Terms and conditions
The River Cruise Line – Important Holiday Information & Booking Conditions
It is our sincere wish that you thoroughly enjoy your holiday so we would appreciate it if you would take the time to read the following pages which we hope you will find useful. This and other information in our brochure forms the basis of the contract between you and us.
1. Our brochure & website
The information and prices shown may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information and prices at the time of printing, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure that you check all details of you chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking. This brochure is our sole responsibility. It is not issued on behalf of and does not commit any independent organisation/ carriers whose services are featured in it. All timings are approximate. You will be notified of precise timings, pick-up routes, hotel name, order of excursions/ visits when you receive your tickets as they could occasionally be liable to change e.g.;- for weather and/or operational reasons. The duration of your holiday includes the days of departure and return. Any illustrations do not necessarily depict your destination unless specifically stated.
2. Booking your holiday
When you make a booking you are confirming that you understand and have accepted on behalf of yourself and all members of your party our Important Holiday Information and our Booking Conditions. Once we have received your signed booking form and all appropriate payments (see clause 3), we will, subject to availability, confirm your holiday by issuing a confirmation invoice. Please check this invoice carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information on the confirmation or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later. We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracy in any document within 14 days of our sending it out (5 days for tickets). We will do our best to rectify any mistake notified to us outside these time limits but you must meet any costs involved in doing so, unless the mistake in question was made by us and there is good reason why you did not tell us about it within these time limits.
3. Payment
In order to confirm your chosen holiday, you must pay us a deposit and any applicable insurance premiums as set out on our booking form at the time of booking (or full payment if booking within 8 weeks of departure). The balance of the cost of your holiday must be paid no less than 8 weeks before departure. If you do not pay all sums due (including any surcharge see clause 5) in full and on time we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel your booking in which case you are liable to pay cancellation charges according to the scale set out in clause 8. NO REMINDER WILL BE SENT. We reserve the right to increase our advertised prices at any time prior to your booking. Any increase will be advised to you at the time of booking (see clause 5). For cheque payments that are unable to be cleared by our bank an additional charge of £5.00 per unpaid cheque will be levied to your booking. Personal cheques can not be accepted if booking/paying within 10 working days. When you accept these conditions it is deemed that they are accepted by yourself and all members of your party. All monies you pay to one of our authorised travel agents for your holiday with us will be held by the agent on your behalf until we issue our confirmation invoice. After that point, your agent will hold the monies on our behalf.
4. Your contract
A binding contract between us comes into existence when we issue your confirmation invoice. This contract and all matters arising out of it are governed by English law. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises out of or in connection with this contract or your holiday will be dealt with under the ABTA Arbitration Scheme (if the scheme is available for the claim in question - see clause 21) or by the Courts of England and Wales only. Your holiday contract is with Diamond Shortbreak Holidays Limited of Anson House, Compass Point, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9HW, registered company number 3546467, trading as the River Cruise Line and Diamond Holidays.
5. Our price
We reserve the right to raise or lower prices at any time before your holiday is confirmed. We will advise you of any difference and the applicable price at the time of booking. After booking we will only increase or decrease prices in the following circumstances. Price increases or decreases after bookings have been confirmed will be passed on by way of surcharge or refund. A surcharge or refund (as applicable) will be payable, subject to the conditions set out in this clause, in the event of any change in our transportation costs or in dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports. Even in the above cases we will only levy a surcharge if the amount of the increase in our costs exceeds 2% of the total cost of your holiday (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges). If any surcharge is greater than 10% of the cost of your holiday (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges), you will be entitled to cancel your booking and receive a full refund of all monies paid to us (except for any amendment charges) or alternatively purchase another holiday from us as referred to in clause 10. Although insurance (where purchased through us) does not form part of your contract with us or of any “package”, we will consider an appropriate refund of any insurance premium you have paid us if you can show you are unable to use/reuse or transfer your policy in the event of cancellation or purchase of an alternative holiday. A refund will only be payable if the decrease in our costs exceeds 2% as set out above. Where a refund is due, we will pay you the full amount of the decrease in our costs. You have 14 days from the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice to tell us if you want to cancel or purchase another holiday. If you do not tell us within this period of time, we are entitled to assume that you will pay the surcharge. Any surcharge must be paid with the balance of the cost of the holiday or within 14 days of the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice, whichever is later. Arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your holiday due to contractual and other protection in place. We promise not to levy a surcharge within 30 days of the start of your holiday. No refund will be payable if any decrease in our costs occurs during this period either.
