Terms and Conditions

for Travelations Pty Ltd t/a Cruise Express International
Ponant Antarctica 2020

Deposit
In order to hold space beyond option date, the deposit amount shown on your Travel the World invoice is required by the option date as stated on the invoice. Bookings made within the below cancellation penalties will require full payment upon confirmation. The amount includes a Travel the World administration fee of AUD110 per person. If the deposit is not received at Travel the World’s office by the due time / date, the booking will automatically cancel.

Booking
It is important the reservation is booked using full names as per passport. Fees may apply to amend names after booking is confirmed. By confirming your booking with payment you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions outlined below. No responsibility will be taken by Travel the World or Ponant Cruises for incorrect information supplied by guest/s. Failure to complete any necessary forms or documents required for travel may result in delay in release of documentation and/or cancellation of the booking or denial of boarding.

Final Payment
Refer to your invoice to determine when final balance will be due. Full payment must be received no later than the date stipulated on your booking confirmation. All reservations will auto cancel if payments are not received by this due date.

Cruise Fare
Your Cruise fare includes:
• Cruise accommodations as booked
• All meals from dinner on the day of embarkation to breakfast on the day of disembarkation
• Captain’s welcome cocktail & gala dinner
• “Open Bar” (pouring wines, house champagne, alcohol except premium brands) mineral water, tea & filter coffee.
• 24 hour room service (selected menu)
• Evening entertainments and events, and/or organized shows
• Luggage transfer from pier to the ship and vice versa
• Water sports activities (except scuba diving) using the ship’s equipment, when permitted by local authorities and confirmed by ship Master according to safety and sea conditions onsite.
• English speaking guest speaker (when applicable)
• Highly experienced bilingual (French-English) Expedition team for all cruises identified as Expedition Cruises

Your Cruise fare does not include:
• Any ground services before and/or after the cruise other than the ones in each “Cruise & Flights” packages for which details are
available upon request.
• Optional “Golf package” on selected sailings – to be booked prior to your departure
• Optional Spa package – to be booked prior to your departure
• Optional shore excursions
• Beverages other than the ones mentioned
• Laundry services, hair salon and a la carte Spa treatments
• Personal expenses onboard including medical consultations and drug prescriptions
• Gratuities
• Cancellation/luggage/assistance/repatriation/medical insurances
• Visa, disembarkation taxes, environmental taxes and/or national park fees if applicable.

Cruise fares are in Australian Dollars and include governmental fees and taxes (which are subject to change). Fares are capacity controlled and subject to change at any time up until you book without prior notice. Once booked, your fare is only subject to any increased government fees and taxes which may be added to the fare or to your onboard account.

Fares, Taxes and Surcharges
The prices quoted at the time of booking are based on expected economic conditions at the time of sailing. These conditions include the cost of transport and fuel, relevant taxes including embarkation and disembarkation taxes, port charges, entrance costs to tourist sites, international currency rates, and other variable costs which are inherent to the calculation of applicable fares. Travel The World advises that Ponant Cruises reserves the right within the legal limits of French Law to vary the prices if necessary and appropriate even after final payment. Whilst Ponant Cruises reserves the right to refuse boarding to passengers who have not paid the additional amount due, no price adjustments can be made within 60 days of departure. This does not include Fuel Surcharges which can be charged up until sailing and maybe charged to your on board account.

Flights & Transfer Packages/Programs
Ponant Cruises provides flight & transfer programs on selected cruises including some Expedition Cruises (e.g. Antarctica). Flights and Transfers are provided to some ports of embarkation and disembarkation from/to a designated airport as specified by Ponant Cruises. These flights and transfer packages are MANDATORY on some sailings including Antarctica and are included in the FULL cruise fare cost. Full details of Flight Transfer packages are available from 10 months prior to departure of cruise and are available on the website www.ponant.com

Flights & Transfer Package / Programs include:
– Ground services before and/or after the cruise. These may include and not withholding to
– Meet and Greet by Ponant Cruises representative at destination airport
– Transfers to and/or from the ship and after services before and after the cruise according to detailed programs.
– Additional ground services which may include, as applicable hotel room, restaurant bookings or guided tours
– Economy Class air on selected flights from a designated departure/arrival airport on either a private charter flight organised by Ponant Cruises or a selected regular air service depending on destination. Final timings and schedule of the day by day program will be communicated with the cruise ticket.
– All air programs are made in economy class and according to number of seats available. If the class is not available, depending on the availability, extra seats with a fare supplement may be available
– Requests for an upgrade to Business Class are on application and may not be available on all flights.
– Luggage restrictions apply according to airlines regulations. Airline carriers charge for extra weight (which must be paid by the passenger travelling) and sometimes refused for security reasons to check–in overweight and oversized luggage. Ponant Cruises and the airline carriers waive all liability with extra weight that is refused at the check-in.

