Terms and Conditions

General Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions govern the relationship between you, the passenger, and us, the Tour Operator*. You agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. They state, among other things, our cancellation policy and certain limitations of liability. These terms affect your rights to sue, governing law, forum, and jurisdiction. Please be sure to carefully read these terms and ensure you understand your and our rights and obligations. We strongly recommend you purchase travel protection.

*For all programs “Tour Operator” refers to Vacations International Inc.

Reservations, Deposits and Final payments

Unless otherwise indicated, all price rates shown are in United States Dollars and are per person sharing a double-bedded hotel room / Cabin. A non-refundable deposit of $ 250 per person is required at the time of booking. A higher deposit may be required for some tours. The balance is payable 70 days prior to departure, unless otherwise stated in the submitted proposal. If reservation is effected within 70 days of commencement of travel, the entire amount is to be submitted at time of confirmation.

Tour Operator reserves the right to cancel reservations that are not paid in full at any time after final payment is due, in which case cancellation charges will apply. Travelers making any payments by credit card agree that by signing the credit card vouchers, they agree to the terms and conditions, and agree not to request any charge backs on the card until any disputed matters are resolved with Vacations International Inc.

Tour Prices

The tour cost includes planning, handling and all operational charges. Prices are based on tariffs and exchange rates effective at time of printing. In the event of currency fluctuation or tariff increase the cost is subject to adjustment. Land prices are guaranteed, once the final payment is received by us.

Correction Clause

Tour Operator reserves the right to correct promotional or pricing errors at any time, or to increase the Trip Price in the event of cost increases due to changes in airfares, cruise fares, currency fluctuations, park fee increases, taxes, or fuel surcharges, or other reasons, unless you pre-paid according to the terms of the submitted proposal.

Cancellations and Refunds

If you must cancel your trip, you may do so by regular mail, email or fax to the Tour Operator via the address / email address / Fax number provided on your submitted proposal. Cancellation charges will be calculated on the date we receive your written cancellation. Cancellation charges and refunds shall be calculated in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and Tour Operator’s cancellation policy. If you are due a refund, you first must return your unused documents including air tickets, Cruise or train tickets (if applicable) to Tour Operator.

Any applicable refunds will be returned to you in the manner in which payment was made, and processed within 30 days of receipt of your cancellation. We strongly recommend purchasing Travel protection plan.

Following general trip cancellation will be applied in event of you deciding to cancel your trip. All penalties listed are per person.

Cancellation Charges for Land Tours:

Prior to departure: 70 days or more: $ 250.00 per person. 69 – 45 days: 25% of tour cost. If final payment has been received before 70 days prior to departure and cancellation occurs, the fee incurred will be 25% of the entire tour price. 44 – 30 days: 50% of tour cost. 29 days or less: No Refund. – Cancellation Charges for Ocean Cruises and Other Programs: For ocean cruises and all other trips, please refer to respective trip’s proposal for cancellation charges. – No Show & Cancelation after commencement: If you are a no-show, if you cancel your trip after the departure date, or if you leave a trip already in progress, you will not receive any refund for any unused portion of your trip. – Companion Cancelation: If you reserved a double room and are sharing with a friend or family member (or a share match up by the tour company), and that person cancels prior to departure, you will be liable for any additional single supplement and travel protection fees.

Reservation Changes:

If you make changes to your reservation that affect departure city, pre- and post-trip extensions, cabin categories or passport name changes between 90 and 45 days prior to departure (between 120 and 45 days prior to departure for Small Ship or River Cruises), an administrative charge of $50 per person will apply. Tour Operator cannot accept any changes to reservations within 45 days of departure. If you make changes to your departure date or destination, it will be treated as a cancellation and the relevant cancellation charges will apply. Traveler substitutions are considered reservation cancellations and are subject to the above cancellation charges.

On certain vacations, you have the option to enjoy breakaway travel (Own Travel Arrangements not booked with Tour Operator) at the end of your stay, subject to flight availability. This option enables you to travel on your own wherever you choose. Your total travel time cannot exceed 30 days from the original date of departure from the U.S. On the date of your ticketed return to the U.S., return to the airport of your departure for your flight home. There is a $150-$300 per-person, nonrefundable fee to request breakaway travel. Additional air charges may also apply. You will be responsible for confirming your international flight back to the U.S. and for your own transfers to the airport. All arrangements for breakaway travel must be requested in writing from the Customized Air Department no later than 71 days prior to departure. Confirmation information will be available approximately 45 days before your departure. Consult our Travel Counselors for details.

