Terms and Conditions

Please ensure you are aware of our Canada and the United States, including Alaska, online terms and conditions.

This general information relates to Australian Pacific Touring Pty. Ltd., herein after referred to as 'The Company'.

Fares, Booking Confirmations
A 25% deposit per person, per tour is required at time of booking. The balance of any airfares booked by APT is required within seven days of booking. Some seasonal special offers may require an additional deposit, which will be advised at the time of reservation. Balance is required six weeks before departure (tours including rail travel 60 days prior). Where connecting air, rail or boat travel is included, confirm correct fare at time of paying balance. If booking is made within 42 days of departure, full payment is required at time of booking.

Children under 7 years of age are not recommended to participate on an escorted coach tour. Children under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult. The company reserves the right to cancel any ticket or booking or to refuse to carry any passenger where payment has not been received by the company within the specified time. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars.

Late Bookings
Payment in full is required at time of booking for reservations made less than 60 days before departure from Australia. If reservation cannot be confirmed, all monies will be refunded.

Cancellation Policy
For tours including Alaska or New England cruises, the following applies:

Days of Notice - 75 or more - Fee per person - Loss of deposit
Days of Notice - 74-46 - Fee per person - 50% of fare
Days of Notice - 45 or less - Fee per person - 100% of fare
For tours including Rail travel, the following applies:

Days of Notice - 75 or more - Fee per person - Loss of deposit
Days of Notice - 74-46 - Fee per person - 30% of fare
Days of Notice - 45 or less - Fee per person - 100% of fare
For all other tours, the following applies:

Days of Notice - 75 or more - Fee per person - Loss of deposit
Days of Notice - 74-31 - Fee per person - 20% of fare
Days of Notice - 30-16 - Fee per person - 30% of fare
Days of Notice - 15 or less - Fee per person - 100% of fare
If tour has already commenced, no refund of fare or unused portion of tour.

All cancellations must be received in writing by APT World Discoveries and are not effective until this notification has been received.

Holland America Line Cruises Cancellation Protection Plan (CPP Standard Plan)
Holland America's Standard Cancellation Protection Plan allows you, for any reason, to provide written cancellation up to 24 hours prior to scheduled cruise or tour departure and receive a refund equal to 80% of the applicable cancellation fee. CPP Standard Plan is optional, must be paid at time of deposit and is not refundable.

In addition, Holland America cruises automatically assumes an additional US$500 of liability for lost, damaged or delayed baggage of passengers who purchase the CPP Standard Plan. However, this is subject to the limitations in Holland America's baggage policy and does not cover losses while baggage is in the custody of airlines.
Please note that this is not an insurance; it provides no other rights than the ones explained above. For example, it does not protect occupancy rates should one or more members of your party cancel, nor does it cover expenses or unused services due to trip interruption.

Airfares
Owing to the differing conditions imposed by each airline, we reserve the right to advise booking conditions once the right arrangements have been confirmed. The following is a guide to the conditions:
1. All Earlybird airfares are subject to availability and must be paid in full by 12 December 2008. Surcharge may apply to peak season and variation of airline routings.
2. Air tickets issued on receipt of payment and once issued are subject to amendment and cancellation fees as imposed by the airlines.3. Discount fares are subject to availability of seats on direct flights. Add-on fares apply to non-direct services or for connections from/to other ports.
4. All airfares in this brochure are subject to change and based on availability in line with airline conditions.

Included In Your Fare
All transportation, accommodation, sightseeing, admissions, taxes, APT Tour Director on land and Alaska round-trip cruises, gratuities on Rockies and East Coast land tours and Holland America Line cruises, coach driver, luggage (one bag) and meals as specified in the itinerary.

Not Included In Your Fare
Lunches (except where specified), occasional dinners, drinks, laundry, phone calls, passport and visa fees, government, airport taxes and port taxes, items of personal nature, excess baggage, optional excursions etc. Gratutities to staff on Cruise West, Nova Scotia tour and Alaska land.

Arrival/Departure Transfers
Arrival transfers are included on Day 1 of your tour or with pre-tour accommodation. Return transfer is included on the last day of tour/cruise only or with post-tour accommodation.

Refunds And Amendment Fee
Refunds will not be made on services which are voluntarily unavailed, or for missed package features due to airline or other third-party providers' delays or for other acts beyond our control. All refunds must be requested, in writing, within thirty days of the conclusion of the tour. A charge of $25 per person will apply to any additional modification requested after the original booking has been made and confirmed.

Important Information Exclusion of Liability
1. The tours include the services of operators, such as hoteliers, airlines, cruise companies and other operators, who are not agents, servants or employees of APT World Discoveries Pty. Ltd. Although we take care in selecting the operators of services and the optional tour excursions we cannot and do not take responsibility for the conduct of the operators, their servants and agents or for any ramifications of that conduct. These tours may include activities such as climbing, exploring and swimming.
The passenger accepts that these activities involve varying degrees of risk.
2. No passenger will be permitted to embark or continue on the tour while their mental or physical condition is, in opinion of any representative of the company, such as to render them incapable of caring for themselves, or whereby they became objectionable
to other passengers, or they became hazard to themselves or other passengers. The company will not be responsible for expenses resulting in such persons being precluded from completing the tour for any reason.
3. By booking a tour the passenger acknowledges and agrees
that APT World Discoveries Pty. Ltd. (herein referred to as the 'Company') and the transportation companies, will take all reasonable steps to provide an enjoyable tour, it accepts no responsibility for any loss of enjoyment by passengers due to circumstances beyond its control. The company further accepts no responsibility for any death, injury, illness, damage, detention, delay (including mechanical breakdown) or any other loss beyond its reasonable control and provides no warranties in addition to those set out under the Trade Practices Act 1974, and nothing herein restricts the passenger from exercising his or her rights and remedies pursuant to law.
4. Your travel agent will forward deposits and other payments to us on your behalf, but your travel agent is not our agent for the purpose of receipt of moneys. Receipt of deposits and subsequent payments by the travel agent does not constitute receipt of those moneys by us and the travel agent has no authority expressed or implied to receive moneys on our behalf. There is no liability on the part of the company in respect to any moneys paid to the passengers travel agent unless and until the company notifies the passenger (by way of a booking confirmation advice or payment receipt advice) that money have been received by the company.
The company reserves the right to cancel any ticket or booking or refuse to carry any passenger where payment has not been received by the company within the specified time.