6. Special requests and medical conditions
If you have a request, you must advise us at the time of booking and clearly note it on your booking form. Although we will try to pass any reasonable requests onto the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to meet any special requests will not be a breach of contract on our part. We regret we cannot accept any booking, which is specified to be conditional on the fulfillment of a particular request. All such bookings will be treated as "standard" bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests. If you or a member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your booking, please tell us before you book so that we can advise as to the suitability of the holiday. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking. If we reasonably feel unable to accommodate the needs of the person concerned, or if we feel that a potential or actual passenger may prejudice the enjoyment of other travellers, we reserve the right to decline or cancel their reservation.
7. If you change your holiday
Should you wish to make any changes to your holiday after your confirmation invoice has been issued, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such requests. We charge an amendment fee of £10 for each alteration, plus any charges incurred by us or incurred or levied by our suppliers. Any alteration by you after the “balance due date” will be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and be subject to the cancellation charges below.
8. If you cancel your holiday
If you or any members of your party decide to cancel we must be notified as soon as possible. If notification is by telephone, this must be followed up in writing or by email within 24 hours by the person who booked the holiday. Cancellation will take effect from the day we receive written notification so we recommend using recorded or registered post when writing. In order to compensate our expenditure, we charge a cancellation fee in accordance with the following scale.
Days notice prior Cancellation charge
to departure date % of holiday price
More than 56 Deposit
35 - 56 50%
21 - 34 75%
0 - 21 100%
We strongly recommend that you take out full insurance which will in many cases include cover against the above charges, providing the reason for cancellation falls within the terms of the policy. Claims must be made to the insurance company direct. Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and/ or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you accordingly.
9. If you want to transfer your booking
If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing we are notified in writing not less than 14 days before departure. Where a transfer to a person of your choice can be made, all costs and charges incurred by us or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result together with an amendment fee of £20 per person must be paid before the transfer can be affected.
10. If we change or cancel your holiday
We start planning the holidays we offer many months in advance. Occasionally, we have to make changes to and correct errors in brochure and other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed and cancel confirmed bookings. However, we will not cancel your confirmed booking after your balance due date unless you are in breach of contract (such as paying on time) or for reasons outside our control or "force majeure". Most changes are minor. Occasionally, we have to make a "significant change", which is a change made before departure which, taking account of the information you give us at the time of booking, we can reasonably expect to have a major affect on your holiday. "Significant changes" include the following changes when made before departure; a change to a lower quality of a main hotel or cruise vessel, a change of accommodation area which adversely affects the operation of the itinerary, tour itinerary changes involving a destination being eliminated.
We will tell you of the change as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure we will offer you the choice of the following options: 1) Accepting the changed arrangements, 2) Purchasing an alternative holiday from us, of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. We will offer you at least one alternative holiday of equivalent or higher standard for which you will not be asked to pay any more than the price of the original holiday. If this holiday is in fact cheaper than the original one, we will refund the price difference. If you do not wish to accept the holiday we specifically offer you, you may choose any of our other then available holidays. You must pay the applicable price of any such holiday. This will mean you’re paying more if it is more expensive or receiving a refund if it is cheaper or 3) Cancelling or accepting the cancellation in which case you will receive a full and quick refund of all monies you have paid to us. The above options are not available where any change made is a minor one. If we have to make a significant change or cancel we will where compensation is due, pay you the compensation payments set out in the table below depending on the circumstances and when the significant change or cancellation is notified to you subject to the following exceptions. Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above mentioned choices can be accepted where (1) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care. No compensation will be payable and the above options will not be available if we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time) or where a change is a minor one.
