GENERAL INFORMATION

BROCHURE ACCURACY

The information given in the brochure are accurate as we can make it. Our brochure descriptions are of amenities normally available. However, circumstances can change due to events beyond our control. Major road work may necessitate route changes, Restaurants may close or change management. All of these cause us to make changes in the program. Where we may know of these sufficiently in advance we will notify you, otherwise our tour manager or local representative will inform you of the changes on the spot. Please remember that the brochure was produced many months in advance. There are also big fairs / Exhibitions lasting up to 2 weeks where all the hotels are fully booked several years ahead. Every effort is made to avoid such dates, but in few instances where it is unavoidable, it may be necessary to stay in hotels in other cities. During local or national holidays certain facilities such as museums and restaurants, sightseeing tours and shopping may be limited or not available. Alternatives will be offered wherever possible.

JURISDICTION

All disputes pertaining to tour and travel conducted by the company and any claims arising there- under shall be subjected to BC Jurisdiction only.

GROUP AIR

For each group we negotiate and secure group air contracts with all major airlines departing from the designated airport. This enables us to keep all passengers within a group traveling together, in most cases utilizing best air rates. Group air contracts differ from individually purchased airline tickets in many ways. When group air contracts are negotiated, we deposit a certain number of seats to hold the space and guarantee the rate. Unused seats must be released at least 90 days prior to departure to avoid a $ 250.00 per unused seat penalty. It is important to receive your registration by the deadline stated on the flyer. Once the seats are released back to the airlines, we may be able to accommodate passengers at a different air rate or on a different airline. Group air contracts limit types of deviations allowed and, in some cases, issuing tickets at individual rates may be necessary. Individual rates & reservations are not guaranteed until the tickets are issued. In order to issue an individual ticket, we must receive full payment. Taxes and fuel costs are subject to change until the tickets are issued.

FREQUENT FLYER NUMBERS: 

Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays Inc. cannot assist if you wish to reserve air using FF miles. We can update your record with Frequent Flyer #’s only if you note the number on the registration form. Otherwise please call the airline directly.

SEAT REQUESTS & CHANGES

Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays Inc. DOES NOT provide assistance with passenger’s seating preferences or specific seat requests. Due to the large number of passengers we work with, we are unable to provide this service unless the request is due to a medical issue. In this case, we will request a seat with the airline but cannot guarantee that the seat will be confirmed. Please understand that although requests are being made directly with the airline, not every request is guaranteed or granted by the airline. If you would like to have a seat number assigned, it is best to contact the airline directly upon receipt of your ticket confirmation # or change your seats at the time of check-in at the airport prior to departure.

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

As per airline rules, cargo bags up to 23 kgs. and handbags up to 6 kgs. are permitted. Please note: sharp items such as scissors, nail cutters, knives, pointed metallic items, batteries etc. are not allowed in the hand bag and must be packed in cargo baggage.

LAND ONLY (not purchasing group air with Royale Orchid Tour & Holidays Package):

We understand that some passengers may wish to purchase their own air transportation. Arranging transportation on your own may give you the ability to use flight miles for your ticket, secure the seat you desire/require, or deviate from the group. We offer land only prices on all our tours. Airport transfers are not provided for passengers purchasing land only (not purchasing air with us) if arriving or departing at any time different from the group. If you wish to enjoy the benefit of the group transfer, please be sure you are at the airport at the same time as the group. On certain itineraries airport transfers, may be very costly as the group may be traveling a far distance from the airport on the first or last day. If the flight schedule you purchase arrives or departs at a time different from the group, it is your responsibility to join the group either at the airport or at the first hotel.

MEALS

There are pre-set menus for the meals provided on tour. In some places, packed meals would be served. The types of meals are clearly indicated in the brochure. Unlike airline we cannot process a special meal nor can we guarantee special diet for the passenger, except to the extent mentioned in the brochure and preferred by you.

We reserve the right to change the meal arrangement if circumstances make it necessary to do so. In the event of the tour participant missing any meal due to any reason, then no claim can be made for the meal he / she missed and not utilized.

COACHES / SEATING

We use luxury coaches, air-conditioned or air-cooled. We have found it fairest to operate daily rotation of seats, so no seat numbers are allocated. Seats no’s, 1,2,3,4 in each bus / coach are reserved for the Tour Escort / Guides.

HOTELS

On your tour, you will have rooms with private bath or shower in your hotels. The hotels will either be those shown in the brochure or of a similar standard. Some of our hotels are not centrally located in the cities, but in common with other tour operators, we have found that to provide you with comfortable hotels it is often necessary to use hotels away form city centres.

