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Booking conditions and helpful information 2007/2008Age qualification Spirit of Adventure holidays are for anyone aged 21 and over. Booking your holiday Our Travel Consultants will be pleased to advise you about the suitability of the holiday you have chosen. You can book by telephone; there is no need to complete a booking form. Spirit of Adventure is a division of the Saga Group. Where Saga Holidays Limited acts as holiday organiser, your contract is with Saga. The holiday contract is created 14 days following your receipt of the written holiday confirmation and is subject to these booking conditions. In addition, for cruises for the Arctic, Antarctic and New Zealand, your cruise will be subject to the relevant shipping line’s terms and conditions. These will be sent to you following your booking. That holiday contract is governed by English law and any dispute would be heard before an English court, except where the provision for arbitration applies. We reserve the right to refuse a reservation. If any of these booking conditions shall be found by any court or administrative body of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions which shall remain in full force and effect. Spirit of Adventure reserves the right not to be legally bound in the case of incorrect pricing and any acknowledgement is not to be deemed as acceptance. Spirit of Adventure will use reasonable endeavours to bring any incorrect pricing to the customer's attention as soon as it becomes aware of the error. Payment You can pay both your deposit and balance by credit card, debit card or by cheque. If you are paying a deposit, the balance must be paid in full at least 90 days before you travel. Due to charges imposed on us, we apply a 2% transaction fee on all credit card transactions for balance payments. If you book within 90 days, full payment is required before we can confirm your booking, in which case the 2% credit card transaction fee will apply to all payments made by credit card. Cheques must be made payable to Spirit of Adventure. You may need to pay in full straightaway for ad hoc services* provided by independent suppliers. If you are entitled to any refunds relating to your booking, credit card payments will be refunded to the appropriate credit card account(s), or otherwise, to the person who made the booking and usually by the same payment method that was made to us. *Ad hoc services: These are extra items which you may have specifically requested and which are provided by independent suppliers. These can include car hire, extra accommodation, flights and other services that are not supplied by us as part of a package holiday or tour. Ad hoc services are subject to the terms and conditions, cancellation charges and surcharge policy of the relevant supplier, for whom we act as agent. Full details of the suppliers’ conditions are available on request. Deposits per person: 10% of the holiday cost per person, except the Arctic and Antarctic cruises and for the Retracing the Ancient Silk Road holidays where the deposit is 20%, and the From Cairo to the Cape tour where the deposit is 30%. Certain special offers may require a higher deposit or full payment; this will be advised at the time of booking. Peace of mind and protection for your money  Saga Holidays Limited also holds an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL number 0308). Where Saga acts as the holiday organiser, holidays including air travel are ATOL protected by the CAA and holidays not including air travel are protected by ABTA. In the unlikely event of Saga’s insolvency you would be refunded any money that you have already paid us. Repatriation: Holiday organisers are required by law to state arrangements for the repatriation of customers in the event of insolvency. For Spirit of Adventure holidays, air holidays are ATOL protected and in the unlikely event of Saga’s insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad. If your holiday does not include flights, ABTA will protect your holiday in the same way. Saga is also licenced by the Irish Commission for Aviation Regulation (Licence No. T. A. 0598) to carry on business in the Republic of Ireland as a travel agent. Data protection Any personal data you provide will be held securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. We will use your personal data for the purpose(s) for which you have provided it. We may however need to disclose personal data to a third party so that the service you requested can be provided. It may also be necessary to transfer it to countries