1. TRANSPORT
The tours commence & terminate in Johannesburg unless otherwise specified in the itinerary. A minimum of 50 % cancellation fee will be levied by the airline should any changes be requested after a ticket has been issued. Passengers originating from other centres in South Africa may join the tours on payment of the applicable add-on airfares. Once tickets are issued, tickets may not be changed and are non-endorsable.
2. RESERVATIONS
A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of 20% of the total tour price is payable at the time of making your reservation. On certain packages, the air portion is to be paid at the same time as the deposit – the ticket cancellation fee is different on each package, and you should check with your consultant what the cancellation implication are for your own package. Generally, the balance of the tour price is payable 10 weeks prior to departure, although this may vary on certain packages. We reserve the right to cancel any reservations for which the total fare / package has not been paid by the due dates, in which event the deposit paid will be forfeited. Reservations will only be considered firm bookings when the deposit has been received in our office.
3. TOUR PRICES
Prices shown were correct at time of going to print and calculated using the prevailing exchange rate as at that date. Final prices are only calculated, however, on date payment is received World Wide Island Tours. All prices are subject to increase without prior notification due to airfare/air fuel increase, currency fluctuations, price adjustments or government taxes.
4. TOUR PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE
Tour prices do not include airport or tourist taxes, costs of obtaining passports, visas, telephone calls, laundry, entertainment arrangements not show in the itinerary, lunches and beverages, unless actually specified and any other items of a personal nature.
5. HOTELS
World Wide Island Tours or their agents reserve the right to substitute hotels booked with a similar category or upgrade to a higher category at no extra cost.
6. CANCELLATIONS
All deposits are non-refundable/non-transferable. Passengers cancelling within 10 to 8 weeks of departure will forfeit 40% of the total tour cost, within 8 to 4 weeks of departure 60% of the total tour cost, within 4-2 weeks of departure 85% of the total tour cost paid and within 2 weeks 100% of the total tour cost. Certain suppliers have more strict cancellation policies, and should you be booked on one of their services, you will be advised at the time of their cancellation and amendment policy. In accordance with the standard procedures adopted by tour operators worldwide, we reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which event the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on the part of the company.
7. INSURANCE
Tour participants are strongly advised to take out travel insurance covering personal accident, medical expenses, emergency repatriation, and baggage loss, loss of funds through cancellation or curtailment.
8. SPECIAL REQUESTS
Should you have any special request, these should be conveyed to us at time of booking. Although every effort will be made to comply with any special requests, the company cannot under any circumstances guarantee these requests will be honoured whether on the flight or at your final destination.
9. METHODS OF PAYMENT
* Credit Cards: In accordance with International Airline Travel Association (IATA) bulletin Number A1/00 we need a signed and validated Standard Credit Card Charge Form. The travel agent acknowledges that s/he has seen the card and that the signature on the card is the same as that on the Credit Card Charge Form. A signed and validated Standard Credit Card Charge Form (SCCCF) is the only recognised forms of payment for credit cards. If the card is a foreign credit card then you may be requested to supply various other details.
* Cheques: Bank issued cheques or travel agency cheques only
(accredited agencies only). Please note we require 7 working days to clear all cheques before documents can be issued.
* Cash or EFT Transfers: We accept EFT transfers, or cash
deposited into one of our bank accounts, subject to condition that the EFT transmission report or the cash deposit slip is provided to ourselves and such payment has been confirmed as received by ourselves.
10. AMENDMENTS
An amendment fee of R300 will be charged for each amendment made to a fully confirmed reservation. Amendments made within 8 weeks of departure will attract the applicable cancellation fees in addition to the abovementioned amendment fee.
11. LATE BOOKINGS
A late booking fee will be charged for requests received within 7 days of departure. Once confirmed these bookings will carry the cancellation fees as set out above.
12. DELAYS
The company does not hold itself responsible for any delays prior to departure, or during the course of its tours, brought about by technical difficulties, strikes, weather conditions or any other unforeseen circumstances which are beyond our control.
13. UNUSED SERVICES
No refunds will be considered for any unused services irrespective of whether they form part of the basic package, or whether they are in respect of pre-booked optional arrangements. No refunds will be considered on partially unused hotel accommodation, flights or car rentals.
14. TRAVEL CERTIFICATES
Passengers over the age of 75 travelling to certain destinations are required to provide medical certificates certifying their fitness to travel. Please check with your consultant. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your holiday, you need to give us full details in writing at the time of booking. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details
15. DOCUMENTATION
It is the responsibility of each passenger to ensure that they are in possession of the correct documentation prior to departure. The company shall not accept responsibility for any consequences of any nature whatsoever, arising from the passenger failing to ensure that he/she has complied with the necessary health/passport/visa/re-entry permit requirements. Passports must be valid for a minimum of 6 months after your intended return date.