Period before departure a significant Compensation payable
change or cancellation is notified to you (excluding any supplements)
More than 56 days Nil
15-56 days 3% as a percentage of the basic holiday cost
0-14 days 6% as a percentage of the basic holiday cost
In all cases, our liability for significant changes and cancellations is limited to offering you the above mentioned options and, where applicable, compensation payments. We regret we cannot pay any expenses, costs or losses incurred by you as a result of any change or cancellation. Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see clause 11) to change or terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.
11. 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 by or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss (as more fully described in clause 18(1)) 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, but are not limited to, unavoidable technical problems with transport war or threat of war, riot, civil strife or threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, epidemic or fire.
12. Travel arrangements
Seats are allocated prior to departure and take into account, as far as possible, when your booking was made and any preferences requested. Once allocated, these seats are reserved for the duration of the holiday. Any times given are provisional and for guidance purposes only and are subject to change. Final timings and seat numbers will be advised with your travel documents approximately 7 to 10 days prior to departure. On occasion departure points may be included in addition to those listed in the brochure. On some occasions taxis or minibuses may be used for part of the journey.
13. Luggage allowance
As space is limited we ask that you restrict luggage to one suitcase per person weighing a maximum of 18 kilogram’s, plus light hand luggage.
14. Coaches
When you contact us to make a booking we act as agent for the relevant carriers which will be disclosed on your final joining instructions. We reserve the right to substitute the carrier if necessary. Your coach will be modern comfortable and manned by experienced driver(s). Almost all coaches we use (particularly those on longer journeys) have video, toilet, drinks' machine etc for your greater comfort. Coaches used on airport/port transfer, shorter weekend trips, etc, do not always have these extra facilities but will still be comfortable. By request of our previous passengers we do not allow alcohol or smoking on board our coaches.
15. Delays
In the event of a delay to the departure of your tour we will do our best to keep you informed. Should a delay exceed 4 hours during the outward or return journey either the carrier or ourselves will provide meals at mealtimes and, if appropriate overnight accommodation where possible. We will make every effort to ensure that your coach will be to the standard described in the brochure. However, we cannot accept any claims from passengers if a different vehicle is used for an emergency replacement.
16. Safety standards
It is the requirements and standards of the country in which any services which make up your holiday are provided which apply to those services and not those of the UK. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same as the UK and may sometimes be lower.
17. Accommodation
Unless otherwise stated, our holiday prices are per person and based upon the shared occupancy of twin or double bedded rooms / cabins. Single rooms / cabins are in limited supply and are often smaller in size to twin/double bedded rooms / cabins. Where there is a supplementary charge for single rooms /cabins, details are given in the brochure. En suite facilities designate rooms / cabins with private bathroom equipped with either bath or shower and WC. On holidays including full-board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) meal arrangements, lunches and dinners will normally be based on a set menu unless otherwise stated. Hotel ratings used in the brochure refer to local classifications. Grading systems vary from country to country and cannot be compared on a like for like basis. As far as possible we will use the hotel stated in the brochure. Occasionally it may be necessary to use an alternative hotel of equal standard and you will be advised at the earliest opportunity. The term 'hotel' includes motels, inns and other equivalent establishments according to local classification.
18. Our responsibility
(2) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: -
- the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or
- the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or
- 'force majeure' as defined in clause 11
(3) We cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised by us and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract and any excursion you purchase in resort. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.
(4) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract - and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred - will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature which might lead a reasonable holiday maker to refuse to take the holiday in question.
(5) As set out in these booking conditions, we limit the maximum amount we may have to pay you for any claims you may make against us.
Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is £30 per person affected (unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under this clause or clause 18(6)) as you are assumed to have taken out insurance at the time of booking. You must ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect your personal belongings.
For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, if we are found liable to you on any basis the maximum amount we will have to pay you is twice the price (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under clause 18 (6) below. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your holiday.