outside the European Economic Area. Where this happens, we will endeavour to ensure that any recipient of your data will treat it with the same level of protection as we would. Your data may be disclosed to regulatory bodies for the purposes of monitoring and/or enforcing compliance with any regulatory rules/codes. It may also be used for marketing, offering renewals, research and statistical purposes and crime prevention. If you give us information about another person, in doing so you confirm that they have given you permission to provide it to us to be able to process their personal data (including any sensitive personal data) and also that you have told them who we are and what we will use their data for, as set out in this notice. In the case of personal data, with limited exceptions, you have the right to access, and if necessary rectify, information held about you by formal written application to Saga’s Group Data Protection Officer at The Saga Building, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. By providing us with your personal data and contact details, you consent to the use of that data and to your being contacted by any Saga Group company by post, telephone, e-mail, SMS or other electronic means, to inform you about any products and services which it considers may be of interest to you. However, you can contact the Saga Data Protection Officer in writing at any time to suppress contact for some or all Saga products. Transferring your booking If you are genuinely prevented from taking the holiday, you may transfer your booking to another suitable person, where feasible. The booking conditions will still apply. You and the transferee are jointly responsible for paying all costs incurred in arranging the transfer and the holiday, plus any charges imposed by the suppliers of ad hoc services*. If you make any changes If you want to change any of your holiday arrangements, such as UK travel, please contact us immediately and we will do all we can to help. If you make changes before your balance payment is due, there is a charge of £30 per person for each amendment, plus any charges imposed by the suppliers of ad hoc services*. Charges may be higher for certain special offers; this will be advised at the time of booking. Any changes you make after the date on which the balance payment is due will be treated as a cancellation by you, and charges will be made as set out in the clause headed ‘If you cancel your plans’ below. If you wish to take a different holiday, you need to cancel your existing holiday and re-book the new one. Cancellation charges will apply as detailed in the clause headed ‘If you cancel your plans’ below. If you cancel your plans If you cancel your holiday, you must inform us in writing before the departure date. The letter of cancellation should be signed by the first named person on your holiday confirmation/invoice and must be returned with any travel tickets received. If you cancel within 14 days of your holiday, please also telephone us FREE on 0800 318 225. Our lines are open between 8am-7pm Mondays to Fridays, 9am-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Cancellation charges are necessary to cover our reasonable costs and depend on when we receive your written instructions before your departure date as follows:
The cancellation charge for the Arctic and Antarctic cruises and for the Retracing the Ancient Silk Road, A Passage Through India and From Cairo to the Cape holidays is 100% within 90 days. In addition, there will be the application of any charges imposed by the suppliers of ad hoc services*. If you are covered by our included insurance and cancellation cover If the cancellation is due to unexpected illness or the death of you or a member of your party, we will refund all the money you have paid, less a handling fee of £65 per person, provided we receive a valid medical certificate as soon as is practicable. We will also deduct the cost of any UK connecting or domestic flights and any cancellation charges from the suppliers of ad hoc services*. All travel documents must also be returned to us. If you cancel for other reasons, you must still notify us in writing. We reserve the right to impose cancellation charges should you cancel your booking due to alteration of airline, aircraft type, destination airport, flight routing or flight timings. The Spirit of Adventure holiday promise (Not applicable to ad hoc services* or in the event of ‘force majeure’) If we make one or more significant changes such as those listed below to your confirmed booking, we will let you know as soon as possible.