Please refer to your cruise for full disclosure of the Flight & Transfer Package/Program available. Please Note: Not all Flight & Cruise programs are MANDATORY and some are offered pre or post cruise only.

Non-Refundable & Promotional Fares
Ponant Cruises may at times release special promotional fares that attract differing terms and conditions from those outlined within and reflected in the Ponant Cruises brochure and website. These may include different deposit amounts, different payment and cancellation conditions including non-refundable deposits and fares. To confirm if you have been booked on a promotional fare please check at time of booking with Travel the World for the conditions which may apply to your booking.

Onboard Credits / Shipboard Credits & Promotional Inclusions
From time to time there maybe promotions which include onboard credits or other inclusions such as speciality restaurant vouchers or drink packages/cards. These promotions can be applied to the cabin or to individual passengers. An Onboard Credit is a monetary amount which is applied to your onboard account for onboard purchases. Some Onboard Credits or promotional inclusion may not be combinable with other offers and are non-transferable. Any unused portion of the Onboard Credit will expire at midnight on the last night of your cruise and is not redeemable for cash at any time. Onboard Credit or other promotional inclusions are not transferable between any cruises, including consecutive cruises and fellow travellers. Any promotional inclusions not used will be forfeited on conclusion of the cruise.

Public Rates
They are the reference rates of an applicable cruise. Public rates are per person and based on double occupancy and can be charged when there is no Bonus Fare offered.

Ponant Bonus Fares
Ponant Bonus Fare is a special savings program off published cruise only rates (Brochure Fare/ Public Rate) for selected voyages. Ponant Bonus is the guaranteed best price you can obtain on the DAY you make your reservation. Ponant Bonus Fares are capacity controlled, subject to availability and may change at any time without notice. Ponant Bonus may not be combinable with other promotional offers. Ponant Bonus saving is not applicable on taxes, excursions, airline ticket and any additional items than the cruise itself.

Special Savings
Ponant Cruises offers special savings which require guests to qualify e.g. Ponant Yacht Club Grand Admiral Member, Family & Friends, Honeymoon and Wedding Anniversary. If a guest receives a special promotional saving, they MUST be able to verify their qualifications and produce any supporting documentation before savings will be applied. If guests are unable to provide proof of qualification, Ponant Cruises has the right to cancel the booking or adjust the price of booking to a suitable cruise fare to which the guest qualifies. Any outstanding monies due to such change must be paid immediately otherwise booking will be cancelled. Special savings only applies to the Ponant Bonus Fare or Brochure Fare and is not applicable on taxes, excursions, airline tickets, flights and transfer packages and any additional items than the cruise itself. Promotional savings may not be applicable to ALL sailings and may not be combinable with any other promotions.

Cancellations
All cancellation requests must be submitted to Travel the World by email to reservations@traveltheworld.com.au. Cancellations must be received no later than 2pm EST/EDT on a scheduled NSW working business day for booking to be cancelled that day. Cancellations received after 2pm will not be processed until the following NSW working business day. Ponant Cruises will apply the cancellation fees shown below for guests who cancel for any reason, including medical or family related reasons. The cancellation fee amount will be advised by Ponant Cruises once the cancellation advice has been processed by Ponant Cruises.

Ponant Cruises Cancellation Guideline

NB: FULL fare is defined as the entire cruise booking, including cruise fare, port and safety taxes. For Back to Back or Consecutive cruises are assessed on each of the individual cruises booked. Cancellation penalties apply for each cruise.

Please note: *For services included in your booking that are not provided by Ponant Cruises, additional cancellation fees may be incurred. Cruise Express impose it’s own cancellation fees. Additional cancellation fees maybe imposed on non-cruise portions of your booking including pre/post accommodation packages and/or transfers.

Ponant Cruises reserves the right to charge you for cancellation fees incurred which may be greater than the amounts of payments received at the time of cancellation of your booking. Any outstanding amounts must be paid by the cancelled parties. In addition, guests will be liable for any additional fees charged by any non-cruise providers due to cancellations including a Travel the World cancellation administration fee of AUD110 per person. The Travel the World cancellation administration fee will be deducted from any refund due. Please note: Ponant Cruises reserves the right to change deposit, payment and cancellation terms & conditions without prior notice.

