1.Barefoot Expeditions
Read this agreement thoroughly and carefully before booking a tour with us; it contains important terms and conditions regarding the tour you are purchasing including, but not limited to, our rights to alter the tour, our cancellation, and refund policies, and limitation of our liability and other important disclaimers.
Barefoot Expeditions is responsible for maintaining the privacy of our clients and we will not distribute this information in any other form than to provide our service.
2. About our Bookings?
Bookings: All people wishing to make a reservation, and all people who will be traveling, must complete and sign the Traveler Information Form. All requests and reservations have to be sent by written to info@barefootexpeditions.com
3. FIT´s confirmation?
Payments required to confirm reservations:
- Rates per person based in a double cabin.
- Single supplement 50%.
- Penalty for not issuing tickets with Barefoot Expeditions US$ 60 per person.
- Christmas and New Year surcharge 50%.
- Discount for charter 5%.
- Discount for children 10% (between 6 and 11 years old).
- Third-person in the triple cabin, a discount of 10% (M/Y Bonita, M/C EcoGalaxy & M/Y Galaxy).
- Group 6 passengers minimum, a discount of 3%.
- First deposit required to confirm US$ 500 per person.
- The balance must be paid 60 days prior to the cruise departure
- All transactions must be in US $ Dollars.
- Any fee charged for sending the funds must be covered by the client and included in the payments made.
- Does not apply discount over discount
- In order to issue the final confirmation, the following information 60 days’ prior to the cruise departure is necessary, attached in copy of the passport, Dietary or medical restrictions
4. Penalties for Cancellation/FIT´S:
- Cancellations must be sent by written to info@barefootexpeditions.com
- Refund or reschedule without penalty 90 days before the cruise departure.
- Between 89 to 60 days before the cruise departure: only reschedule is allowed.
- Cancelations less than 60 days before cruise departure, penalty 100%.
- Note: No refund will be provided for cancellation due to: canceled, delayed, or missed flights; penalties for cancellation do not change in case of illness or natural disasters. We recommend passengers to obtain a Travel/Trip cancellations insurance to protect themselves better. By making your first deposit according to our invoice, you are accepting these terms as a mutual Agreement.
5. Cancellation by Barefoot Expeditions of The Cruise Company
Barefoot & the Cruise Company will cancel a departure only in the case of extreme circumstances.
If a tour is canceled for extreme circumstances or majeure force, Barefoot Expeditions will reschedule or refund within the times and terms described before.
6. Terms of Liability
Barefoot and its agents act only as agents for passengers in all specific terms included in their itineraries and are not responsible for any deficiency, irregularity or abnormality, that may arise with a third-party service such as (transportation, accommodation, restaurants, guidance, etc). We are also not responsible for accidents or unforeseen events during their normal activities. Customers traveling to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands are informed that their trip involves dangers, active or adventure tasks, risks, accidents or illness in a remote area, according to the unpredictable nature forces or wild animal behavior; travel by vessels, airlines, trains, vehicles, high altitude effects, alcoholic drinks consumption. Negligent misconduct, while passengers are not onboard our yachts, is a Customer’s voluntary act. Customers must be responsible for their welfare.
7. Medical information.
Good health is essential for the enjoyment of the active outdoor tours arranged by Barefoot. By forwarding the deposit and signed reservation form, the client certifies that he/she does not have any physical or other condition of disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other clients, trip leaders, or company representatives. It is important that any participant with a medical condition that may be affected by motion on a body of water, vigorous activity, high altitude, headache, cold, other natural phenomena, or particular foods or allergic reactions, notifies to Barefoot Expeditions in writing in advance of travel. In the case of pregnancy, please follow your doctor’s guidelines and suggestions, in this particular case, it is strictly considered, under passenger responsibility.
8. Travel Documents.
The client must have a valid passport; the expiration date must be at least seven months after the arrival date in Ecuador. The client accepts responsibility for obtaining this document and any other necessary documents. It is the client’s responsibility to assure that the name on airline ticket, cruise voucher, or any other travel documents matches with the name printed in the passport (or domestic identification, where applicable) by providing the exact name, as it appears on the passport (or domestic identification, where applicable), to Barefoot Expeditions, before tickets issuance.
Once we have received the payment in full and signed Traveler Information Forms, we will send final tour information (which we will send electronically), including final reminders and local contact, information of destination, and where applicable, tickets and vouchers.