- we will offer you a price reduction if you either accept the change(s) or decide to purchase an available alternative holiday from our product range. The reduced price will depend on when we notify you, as set out below:
or If you are notified of the significant change(s) and you decide to cancel, we will refund all the money you have paid to us and send you discount vouchers to the value shown below:
When assessing the applicable compensation payable, we will take account of any relevant facts immediately drawn to our attention, which can reasonably be assumed materially to affect the extent of any loss which you suffer in direct consequence of a significant change to your holiday. This excludes the loss of air fares, car parking and other domestic or international travel or accommodation related items not purchased from Spirit of Adventure for customers purchasing accommodation only. If we cancel your plans We reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your holiday. We may need to cancel your holiday because we have received insufficient bookings. We would do this no later than 90 days before your departure date and offer you the choice of:
Compensation is not payable in these circumstances. We will endeavour not to cancel your booking within 90 days of departure except in ‘force majeure’ circumstances (see below) or if the due balance of your holiday has not been paid on time. In the latter case, the booking would be considered cancelled by you and is subject to our cancellation charges, plus any charges imposed by the suppliers of ad hoc services*. Responsibility for your holiday Saga Holidays Limited is responsible for the proper performance of the contract. We will not, however, be liable for any failure or improper performance where reasonable care and skill has been exercised or where such failure or improper performance is:
Where your holiday arrangements include transport, the conditions of carriage applied by the transport companies involved form part of the contract and may limit or exclude liability towards you and your luggage. You can arrange to see these conditions at our head office in Folkestone. In all cases, except where death or personal injury results, our liability to you is limited to twice the cost of your holiday. In addition, please note that in the case of air, sea and rail transport, our liability and any compensation (including in the event of death and personal injury) is limited by the appropriate international conventions. The provisions of and any limitations on liability contained within the conventions are expressly incorporated into your holiday contract with us for our benefit. For the avoidance of doubt, in the case of air travel, the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions recognise liability solely for ‘bodily injury’ and in accordance with the Conventions, we do not accept liability for psychological injury caused or attributable to air travel. It will be a term of any payment made to you under this condition that you first assign to us any claim you may have against the person or organisation responsible. You must also assist us and our insurers in pursuing any such claim. Under EU law, you may be entitled to compensation from your airline in the event of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to your flight and full details are publicised at EU airports and available from your airline. If you are unhappy with your airline’s response, you may complain to the Air Transport Users’ Council (telephone 020 7240 6061). Spirit of Adventure’s liability is detailed in these booking conditions and any entitlement to compensation shall be offset by any payment made to you by your airline. We (and the Master aboard Spirit of Adventure) kindly request your co-operation and consideration for others while on holiday. We reserve the right to curtail a customer’s holiday if, in our view, his/her conduct or behaviour is disruptive, antisocial, or otherwise unacceptable. In such an event, no compensation will be payable and the customer will be liable to pay any additional expenses reasonably incurred in arranging the curtailment. No refund is available if you take part of the holiday only, vary or extend the holiday arrangements. Important notice Carriage by sea is subject to the Athens Convention relating to the carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 1974 (the ‘Athens Convention’), a copy of which is available on request. The Athens Convention in most cases limits the carrier’s liability for death or personal injury or loss of or damage to luggage (including a vehicle) and makes special provision for valuables. The Athens Convention presumes that luggage has been delivered undamaged unless written notice is given to the Carrier:-
The Athens Convention provides that any action for damage arising out of the death of or personal injury to a passenger or for the loss or damages to luggage shall be time-barred after a period of two years. Force majeure We do not accept liability for any alteration or cancellation owing to ‘force majeure’ and compensation is not payable in such an event. Force majeure circumstances include, but are not limited to, events such as: actual or expected war, riots, civil strife or terrorist activity; government action or restraint, industrial disputes; natural or nuclear disasters, fire, the unexpected incapacity of course leaders or hosts, bad weather, rising or falling of water levels or closure of locks, perils and dangers of the sea, damage and accidents from machinery or engines, closure of airports or seaports, unavoidable technical or maintenance problems to transport, or for any other reason beyond our reasonable control. We will tell you as soon as possible if we need to cancel or alter your holiday. If we cancel your holiday before the departure date we will, subject to availability, offer you a comparable alternative holiday. If this is not possible, you may purchase an available