Partial Cancellations & Change in Stateroom Occupancy
Changes in stateroom occupancy when one guest cancels and the other guest is still travelling will result in cancellation fees for the cancelled guest/s and recalculation of the remaining guest/s’ fare. In some circumstances, guest/s still travelling may be required to pay a surcharge for the changed occupancy stateroom regardless of the cancellation fees paid by the cancelling guest/s. Promotions such as onboard credits or other promotional inclusions can be affected by changes made to your booking.

Options – Transfers, Pre & Post Accommodations
If you purchase transfers, pre or post accommodation packages through Ponant Cruises, you are required to provide your arrival/departure information to Travel the World. You need to send an email to reservations@traveltheworld.com.au with your flight arrival/departure details, including airline name, flight number and arrival and departure cities. If this information is not received before your departure we cannot guarantee your transfers will be available.

Booking Changes & Amendments
Name changes require prior approval of Ponant Cruises and may not always be possible. Cruise contracts are non transferable. Name changes and departure date changes are considered reservation cancellations and are subject to cancellation fees. Ponant Cruises may charge additional fees for any amendments made to your travel arrangements after the due date for final payment. Name changes or additions may be allowed at Ponant Cruises discretion and are subject to cancellation charges and fare increases. Amendment fees are not charged for stateroom upgrades, unless travel documents need to be re-issued or the change is of a lesser value to the original booking. Please note: Promotions/Inclusions such as onboard credit or other promotional inclusions may be affected by changes made to your booking.

Modification/Change Penalties on Deposited Bookings
In the case of modification/change on a deposited booking for a travel package of inferior or a lesser value to the original booking, modification penalty applies and is equivalent to the applicable cancellation penalty percentage at time of modification/change. The penalty percentage applies on the difference in prices between the initial package and the new package fare. In cases of modification on the deposited paid bookings for travel package of higher superior value, no modification penalty will be assessed. In addition Travel the World will charge an AUD25 administration fee per booking each time a change is made. These include: all name spelling corrections, any change of stateroom category or fare code that results in a lower fare than previously booked, removal of accommodation or transfers outside of penalty periods.

Combination and Back to Back Cruises
Guests may wish to book consecutive cruises – back to back options. When booking consecutive cruises, Ponant Cruises may not be able to guarantee guests will travel in the same stateroom for their entire journey due to availability. Cruises will be invoiced as individual voyages and will be referred to as individual sailings. Consecutively booked cruises will need to be cross-referenced at time of booking. The deposit amount for back to back cruises or combination cruises is the TOTAL of all individual cruise deposits for each cruise required and payable at time of confirmation. At times, Ponant Cruises may offer a discount off the 2nd or subsequent cruises. This discount only applies on the amount of the cruise only fare excluding port taxes and charges and applies to the 2nd or further consecutive cruise only. Should guests cancel the initial or 1st cruise the back to back discount will be removed from the 2nd cruise booked. Please note: Back to Back discounts and amounts are at the discretion of Ponant Cruises and may not apply to all sailings. Discounts and amounts can change at any time.

Guarantee Staterooms
If a GUARANTEED stateroom (cabin with no cabin number assigned), is booked an identical or higher category stateroom (for the same price) will be assigned at any time after the booking is made and may not be advised until day of sailing. The allocated stateroom may be located on any passenger deck on the ship, but you will be assigned AT LEAST the category for which you paid. Your stateroom assignment will be advised when you check in for your cruise. Please note: Guarantee staterooms assigned may be equipped differently from general category description including certain oceanview staterooms with obstructed view and modified accessible staterooms.
Special stateroom requests cannot be assigned to guarantee stateroom bookings. When booking a guarantee stateroom, bookings cannot be cross-referenced for cabin assignments but can be cross referenced for dining only. To cross reference cabin assignments, bookings MUST be made with an original cabin assignment to apply.

Upgrade & Stateroom Change Policies
Ponant Cruises reserves the right to upgrade a guest or guests to more expensive category accommodation at no additional cost. Ponant Cruises also reserves the right to move guest/s from their original stateroom number booked to another stateroom in the same category due to operational reasons including when the number of people booked in the stateroom is less than the number of beds in the stateroom. Stateroom changes can occur at anytime including up to the day of sailing and is always at the discretion of Ponant Cruises. If you do not wish to have your stateroom changed, you need to advise Travel the World at time of booking your request to decline an upgrade or change in stateroom. Please note, the request to have no stateroom changes made to your booking cannot be guaranteed.

