. Nor shall they be liable for injury, illness or death, or for any damages or claims whatsoever arising from loss, negligence or delay from the act, error, or negligence of any person not their direct employee or under their exclusive control. All baggage and personal belongings are at all times at the passenger’s own risk. Baggage Insurance is recommended. The carriers, hotels and other suppliers who provide services on tour are independent contractors; they are not agents, employees or servants of the Operators or their associated companies. The Operators are not responsible for any criminal conduct by third parties. 4. Where the passenger occupies a motorcoach seat fitted with a safety belt, neither the Operators nor their agents or co-operating organizations will be liable for any injury, illness or death or for any damages or claims whatsoever arising from any accident or incident, if the safety belt is not being worn at the time of such accident or incident. 5. Transportation companies, airlines etc. are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not on board planes, transportation or conveyances. The passenger contracts in use by the airlines or transportation companies when used shall constitute the sole contract between the airline, transportation company and passenger or purchaser of this tour and the Operators assume no responsibility in this connection. Enrolment in and payment for a tour shall constitute agreement and acceptance by the passenger of the terms and conditions set forth in this brochure which cannot be varied except in writing by an officer of the Company. 6. All matters arising are subject to English law. 7. Every effort is made to ensure brochure accuracy at the time of going to press; however Insight cannot be held responsible for printing or typographical errors, or errors arising from unforeseen circumstances. OTHER CONDITIONS It is your responsibility to comply with the terms, conditions or requirements of any service provider, or any country or governmental authorities, or to bear any costs or losses incurred as a consequence of you not complying with them. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Passports & Visa: You are responsible for all visas, permits, necessary health requirements, anpd any other documents as required by laws, regulations and orders of the countries visited. Your travel agent or Airline will advise you of this. All passengers traveling require a MACHINE-READABLE Passport, valid for 6 months beyond the conclusion of their trip, and with appropriate visas. Some of our tours enter a country more than once, therefore, multiple-entry visas may be required for some countries. Please contact your Travel Agent or applicable Government authorities to get necessary travel information . It is the responsibility of each passenger to have a valid Passport and necessary visas, as well as to comply with entry, health or other requirements of the countries visited. To enter and leave the USA, Canada and Mexico all passengers (including children) must be in possession of proof of citizenship such as a MACHINE-READABLE Passport, birth certificate or other naturalization papers. pppNon-US citizens must carry a valid passport or alien card. All Non-US passengers must have a “multiple-entry” visa for tours (or optional excursions) entering Canada or Mexico and returning to the USA. The Operators and/or their employees and agents are not responsible for passport, visa requirements, entry, health or other requirements of the countries visited or for any loss sustained by your failing to comply with laws, regulations, orders and/or requirements of countries visited. Travel Documents: Your tour documents, travel literature, passport wallet, travel bag and comprehensive travel guide, will be sent to you prior to departure. Please read this information carefully, before departure – as it contains a wealth of advice and essential information to make your vacation as enjoyable as possible. Arrivals & Departures: It is essential to allow at least one day before and after your tour if you are joining your Insight tour in London. Walking Tours: A number of cities in Europe are developing as havens for pedestrians (for example Rome, Florence, Venice, Salzburg and Cambridge) and many of Insight Vacations feature special walking tours in these locations. Comfortable walking shoes are therefore recommended for all passengers. Plan Your Budget: You are advised to do this well in advance and be sure to allocate funds for special events whilst on tour, such as theatre, celebration meals, shopping and side trips, and most importantly, Additional Optional Tours. Optional Excursions: Unlike most Tour Operators, with Insight Vacations you will enjoy many of Europe’s famous highlights as included features on your tour – at no extra cost. However, there is an exciting array of ‘Additional Optional Excursions’ available to further enhance your enjoyment. These Excursions are optional, and are offered at special preferential prices. They are only bookable once you start your tour, as many of them arecarefully programmed to coincide with the best highlights available at the time of your visit. It may be a seafood lunch in Venice or a glittering Cabaret in Paris. A detailed list and cost of these and many more exciting options is included in your tour documentation. Don’t forget to budget for these Exciting Optional Excursions. They will only come around once on the tour of your choice, and you won’t want to miss out on them. Health: May we suggest that you contact your local Medical Service for up to date advice for current required or recommended inoculations. For Your Comfort: Insight operates a seat rotation system and a non-smoking policy is strictly prohibited on board motorcoaches. Electricity: Electrical adapters are needed if you wish to take along a hair dryer, electric razor, etc. Most hotels n Europe, South America, the Orient, South Africa, and the South Pacific supply 220 volts. Check with your local electronic store or department store to purchase necessary adapters for such appliances. Air Conditioning: Please be advised that foreign air conditioning systems in public places, ships, hotels and motorcoaches are not up to Canadian standards. Holidays & Changes: During local or national holidays abroad, certain facilities such as museums, sightseeing tours and shopping may be limited. In such instances, and whenever possible, slight itinerary adjustments are made by Insight Vacations to minimize inconvenience to tour members. If, however, your enjoyment might be diminished by such minor limitations, please check with the respective national tourist office before selecting a departure. Holidays, closing days and other circumstances may change the day of the week for scheduled “dining out”, gala dinners, sightseeing and other activities. Complaint Procedure: Should you have a complaint in respect of your holiday, you should inform your Insight Tour Director or Representative during the course of your holiday. If the matter cannot be resolved after the representative’s best endeavours to do so during the holiday, your complaint should be made in writing to Insight Vacations as soon as possible after the holiday.
|