alternative holiday from our product range or a full refund will be made. If, after the departure date, a significant proportion of the holiday cannot be provided, where possible we will make alternative holiday arrangements for you and refund any difference in price. If alternative arrangements are not possible, or if you immediately notify us of good reason not to accept them, we will repatriate you to the United Kingdom as soon as reasonably possible and by means of equivalent transport, where available. Your holiday price (Not applicable to ad hoc services*) Prices for holidays departing between January 1, 2007 and January 31, 2008 are based on exchange rates published in the Financial Times’ ‘World Currency Guide’ on Monday, August 28, 2006. The applicable rates were as follows: Australian Dollar 2.4943, Canadian Dollar 2.0913, Euro 1.4797, Mauritian Rupee 60.9399, New Zealand Dollar 2.9668, Singapore Dollar 2.9802, Thai Baht 71.1154, US Dollar 1.8861. Prices for holidays departing between Feburary 1, 2008 and October 31, 2008 are based on exchange rates published in the Financial Times’ ‘World Currency Guide’ on Monday, July 16, 2007. The applicable rates were as follows: Australian Dollar 2.3407, Canadian Dollar 2.1299, Euro 1.4757, Mauritian Rupee 62.9512, New Zealand Dollar 2.5864, Singapore Dollar 3.0825, Thai Baht 67.7381, US Dollar 2.0327. We guarantee that the price of your holiday will not be subject to any surcharges. Once a contract exists between us, then the cost of your holiday cannot be increased. Whilst we reserve the right to change prices from time to time, any changes will be confirmed to you before you make your booking. The price of your holiday as shown on your confirmation invoice will not be increased unless you amend your booking. Please note that this surcharge guarantee supersedes all previous surcharge and Spirit of Adventure Price Promise guarantees. Please note that changes may be made to the particulars within the brochure at anytime after publication. We have planned to use economy class on flights. Spirit of Adventure Price Guarantee Spirit of Adventure’s Price Guarantee means that once your holiday booking is confirmed we will not increase the price for any reason, including fuel surcharges, which may be imposed after our prices have been set. Discounts and last minute offers In the case of discounted prices and other special offers, please note there are only a limited number of places available at the special offer prices. Save where guaranteed, we reserve the right to reduce, extend or withdraw offers at any time, without notice. If you have a complaint? We aim to provide you with an enjoyable and relaxing holiday. However, if you have a complaint whilst on holiday, it is imperative that you report it to our tour manager/representative/appointed agents or the train or cruise director as soon as possible. Problems can often be resolved there and then, but if you are still dissatisfied you should contact our tour manager/representative/appointed agents or the train or cruise director for a report form. Once you have completed this, you should hand it to your our tour manager/representative/appointed agents or the train or cruise director, who will give you a copy for your records. When you arrive home, you should send in the report form, together with a detailed covering letter, quoting your holiday reference number within 28 days. All correspondence should be addressed to the Customer Relations Department at: Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. Alternatively, you can e-mail us at: customer.relations@spiritofadventure.co.uk with full details of your complaint (in this case, please forward a copy of your report form to us by post). If you do not contact us within 28 days of your return from holiday, this will affect our ability to investigate your complaint and impact on the way your complaint is dealt with. In most cases, we will be able to sort out your complaint ourselves. If this is not possible, your complaint may be referred to arbitration. For Spirit of Adventure holidays, this is a special scheme arranged by ABTA which is administered quite independently by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The scheme provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone, with restricted liability for the customer in respect of costs. The scheme does not apply to claims of more than £5,000 per person or £25,000 in total or to claims arising solely from personal injury or illness or any consequence thereof. Where a claim includes in part a claim for personal injury or illness, a limit of £1,000 per person applies to that part of the claim. The scheme also provides for either party to have the Arbitrator’s decision reviewed. You must apply for arbitration within nine months of your return home from holiday. Customers resident in the Republic of Ireland may, as an alternative, opt for Arbitration available from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators - Irish Branch, which offers a similar dispute resolution scheme. Please contact us for further details. We must stress that in order for us to deal with your complaint, you must first report it to the tour manager/representative/appointed agents or the train or cruise director while you are on holiday. For customers resident in the Republic of Ireland, HMP Secretarial Limited at: 2 Harbourmaster Place, International Financial Services Centre, Dublin 1, is authorised to accept service of proceedings. For travel insurance, if you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to review your case. The Financial Ombudsman Service resolves disputes in an independent and fair way. You can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service at: The Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR. Tel: 0845 0801 800. Important note: The Financial Ombudsman Service will only consider your complaint if you have already given us the opportunity to resolve your problem.