(6) Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail or road carrier or any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier or hotelier concerned would have to pay under the international convention or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question (for example, the Warsaw Convention as amended or unamended and the Montreal Convention for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, the EC Regulation on Air Carrier Liability No 889/2002 for national and international travel by air, the Athens Convention for international travel by sea, the Berne Convention for international travel by rail). Where a carrier or hotelier would not be obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable international convention or regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the carrier or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question. Copies of the applicable international conventions and regulations are available from us on request.
(7) We cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description (1) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or (2) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally we cannot accept liability for any business losses.
(8) You must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 21. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim or complaint (if the person concerned is under 18, their parent or guardian must do so). You must also agree to cooperate fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights which are transferred.
19. Conditions of suppliers
Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier's liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions (see clause 18 (6)). Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier concerned.
20. Behaviour
When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss must be paid direct at the time to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party's full legal costs as a result of your actions.)We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. If in our reasonable opinion or in the reasonable opinion of any other person in authority, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service. We will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.
21. If you have a complaint
If you have a problem during your holiday, you MUST report the matter to the driver or our representative and the supplier of the services in question IMMEDIATELY. If the matter is not then satisfactorily resolved, you must complete a written report (form available from our driver or tour manager) and follow up your complaint in writing within 28 days of your return, including a copy of the original report form. For all complaints and claims which do not involve death, personal injury or illness, we regret we cannot accept liability if you fail to notify the complaint or claim entirely in accordance with this clause. Disputes arising out of, or in connection with this contract which cannot be amicably settled may be referred to arbitration if you so wish under a special scheme arranged by ABTA and administered independently by IDRS, part of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The scheme provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on the customer in respect of costs. Full details will be provided on request or can be obtained from the ABTA website (www.abta.com) or from ABTA (for further contact details see clause 24). This scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £5,000 per person. There is also a limit of £25,000 per booking form. Neither does it apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences. The scheme can however deal with compensation claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1000 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element. The application for arbitration and statement of claim must be received by the IDRS within 9 months of the date of return from the holiday. Outside this time limit arbitration under the scheme may still be available if we agree, although the ABTA Code does not require such agreement.
22. Data protection
In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly and meet your requirements we need to use the information you provide such as name, address, any special needs/dietary requirements etc. We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass your information to the relevant suppliers, such as transport companies and hotels. The information may also be provided to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs/immigration if required by them, or as required by law. We will not however, pass any information onto any person not responsible for part of your travel arrangements. This applies to any sensitive information you give us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary/requirements. If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, we cannot provide your booking. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons. Diamond Holidays may contact you by mail, email or telephone with information and offers on goods and services. If you would like to see you information held by us or prefer not to receive information on our goods and services, please write to Data Controller, Diamond Holidays, Anson House, Compass Point, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9HW. We do not rent our names and addresses to third parties for marketing activities.
23. Financial protection
The River Cruise Line, a trading division of Diamond Shortbreak Holidays Ltd, is a member of the Association of British Travel Agents with membership number W0552. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, ABTA will ensure that you are not left stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. Please go to www.abta.com for a copy of the guide to ABTA’s scheme of Financial Protection. We also hold an Air Travel Organisers Licence, number 9357, granted by the Civil Aviation Authority.
24. Consumer Levy
The Government is presently considering proposals for the introduction of a “Consumer Levy” on all holidays. In the event of such a levy being introduced, we regret we reserve the right to pass this on to you in full and for it to be shown separately on your confirmation invoice, as this is not a surcharge. The provision on surcharges contained in our Booking Conditions will accordingly not apply.
25. Passports, visas and health requirements
The passport and visa requirements applicable at the time of printing to British citizens for the holidays we offer are shown on the page opposite. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. A full British passport presently takes approximately 2 to 6 weeks to obtain. If you or any member of your party is 16 or over and haven't yet got a passport, our recommendation is that you should apply for one at least 6 weeks before your holiday. The UK Passport Service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and will ask you to attend an interview in order to do this. If you or any member of your party is not a British citizen or holds a non British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel. Details of any compulsory health requirements applicable to British citizens for your holiday are shown on the page opposite. It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure. Information on health is contained in the Department of Health leaflet T7 (Health Advice for Travellers) available from the Department of Health by telephone on 0870 1555455 or via its website www.dh.gov.uk and from most Post Offices. For holidays in the EU / EEA you should obtain an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) prior to departure from the Department of Health (see leaflet T7 and the website www.dh.gov.uk). Health requirements and recommendations may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. It is the party leader’s responsibility to ensure that all members of the party are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure. All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.