9. Children.
Barefoot accepts children over six years old in Fits departures. In charters, children of all ages are welcomed; however, Barefoot refuses all and every liability for any accidents that might occur to minors, parents are responsible for taking care of them.
Children under 12 years old must be in a cabin with an adult present. This restriction in terms of age shall be exempt in the case of legally married couples and children traveling with their parents or guardians in adjacent cabins.
10. Complains.
We prefer to have the client’s suggestions or comments during the trip, to improve the matter. Clients can contact the guide or the Capitan, directly or call us to the emergency numbers given.
Also, the client’s feedback is welcome; it helps to enrich our service. If a client has a complaint against Barefoot or the third party supplier, it must be in writing to the company within 30 days after the end of the tour, and any claim will not be accepted later than this period.
11. Trip Start Date.
The Tour Start Date is the first date on the itinerary that you have reserved your services through Barefoot. It does not include any earlier departure date that you may have planned, including, but not limited, to airline flights arranged for and necessary to your embarkation on the Tour Start Date. It is your responsibility to be ready to embark on the tour as specified in the itinerary. Barefoot Expeditions is not responsible for any losses due to canceled or missed flights, changed flight itineraries, late arrivals, or early departures.
12. Pictures and videos aboard our cruises.
Barefoot Expeditions may use, re-use and reproduce any images, photos or videos that clients send to us, or that are taken by our third-party suppliers and their guides and/or other travelers, in any media, including but not limited to print, electronic media, or internet, free of charge and without the right to inspection, for promoting and publicizing our travel services worldwide. If clients do not want us to use any image taken by other participants or us during the tour, he/she must inform us or the tour leader/guide in writing at the start of the tour.
13. Galapagos National Park Rules.
Since Galapagos is a National Maritime Reserve, when visiting the Galapagos Islands, a National Park and World Heritage Site, all visitors are expected to act responsibly and to treat the environment with respect.
Below 14 rules of the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) that all visitors are expected to abide by while in the Islands:
1. Visitors to any protected areas within the Galapagos National Park must be accompanied by a naturalist guide authorized by the GNPD.
2. Travel only with tour operators and/or boats authorized to work in the protected areas of Galapagos.
3. Remain on marked trails at visitor sites and respect signs at all times for the protection of wildlife, and your safety.
4. Maintain a distance of at least six feet (two meters) from wildlife to avoid disturbing them, even if they approach you.
5. Never feed wildlife, as this can cause health problems.
6. Flash photography is not permitted when taking photos of wildlife. Professional photography and videos recorded for commercial purposes must be authorized by the GNPD.
7. Camping is only allowed in a few authorized areas in the Islands. Request authorization to camp at the Galapagos National Park’s offices at least 48 hours in advance.
8. It is your responsibility not to introduce food, animals, or plants into the Archipelago. Cooperate fully with all environmental inspection and quarantine officials during your visit.
9. Do not take or buy any products or souvenirs made from banned substances, including black coral, shells, lava rock, animal parts, or any native wood or vegetation before leaving Galapagos.
10. Practice “leave-no-trace” principles in order to maintain the beauty of the environment.
11. Pack out all trash and dispose of or recycle it in the populated areas or on your tour boat.
12. Smoking and/or campfires are strictly prohibited within the Galapagos National Park, as fires pose a serious risk to flora and fauna of Galapagos.
13. Fishing is only permitted on recreational tour boats authorized by the GNPD.
14. Motorized aquatic sports, mini-subs, and aerial tourism activities are not permitted in the Galapagos National Park or Marine Reserve
14. Galapagos Naturalist Guides.
Our cruises are always conducted in English languages.
For private charters requiring guided services in a language other than English or Spanish, Barefoot will do its best to find a guide who speaks that language to be hired for the cruise with an additional fee.
15. Non – Authorized Items:
According to the rules of the Galapagos National Park, passengers are not allowed from carrying items or materials which may be classified as dangerous for the security of the yacht, the crew, the passengers, the guide, or the Islands themselves. It is not possible to introduce bio-species, illegal substances, or drugs. Fines and penalties are severe.
16. Jurisdiction:
All disputes shall be decided exclusively by the courts of Ecuador and according to the Ecuadorian law to the exclusion and limitations of the law or courts of any other country.