Holiday information Passports and visas If you are a full British citizen resident in the UK you will need a valid 10-year passport for all overseas holidays featured. As requirements vary and can change without notice, we strongly advise you to ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months after the end of your holiday. We recommend that you have at least three blank pages (more if travelling to a number of countries in one trip) in your passport to cover potential immigration formalities which may be required in some countries. At the time of going to print it costs £72 to renew your passport, plus any handling fee. Application forms are available from the Post Office. Please apply in plenty of time since it can take several weeks for you to obtain your passport. If you are a full British citizen resident in the UK, we will obtain your visa, if required, wherever possible, free of charge, unless an extra charge is imposed by a government - an application pack will be sent to you approximately 60 days before you travel (90 days for Russia). Group visas will be arranged for passengers travelling on an organised excursion from Tripoli or Benghazi in Libya. Saga is unable to organise individual visas for Libya. Passports must be valid for at least six months and must not contain evidence of a visit to Israel. You require a visa if travelling to Egypt. Each stamp will be inserted into your passport by our local representative on arrival in Egypt. You will then proceed through passport control as normal. If you are not a full British citizen resident in the UK please confirm your nationality or status at the time of booking so that we can advise you of your passport and visa requirements. For further information about passports and our visa service for full British citizens resident in the UK, call us on 0800 015 6987 or e-mail visa@spiritofadventure.co.uk If you are telephoning from outside the UK, please call +44 (0)1303 771138 (please note that this is not a freephone number). A standard 10-year passport, or a three-year passport for people aged over 65, is required by citizens of the Republic of Ireland. With the exception of travel to the United Kingdom, Irish citizens require a valid passport for travel to all destinations. Please check that your passport is valid for at least six months AFTER the end of your holiday. We recommend that you have at least three blank pages (more if travelling to a number of countries on one trip) in your passport to cover potential immigration formalities which may be required in some countries. Remember that some airlines now require all adults to produce photo-identity at check-in for travel to the United Kingdom. Although our visa service is only for full British citizens resident in the UK, we can advise you of your visa requirements. Please telephone us on +44 (0)1303 771138 or e-mail us at visa@saga.co.uk Holiday details We work hard to ensure the accuracy of our brochures. However, sometimes advertised amenities, itineraries, excursions and entertainment may change or become unavailable after publication. This is beyond our control, but we will endeavour to tell you of any changes or of building work that would seriously impair the enjoyment of your holiday. Please also note:
Excursions, entertainment, activities and amenities Excursions, entertainment, activities and amenities referred to in our brochures but not included in your holiday may be booked, usually for an extra charge, during your holiday. We have included them in the brochures to illustrate your choice, not as a recommendation to take part. We neither own nor operate these facilities and they may not be maintained or operated with the comfort and safety of customers in mind. If you intend to take part, please check your insurance policy to ensure that you are covered for anything that may be considered hazardous. If you are in any doubt, your tour manager/representative/appointed agents or the train or cruise director will be pleased to advise you. Excursions purchased on holiday do not form part of your contract with us. They are sold subject to the laws of the country or state where purchased and to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of that country or state. We act as booking agent only for any excursion booked overseas through our resort or cruise staff and your contract is with the supplier of the excursion. Full details of their terms and conditions are available on request, during your holiday. Ship tonnage All ships featured are measured by the gross registered tonnage. This is not the weight of the ship but the total volume of all permanently enclosed spaces. Money The currency used on board cruise ships will depend on the ship’s nationality. Most ships operate a ‘cashless’ system whereby you sign for all purchases which are then charged to your cabin. You settle up at the end of your cruise and can pay by credit card, debit card, cash or traveller’s cheques.
