Terms & Conditions SMRA

Cruise Express

Australian owned and operated

Terms and Conditions
Scott McGregor’s Rail Adventures

This document sets out the terms and conditions by which you contract with us to provide you with services relating to our international escorted group fly/cruise/tour departures. By making a booking through us (in-store, by phone, by email or online via our website) you acknowledge that you have read, understood and you agree to be bound by them. A list of terms are defined at the end of these Booking Conditions.

PRICES

All prices are subject to availability and can be withdrawn or amended at any time without notice. Prices can be adjusted due to currency fluctuations for international tours. Generally, prices for specific services will not be increased once final payment has been received for that service.

FLIGHTS

In most cases we have not included international or domestic flights, visas, airport taxes, security taxes etc. in the cost of our tours as these will vary depending on other individual travel requirements. Your Cruise Express Travel Specialist can assist with these arrangements and will advise at the time of booking the related terms and conditions of your airfare.

DEPOSIT & FINAL PAYMENT

To confirm your reservation, you will be required to pay a refundable deposit. The deposit is $1000 per person and may include deposit to supplier/wholesaler. Your deposit includes a non-refundable deposit to Cruise Express. Your deposit forms part of your final payment which must be received by us before documents are issued.

INTERNATIONAL

Final payment unless specified is required 60 days prior for international tours.

CANCELLATION FEES

If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply:

  • More than 60 days before departure: Deposit – refundable minus $250 handling fee
  • 60- 46 days prior 20% of total amount due*
  • 45-31 days prior 50% of total amount due
  • 30-0 days prior 100% of total amount due

*This amount may be credited to another Railway Adventures tour departing within 12 months of the original tour you booked. We regret, in this case early-bird discounts will not apply. We take the day on which you cancel as being that on which we receive written confirmation of cancellation.

CANCELLATION BY US

We reserve the right to cancel a tour for any reason (such as failure to reach a minimum tour participant numbers). No further compensation will be paid in the event of cancellation by Scott McGregor’s Railway Adventures once inside cancellation penalties.

PAYMENTS

Can be made by credit card, cheque or electronically.

**Fees and Charges: Credit card merchant charges apply of 1.5% for Visa, Mastercard and 3% for AMEX. No fees apply to other forms of payment.

AMENDMENT/CANCELLATION FEES

All deposit payments made prior to Final payment date (60 days International and 45 days domestic prior to departure) are fully refundable. If Railway Adventures is forced to cancel the trip between then and the day of departure (once final payments have been made to suppliers) you will be offered an alternative departure or a future travel credit.

We are unable to provide a refund to you until we receive the funds from the relevant supplier. Amended or cancelled bookings will incur charges. These charges can be up to 100% of the cost of the booking, regardless of whether travel has commenced. Railway Adventures reserves the right to charge cancellation fees over and above those charged by wholesalers, tour operators, airlines, cruise companies, etc., within guidelines recommended by travel insurance companies. Fees may also apply where a booking is changed, or tickets are reissued.

Some Venues have yet to confirm the rules that may be applicable for social distancing and group sizes at the time of our planned visit. With your health and safety in mind, every effort will be made to supply the services and inclusions stated in the itinerary. However, we will comply with the advice and guidelines of the applicable health authorities at the time of travel. If smaller group sizes are required at venues, we reserve the right to amend the itinerary and venues visited.

COVID

If, in the unfortunate circumstance that someone tests positive while travelling with us, we will assist them in making arrangements to get home, or to stay in isolation at a private accommodation for the required period of time. However, they will be required to leave the tour at their own expense.

UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE TOUR

We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions of the tour, such as meals, entry fees, accommodation, flights or transfers.

WILL THE TOUR PRICE OR ITINERARY CHANGE?

If the number of participants on a tour is significantly less than budgeted, or if there is a significant change in exchange rates Railway Adventures reserves the right to amend the advertised price. We shall, however, do all in our power to maintain the published price.  Occasionally circumstances beyond the control of Railway Adventures make it necessary to change airline, hotel or to make amendments to daily itineraries. We will inform you of any changes in due course.

