Terms & Conditions "Annexure A"
Contract
A contract will not exist between Serendipity Tours cc and the passenger(s) until such time as we have received a completed and signed copy of our Booking Form.
Reservations & Payment
A 20% deposit is required at time of booking, together with the signed booking form. Documents can only be released upon receipt of final payment and supporting documentation. Special Terms & Conditions regarding deposits, payments and cancellation fees may be imposed by various service providers from time to time. All reservations are subject to such terms and conditions and it is the passenger(s) duty to ensure that you are familiar with the special terms and conditions of any such service provider. Serendipity Tours cc acts as agent only for such service providers and you will be deemed to contract with them directly subject to their special terms and conditions as aforesaid. Please request your consultant to furnish you with a copy of these service providers terms and conditions and ensure that you familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions. Should you be unsure about any of these special terms and conditions or should any of the terms and conditions be unclear to you, please contact us so that we may explain same to you and clarify any points which are unclear. In the event of any payment being dishonoured, we reserve the right on behalf of ourselves and our service providers to cancel all services, arrangements and bookings automatically. We furthermore reserve the right to claim any reasonable cancellation penalty and/or any damages to cover any costs incurred by ourselves as a result of the dishonoured payment.
In addition to the required deposit for the land content, for reservations that include air tickets, we are required by the relevant airline to issue the air tickets within a specified time limit from the date the reservation is made and payment must be remitted to the airline on that date. Should payment not have been received we will be unable to issue such tickets and the airline will automatically cancel the flights. Please therefore refer to your confirmation for details regarding the ticketing time limits.
Amendments/Late Bookings/Cancellations
All cancellations must be in writing. The following fees will be levied for cancellations. For cancellations received less than:
- 6 weeks prior to departure - 50% of tour cost;
- 3 weeks prior to departure - 60% of tour cost;
- 2 weeks prior to departure - 80% of tour cost;
- 1 weeks prior to departure - 100% of tour cost.
No refund for unused services will be considered if cancelled after departure. Cancellation and curtailment insurance is available through your travel agent. We urge all passengers to ensure that they are adequately insured. Ask your ASATA Travel Agent for more details. Serendipity Tours cc reserve the right to charge an amendment fee for amendments to confirmed bookings. Late booking fees will be levied for bookings received less than 1 week prior to departure. In accordance with standard procedure of tour operators worldwide, we reserve the right to cancel the tour/travel arrangements prior to departure which are beyond our control, in which event the entire payment will be refunded without any further obligation on the part of Serendipity Tours cc. The customer will be notified of such circumstances in writing.
Prices
Serendipity Tours cc will endeavour to maintain prices quoted and published. However, where increases do occur as a result of currency fluctuations, airfare increases, hoteliers and other factors outside our control arise, prior to receipt of full payment of the prices quoted, you will be notified of such increases and acceptance of any booking shall be subject to acceptance of the increases in prices quoted.
Itinerary Variations
Whilst every effort is made to follow all published itineraries, we reserve the right to make change(s) necessary due to circumstances beyond our control.
Accommodation
We reserve the right to substitute confirmed hotel, cruisers and other accommodation with others of a similar or higher category, at no additional cost to the passenger. Check-in times is usually 14h00 and Check-Out latest 12h00 noon. For early/late check-in/out, an additional fee will be charged.
Not Included in the tour price
Airport and border taxes, cost of passports, visas, laundry, porterage, telephone calls, food and beverages (unless specified B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner) and other items of a personal nature which are listed as optional and not included in the tour cost. Only such airfares as detailed in each itinerary are included. Tips to hotel staff, guides and drivers are left to the discretion of the passengers. We urge our passengers to conform to international standards with regard to tipping. A guide to recommended rates will be given.
Documentation
It is the personal responsibility of each passenger to ensure that they are in possession of the correct documentation prior to departure. Serendipity Tours cc shall not accept any responsibility for any consequences of any nature whatsoever, arising from the passengers failing to ensure that they have complied with the necessary health/passport/visa requirements.
Passports (International travel)
Your passport MUST BE VALID FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS AFTER YOUR DATE OF RETURN on any trip. You will not be allowed into a country if your passport expires before the 6 month period. If you are a South African permanent resident travelling on a foreign passport, you must make sure you have the right documentation from Home Affairs to travel. Your travel documents have to be in the name appearing on your passport. You are required to let your consultant know which passport you will be travelling on. Married women: Passport detail must be the same as in Home Affairs records.
Identity Documents
All travel documents must be in the name which appears on your identity documents.
Drivers License
Always take your South African drivers license along with your international drivers license when renting vehicles overseas.