Itineraries
Itineraries are subject to alteration without notice and intended as guide only. Alterations may come about due to road or weather conditions, strikes or other reasons beyond our control. Any additional expense incurred by the passenger is not the company's responsibility. We strongly recommend that you have adequate travel insurance cover. The company can give no guarantee as to exact arrival and departure times for carriers and operators used by the company in the tour and the company will not be liable for failure to make connections with any other services or attractions beyond its control.
For a group to operate and to provide an enjoyable group atmosphere, a minimum number of 20 passengers is required. For Small Group itineraries (brochure pgs 76-83) is based on a minimum of 15 passengers. If adequate numbers cannot be achieved, it may be necessary to cancel a scheduled departure and to offer the nearest possible alternative. The decision to operate the tour is usually made 4-8 weeks prior to the scheduled departure.

Passport / Visas
Australian and New Zealand citizens do not require a visa to travel to the United States of America or Canada. However, passengers must carry a valid machine readable passport, which is valid for at least 6 months after the return date, and have a valid return air ticket.

Smoking
In the interests of the other passengers' comfort, there is no smoking permitted on the coaches and in Twin Share 'matched' rooms.

Seat Changes
Passengers rotate seats in the coach daily so that they all enjoy forward and window seating. In fairness to all passengers, no exceptions can be made.

Airline Liability
The airlines concerned are held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are aboard their aircraft and/or conveyances. The passengers tickets in use by the airline when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between the airline and the purchaser of these tickets and/or passenger using these tickets.

*Holland America Line Cruises
Operated by Holland America Line. Our staterooms are based on Ocean View stateroom Category E. Upgrades available on all West Coast and East Coast tours to Verandah Stateroom except UT22SG. Based on availability or until sold out. All bookings must be deposited by 12 December 2008 to receive earlybird upgrade on verandah staterooms. All staterooms after this date will be based on availability at higher rates.
A Verandah Stateroom is defined by the following categories
- Statendam, Ryndam, Maasdam, Zaandam, Volendam, Veendam and all S class ships, category A-BB - Verandah Suites.
- Westerdam, Amsterdam, Zuiderdam, and all Vista VA-VH - Deluxe Verandah Outside Stateroom
The Inside Passage 7 night round trip cruise is escorted based on a minimum of 30 passengers. Cruise and Tour Directors may differ, all other cruises are unescorted. Any other special cabins requests on availability.
Single supplement applies to port charges and available on application.
Dining times are allocated by Holland America Line and cannot be guaranteed prior to departure.

# Free Stopovers
Free stopovers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu and Hong Kong available on limited seats on selected departures and subject to availability. Only applicable to air inclusive bookings travelling with Air New Zealand, Qantas or Cathay Pacific. For departures from New Zealand free stopovers only apply in Los Angeles and San Francisco and applicable to air inclusive bookings travelling with Air New Zealand. Limited seats on set departures. Subject to airline class availability. Stopover must be taken after your tour and cannot be split. Bookings must be made by 31 August 2008.

Alaska Land Tours
Operated with Holland America Line. The following are defined as our Alaska, Land Tour codes: UHA15, UHA25, UHA24, UHA14, UHA23 and UHA13. Twin share match up is not available on Alaska land/cruise combinations. As Alaska is a remote region, choice of hotels is limited and may not be as luxurious as in other areas. Single supplement is available on application. Land tour is escorted by a Holland America Line tour escort.

Airport Representatives
At Sydney International Airport an APT representative will assist passengers at the airport based on minimum numbers.

Cruise West
Cruise West cabins are based on Category A-AAA. Once sold out cabins are based on availability.

Operators
The Nova Scotia tour is operated by Jonview.

Luggage Limits
Each passenger is entitled to take one piece of luggage, that does not exceed 160 cm (63 inches), weight limit 20 kg (44 pounds). Extra bags: An extra charge will be imposed to cover handling of any additional bags. Your Tour Director will advise the additional charge, however a guideline would be CAD$5.00 per hotel.

Single Traveller
A limited number of single rooms are available by request at time of booking. Single supplement must be paid with final payment. Should shared rooms be necessary, a proportional refund of the single supplement will be provided at the end of the tour. Share accommodation is available on Canada land tours (excluding stopovers, pre/post accommodation and lodges). Not offered on Alaska land tours. Not available on Cruise West.

Triple Rooms
Triple Room prices are subject to availability and based on existing hotel bedding or stateroom availability on cruises (max. 2 beds per room). Third bed might be roll-away.

Freedom of Choice Touring
Freedom of Choice touring options must be nominated at the time of booking. Some touring options are subject to seasonal restrictions and minimum number and subject to change.

Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance is not included in your tour cost. For your protection we strongly recommend that you purchase adequate comprehensive insurance that includes coverage for medical expenses, loss of luggage, land content and air fare charges that may occur due to cancellation, loss of deposit, strikes. Your travel agent can arrange insurance for you.

Please note that there are specific conditions for each of our different destinations. You can read these specific terms and conditions on the back of the relevant brochure. If you cannot find the details you require here, please contact us for further information.