26. Foreign Office Advice
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes regularly updated travel information on its website www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo which you are recommended to consult before booking and in good time before departure.
Important Holiday Information & Insurance
Your Financial Protection & Peace of Mind
The River Cruise Line, a trading division of Diamond Shortbreak Holidays Ltd, is a Member of ABTA with membership number W0552. ABTA and ABTA Members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist when things don’t go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. For more information on ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you if you have a complaint, contact ABTA, 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ, tel 020 3117 0581 www.abta.com.
We also hold an Air Travel Organisers Licence, number 9357, granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. When you buy a flight or package which includes a flight from us you will receive a Confirmation Invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our ATOL Licence number 9357. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk
Insurance
Travel insurance is a vital aspect to booking a holiday, giving you protection against unforeseen circumstances that could otherwise spoil your holiday. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that properly covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged competitive travel insurance from Travel & General Insurance Company plc to specifically meet your needs on your holiday.
The cover is underwritten by Travel & General Insurance Company plc, except for Section K (Legal expenses), which is underwritten by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited. Both insurers are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. There is no age restriction and children between 2 and 17 years pay half price and infants under 2 years are insured absolutely free! The insurance comes into effect the moment your deposit and insurance premium is processed and a policy document that fully defines the cover, conditions and exclusions will be sent to you with your booking confirmation (a copy is available on request). When you receive your policy, please take the time to read it carefully to ensure you understand what is and what is not covered, and that all activities that you may wish to participate in are included. If it does not meet your requirements, please return the policy, proof of premium and any other relevant documents to us within 14 days of receipt and we will refund the premium in full, provided you have not travelled or made a claim.
Should you decide not to purchase our insurance, you must provide us with details of your alternative insurance (not applicable for holidays staying in the UK, though we advise that you take insurance cover for holidays which involve a ferry crossing so you are covered in the event of a delay). If you fail to do so we will automatically add the premium(s) for our insurance to your booking and invoice you. Cover will not be effective until an premiums are paid. Any alternative insurance must be at least as comprehensive as ours, containing all sections and a 24-hour medical emergency number.
Important declaration
An insurance policy can only provide cover in respect of an accident, illness or an event / occurrence which is sudden, unforeseen and beyond your reasonable control. All material facts, such as your employment circumstances or your medical history or the medical history of your immediate family, must be disclosed to us. Failure to provide this information may mean that you will not be covered in the event of a claim.
Summary of Cover
Cancellation Up to £3,000
Travel Delay Up to £100
Missed Departure Up to £300
Personal Accident Up to £15,000
Emergency Medical Expenses Up to £5,000,000
Hospital Benefit Up to £500
Personal possessions Up to £1,500
Lost Travel Documents Up to £500
Personal Liability Expenses Up to £2,000,000
Legal Expenses Up to £25,000
24-hour Medical Emergency Service Included
An “excess” applies to certain sections of the policy, full details and all terms and conditions are provided in the policy booklet. If you or any members of your immediate family have a pre-existing medical condition, or have suffered from a serious, chronic or re-occurring illness, or if you are waiting to go into hospital as an in-patient, you must declare it to health check on 0845 408 0585. Details regarding cancellation by us or by you are given in our Booking Conditions.
Passport and Visa Requirements for British
Citizens -
A passport is essential for all holidays in this brochure and should be valid for at least 3 months beyond the date of return (6 months for Switzerland). If you do not have a passport, you should enquire at your local Passport Office at least twelve weeks before departure. Visas - Holders of passports other than British Citizen passports should check with the relevant Embassies for details of passport and visa requirements. It is the responsibility of the traveller to ensure that all passport and visa requirements are met and are in order before they travel. If your passport is in the final year of its validity, you should contact the Embassy of the country concerned before making travel plans.