Insurance Insurance is essential for holidays outside of mainland UK It is one of our booking conditions that you must be adequately insured for holidays outside mainland UK to cover all contingencies such as legal expenses, medical cover and emergency repatriation home. All our overseas holidays include insurance within the price (unless the holiday is booked 18 months or more before departure). You may either accept this policy, or choose a comparable policy with another insurance company. A summary of our cover is given below. You may purchase your holiday without our insurance and cancellation cover, provided you have arranged adequate alternative cover with another insurer. In this event, you must let us have the name and policy number of your alternative insurance company. If you take out alternative insurance, for your peace of mind please ensure that cancellation cover is included and that you are adequately insured for all your needs, including medical emergencies. Please also make sure your insurance is valid from the time of booking until your return from holiday, since our travel insurance and cancellation cover will not apply. Bookings made 18 months or more before departure Travel insurance cannot be included with the holiday until 18 months or less prior to departure. Any holiday booked where the departure date is in excess of 18 months would be sold without full insurance cover. In this case, during the intervening period you would be covered by Spirit of Adventure’s cancellation cover should you need to cancel your holiday. You are still able to purchase the Spirit of Adventure travel insurance once you are within 18 months of departure, subject to the normal insurance policy conditions and to Spirit of Adventure’s booking conditions. Aid and assistance abroad In the event that the holiday contract is improperly performed and you, or one of your party, through no fault of your own, should suffer illness, injury or death whilst on holiday abroad through misadventure and arising out of an activity which neither forms part of your holiday contract with us, nor is an excursion purchased from us or our agents, we shall provide general assistance, at our reasonable discretion, up to £5,000 per booking. This assistance will be provided if requested within 90 days of the date of misadventure. If you make a related legal claim which is successful or if you are insured for these costs, you must immediately repay us for any financial assistance given. Our included travel insurance provides legal expenses cover up to £50,000 and further details are provided in your policy document, which will be sent with your holiday confirmation, unless you have opted out of our included insurance and obtained alternative and comparable cover. Included travel insurance Insurance is essential when travelling abroad and because it is so important we include it on every overseas holiday (please also see the clause headed ‘Insurance is essential’). Spirit of Adventure has arranged for its travel insurance to be underwritten by London and Edinburgh Insurance Company Limited. Registered Office: 8 Surrey Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 3NG. A policy document will be sent with your confirmation invoice. A summary of the cover is shown below:
For sections 1 (other than loss of deposit), 2 (a), 3, 6 (a), 7 and 11 (a) above the first £50 of each and every claim per insured person is excluded. For section 1 (loss of deposit only), the first £10 of each and every claim per insured person is excluded. *Extended Cancellation cover is provided under certain circumstances. Details are explained in the insurance policy document which we will send you with your holiday confirmation/invoice. **Extended Cancellation and Curtailment cover can be increased above £7,500 for £49 for each additional £2,500 of cover, or part of that amount, up to a total cover of £25,000. Above £25,000 each additional £2,500 of cover or part of that amount, costs £99. If you feel you need increased cover please check your home contents insurance policy first as most people can have their personal possessions insured under this policy while they are away. The policy does not cover you for any losses directly or indirectly from any equipment or computer program failing to deal properly with date functions. This exclusion does not apply to section 2 (Medical Expenses and Hospital Benefit) or section 4 (Personal Accident). We will send you the insurance policy document with your holiday confirmation/invoice, but if you would like it earlier, please telephone us. If the policy does not meet your requirements, you are entitled to cancel if you tell us within 14 days of issue, and in any event before a claim is made. The policy document contains full details of the cover provided, terms and exclusions. We recommend you read it carefully. A complaints procedure is outlined in the policy booklet, which is available on request. For travel insurance of one month or more in duration, you may cancel our included insurance and cancellation cover within 14 days’ receipt of your holiday confirmation and receive a refund of the insurance price. If you cancel at a later stage, no refund of the insurance