Please note: Tour Operator does not assist in making travel arrangements during breakaway travel and does not assume any liability for any activity or trip you take independently while on this program and not under the direct supervision of Tour Operator. This would include liability for any changes made by an airline that affect your air arrangements for a period of time when you are traveling independently of your group, whether we handled the air ticketing or not.

Also, if you have purchased travel protection and assistance through Tour Operator, only your medical coverage is extended for the duration of your breakaway. You will not be covered for trip interruption or delay. Refer to your Passenger Travel Protection plan for details.

All traveler requests, including Breakaways, preferred air schedules, and special accommodations, are subject to availability and are not guaranteed, and charges may apply. In certain circumstances, Tour Operator overbooks its trips to offset anticipated cancellations. If, up to thirty days prior to departure, more passengers are booked than can be accommodated, Tour Operator will solicit volunteers to change their reservations. Customers affected by overbooking will receive compensation and will be offered an alternative departure date. In certain circumstances, Tour Operator may change the departure date of your trip or consolidate any trips that do not reach a minimum level of participation or are overbooked. In this event, you will be offered an alternative departure date or trip. If we are not able to agree upon a suitable alternative, you will be entitled to cancel your reservation and receive a full refund of your Trip Cost plus any cost you paid for the Travel Protection Plan. If Tour Operator cancel any optional extension that you have purchased, you will receive a refund of the amount you paid for the extension.

However, if you subsequently decide to cancel the base (main) portion of your trip, cancellation charges will apply. Tour Operator reserves the right to cancel or shorten a trip without notice, in which event your sole remedy shall be a prorated refund for any unused portion of the trip.

Alterations to Tours & Acceptance

Vacations International Inc., in its absolute discretion, reserves the right to alter any route or other arrangements; offer substitutes, or to completely cancel the whole or any portion of a tour, should conditions necessitate. The right is also reserved to decline the acceptance of any person as a member of a tour should the presence of that person be prejudicial to the good conduct of the tour, or be contrary to the prevailing laws of the country visited.

Single Travelers:

Most trips offer a limited number of single rooms, subject to availability and hotel space. Please see individual proposal for Single room supplement costs.

Roommate matching:

If you reserve a trip where sharing is possible and you would like to share a twin-bedded room with another single traveler of the same gender, Tour Operator will do its best to match you with a roommate. You will not be charged a single room supplement if Tour Operator is able to match you. In event that no room share is possible, you will be responsible to pay the Single room supplement.

Passports and Visas:

A valid passport is required for traveling on our international trips. Please check with your Travel Consular if your destination requires an Entry visa. All passports must contain at least five blank pages and must be valid for six months after the completion of your trip. Tour Operator is not responsible for providing you with this information or documentation for visas and passport.

Please ensure that your passport is valid for 6 months from return date. For current visa information and application forms please refer to our website: www.Vacations International Inc.

Air Arrangements:

Tour Operator is not responsible if an airline cancels or delays a flight for any reason (including weather). If you are unable to make your departure, it is your responsibility to work with the airline on which you are ticketed to reach your destination. Tour Operator is not responsible for any additional expenses you may incur prior to joining your trip. Tour Operator is not responsible for and will not provide any refund for portions of trips missed due to cancelled or delayed flights. We recommend that you purchase Travel Protection plan.

Final Documents:

You will receive final documents approximately fifteen days prior to your departure date that will include your airline tickets (if issued through Vacations International Inc. Inc.). Please note that your airline tickets and other trip documentation must bear your first, middle and last names exactly as they appear on your passport. It is your responsibility to check your travel documents when you receive them to make sure they are correct. If they are not correct, please contact Tour Operator immediately.

Most Tour Operator trips are not wheelchair-accessible, as wheelchair assistance or accessibility in international destinations cannot be guaranteed. If your trip is wheelchair-accessible and you require a wheelchair, you must provide your own small, collapsible wheelchair.