16. RECONFIRMATION
Passengers are reminded of the importance of reconfirming all flight reservations and timing at least 72 hours prior to departure with the airline concerned. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of your reservation.
17. RESPONSIBILITY & LIABILITY CLAUSE
The tour producers, World Wide Island Tours, and their associated companies and agents, act as agents only and on condition that they will not be liable for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or any other irregularity howsoever arising or that may be occasioned by any defect in any vehicle, or other form of conveyance, or by error or default of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger, carrying out the arrangement of the tour or otherwise in connection therewith. The airlines or charters concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time the passengers are not aboard the aircraft. The passenger tickets in use by the airline or charter when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the airlines or charter and the purchasers of those tickets and/or passenger. These tours may be sold in conjunction with the services of any IATA airline.
World Wide Island Tours makes every effort to ensure that all the arrangements and services connected with a passenger’s itinerary will be carried out as specified in the most efficient and effective way possible. However, we do not have direct control over the provision of services by suppliers and, whilst they are in all cases selected with the utmost care, we do not accept liability for error and omissions of such suppliers.
18. CAR HIRE
If you intend renting a car whilst visiting a foreign country then you should be in possession of a valid driver’s license and should obtain an international driving permit.
19. HOTEL CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT
Check-in time is normally after 3pm (this may be delayed during peak season) and check-out time is normally before 11am.
20. GENERAL
* Taxes: We will advise you of all mandatory taxes, which you
must pay before departure. However, many countries charge departure taxes that can only be paid locally. It is therefore recommended that you retain sufficient local currency to meet such charges. Details of departure taxes can be obtained from the relevant airline when you reconfirm your flight details.
* Renovations: Please be aware that hotels undergo renovations
from time to time. Hotels take all possible steps to limit disruption to their guests. We will not entertain complaints or requests for refunds if a hotel is carrying out renovations whilst a guest is resident. If we are specifically advised of renovation work, dates may be provided, but it is important to remember that these are subject to change and we are not always notified.
21. FORCE MAJEURE
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected, or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss, as a result of “force majeure”. In these Booking Conditions, “force majeure” means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity or actual threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.
22. COMPLAINTS
1. In the event that you have any reason to complain, or experience any problems with your holiday whilst away, you must immediately inform the supplier of the services in question. Any verbal notification must be put in writing and given to the supplier as soon as possible.
2. If you are still dissatisfied, you must notify us at the earliest opportunity – until we know about a problem or complaint, we cannot begin to resolve it. Failure to give us the opportunity to resolve any problem at the time it occurs will result in either a reduction, or complete extinction, of any rights which you may have, to claim compensation from us.
3. If you remain dissatisfied, you must write to our Customer Service Manager within 28 days of the end of the trip you have purchased from us, giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint on response@worldwide.co.za or fax to 088 022 448 1617.
4. Whilst every effort will be made by World Wide Island Tours to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction it is specifically recorded that World Wide Island Tours in no way accepts liability for any claim that you may have in respect of your complaint.
23. JURISDICTION OF THE MAGISTRATE’S COURT
World Wide Island Tours, shall be entitled, at its option to institute any legal proceedings arising out of or in connection with this contract in any Magistrate’s Court having jurisdiction in terms of Section 29 of the Magistrate’s Court Act No 32/1944 as amended, notwithstanding that the amount in issue may exceed the limits of such jurisdiction.
24. LEGAL
This document together with World Wide Island Tours’ standard booking form and World Wide Island Tours’ invoice / itinerary constitutes the sole record of the agreement between the parties. No party shall be bound by any representation, warranty, and promise of the like not recorded herein. No addition to the World Wide Island Tours standard booking conditions shall be of any force or effect unless in writing and signed by or on behalf of the parties. No indulgence which World Wide Island Tours, (“the grantor”), may grant to the passenger (“the grantee”), shall constitute a waiver of any of the rights of the grantor, who shall not thereby be precluded from exercising any rights against the grantee which may have arisen in the past or which might arise in the future. All costs and disbursements, including legal costs on the attorney and client scale incurred by World Wide Island Tours in recovering any damages and payments payable by the passenger to World Wide Island Tours shall be for the passengers’ account. This agreement shall in all respects be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. The passenger hereby consents to the jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court having jurisdiction over its person in respect of all proceedings in connection with this agreement. The parties hereby respectively choose domicilium citandi et executandi for all notices and processes to be given and served in pursuance of this agreement at their respective addresses as given on World Wide Island Tours’ standard booking form. Either party may change its domicilium by written notice delivered by hand or sent by prepaid registered post to the other party. In this agreement an expression which denotes a gender includes the other genders, a natural person includes an artificial person and vice versa, the singular includes the plural and vice versa.