SINGLE ROOMS:

A limited number of single rooms are available on each trip. If you wish to share a room let us know at the time of registration. We will attempt to connect you with another person looking to share. The cost of Travel Protection insurance will be adjusted to reflect the single supplement as insurance cost depends on total trip cost. Should we not be able to accommodate all single room requests and you are not able or willing to share, a complete refund will be provided. If your roommate cancels, and the room is converted into single usage, a single supplement will be charged.

PASSPORT AND VISA

All airlines require us to submit valid passport information including full name (first, middle and last), date of birth, gender, country, in which your passport has been issued and passport expiration date. To ensure that we can provide this information accurately, we require a photo copy of each person’s passport traveling on each tour. Your passport must be valid 6 months from the trip return date.

It is the passenger’s responsibility to check if visas are required for the destinations visited and to obtain any necessary travel documents. In case the visa application is rejected by the concern embassy / consulate or authorities, due to incomplete / delayed documents furnished by the passengers or due to any other reason whatsoever, or there are errors in the date of visa granted or scanned photographs on the visa, Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays shall not be liable for the same. All costs, charges in respect of the application for the visa, shall be borne by the passenger. If the passenger needs to cancel a tour due to rejection of visa or rejection of entry into the country, the cancellation charges of the company will be applicable and shall be payable by the client. There will be no refund if the client or any member of the party is unable to travel due to the said reason.

PAYMENTS

The registration amount paid while booking, is a non-refundable and interest free amount. The full payment must be received in accordance with the procedure laid down in the brochure under the heading “how to book on Royale Orchid Tours and Holidays Inc.”. Passengers must pay the entire amount of the tour before the said date. If we do not receive the final Payment by this date, we reserve the right to cancel the reservation. In the case of billing errors, we reserve the right to re-invoice with the correct pricing. In case of dishonored cheque, passengers will have to pay a $75 fee per cheque.

Cheque dishonored is an offence and the company reserve the right to take legal action.

TOUR PRICE

The price quoted in our proposal or brochure has been calculated as per the rates prevailing at the time of printing this brochure. The company reserves the right to amend / alter the price published in this brochure in case of the supplier rate fluctuations, currency fluctuations due to changes in the various cross rates of exchange, changes in various taxes, visa fees and / or fuel cost, before the date of departure. Any such increase in price must be paid in full before tour departure by the passenger. In exceptional cases any increase in price on the tour must be paid in full by guest on tour.

How much walking will there be on the trips?

This active program covers a good amount of ground each day. The days are busy, usually starting with a wake -up call around 5 AM and departure by 7 :30 AM or earlier. We aim to be back at the hotel between 6 PM and 7 PM. Times may vary depending on destination and program. Expect from three to four hours walking on some touring days. The pace is moderate; however, you will encounter some uneven surfaces, stairs, steps, cobblestones, and significant slopes. Some tours require walking in the open air with no shade and no seating available.

The Company reserves the right at anytime and for any reason:

To Cancel the application of any of the desiring passengers without assigning any reason after acceptance of the deposit, but prior to commencement of the tour. In the event that the company terminates the contract, the company may refund the deposit without payment of any interest; to amend, alter vary or withdraw any tour, holiday excursion, flight routing or facility it has advertised or published or to substitute a hotel or air/ rail/ bus journey or independent contractor of similar class for reasons which may be deemed fit and proper by the company. The passengers shall have no rights to raise any dispute regarding the same if the company decides to operate the tour with participation below the stipulated minimum or if the passengers are required to travel as individual travelers, the company reserves the right to collect additional pro-rata amounts. Passengers traveling as individual travelers in such cases will not be provided certain services including that of tour escorts, group activities and the passengers may travel with some amendments such as seat in coach airport transfers which are at fixed times etc.

Force Majeure

Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays Inc is not responsible for and no damages are due to a Traveler for failure by Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays to perform obligations related to the delivery of tour services if such a failure results from Acts of God (including fire, flood. Hurricane, storm, or other natural disasters), war, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, cyber-attacks, hostilities, terrorism, nationalism, government sanction, blockage or embargo, labor dispute, strike, lockout, interruption, or failure of any mode of conveyance, electricity, internet or telephone services, or illness, accident, or death of the Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays Representative. Optional Trip Protection Insurance is strongly encouraged.

Future Travel Credit Policy

Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays Inc. may offer a Future Travel Credit for trips that are postponed or cancelled. In some cases, Travel Insurance may also allow you to transfer your insurance premium to a future trip.

