BOOKING CONDITIONS
Booking acceptance and payment terms
1. A booking will be considered binding on both sides upon receipt of a signed
Group Booking Form and a deposit of US$500/CAN$750 for each paying
group member.
2. In accepting your booking, Casterbridge Tours Ltd. (the Company) agrees
to carry out our obligations to you the Group Leader as described in our
brochure and other documents supplied to your group. The Group Leader
is our client and responsible for the booking and acts on behalf of all party
members in his/her dealings with us.
3. The balance of the payment must be received by the Head Office of the
Company, in England, at least 90 days prior to the tour commencement date.
The Final Payment must be made by Wire Transfer or Certified Check. Late
payment will incur a penalty of US$150/CAN$225 per person plus interest at
4% above the UK base rate for the overdue period. Please note that
qualification for any stipends, loyalty payments, discounts, repeat booking
payments etc. is strictly conditional on adherence to our Booking Conditions.
Late payment will invalidate such stipends or discounts.
4. Your group quote and invoice will show the exchange rate guarantee
applicable to your tour. If the balance is received and the exchange rate is
higher than the stated rate, a currency surcharge will apply. If applicable, an
invoice will be provided to the group leader indicating the currency surcharge
owed. Once the surcharge has been acknowledged, this will be deemed as
your final payment for the land portion of the tour.
5. Your group quote and invoice will also show the amount that has been
included in the tour prices at the time of booking for airline taxes and fuel
charges. Any additional government-imposed taxes or airline-imposed fuel
surcharges that are levied subsequent to final payment, but before time of
ticketing, will be invoiced to the group. Once this payment is acknowledged,
there can be no price increase whatsoever.
6. There is a US$150/CAN$225 administration charge plus any additional fees
and price differences for any and each subsequent change requested to an
itinerary or tour content after the Booking has been accepted. Such changes
will only be accepted in writing from the Group Leader and are subject to the
approval of our Head Office.
7. If any member is added to the group (or substituted for another group
member) in the period between 90 and 60 days prior to the departure, a Late
Booking Fee of US$150/CAN$225 will apply. However, you should be aware
that closer to departure, availability may be reduced or non-existent, and flight
prices may well increase. For this reason, we cannot guarantee the existing
price for late sign-ups, and will quote a revised price. No participants can be
added or substituted in the final 60 days prior to departure.
Flights
8. Flight-inclusive costings are based on group net fares which require a
group to travel together. However, we will be pleased to try to arrange
alternative return dates from the same gateway cities for individuals for an
administration fee of US$75/CAN$125, plus any supplement imposed by the
airline. Such requests must be made in writing at the time of booking or no
later than 120 days prior to the group's departure. The Company will provide
a land-only quotation for any individual wishing to make their own alternative
flight arrangements.
9. In rare instances when an airfare has not been contracted with the airline
prior to the time of booking, or there are any airline or government imposed
increases in taxes or fuel surcharges after time of booking, the group leader
would be notified of the circumstances and any increase in the air portion
would be added to the tour cost upon confirmation of the airline contract.
Cancellation terms
10. If a group member withdraws from the tour in the period from the date
of booking until 90 days prior to departure, the cancellation fee is equal to the
deposit paid plus any insurance premium paid at the time of booking. For
cancellations between 90 and 76 days before departure, a refund of 50%
of the full tour cost, less any insurance premiums, will be made. For
cancellations between 75 and 61 days before departure, a refund of 40%
of the full tour cost, less any insurance premiums, will be made. For
cancellations between 60 and 15 days before departure, a refund of 25%
of the full tour cost, less any insurance premiums, will be made. For
cancellations from 14 days before departure, no refund will be made.
11. To cancel a group tour, the group leader must request a full cancellation
in writing. No tour will be deemed cancelled until the Company has given the
group leader written confirmation of cancellation. For cancellations between
90 and 76 days before departure, a refund of 50% of the full tour cost, less
any insurance premiums, will be made. For cancellations between 75 and
61 days before departure, a refund of 40% of the full tour cost, less any
insurance premiums, will be made. For cancellations between 60 and 15
days before departure, a refund of 25% of the full tour cost, less any
insurance premiums, will be made. For cancellations from 14 days before
departure, no refund will be made.
12. If sufficient individual cancellations cause the total number remaining
in the group to fall below the minimum number the Company requires to
operate the tour, the Company reserves the right either to amend the
itinerary and/or tour content, or to apply Group Cancellation terms as above.
13. To qualify for a cancellation refund, our Head Office must be notified
in writing within the above time periods.
Free Places
14. Group Leaders travelling on a Free Place should note that this covers
the standard package only and does not include any Single Room or other
supplement for additional services.
15. The Company reserves the right not to allow the substitution of a
person on a Free Place. The group will be responsible for any expenses
incurred if such a substitution is allowed. The substitution of a previously
paying group member to take a free place will not be allowed.
Accommodation
16. If your group has booked at least 90 days prior to travel, and if for
any reason we are unable to provide the agreed level of accommodation,
we will reimburse all paying group members the sum of US$6/CAN$9 per
night.
17. If your group has booked within 90 days of travel, we reserve the
right to add a premium to the tour cost of US$12/CAN$18 per person per
night for those nights when our normal accommodation is not available.
Insurance
18. It is the Group Leader’s responsibility to ensure that all group members
are properly informed of the consequences of not having adequate travel
insurance cover for items such as cancellation, trip delay, accidents, illness,
theft and loss or damage to their property. Until we are advised that
Casterbridge insurance is being specifically declined, we will invoice on the
basis that it is required for all participants. In instances where Casterbridge
insurance has been declined, we would then also require details of the
participants alternative medical health cover.
Waivers
19. The Company will not be liable for any damage, loss, injury, delay or
inconvenience caused by any company, organization, agent, person or
persons providing facilities or services in connection with its tours, including
without limitation, airlines, bus companies, ferry operators, railways, tour
operators, hotels and schools.
20. The Company will not be liable for loss, damage or injury to persons
or property, including without limitation, baggage, personal effects, money,
passports, tickets or travel documents, nor for events beyond its control,
including without limitation Acts of God, war, weather, strikes or
government restrictions.
21. In providing ground services for your tour, the Company acts as an
Agent for Eagle Coaches, Brents Coaches, COSEA, TRAPSA, Cityrama and
Hoverspeed. However, we reserve the right to use other agents or any
other non-agency carrier as appropriate.
22. Although we will make all efforts to ensure that this is not necessary,
Casterbridge Tours reserves the right to make alterations to our itineraries
and tours for reasons which we believe to be sufficient and proper.
23. No refunds are made for unused land services such as meals,
accommodations, theater visits, transportation, etc., missed by group
members through absence or any other reason once the tour has started.
Student Groups
24. Damage caused deliberately or by carelessness to Casterbridge Tours
property, hotels we use and their property and/or property of staff and
other visitors must be paid for by the person responsible for such damage.
25. The Group Leader is responsible for the behavior and discipline of the
group and for any damage caused by a member of that group.
26. Casterbridge Tours reserves the right to remove a student from a tour
if their behavior is prejudicial to our standards and reputation.
Miscellaneous
27. Casterbridge Tours is the trading name of Casterbridge Tours Ltd.
registered in England No. 2613749, Registered address: Salcombe House,
Long Street, Sherborne, Dorset, England DT9 3BU.
28. Any booking by whomsoever it is made is only accepted by
Casterbridge Tours on the condition that it is subject to English Law and
must be interpreted and enforced in an English Court of Law.