price is available. Please note that this cover does not apply if you are taking out your own insurance policy and have received the applicable price reduction from us. Your insurance cancellation rights No right to cancel exists where all cover will have ended in a period of less than one month from the date of commencement. In all other cases, you have the right to cancel your policy during a period of 14 days either from the date of purchase or the day on which you receive your policy documentation, whichever is later. If you wish to do so, you will be entitled to a full refund of the premium paid. Please note that if you have made a claim and subsequently wish to cancel your policy, we may recover the monies paid to you in settlement of the claim. To exercise your right to cancel your policy, please contact us by telephone on 0800 318 225. If you do not exercise your right to cancel your policy, it will continue in force for the term of the policy and you will be required to pay the premium. Medical advice Travel insurance and medical advice This applies where your holiday includes our insurance cover. 1. When you book: If you, or anyone travelling with you, has suffered from any chronic and/or recurring illness of a serious nature in the last 12 months which has required consultation or treatment with a doctor or hospital, you/they must obtain your/their doctor’s permission to travel. It is important that the doctor is fully aware of the nature of the holiday you are proposing to take, its duration and the travel arrangements involved. The Extended Cancellation insurance cover of the included insurance policy begins as soon as you book and before your holiday starts. For this reason, you must also tell us if you have any close relative or close business associate whose health is likely to deteriorate and result in your holiday having to be cancelled or cut short. Examples include elderly parents who are suffering from cancer or other serious illnesses. Extended Cancellation cover will not extend to close relatives or close business associates with pre-existing conditions. When you book, you must tell us about these and any other medical facts which are likely to affect your holiday plans as cover may be declined in certain circumstances. Even if you or your travelling companion has a medical condition, in most cases we can arrange cover. In addition, if you have any special difficulties or needs, such as a particular diet, we can advise and help you. Please telephone us on 0800 373 034 for details. 2. After you book: If any material circumstance arises that is likely to affect your cover after you have booked such as a change of medical condition, you must advise us as soon as is practicable. Please call for advice if you have any doubts. 3. Please note: The insurance company is unlikely to accept a claim as valid if you do not follow the steps detailed above. In addition, there are other instances where cover is not available under Medical Expenses, Extended Cancellation or Curtailment sections. These include where the person(s) making the claim:
We and the insurers will not accept responsibility for any consequences if you do not consult a medical practitioner or ignore their advice. The policy document contains full details of the medical cover provided, terms and exclusions. We recommend you read it carefully.
Health Medical conditions and disabilities The health and safety of customers is of paramount importance and it is essential that you disclose any pre-existing medical condition or disability at the time of booking. Any subsequent deterioration in your medical condition or disability must also be promptly notified to us, since failure to do so may affect your rights. Please consult a member of our Customer Care team, who will be able to advise you. At your cost, we may require you to provide a valid certificate from your doctor to confirm your medical fitness to travel. Please note that we cannot provide personal or special assistance, which may be required for certain disabilities and disabled customers may find their access to facilities, amenities, services and excursions is necessarily restricted. Unfortunately, we may be obliged to refuse, cancel or curtail a booking where your medical condition or disability prevents the proper operation of the holiday or excursion or where your health and safety, or that of others, is at risk. Please note: Due to the high altitude on certain tours/excursions, for example Machu Picchu in Peru (2350 metres), La Paz in Bolivia (3500 metres), Lhasa in Tibet and the A Ticket to Lhasa tour (5072 metres), you should be reasonably fit and are advised to consult a medical practitioner before travelling, particularly if prone to heart or respiratory problems. Many of these holidays require a good degree of physical fitness as they may involve walking over uneven ground, steep ascents, steps and climbing in and out of trains, Zodiacs and motor vehicles. They may therefore not be suitable for passengers who have limited mobility or whom may require assistance. Health advice Health facilities, hygiene and disease risks vary worldwide. The Department of Health publishes a useful leaflet entitled ‘Health