If you are unable to travel without assistance, a companion must accompany you. If you have a condition that requires special equipment or treatment, you must bring and be responsible for all necessary items related to your condition. Tour Operator cannot accommodate motorized scooters of any kind. On international trips, Tour Operator cannot accommodate women past their sixth month of pregnancy and cannot accommodate service animals. If you have a condition as contemplated herein, you travel at your own risk. Tour Operator is not liable for any injuries or damages you may suffer relating to such a condition, including without limitation loss of special equipment, lack of assistance with or accommodation of special needs, and unavailability of medical assistance or treatment.

Tour Operator is not responsible for the costs of any medical treatment you may require during the trip. Under no circumstances is Operator responsible for the quality of medical care, or lack thereof, you may receive while on the trip.

Tour Operator Responsibility & Liability

The responsibility of Tour Operator and its affiliated companies is strictly limited. As a tour operator, we (the Tour Operator) organizes, promotes, and sells tour programs consisting of certain travel services, including surface, air, and water transportation, sightseeing excursions, and cruise/hotel accommodations that tour Operator purchases or reserves from various suppliers (collectively, “Suppliers”). Tour Operator does not own or operate any of these Suppliers. The Suppliers providing travel services for Tour Operator’s tour programs are independent contractors, and are not agents or employees of Tour Operator. As such, Tour Operator is not responsible for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any supplier or of any third party. Some tours include visits to shops and merchants. Tour Operator is not responsible for any purchases you make during your trip, whether that merchant is part of the scheduled itinerary or not. By utilizing the travel services of the Suppliers, you agree that you will look to such Suppliers for any accident, injury, property damage, or personal loss to you or to those traveling with you, and that neither Tour Operator nor any representative of Tour Operator shall be liable. Without limitation, Tour Operator is not responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to person or property, death, delay, or inconvenience in connection with the provision of, or failure to provide, any goods or services occasioned by or resulting from—but not limited to—acts of God or force majeure, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, overbooking or downgrading of accommodations (except as expressly set forth herein), mechanical or other failure of airplanes or other means of transportation or for the failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time, sanitation problems, lack of medical care, or for any other cause beyond the direct control of Tour Operator. To the extent that Tour Operator is involved in booking air transportation for you, Tour Operator acts as an agent of the air carrier and not as your agent. For all other purposes, Tour Operator does not act as an agent for any party whatsoever. Tour Operator reserves the right to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of any trip.

Land Arrangement Inclusions:

The following services are included in your land package: transportation between the airports and hotels, baggage handling, sightseeing with English-speaking guides as mentioned in the itinerary and all entrance fees to attractions visited as described in the itinerary. Sightseeing will be via motor coach, private car and other modes of transportation (air conditioned where necessary and available), as determined by the nature of the terrain and as outlined in the itinerary.

Transfers are not included when arriving or departing at the first destination gateway by means other than the scheduled tour flights, but can be arranged at additional cost.

Accommodation indicated, based on two persons sharing a room with private facilities as detailed. Categories assigned to hotels are the opinions of the tour operator and are selected on location among other criteria. The right is reserved to substitute accommodations of similar category when necessary.

Not Included in Land Arrangements

Your tour price does not include: Air transportation (unless specifically stated as included); costs and fees to obtain or extend your passport/s; visa fees and processing fees; inoculations and vaccinations (if required); health certificate; airport taxes and country departure taxes (if applicable); all items of a personal nature including alcoholic beverages (except on certain occasions): meals not specified, tips to tour guides; excess baggage charges; cancellation, health, accident and baggage insurance; private, non-group transfers; and any items not specifically listed as included.

Photography

Vacations International Inc. reserves the right to take photographs during the operation of any program and to use resulting photographs for promotional purposes. Any passengers who prefer that their images not be used are asked to notify their tour escort at the beginning of the program.

Venue

It is specially agreed that this agreement is entered into in the state of Illionis. In the event any legal or equitable action is brought against Vacations International Inc. concerning the interpretation, enforcement or breach of any term, obligation or duty as contained or related to the terms and conditions set forth in this web site, or pursuant to federal law, statute or treaty to which the United States is a signatory, the venue of such action shall lie exclusively in the state of Illionois.

Travel Insurance

Comprehensive Travel insurance is strongly recommended. If declining insurance, we must have a written statement to the effect.