By accepting the Future Travel Credit, you agree that you will not file a claim with Travel Insurance for the cancellation of the original booking. If upon regular inspection of insurance claims, Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays  or Travel Insurance find both a claim and a credit, filed for the same trip, you agree to forfeit the total sum of the future travel credit and to recoup your losses solely according to the Terms and Conditions of your Travel Protection Policy.

Future Travel Credits are only eligible for a one-time transfer. They are non-refundable and non-endorsable.

BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Tours in our brochures, conducted by various tour operators and marketed by Royale Orchid Tours and Holidays Inc.

LIABILITY

We are travel and holiday organizers only. We do not control or operate any airline, neither do we own or control any shipping company, coach or coach company, hotel, transport or any other facility or service mentioned in this brochure. We take care in selecting all the ingredients in your holiday; but because we only select and inspect them and have no control in running of them, we cannot be responsible for any injury, death, loss or damage which is caused by the act or default of the management or employees of an independent contractor arising outside our normal selection and inspection process.

RESPONSIBILITY

In these conditions, the company means Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays and the client means the person / persons in whose name and / or on whose behalf the booking is made.

1. There is no contract between the company and the client until the company has received the appropriate deposit. The full payment must be received in accordance with procedure laid down in the brochure under the heading “How to Book on your Tour” if not paid in that time the company reserves the right to cancel the booking with consequent loss of deposit and apply scale of cancellation changes as mentioned in the brochure.
2. No person other than the company, in writing has the authority to vary, add, amplify, or waive and description, representation, term or condition set forth in this brochure.
3. In the event of the company exercising its right to amend or alter any tour or holiday advertised on their brochure after such tour or holiday has been booked, the client shall have the right:
   1. To continue with the tour or holiday as amended or altered.
   2. To accept any alternative tour or holiday which the company may offer.     In neither of these above cases shall the company be liable to the client for, any damage, additional expenses or consequential loss suffered by him.
4. The company shall in no circumstances whatsoever be liable to the client or any person travelling with him for:
   1. Any Death, personal injury, sickness, accident, loss, delay, increase expenses, consequential loss or any misadventure howsoever caused;
   2. Any act, omission, default of any hotelier, or concerned in the provision of accommodation, refreshment carriage facility of service for the client or any person traveling with him howsoever caused.
   3. The temporary or permanent loss of or damage to baggage or personal effects however caused. In this condition the expression “howsoever caused” included negligence on the part of the person.
5. No liability on the part of the company arising in any way out of this contract in respect of any tour, holidays, excursion facility shall exceed the total amount paid or agreed to be paid for the tour holiday. And shall in no case include any consequential / loss or additional expenses whatsoever.
6. The company shall not accept any liability or responsibility for any damage, loss, baggage loss, injury, accident, death, breakdown or irregularity, which may occur in carrying out the tour arrangement, weather conditions, strikes, war, quarantine and any other cause whatsoever and all such loss or expenses must be borne by the passengers.
7. Personal Insurance policies must be carried while on tour.
8. The management reserves the right to claim any additional expenses insured due to delay or changes in the schedule of the train, aeroplane, bus, ship or other services.
9. Any claim or complain by the client must be notified to the company in writing within 28 days of the end of this holiday tour.
10. In entering into the contact with the company, in addition to acting for itself is and shall be deemed to be acting as agent and trustee of its servant agents and contractor and as agent and trustee of all operators, and their servant agents and contractors, who at any time directly or indirectly take part in the effectuation of the tour. All such persons and companies shall to this extend be or be deemed to parties to the contract and shall be entitled to the benefits of the same immunities and exemptions from liability as are available to the company under these conditions.
11. Each of these conditions shall be severable from each other and if any provision be invalid, illegal or unenforceable the remaining provisions shall nevertheless have full force and effect.
12. It is a condition of booking that you take out a holiday insurance from your local travel insurers. The details of your travel insurance must be indicated in the booking form in the space provided.
13. The price quoted in this brochure have been calculated at the rate prevailing at the time of printing this brochure.  The company reserves the right to amend the price published in this brochure in case of the currency fluctuations and changes in the various cross rates of exchange, and or fuel costs, before the date of departure and to surcharge accordingly. All such increases in price must be paid for in full before departure.
14. All claims, disputes of whatever nature relating to the tour operated by Royale Orchid Tours & Holidays Inc. the courts in British Columbia shall alone have jurisdiction.