Booking Procedure
To secure your reservation, a 30% (thirty per cent) deposit will be required to be paid to Across Continents Vacations within 7 days of reservation of the booking and submission of the invoice. Failure to do so timeously will result in the automatic cancellation of your booking. The remaining balance of payment amounting to 70% (seventy per cent) must be paid to us 90 days prior to the commencement of your booking however if you have booked your trip within 60 days of departure, the full payment must be paid on date of reservation to secure your booking.
Across Continents Vacations only accepts payment via direct Electronic Funds Transfer to our United States Dollar account. Any bank charges incurred as a result of a payment or foreign exchange difference will be for your account, notwithstanding the method of payment chosen. Across Continents Vacations reserves the right to cancel reservations should your deposit or balance of payment not be received on time. Across Continents Vacations reserves the right to increase a quotation before receipt of payment should suppliers increase their prices, this despite the quotation already having been issued.
Should you have paid in full for your booking and there are increases that occur in pricing that neither ourselves as agent nor the suppliers have any control of, you will be liable for these increases and will be billed accordingly. This can be as a result of several factors including, but not restricted to, Government Tax increases that affect tourism related services and Park Fee Increases.
Cancellations
All cancellations must be done in writing and receipt thereof acknowledged by African Safari Experts to be a valid cancellation.
Cancellation of any booking is subject to the following conditions:
- Less than 10 weeks’ notice – Deposit forfeited
- Less than 8 weeks’ notice – Deposit plus 25%
- Less than 4 weeks’ notice – 50% is forfeited
- Less than 3 weeks’ notice – 60% is forfeited
- Less than 2 weeks’ notice – 100%
Payment terms
After clients confirmed their booking they receive an invoice with all details. In order to confirm our clients’ reservation, we require a 50% deposit payment of the itinerary cost and 100% upfront payment for airline tickets. The balance of payment is due 65 days prior to the commencement date of your itinerary. Bookings made within 65 days prior to departure are subject to full prepayment at the time of confirming the reservation.
Website pricing
All prices published on ac-vacations.com are per person, based on two persons (unless otherwise stated) and quoted in US dollars (US$). Cost of obtaining passports or visas, border taxes (if applicable), tips for guide, driver and hotel staff, insurances, additional excursions or personal expenses are not included in the itinerary cost. Discount rates for children or peak-rates during high/festive season are not included. All prices on the website should be used as a guideline only. AC Vacations cannot be held responsible for any changes or pricing errors. AC Vacations will specify all cost in their invoices. The quotations are valid for 2 weeks.
Insurances
It is a condition of booking, that the sole responsibility lies with the guest to ensure that they carry the correct comprehensive travel and medical insurance to cover themselves, as well as any dependents/travelling companions for the duration of their trip to African countries. This insurance should include: medical expenses and repatriation expenses. Optional insurances are: cancellation or curtailment of the safari, emergency evacuation expenses (flying doctors), damage/theft/loss of personal baggage, money and goods.
Passports and visas
It is upon the guest to ensure that passports and visas are valid for the countries visited. You can also get your visa in advance at the embassy in your home country. Check the visa rules per destination country before you go. Passports should have at least six months of validity after the final day of travel. AC Vacations cannot be held liable for any visas, etc. not held by the guests, nor the cost of visas.
Liability
The Client hereby acknowledges, confirms and records that he/she understands the risk inherent in adventure travel in African destinations and associated activities. The Client is accepted onto the tour and undertakes to do the tour, travel or activity at his/her own risk. The client agrees and concedes that the Company, its representatives and employees shall not be responsible for loss or damage to possessions, or injury or illness to the client or loss of life or consequential damages which might occur from any cause whatsoever.
Illness or Disability
If you are suffering from any illness or disability, or are undergoing any medical treatment, you must declare this openly and honestly to AC Vacations at the time of booking your trip. In a similar manner, if you are affected by any condition that may affect you or others during your trip in any way, you must comprehensively advise AC Vacations at the time of your booking. It is your responsibility to make arrangements for the provision of any medication or treatment while on tour. Failing to declare any conditions, illnesses, disability or the like, will constitute a breach of these terms and conditions and can result in you being excluded from your booked trip or excursion without refund of any payment.
Claims and Complaints
In the unlikely event that the client has a complaint against AC Vacations, AC Vacations must be informed immediately, in order that an opportunity is afforded to the company to investigate the situation and provide redress. If the client has any further complaints, these must be lodged in writing to AC Vacations within 1 week of the tour end date. If these procedures are not followed, AC Vacations will not start or continue any such investigation of said complaint.
Refunds
Whilst AC Vacations uses its best endeavors to ensure that all anticipated accommodation is available as planned, there shall be no claim of any nature whatsoever against AC Vacations for a refund either in the whole or part, if any accommodation or excursion is unavailable and a reasonable alternative is not found. If the guest is unable to use any service provided in the itinerary, then there are no refunds due.
The Company Authority
Any decision made by the tour guide, acting as a representative of AC Vacations, shall be deemed final on all matters. AC Vacations shall not be responsible or liable for any client who commits an illegal or unlawful act in any country visited, or the consequences of such an illegal act. The client may in such circumstances be excluded from the tour without a refund, at the sole discretion of AC Vacations or their representative. If AC Vacations considers a client unsuitable for a tour (due to mental or physical illness or implied danger to any other Client or Company representative) it may at its sole discretion decline to carry the Client further. If a Client causes severe inconvenience or annoyance to other Clients, AC Vacations may decline to carry the client further, without any refund whatsoever. This will only occur after extensive intervention by the tour guide or Company representative.
Client Responsibility
It is the Client’s sole responsibility to ensure that passports, visas, travel permits, and inoculations required for the tour, are obtained well in advance and are in order in terms of all the countries to be visited. It is the Client’s responsibility to meet any additional costs incurred either by the Client (or by the Company on the Client’s behalf) as a result of any failure by the Client to comply with such requirements. The Company may not be held liable for any failure on the part of a client to be in possession of the correct travel documentation. The onus is on the Client concerned to fully acquaint themselves with the Terms and Conditions set herein and all matters such as visas, required documentation, payment schedules and cancellation policies. It is the Client’s responsibility to check the latest FCO advice (foreign & commonwealth office) for the countries they will be travelling to.
Luggage Allowance
Baggage is strictly limited to one large bag, weighing a maximum of 20 kg. Also allowed will be a smaller hand-luggage bag or camera bag per Client. These restrictions are essential because of the nature of the tour. Because overloaded vehicles are inherently dangerous and cause unnecessary transport problems, potentially endangering Clients and Company representatives, AC Vacations insists that every Client adhere to these luggage restrictions.