DETAILS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

We endeavour to have all the details of our tours correct at the time of printing. However, sometimes factors beyond our control may affect the final inclusions and prices. These factors may include, but not be limited to; significant fluctuations in currency exchange rates, individual hotel/restaurant decisions that may affect bookings; weather events forcing a change of itinerary; unexpected trackwork on rail lines, unexpected closure of site attractions and so forth. Therefore, items mentioned in the brochure such as quoted prices, hotels and inclusions are subject to change. If a change is imposed on us, we will endeavour to ensure the substitute is of the same quality that you’ve paid for.

TIMETABLES

All departure and arrival times are subject to change at any time and, where listed, are a guideline only. You accept that Railway Adventures does not own or control any train, rail equipment, coach, flight or infrastructure and has no control over the operation of any railway tracks. Scheduled passenger and freight trains will at all times have priority over heritage trains and, as such, timetables can change at any time throughout each day of operation.

Railway Adventures strongly recommends you do not make any personal arrangements on the dates of rail travel as departure and arrival times cannot be guaranteed. As far as possible you should therefore avoid making onward travel arrangements on the final day of travel. Railway Adventures does not accept any loss or additional costs on your behalf for missed travel connections should trains or replacement forms of transport be delayed.

Should any train be unable to run due to track conditions, weather, line blockage, signal failure, other train failure or any other circumstances outside the control of the Railway Adventures, the right is reserved to replace these services with coach transport. Unless a tour is cancelled outright there will be no refund for replacement of rail services.

HEALTH, FITNESS & PARTICIPATION

All of our tours require a MODERATE level of fitness for the overall benefit of the group, including the ability to: negotiate airports and railway stations without wheelchair assistance; use combined shower/bath facilities; undertake walking tour of 1-2 hours duration, including using stairs, walking over cobblestones and other uneven surfaces; stand for long periods in museums and other sites; embark/disembark coaches, trains and other methods of transportation without assistance; handle your own luggage.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of any health requirements for your travel destinations and to ensure that you carry all necessary vaccination documentation and proof of prescription medication for International travel.

EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS

You alone are responsible for managing any existing medical conditions, your medication and any medical equipment that you may need when on your tour. Please plan for contingencies and take extra medication, dietary supplements and/or fully charged batteries for medical equipment if your health and safety depend on these. You should take into consideration that power sources at some destinations may be unavailable, inadequate, inconvenient or unreliable.

MEAL REQUIREMENTS/ALLERGIES AND/OR FOOD INTOLERANCES

Railway Adventures will make reasonable endeavours to organise meals to suit you, provided that you give Railway Adventures adequate notice of your specific dietary requirements or allergies. You may be required to research dietary alternatives, as not all destinations may be able to offer suitable food substitutes.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

For International Travel

It is a condition of travel that each passenger is adequately covered by proper insurance. Railway Adventures recommends travel insurance to guard against loss of deposits through cancellation charges, tour cancellations, baggage loss, medical expenses, theft, and other contingencies.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

Final documentation will be distributed approximately 2 weeks prior to departure.

Travel documents are subject to individual conditions and/or restrictions. These can include being non-refundable, non-date-changeable and subject to cancellation and/or amendment fees. All travel documents are non-transferable. All airline tickets must be issued in the identical name of the passport/driver’s licence holder, as airlines are at liberty to deny carriage if the name varies, and the booking may be cancelled. Any relating fees will be at the traveller’s own expense.  Please note that for International Travel your passport must have at least 6 months validity when you return home.

TAXES (International Tours) 

Certain taxes are mandatory in various countries. There may also be additional local taxes charged at some airports or at hotels. All taxes are subject to change without notice.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

When on tour, you may be offered the opportunity to engage in optional or non-itinerary activities. You acknowledge and agree that such activities may be inherently risky, and Scott McGregor’s Railway Adventures will not be responsible to you for any loss, damage, injury or accident that may occur as a result of your participation therein.

