Booking Policies for Independent Travelers & Charters

 

BOOKING POLICY

• For Courtesy Holds: Any independent traveler reservation will be recorded as a courtesy hold for a maximum of 7 days.
• For Confirmed Bookings: A deposit of US$ 1,000 per person is required to confirm the booking. For reservations made 90 days or less prior to departure, a full, non- refundable payment is required to confirm the booking. 

 

ONLINE/ EMAIL/ PHONE BOOKINGS RESERVATIONS & PAYMENTS

• Reservations made 90 days or less prior to departure: A full, non-refundable payment is required to confirm the booking.
• For Reservations made 91 days or more before departure: A deposit of US$ 1,000 per person is required to confirm the booking. The final balance is required 90 days prior to departure. If the payment is not received on time, the space(s) will be automatically released.

 

GROUP RESERVATIONS & PAYMENTS (8 PAX OR MORE)

• For Reservations made 121 days or more prior to departure: An initial deposit of US$ 1,000 per person is required to confirm the booking, with a second deposit of US$ 1,000 per person 120 days before departure. The final balance is required 90 days prior to departure.
• For Reservations made 120 days to 91 days prior to departure: A deposit of US$ 2,000 per person is required to confirm the booking. The final balance is required 90 days prior to departure.
• For Reservations made 90 days or less prior to departure: A full, non-refundable payment is required to confirm the booking. 

 

ONLINE / EMAIL/ PHONE RESERVATIONS CANCELATION POLICY** 

• For Cancelations made 121 days or more prior to departure: The deposit will be refunded, less a US $500 service charge
  per person.
• For Cancelations made 120 to 91 days prior to departure: All deposits are non-refundable.
• For Cancelations made 90 days or less prior to departure: Full payment will be applied as the cancelation penalty. 

 

CHARTER RESERVATIONS & PAYMENTS 

• First deposit: An initial deposit of 20% of gross charter hire cost is due at the time of signing. All deposits are non-refundable.
• Second deposit: A second deposit of 30% of the gross charter hire cost is due 180 days prior to departure. All deposits are non-refundable.
• Final deposit: Balance is due 90 days prior to departure. All deposits are non-refundable.

 

For any advanced purchase request, an Advanced Purchasing Allowance (APA) of 10% of the gross charter rate must be provided by the charterer.

 

CHARTER RESERVATIONS CANCELATION POLICY 

• For cancelations made 91 days or more prior to departure: All deposits are non-refundable.
• For cancelations made 90 days or less prior to departure: Full payment will be applied as the cancelation penalty. 

 

In the following case of “Force Majeure” the charterer is entitled to reschedule the trip at no additional cost:

• An outbreak of infectious or contagious diseases/virus deemed a global epidemic or pandemic by the World Health Organization that is directly affecting the ability of the charterer to reach and sail on the vessel.

 

The charterer should make any effort to reschedule the trip within the following 12 months.

 

DEPARTURE DATE CHANGE POLICY

Aqua Expeditions permits guests to change the departure date of their cruise at least 181 days prior to their original date of departure without penalty. A fee of US$500 per person will be applied for date changes made between 180 and 121 days prior to departure. No date changes are permitted within 120 days from departure.

 

REFUND POLICY

Please note that Aqua Expeditions will only refund to the same bank account or credit card previously used to make payments.

 

NAME CHANGE POLICY

Aqua Expeditions permits guests to change their names to other travelers’ names without penalty.

 

WATER LEVELS & ITINERARIES

Itineraries might be subject to change due to weather conditions and time of year and thus, navigation times and excursions may need to be modified at the captain’s discretion. All times indicated are approximate and are also subject to change. At times embarkation and disembarkation points for guests may need to be modified. We will make every possible attempt to minimize disruption to travel plans. Aqua Expeditions will make every reasonable attempt to cover cost of transferring guests to and from original port of embarkation.

 

MEDICAL AND HEALTH

Guests should be in good physical health to make the most of their cruise. Exploring the area involves the use of small, motorized skiffs and zodiacs and at times may include wet landings. Daily excursions may include walking on irregular terrain and getting in and out of the skiffs and zodiacs occasionally requires some physical effort. Walking excursions may last up to one hour or more.

 

TRAVELERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

Travelers have responsibilities towards both their fellow passengers and the Aqua Expeditions crew. Every passenger should review the conditions contained in the trip itinerary, observe all safety requirements on board and on excursions, and act in an appropriate and respectful manner towards the crew members and their fellow travelers.

 

VESSEL REPLACEMENT

Aqua Expeditions reserves the right to substitute another vessel if considered necessary (i.e., force majeure or mechanical failure). If the travelers do not take this option, Aqua Expeditions reserves the right to cancel the trip with a pro rata refund per cruise night not used or, as an alternative, offer credit towards a future voyage on any Aqua Expeditions cruise.

 

DIETARY NEEDS

Aqua Expeditions should be contacted at least 30 days prior to embarkation regarding travelers’ specific dietary needs. Every effort will be made to cater to special dietary needs, and to accommodate special requests, subject to product’s availability.

 

TRIP CANCELATION INSURANCE

Travelers are strongly advised to purchase trip cancelation insurance, which will reimburse the cost of air tickets and other non-refundable trip payments. International medical, baggage loss, and delay insurance are also recommended. Aqua Expeditions assumes no liability for lost or stolen personal belongings.

 

LOYALTY MEMBERSHIP

Repeat travelers may redeem the following benefits for their second and subsequent bookings with Aqua Expeditions:

• For individual bookings: US $300 deducted when booking a 3- or 4-night long cruise, and US $850 deducted when booking a 7- or 12-night long cruise.
• For charter bookings: 5% discount for repeat guests (FIT or charter) on total amount when booking a charter.

 

Membership benefits are subject to the following conditions:

• One fully paid voyage is required for loyalty membership eligibility. Those benefiting from reduced industry rates are not eligible.
• A past guest may only claim loyalty benefits for one cabin.
• The maximum deduction is US $300 (per cabin) for a 3- or 4-night cruise and US$ 850 (per cabin) for a 7-, 12-, or 14-night cruise.
• Benefits are non-transferable and may not be claimed retrospectively.
• No cash alternative will be offered in lieu of loyalty benefits.

 

While Aqua Expeditions takes every care in considering each booking personally, we reserve the right to amend our terms and conditions to ensure we can meet the expectations of our guests.

 

**In the event of cancelations, wire fees and credit card commissions will be deducted when calculating refunds.