Iceland Experience - Booking Terms & Conditions

2. Booking Conditions. Carefully read our Booking Conditions on the previous pages. By booking with us and paying a deposit (or full payment) you acknowledge that you have read and understood the Booking Conditions and that you agree to be bound by the Booking Conditions.

3. Deposit and Booking Form. Pay your non-refundable deposit of $500 per trip per passenger ($1000-$2000 for expedition cruises; please inquire about your chosen departure) , or full payment if within 70 days (90 days for expedition cruises) of departure and complete the Booking Form. We cannot confirm your booking or release any documents unless we receive full name, sex, date of birth, passport details and pre-existing medical conditions for each passenger.

4. Final Payment. You must pay the full balance of your trip’s cost 70 days (90 days for expedition cruises) before departure. In certain limited circumstances outlined in the Booking Conditions we may be forced to adjust our prices even after full payment.

5. Comprehensive Travel Insurance. You must have comprehensive travel insurance to travel with us. Complete details of available packages are available upon request and must be purchased at time of initial deposit. Note that a copy of your insurance policy must be carried with you at all times.

6. Final Documentation. Your final documentation and tickets will not be released until GCTC has received full payment and a completed Booking Form.

7. Credit Cards. Payment by credit cards may incur surcharges. Your signature on the booking form will indicate that you accept the charges and undertake to pay the amount debited by GCTC to your credit card supplier.

BOOKING CONDITIONS
Your vacation is valuable and well earned, and attention to these Booking Conditions now may alleviate potential misunderstandings. They set out your agreement with The Great Canadian Travel Company Ltd. (GCTC) - trading also as Iceland Experience, Experience Australia, Top of the World and Scotland Experience - and contain important information.

OUR CONTRACT
By booking with us and paying the non-refundable deposit of $500 per passenger ($1000-$2000 for expeditions cruises; please inquire about your specific departure), per trip - or full payment - you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to be legally bound by these Booking Conditions. In addition, expedition cruises may also require acceptance of the expedition operator’s own terms and conditions which will be sent at time of deposit. Acceptance of your booking will be confirmed in writing to you or your travel agent, and a contract comes into existence on the date shown on your confirmation letter or email. If you have any questions regarding these Conditions or do not understand them, please raise your query with a member of our staff.

1) PRICES AND VALIDITY Prices are per person based on twin-share, quoted in Canadian dollars (CA$), and are based on costs and exchange rates applicable when this brochure was printed. GCTC reserves the right to adjust prices - whether or not you have already made full payment - in the event of adverse exchange rate fluctuations, the imposition of additional fuel surcharges, government fees and/or taxes. Airfares (except when otherwise stated), passport and visa fees, travel insurance, excess baggage charges, airport taxes, gratuities to leaders and guides, extra meals, laundry, drinks, medical expenses, optional activities and trips, and any items of a personal nature are not included in your trip price.

2) YOUR TRIP AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK GCTC offers trips in regions where standards of accommodation, transport, safety, hygiene, medical facilities and other infrastructure may, at times, not be of the standard that you are used to at home. By booking with us you acknowledge that participation in any GCTC trips involves inherent risks that may not be present in the case of conventional or less demanding holidays. It is your responsibility to accustom yourself with the travel advice provided by the government bodies of the countries that you plan to visit, as well as that of your country of residency, before commencing the trip. By booking with GCTC you acknowledge your decision to travel on a GCTC trip is made after due consideration of relevant travel information that may be made available at any time.

3) EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY Except where stated otherwise, GCTC acts as an agent for service providers when making arrangements for your trip. GCTC is not responsible for the acts and omissions of others, including tour guides, airlines and accommodation providers or for any loss, damage, death, injury or expense (including loss of money paid in advance), which you may incur as a consequence of the acts and omissions of others. GCTC will not accept responsibility or liability if you contravene any law or regulation of any country or region visited. For these purposes, GCTC enters into these Booking Conditions as trustee or agent for its Representatives.

4) CANCELLATION BY GCTC GCTC will not be liable for any delay in, change to or cancellation of trips due to ‘Force Majeure’. ‘Force Majeure’ means a circumstance beyond the reasonable control of GCTC and includes, but is not limited to, war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, disease, industrial or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and strikes.

5) CANCELLATION BY YOU If you wish to cancel all or any part of your booking, notification of cancellation must be made to GCTC in writing. The date of the cancellation is the date on which GCTC receives written notification. Days before departure charge applicable as follows, per person:

Cancellation fees for air tickets issued by or on behalf of GCTC will apply as determined by Airline Tariff Regulations, and may vary as to the type of ticket issued. Depending on the reason for your cancellation, these charges may be recoverable under any insurance policy you have purchased. Comprehensive travel insurance is available from GCTC or your travel agent. Please see Booking Condition number 11 for further information. If you do not pay the balance of your total booking cost at least 70 days (90 days for expedition cruises) prior to departure your booking will be terminated and you will lose your deposit. Additional GCTC cancellation penalties may apply. No refunds will be made if you leave a trip for any reason after the trip has begun. No refunds will be made for any accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals or services not utilised.