ALCOHOL

Under no circumstances may passengers bring and consume their own alcohol aboard any train. Passengers found to be doing so may have such beverages confiscated and returned to them at the conclusion of the journey.

STATION FACILITIES

Please be aware that Railway Adventures does not have control or influence over where or when station platform toilet facilities are open and available. All trains will have appropriate toilet facilities available onboard.

TRAIN FACILITIES

Heritage trains largely retain their original bathroom/toilet facilities and are either traditional lavatory or pull-down pan type. Should these facilities receive heavy use they may from time to time run out of water and therefore be put out of service. The Facilitator, together with the train operator, will endeavour to have the train water tanks refilled at the next available opportunity. You accept that heritage equipment is being used and may from time to time experience a failure of one type or another. The Facilitator will endeavour to rectify such issues as soon as is practicable.

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

Your heritage train(s) may have limited space for luggage, in which case large suitcases cannot be accommodated. Guests should limit their packing to one small bag each and must be able to handle their own luggage at all times.

BEHAVIOUR

As the tour involves travelling in a group you agree to accept the full authority of our designated tour manager. Passengers are expected to behave in a courteous manner toward other passengers, our personnel and other persons with whom passengers have contact during our tour. In some circumstances we may require that an offending passenger leave the tour as soon as practicable. In such circumstances we will not be liable for any refund, compensation or costs incurred by you and or the relevant passenger whatsoever.

GROUP ETIQUETTE

We want to be sure everyone has a good experience. Be respectful of other cultures – we are visitors in a foreign country, we want to make sure we leave a good impression; Be on time – the tour manager will give you specific times for photos, shopping and departures; Do not block the view – if you are tall let the smaller people in front during guide commentary; Do not speak when the guide is speaking; Be flexible and keep a positive attitude.

PHOTOGRAPHS & RECORDINGS

When on tour, employees, agents and/or other travellers may take photographs or make recordings of you and your tour activities that may identify you. Scott McGregor’s Railway Adventures reserves the right to use any and all photographs and/or recordings made on tour for promotional reasons in printed materials, on the internet or other media. In using such images, we undertake not to reveal your name, contact details or other personal information. You consent to the use of such images or recordings by Scott McGregor’s Railway Adventures and you acknowledge that you will not be entitled to payment or other compensation for the giving of consent or for the use of such images or recordings. Such images or recordings of you may be kept on record.

LIABILITY

Scott McGregor’s Railway Adventures do not accept any liability whatsoever for the acts, omissions or default, whether negligent or otherwise, of third-party providers over whom we have no direct control. Under circumstances where liability cannot be excluded, such liability is limited to the value of the purchased travel arrangements. We do not accept any liability in contract, tort or otherwise for any injury, damage, loss (including consequential loss), delay, additional expense or inconvenience caused directly or indirectly by force or any other event which is beyond our control which is not preventable by reasonable diligence on our part.

Scott McGregor’s Railway Adventures will use all reasonable endeavours to provide the tour you have booked in accordance with the advertised itinerary. However, due to the nature of travel, it may not always be possible for the Railway Adventures to adhere strictly to the original itinerary. When circumstances beyond the control of Railway Adventures occur, they reserve the right to make alterations to the tour or itinerary accordingly, before or after the commencement of the tour. Any changes to the itinerary will be notified to you via phone, email or via your Tour Leader.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you agree that the Facilitator is not liable to you for, and you release the Facilitator from, any cost, claim, loss, damage or expense whatsoever arising either directly or indirectly in connection with any alteration to your itinerary or substitution carried out in accordance with this clause. This includes without limitation any claim for distress, disappointment or loss of enjoyment arising from the alteration(s). This is also applicable to any personal expenses incurred by you including food, beverages and personal items or costs associated with any other travel arrangements affected by the changes, including any costs and expenses incurred by you for cancelling or changing those other arrangements or arising from a failure to meet a connection.

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