Visas
South Africans often need a visa to travel. Check all border crossings, especially if you are on a cruise. If you CROSS ANY OCEAN BORDER, you may need a visa according the maritime law of the country concerned. If you need any information regarding visa's please let us know. We can obtain such information from an external visa advisory service provider on your behalf. If visa suppliers do not supply the correct advice, any claims must be made to the visa company. If your entry into any country is denied, this may be a customs, internal security or home affairs issue and outside of Serendipity Tours cc and the visa suppliers control. We cannot be held liable for any claims resulting from a country refusing your entry. We also cannot be held liable for incorrect advice given by visa companies or embassies. For guidelines on visa requirements by the country you are visiting, see www.dfa.gov.za/consular/travel_advice.htm
Vaccinations
Check with your travel doctor which vaccinations are required by the country you are visiting or visit http://www.meditravel.co.za, also check on the website whether you may leave the airport at stopovers in countries on your way to your final destination, they may be in quarantine.
Foreign currency
We can assist you with foreign currency or traveller cheques. Ensure you have enough time to collect the currency before your departure. Foreign currency is provided by third party suppliers, whose performance is outside of our control
Itineraries
Check your departure times on itineraries, check to see that your travel documents tie up with the itinerary, know your travel plan. Travel advice: for current issues which might affect you or other advice visit
Health and medical requirements
Cruise: It is a requirement from some cruise/flight suppliers that you are physically fit to travel and that you will obey the rules and regulations of the ship/airplane and orders and instructions from the ship/plane's officers and medical staff. Cruise liners and Airlines reserve their rights to require guests to disembark or to refuse to board a guest who in the judgement of the ship's Master or Medical Officer, is unfit to travel or may require care that is beyond the care which the ship is able to give. Pregnant women who have entered their twenty-fourth(24) week of pregnancy will not be allowed to board Cruise liners. Airlines: Pregnant women who have entered their thirty-two(32) week of pregnancy will not be allowed to board any flight.
Special requirements
Please liaise with your consultant regarding any special requirements you may have for your travel arrangements such as special meal and seating requests. We will forward these requests but it is the responsibility of the supplier to honour your requests.
General
Vouchers for pre-paid expenses and tour services are non-endorsable, nonrefundable and not transferable. No refund will be considered for unused services whether that form part of the basic inclusive tour package or whether they are in respect of a pre-booked optional arrangement. Special request(s) should be specified at time of reservation. We accept special requests on the understanding that whilst we will make every effort to comply, under no circumstances can we guarantee that they will be met.
Flights Reconfirmation
It is your responsibility to ensure that you reconfirm the departure date and times of all your flights 72 hours prior to departure. This is particularly important in respect of subsequent journeys, once leaving South Africa and Serendipity Tours cc hereby specifically excludes any liability for any delay and/or loss as a result of your failure to reconfirm any flight and/or connecting flight.
Changes by You
If you wish to make change(s) to your booking , we will endeavour to assist you to make the change(s) wherever possible. You will have to pay all charges, whatever kind, imposed by the suppliers providing that component part of your travel arrangements when amending a booking any time prior to departure. Fares will be re quoted at the time of amendment. An Administration fee of R100 per person will be charged for each amendment and/or cancellation. After departure, it is understood that extra expenses incurred as a result of any change will be for the passenger's account, and any unused service will not be refunded. Amendments and cancellations en route must be made with our operators directly.
Responsibility Clause
Subject to the provisions of Section 61 of the Consumer Protection Act 61 of 2008 the tour producer, Serendipity Tours cc, its employees, agents or service providers shall not be responsible for, and shall be exempt from all liability in respect of loss (financial or otherwise), damage, accident, injury, illness, harm, trauma, death, delay or inconvenience to or additional expense incurred by any Customer (which shall be deemed to include the heirs, executors, administrators or assigns by any customer whether on the tour or journey or not), to or of their luggage, or other property, howsoever caused where such loss, damage, accident, injury, illness, harm, trauma, death, delay or inconvenience to or additional expense incurred is not due to the act, omission, negligence or recklessness of Serendipity Tours cc, its employees, agents or service providers. The airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time the passengers are not aboard their aircraft. All prices, airfares, schedules, excursions, hotels and itineraries etc. in this brochure are subject to change, withdrawal or substitution with notice to the customer.
Insurance
Insurance is the passenger's responsibility and all passengers are strongly urged to take out travel insurance, covering personal accident, medical expenses, baggage and loss of deposit through cancellat ion and / or default of the individual principal service providers.
Overbookings
We undertake to inform you without delay if we are obliged to cancel your reservation for any unforeseen reason and we will offer you an alternative of a comparable standard subject to availability, or a full refund of the deposit paid within 21 days. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your accommodation as booked is available on your arrival at the destination. However if we become aware of an overbooking situation prior to the time of your departure we will inform you and offer you an alternat ive of similar standard (if available), or a full refund of the payment made to us. If we are not unaware of the overbooking at the time of your departure then we will arrange appropriate compensation if the alternative accommodation provided by the supplier is not similar to the standard of the accommodation originally booked.