6) BOOKING AMENDMENTS Amendments to your booking once finalized will incur charges. For details of these charges, please enquire at the time of your deposit. Full details of our service fees are available on our website.

7) LATE BOOKINGS For bookings made within 15 days prior to departure, GCTC shall charge a late booking fee of $100 per booking. On some trips it is not possible for us to accept late bookings.

8) CHANGES TO YOUR HOLIDAY You acknowledge that travelling with GCTC requires a degree of flexibility, good humour, and an understanding that the itinerary, accommodation, and/or modes of transport may change, even after a tour’s commencement, without prior notice due to local circumstances. Changes may occur because of ‘Force Majeure’, poor road conditions, weather, the availability of tickets, vehicle breakdowns, changes in transport schedules or other circumstances beyond GCTC’s control or which simply cannot be foreseen. GCTC does not accept any responsibility for loss of enjoyment, delays or compensation resulting from circumstances beyond GCTC’s control. You acknowledge that group sizes may also vary during the duration of your tour.

EXPEDITION CRUISES
Due to the nature of these expeditions, weather, ice or government regulations may require changes to be made to your itinerary and/or the cancellation of some shore excursions. Every attempt will be made to adhere to the itineraries described within the limits of safety and time. In the event of changes, participants have no right to any refund or other compensation. Expedition prices are based on group participation. Should you choose not to take part in any activity or make use of any service provided, no refund will be made. Should the advertised tour leader or lecturer be unable to lead the tour due to illness or other reasons, a substitute person shall be found and no refund shall be made as a result of this change. GCTC’s service providers reserve the right to substitute the advertised vessel at any time with any other expedition vessel of appropriate standard.

9) AUTHORITY OF THE LEADER ON FULLY OR LOCALLY GUIDED TRIPS At all times the decision of the tour leader or representative (where applicable) will be final on all matters likely to affect the safety and well-being of the trip. This includes any decision that the leader makes about your on-going participation in the trip or certain activities that comprise part of the trip. If you fail to comply with a decision made by a leader, or interfere with the well-being of the group, then the leader reserves the right to terminate this contract and order you to leave the tour immediately, with no right of refund or other compensation.

10) COMPLAINTS Should you have any complaint about your trip, you must make it known at the earliest opportunity to the leader and/or GCTC, who will normally be able to take appropriate action. If at the end of the trip you feel your complaint has not been properly dealt with you must notify us in writing within 30 days of the end of your trip. No employee of GCTC or its service providers, apart from a director of GCTC, has the authority to vary or omit any of these terms, or promise refunds.

11) TRAVEL INSURANCE Adequate and valid travel insurance is compulsory for all GCTC travelers. Your travel insurance must cover liabilities arising from accidents, injury, illness or death and medical expenses. For expedition cruises and other journeys beyond normal road access, your insurance must also include adequate coverage in the event of an emergency medical evacuation by helicopter rescue and/or air ambulance where applicable. GCTC also recommends that it cover cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. In some cases, GCTC may require proof of coverage before departure including name of insurer, policy number and insurer’s emergency telephone number. You must carry proof of insurance with you and produce it if requested by GCTC’s suppliers. GCTC reserves the right to cancel or suspend your participation on a trip or in certain activities that comprise part of a trip, at any time, including after the commencement of your tour, with no right of refund, if you are unable to provide proof of insurance when requested. Clients making their own arrangements should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities included in their tour.

12) PASSPORT AND VISAS It is your responsibility that you carry a valid passport and have obtained the appropriate visas when travelling with GCTC. Please ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond the duration of your holiday.

13) HEALTH AND FITNESS It is your responsibility to advise GCTC of any pre-existing medical condition and/or disability that might reasonably be expected to increase the risk of you requiring medical attention, or that might affect the normal conduct of a tour and the enjoyment of other trip members. You may be required to provide an assessment of your medical condition from a qualified medical practitioner if requested by GCTC or our suppliers. GCTC reserves the right, at its reasonable discretion, to cancel your booking and refund the money paid by you, less any unrecoverable costs. GCTC also reserves the right to cancel your participation in a trip at any time, including after the commencement of your trip, with no right of refund if your medical condition and/or disability could be reasonably expected to affect the normal conduct of the trip and the enjoyment of other trip members.

14) PUBLICITY You agree that GCTC may use images of you taken during the trip without recourse to you and without compensation to you, for publicity and promotion purposes only through whatever medium it chooses.

15) PRIVACY In order to be able to supply a service to you, GCTC will need to collect certain information from you, some of which may be of a personal nature. The information may be disclosed to, or collected on our behalf by our service providers to enable the services to be provided, but will not be used by them for any other purpose.