Advice for Travellers’. We recommend you read this leaflet which is available from the Post Office, or by calling the Health Literature Line on 0800 555 777. We will send you general information about vaccinations and innoculations with your holiday confirmation. Pages 460-464 of Ceefax and the Internet at www.dh.gov.uk also provide information. We also send you our ‘Guide to Comfortable Air Travel’ with your travel documents. Please note that health details are constantly changing so your doctor will be able to advise you about your specific needs, including vaccinations, and we recommend you consult your doctor at least two months before departure. There are also specialist vaccination centres. Health and safety abroad We operate to many parts of the world, some of which do not conform to UK health and safety standards. The adequacy and enforcement of local safety standards is the responsibility of the appropriate authorities in the country concerned. We believe that all our suppliers, hotels and facilities comply with the local regulations in force in their country for health and safety. However, these do not necessarily meet UK standards. In addition, the areas and facilities surrounding your holiday accommodation, such as beaches and local amenities, do not form part of your holiday contract with us and have not been inspected. We therefore urge that you and your travelling companion(s) take all reasonable precautions for your own protection whilst on holiday. Health tips You will be aware of the press coverage linking air travel to Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), the formation of a blood clot in the deep veins of the legs, which can travel into the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism. Some doctors believe that this can be caused by long hours of minimal leg movement, a familiar experience for air travellers. If you wish to find out more about DVT, Spirit of Adventure adopts the guidelines published in our ‘Guide to Comfortable Air Travel’ leaflet or if you have access to the Internet you can visit www.saga.co.uk/travelshop and click on Health and then Holiday Health. Please also consult your GP.
Travel Travel Advice from the Foreign Office The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Unit provides important safety information for British nationals travelling abroad. Information is available on BBC2 Ceefax (page 470) and the Foreign Office website at www.fco.gov.uk Alternatively, you may telephone the Travel Advice Unit on 0845 850 2829. Travel information Travel information is provisional and approximate only. The confirmed details are those shown on your travel documents. We will advise you of any significant changes to flight details at the earliest opportunity. A flight indicated as direct does not necessarily mean non-stop. Direct flights may have to make an intermediate stop en route, but do not require a change of aeroplane. Seat pitch Seat pitch usually varies from 28 to 31 inches for ‘short haul’ European flights or from 31 to 34 inches for ‘long haul’ flights, depending on the airline and seat configuration, but which is subject to change without notice by the airlines. For greater comfort on ‘long haul’ flights, we recommend upgrading to deluxe economy, business or first class cabins, where available. UK connecting/domestic flights and flight upgrades Connecting flights are intended, but not guaranteed, to connect with your onward flight. On many occasions your luggage will be checked in at your local airport, and will not need to be checked in again at the international airport. Stand-alone domestic flights generally require you to collect your luggage and check-in at your UK arrival airport before your onward flight. We can accept no responsibility if you purchase your domestic flight(s) independently and your international flight details subsequently change. Banned or restricted air carriers Regulation (EC) No. 2111/2005 came into force in January 2006, establishing a Community list of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the Community. The list is available at www.air-ban.europa.eu No smoking Please note that the majority of airlines operate a no-smoking policy on all worldwide flights. Please ask our Travel Consultants at the time of booking if a no-smoking policy currently applies to your flights. Hotels may exercise a no-smoking policy in public rooms, such as the lounge, or elsewhere. Please contact us for further details. Coach journeys in comfort We want all our customers to be comfortable and relaxed while travelling by coach. For this reason, we do not allow smoking or personal audio equipment on coach journeys. We do make frequent comfort stops.
These booking conditions These booking conditions apply to our 2007/2008/2009 Classic Journeys brochures and holidays. The prices and descriptions contained therein are subject to change. |
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| Booking is easy. Book online or call FREE on 0800 068 1861 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm weekends quoting CJ07 |
| Booking is easy. Book online or call FREE on 0800 068 1861 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm weekends quoting CJ07 |