Coach Travel
Where coach travel is offered as part of the holiday, a minimum number of passengers are required for the pick-up point to operate. In the unlikely event that your chosen pick-up point does not achieve sufficient numbers, we will offer you alternative travel arrangements which may include National Express services.
Check In/Out Times
To allow time for cleaning etc clients joining the cruise vessel are not able to board until 6pm and must vacate their accommodation by 9am on the last day, to allow time for cleaning etc.
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted on any of the coaches operating our holidays, however regular stops will be made during the journey. On board our cruise vessels smoking is only permitted on the sun deck.
Optional Excursions -
Optional excursions will operate subject to weather conditions and minimum numbers for each excursion. Changes to the advertised optional excursion programme are rare, but we do reserve the right to amend the programme at any time. The order in which optional excursions operate may vary according to local circumstances.
2011 Brochure
Advance Registration
Our 2011 brochure will be published in early 2010. If you wish to make an advanced booking prior to this you can do so by contacting our reservations team on 01858 431900.
How To Book - It’s Easy!
By Telephone 01858 431900
We recommend that you make a provisional booking by telephone in order to reserve your preferred departure date. Please have the following information ready when you phone.
1. The holiday title, your preferred departure point and the date of travel.
2. The type of cabin(s) you require.
3. The names of all people in your party.
4. Any special requests such as dietary requirements, medical conditions, details of any disabilities etc.
We will hold a provisional booking for 48 hours pending receipt of your signed booking form, deposit (full payment if booking within 8 weeks of departure) and insurance premium.
If you wish to pay by Visa, MasterCard or UK Maestro your booking can be confirmed by telephone on the understanding that you have read and understood our booking conditions.
Book online at: www.rivercruiseline.co.uk
By Post
Complete the enclosed booking form and send it together with your deposit (full payment if booking within eight weeks of departure) and insurance premium to:
The River Cruise Line
Anson House
Compass Point
Northampton Road
Market Harborough
Leicestershire
LE16 9HW
Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to: “The River Cruise Line”. The balance of your payment is due eight weeks before departure and the due date will be shown on your confirmation invoice: a reminder is not sent.
Final joining instructions will be forwarded approximately 7-10 days before departure. Payment of balance by Credit Card will incur an administration fee of 2%. There is no fee for deposits paid by Credit Card. There is no fee for payment by Debit Card. Cheques/Postal Orders should be made payable to “The River Cruise Line”. We are unable to accept American Express or Diners Card.
Holiday Deposit
£75 per person.
Privacy Policy
Contact The River Cruise Line
You are entitled to a copy of your information held by us. If you would like to see this please contact us at info@rivercruiseline.co.uk or write to:
The River Cruise Line
Overstone House
Kettering Road
Market Harborough
Leics
LE16 8AW
3rd party links and websites
This website may provide links to various travel, industry related and other third party websites. These links are provided for information purposes only so that you can find out more details. In no event will The River Cruise Line be responsible for any third party content, policies or actions. The third party is solely responsible for the content and accuracy of the third-party site.
Cookies
Many websites use "cookies" to help to improve the service provided on the website. Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive. We use cookies only to gather statistics, such as how long our users browse on each section of our website. This information enables us to improve the design of our website to make it better for the user. Other than this, we do not store information in the cookie and use it for any other purpose, or pass on personal data to any other parties.
With most internet browsers (for example Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) you are able to erase cookies from your hard drive, block all or some cookies or receive a warning before a cookie is stored. Further information about how to do this will be found by referring to your browsers help menu. Denial of a traffic log cookie should not prevent you from using one of these sites. You can delete the files that contain cookies that you have already accepted from your hard drive.
Your Consent
By using our website and if you have not advised us to the contrary, you are consenting to the collection and use of your personal information by The River Cruise Line and its trading names in accordance with this Privacy Policy. When you use this site, you are agreeing that we may use your personal information for the purposes set out in this policy.
