Air-conditioning in hotels is not guaranteed, and its availability depends on local and national laws/regulations. Though hotels may have air-conditioning as a listed amenity, its usage is often unavailable at night or in the off-season. The Company has no control over air-conditioning at hotels.
Hotel porterage (where available) for one bag per participant is included in the price. Additional bags, if space is available, are charged extra and payable to the Tour or Cruise Director. If no space is available, you are responsible for arrangements for your extra bag(s) from location to location at your expense. Porterage is not included at train stations or airports or on Cosmos Lite.
The Company does not secure early check-in (unless specifically noted in an itinerary). Check-in times vary worldwide and are solely at the discretion of the hotel. At your discretion, you may inquire about early check-in when you arrive and pay the hotel directly for this service.
Unless available and selected during the reservation process, staterooms are assigned upon embarkation. On Avalon Waterways cruises, The Company reserves the right to change your cabin when necessary. Upgrades must be purchased in advance of departure; there is no guarantee of upgrade availability if not purchased in advance.
The Company has no responsibility for loss or damage to any baggage or personal belongings throughout the trip. We recommend you purchase baggage insurance.
Some ships and hotels have elevators, but many small ships do not. If you require an elevator, inquire before making a reservation
All Tour / Cruise Directors, Local Hosts®, Local Guides, and ships’ crews speak English, and all trip commentary and instruction are conducted in English only. For safety, maximum enjoyment and understanding, you should be able to read, understand, and speak English.
Excluding Cosmos Lite, gratuities are included for wait staff at included meals, and porterage at hotels for one suitcase per person during the land stay of your trip. No gratuities are included on Cosmos Lite. Gratuities for your Tour / Cruise Director (except on Avalon Waterways Europe cruises), Local Hosts®, Local Guides, driver, and ship’s crew are not included in the trip price (unless otherwise noted in pricing details) and are discretionary.
The Company will send invoices, hotel lists, travel advice, and other information to the email address provided when making the reservation. A full travel packet is available electronically 2-3 weeks prior to departure.
Guarantee Share accommodations are only available on Cosmos with the below exceptions.
Guarantee shares are not available on the following:
• Cosmos Asia • Cosmos Africa • Cosmos South Pacific • Cosmos extensions in South America • Cosmos Lite • Cosmos Russian River Cruises • Avalon Waterways, Globus or Monograms
Guarantee Share Match
By selecting a share accommodation, you are authorizing the Company to match you with another participant as your roommate for the duration of your trip. The roommate pairing will be of the same sex and roommates will be assigned at time of travel. If no roommate pairing is available, The Company will cover the single supplement. Share accommodations are not available on all trips.
Guarantee Share Liability, Disputes & Incompatibility
The Company is not liable for any roommate pairing compatibility and, by accepting and purchasing a share accommodation, you waive any claims against The Company and assume all inherent risks in being assigned a roommate. The Company is not responsible for any disputes between roommates (such as sleep patterns, snoring, noise, etc.). Any dispute between roommates is your responsibility to resolve. During the trip, alternate single arrangements, if available, may be secured but are never guaranteed. You are responsible for covering any extra expenses resulting from changing your rooming arrangements on the trip. Payment in full will be required immediately upon securing new accommodations.
Adequate and appropriate travel insurance is essential for your protection. Each member of your party must have either the holiday insurance policy we recommend which is arranged by Holiday Extras or another policy giving at the least equal cover. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is adequate and appropriate for the needs of you and your party but it should at a minimum cover the cost of cancellation of your travel arrangements by you, and assistance (including medical costs and repatriation) in the event of accident or illness overseas, as well as compensating you for permanent injury, death, delays or loss of baggage and personal possessions. We do not check insurance policies. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday.
Hotel rewards/points cannot be earned or redeemed with hotels used by The Company.
Hotels are not guaranteed. The Company reserves the right to substitute hotels of similar standards at our discretion. No refunds are provided for hotel changes. Should you wish to cancel your reservation because of a hotel change, full cancellation fees apply.
At times, venues are limited or not available due to local holidays, events or various seasons. The Company will indicate known closures in the itinerary or advisements, but not all closures are known in advance. The Company is not liable for venue availability. The Company will offer alternatives when possible.
Some countries may require aircraft cabin insecticide treatment for inbound foreign flights. For more information about aircraft disinfection requirements please contact the carrier directly.
Itinerary timings are not guaranteed and are subject to change. No refunds are provided for changes to itinerary timing.
Optional excursions are not included in your reservation. Optional excursions are provided by independent third-party operators ("Excursion Operators"). Your contract for any optional excursion is between you and the Excursion Operators. The Excursion Operators may render services subject to separate and additional terms and conditions or may require you to execute additional documents, waivers, or releases. It is agreed and understood by you that any assumptions of liability, waivers, or releases that are part of the Excursion Operators' terms & conditions, and any terms that are required by such Excursion Operators will also inure to the benefit of the Company. Optional excursions purchased through The Company are subject to separate terms and conditions which are available during booking. For operational reasons, not all optional excursions listed in the itinerary, in print, online, or in Travel Documents may be available during your trip. Your Tour / Cruise Director will advise of availability as applicable.