Single Guests
Single occupancy may be available in select categories at a higher charge. The supplement for single use of a stateroom varies depending on availability, sailing date, duration and stateroom category for the chosen itinerary. Please note the percentage of the sole occupancy supplement may be changed without prior notice. Single occupancy availability is capacity controlled and is always at the discretion of Ponant Cruises.

Third/fourth Guest & Children’s Fares
Fares for third/fourth guests in a stateroom vary by sailing date, destination, voyage duration and stateroom category. Fares for third/fourth and children’s fare are available on application. Third/fourth occupancy staterooms are subject to availability and are capacity controlled. A stateroom must be assigned at time of booking that is equipped with third and/or fourth guest bedding. Guarantee staterooms cannot be assigned to a triple/fourth booking.

Booking Forms
It is a requirement of Ponant Cruises that a booking form must be completed and returned with the deposit. The booking form should have been sent with the initial Travel the World invoice. If you have not received, please contact Travel the World to obtain this form. Failure to return the booking form, may delay documentation.

Medical Questionnaires and Forms
Any specific health issue, if known must be reported in writing to Ponant Cruises medical department through the MANDATORY medical questionnaire to be completed and returned by EACH participant on Arctic, Antarctic and any other Expedition cruise as advised by Ponant Cruises WITHIN 100 days prior to departure. Cruise documentation will not be released unless the Medical Questionnaires and forms have been received by Ponant Cruises. Any guest not having provided this MANDATORY document will not be authorised to embark without
possible recourse.

Passports / Visas / Immunisations / Formalities
Each passenger is personally responsible for complying with required legal regulations. All passengers must carry a valid passport, as well as the visas and vaccination certificates which may be required at the airport and/or at the port of arrival and departure. Ponant Cruises and Travel the World waives all liability for not complying with the required legal regulations regarding immigration, customs or sanitary documents required before departure during your trip. Ponant Cruises and/or Master of the ship are entitled to refuse embarkation or prevent disembarkation of any passengers who do not show the documents allowing them to disembark at the scheduled destination or stopover ports. Any guest who fails to obtain the appropriate travel documentation to board the airplane or access the ship is responsible and may not claim any compensation or refund of their trip or services.

Travel the World & Ponant Cruises do not provide advice regarding passports and/or visas. However all guests are required to carry a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the completion of your travel and may also be required to contain at least two completely clear, blank, unused visa pages as well as any necessary visas and vaccination certificates which may be required in destination ports where the ship calls. For some ports shipboard visas maybe arranged by Ponant Cruises and a fee charged to your shipboard account. For full access details please refer to the formalities section of your specific Ponant cruise on the website www.ponant.com. This information is always subject to change at any time without advance notice from government authorities. For any necessary visas, please contact your nearest consulate for the most up to date information. As to immunisations, please check with a travel medicine specialist or local health department for specific recommendations and/or requirements. We recommend the use of www.smartraveller.gov.au for advice in these areas.

All matters relating to compliance with the laws and regulations of all immigration authorities are solely the passenger’s responsibility. Find visa information here. In addition to Visa, Passport and Health requirements- specific environmental taxes, disembarkation fees and entrance fees to National Parks are assessed by government authorities for different cruises. A fee maybe imposed and can be charged to your shipboard account Documentation Cruise documents are prepared in France and will be sent to you approximately 10-12 days prior to sailing. It is most important all reservations be made in the full passport name of the passengers. It is also important to advise  Travel the World of the clients ex Australia date.

Please note: Ponant Cruises must receive a copy of guest’s passport and copies of all relevant visas obtained for guest’s cruise before documentation is released. If Ponant Cruises does not receive copies of passport and relevant visas before departure, guests may be denied boarding. Minors and Children Ponant Cruises will not accept reservations for children under 3 years of age. Children between 3 and 8 years old are accepted subject to agreement at the time of booking. If accepted a liability waiver will have to be completed and returned to Travel the World to validate your booking. On expedition cruises, children must be able to disembark/embark by zodiac without assistance and be able to understand and follow safety instructions. In all cases, children and young adults (up to the age of 18), once on board are the entire and total responsibility of their parents or guardians.

Pregnancy
Women who are more than 5 months pregnant at the time of embarkation are not permitted to travel.

Mobility
Please note the sailing vessel LE PONANT is NOT accessible for those with limited mobility or using a wheelchair. L’Austral, Le Boreal, Le Soleal and Le Lyrial have limited cabins which are specially adapted for disabled guests. Nevertheless, for safety reasons, all passengers must either be fully mobile or must be accompanied by a travelling companion fit and able to provide all necessary assistance during the voyage. Persons who are not fully mobile, with physical disabilities or other handicaps requiring special treatment or assistance, including persons who use a wheelchair must advise Travel the World & Ponant Cruises in writing of the nature of such conditions when making a reservation request and BEFORE the signing of the booking form. Ponant Cruises reserves the right to refuse passage to anyone who has failed to notify them and Travel the World of such limited mobility, disabilities or need of assistance whose medical conditions is not compatible with security rules and requirements specific to the navigation area, or who in the Ponant Cruises opinion is unfit for travel.

