De 4 Vaargetijden - General conditions

General conditions

(non-official translation to English from the Dutch legal version)  

RESERVATION, BOOKING AND PAYMENT

  1. The first named person on the booking form signs this form and thereby accepts, also for the other members of the group, these general conditions. The signing person will from here be referred to as “Lodger”.
  2. Except special conditions, indicated on the booking form and accepted by signature from both lodger and skipper, only the conditions noted as part of the general conditions written here apply.
  3. The lodger explicitly recognises to have read these general conditions, who are an integral part of the agreement. The lodger accepts these conditions without any restrictions.
  4. A booking option becomes a definitive booking once the, signed, booking form is sent to the  skipper. This must happen within 14 days after the option was requested. After a first payment of 30% of the total amount due, the lodger will receive a confirmation of the booking. The remainder of the price must be paid and received at least six weeks before departure.  If the remaining payment is not done, the booking is considered as cancelled.
  5. The skipper has the right to deny a booking without the need for motivation.

CANCELLATION RULES

  1. The lodger has to inform the skipper immediately in writing if the arrangement needs to be cancelled. In case a trip is cancelled more than 90 days before departure, the cancellation fee is 30% of the price for the arrangement. In all other cases the total sum remains due. It is recommended to cover this risk with a cancellation insurance at a insurance agency of your choice.
  2. Changes of travel dates after the booking has been confirmed, is regarded as cancellation, unless the skipper can fulfil the booking at the new date.
  3. In case the skipper has to cancel the trip due to unavailability  of the ship, for reasons that are outside the skippers control, the skipper will help the lodger to his best capacity to find a comparable ship as a replacement . If this proves impossible, the lodger gets a total refund of the sum paid already. No other compensation is paid.
  4. The skipper performs to his best capacities to have the trip proceed as planned. He is not liable for trips that are delayed or cancelled due to repair work, strike, inundation, drought or other causes, unless his liability can be proven.
  5. The skipper keeps the right to abort the voyage for an individual or the whole group, if, according to the skipper, this person or group endangers the safety of the ship, the crew or the other passengers, or if the person or group persistently disobeyed the rules or the advise given by the skipper. A trip that is cancelled in such a situation is not refunded.

COMPLAINTS AND CHANGES

  1. The skipper and his crew does his utmost to provide the lodger a care-free vacation. Any complaints about the travel should be reported to the skipper immediately. A complaint must include a written specification of all relevant details that allow the skipper to take proper action. Any complaint has to be received by the owners of the barge within 28 days after the end of the trip. The skipper can not be made liable for any other forms of complaints.
  2. In the unlikely event that a trip has to be changed, the skipper keeps the right to do so. Changes can include: changed route, changed date, changed embarking harbour,  changed disembarking harbour, changed region. The skipper will inform the lodger about these changes as soon as possible.
  3. In case of disagreement between skipper and lodger, only the court of justice responsible for the territory where the skipper keeps his home address can handle the case.
  4. Folders and price-list are prepared with extreme care. The owners cannot be made liable for errors or omissions, nor for late changes in these leaflets. When a new price-list is published it immediately replaces all older versions.

INSURANCES AND PRICE ADAPTATIONS

  1. The ship is assured all-risk. The skippers have a civil liability insurance for claims from any passenger. The passengers own civil liability, nor his luggage are insured. It is recommended that the lodger takes a travel insurance that covers these risks. In case the lodger did not take such insurance, he frees the skipper of all claims that might occur. Still the skipper will assist the lodger as well as possible, if such a case occurs.

Intermediate increase of price for fuel, labour, transportation taxes or civil taxes give the skipper the right to adapt the agreed price for the trip. Before such an adaptation, the price has to increase with at least 2%. No Price increases can take place after the lodger’s final payment