Photographs or pictures appearing in the brochure or on the website are solely intended as examples of facilities and attractions. Actual facilities and attractions may vary according to the itinerary. Maps shown are current at the time of publication and may not reflect the actual routing should the itinerary change.
Any carriage or possession of illegal drugs will result in immediate termination of your trip. You are responsible for knowing and observing the licensing laws for drug possession (including prescription and over the counter drugs) for all countries and states you are visiting. Laws may require you to carry a prescription from your doctor.
We include a private home pick up service on all bookings (excluding Tour-Only) on touring holidays departing before 1 April 2020. After this date, this service will only be available for bookings of an Avalon cruise (excluding cruise only) departing in 2020. This service is a complimentary service with no monetary value if you live within, 50 miles for Cosmos & Globus and 100 miles for Avalon, of your UK mainland or Northern Ireland international airport. If you live more than the specified miles from your departure airport you can pay an excess rate per mile for the additional miles. Mileage is calculated using the quickest route on Google Maps. The collection point must be from a home address and for only one car per booking. For departures on or after 1 April 2020, this service is not included or available to book for Cosmos and Globus and for Avalon it will be no longer available to book for cruises departing after December 2020.
The Company is not responsible for any losses, including missed sightseeing, meals, inclusions, optional excursions, or having to make alternate transportation or lodging arrangements, if you fail to meet the representatives at assigned timings and places/pick-up points while on the trip. The Company will not refund nor cover any cost or expenses incurred, or compensate for any missed inclusions or optional excursions claimed, due to your inability to maintain punctuality.
Docking positions at each port are assigned by local authorities. River cruise companies have no control over where they can dock. This can sometimes result in double-docking - when more than one ship is assigned to the same dock and the ships are rafted together, temporarily obstructing the view. When double-docked you might be required to pass through another vessel to embark or disembark. In those cases, you will have to follow the instructions given by the Master or the crew of the vessel you will pass through. The Company will not be responsible for any inconvenience or injury sustained as a consequence of embarking or disembarking not under the direct control of The Company for reasons of such assignment.
The Company contracts standard, twin-bedded rooms (two twins per room). Double-bedded rooms (one bed per room) are not guaranteed but may be indicated as a preference during the reservation. Assignment of rooms is at the hotel’s discretion and not controlled by The Company.
River and other local authorities often need to carry out repair or maintenance work on the river or canal banks, stretches of river or canal, bridges, locks or docks, or other areas that may impede river cruise travel. This is frequently undertaken with little or no advance notice to river cruise operators and can cause The Company to make changes to the published itinerary or to operate part of the itinerary by substitute vessel, motorcoach or hotel accommodation with little to no advance notice. These events are beyond our control, and The Company will not be responsible for any loss, expense, or inconvenience caused by reasons of such changes.
Smoking is not allowed on transportation that is exclusively provided by The Company. Smoking includes cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, e-cigars, or any other smoking or vaping device. You are responsible to abide by and adhere to Service Provider's terms & conditions, including as they relate to smoking. This includes, but it not limited to, smoking only in designated sections of vessels, hotels or restaurants.
Single supplements ensure your own room but not the number of beds in a room. Single rooms are generally smaller in size and maybe less conveniently located.
The Company contracts non-smoking rooms. Hotels may impose a 100% non-smoking policy. If you require a smoking room, a request may be submitted, but The Company cannot guarantee availability. Guarantee Share rooms are non-smoking.
Availability of triple rooms varies by itinerary and are not available on Avalon Waterways. Triple rooms accommodate three people but do not guarantee three separate beds. An additional bed, if available, is at the hotel’s discretion and may be a roll-away bed put in for the night or a convertible sofa. If existing beds accommodate three people, and you request something additional, payment of the additional bed is payable by you directly to the hotel at checkout.
Alcohol
Alcohol consumption is not permitted on any motorcoaches
Rail & Air Services
If included rail or air services are unavailable, alternate services are provided at the expense of the Company.
Seat Rotation
For touring with Globus and Cosmos, The Company follows a mandatory, daily seat rotation on motorcoaches for all participants.
Transfers
Transfers are provided by independent third-party transportation companies. Airport transfers for Globus and Cosmos are often group transfers operated by motorcoach and may have pre-set departures times.
The Company is not responsible for flight delays, delays in immigration or customs, delays due to lost baggage, or for any reason beyond our control if you miss your transfer. Missed transfers are non-refundable.
Wi-Fi, when provided by The Company, is supplied by an independent third party with separate Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policies and Data Usage agreements. The Company is not liable for the speed, reliability, or security of Wi-Fi provided through The Company. Connectivity is not guaranteed.