Please note: Landings are done using zodiacs making them very difficult or even impossible for passengers with limited mobility. Each landing will be subject to Captain and Expedition Leader approval.

Gratuities
Recommended gratuities are 12€ per day per passenger. It is culturally the “French way” to pay on board.

Expedition Cruises & Programs (including Arctic & Antarctica)
Due to exceptional nature of the expedition cruises, site names are given as an indication only. Final route will be confirmed daily by the Captain and Expedition Leader depending on ice conditions, weather forecasts with priority being given to passenger safety. Ponant Cruises, organizer of expeditions, does not undertake and does not have any responsibility for the accuracy of any information it provides or to determine or assure the suitability of any participant to expedition activities proposed by Ponant Cruises, in general or as to a particular person. All persons who participate in any expedition activity of Ponant Cruises accepts responsibility for making their own determinations as to the suitability of the activity and their own safety, conduct and well-being and agrees to participate solely at their own risk. Attending information briefings is MANDATORY. Thus informed, each participant assumes the risk associated with these activities.

Boot Rental
For some Expedition Cruises including Antarctica where there are “wet landings”, boots are an essential item when you go ashore. Ponant Cruises has selected Ship to Shore Traveler, an expedition equipment specialist, to offer you during your cruise, the renting of your boots that are specially adapted for polar destinations. There is a specific website for this boot hire at www.ponantboots.com. Alternatively, you can bring your own boots or arrange your own rental.

Itinerary Changes / Alterations / Cancellation of a Trip
Arrival and departure times are given as an indication only. Ponant Cruises cannot guarantee coincidence with corresponding schedules (plane, train etc.) notably due to modification of the program duration initially planned, which cannot incur any compensation as Ponant Cruises cannot be held liable for indirect damages. Ponant Cruises reserves the right to withdraw and/or cancel a sailing to make changes in the itinerary whenever, in its sole judgment, or in the judgment of the vessel owner or operator, conditions warrant it. In the event of adverse meteorological conditions or adverse political or social conditions in the country of a port of call or for any other fact that may jeopardize the safety of guests or of the ship, or in the event of orders by public authorities Ponant Cruises may change the itinerary or ports of call or destination, delay end or cancel the trip, divert the ship, tow or to be towed, transfer guests and their luggage aboard any other means of transportation, even when this results in an increase or a shortening of the advertised program. Itinerary changes, alterations and cancellation of a trip are always at the discretion of Ponant Cruises.

Responsibility
Travel the World accepts bookings subject to the following conditions:
Travel the World acts as the co-ordinator for all persons taking any service*, and in the making of arrangements for the service. Travel the World does not own, manage, control or operate any component of the delivery of services and all coupons, receipts and tickets are issued subject to the terms and conditions specified by the laws of the country where a service is provided. Travel the World act only as an agent for the owners contractors and suppliers of services and assume no responsibility for the loss or damage to baggage, property or for injury or illness or death, or for any damages or claims of damage to persons or property, delays, transport failures, strikes, wars & uprisings, or acts of God etc over which we have no control. Clients are strongly advised to ensure adequately for the full duration of their travel arrangements in respect of illness or injury, death, and loss of baggage and personal effects. While Travel the World will use its best endeavours to facilitate services* to be performed as advertised, reasonable changes in the itinerary may be made without notice where deemed necessary or advisable by Travel the World or the operator. Further, whilst Travel the World will take all reasonable steps to provide enjoyable services*, Travel the World accepts no liability for any loss of enjoyment whatsoever, and howsoever experienced by a passenger. All matters relating to any service* provided by Travel the World are governed by the law of the state of New South Wales – Australia.
*Service/s refer to all accommodation & hotels or accommodation, cruises, flights, ground transportation/transfers, meals & beverages, shore excursions and tours.

Privacy Policy
Information collected in the booking process will be treated in accordance with Travel the World’s Privacy Policy. This policy can be found at
http://www.traveltheworld.com.au/Privacy-Policy.html.
NB – Please note that these terms and conditions can change without prior notice. For further information, please refer to the Ponant Cruises brochure or Ponant Cruises website www.ponant.com.