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HOW TO MAKE A RESERVATION: Please contact your travel agent, Special Group Tours for assistance. 1 866 725 5250; kate@specialgrouptours.com.
Gate 1 Travel can be reached directly at (800) 682-3333 or www.gate1travel.com.
DEPOSIT REQUIRED: A non-refundable deposit is due at the time of reservation.
Packages without Cruise and Hotel Only: $100 per person
Packages with Sea or River Cruise: $200 per person
Instant Purchase Packages: Full payment
FULL PAYMENT:
Packages without Cruise and Hotel Only: 45 days prior
Packages with Sea or River Cruise: 90 days prior
Instant Purchase Packages: At time of reservation
Special events (include Rio de Janeiro New Year's and Carnival) may require earlier payment. You will be advised on your invoice.
Payments made within 30 days of departure must be in the form of a certified check, money order, or credit card.
Payments made by wire transfer must include an additional $25 wire transfer fee.
LATE PAYMENT: If there is any outstanding balance by the Final Pay Due date listed on your invoice, all travel services will be subject to immediate and automatic cancellation. A service reinstatement fee of $50 will be added to your invoice and must be paid in advance in order to apply for reconfirmation of services. Payments made within 30 days of departure must be in the form of a certified check, money order, or credit card. Payments made by wire transfer must include an additional $25 wire transfer fee. Payments made by credit card are not eligible for the cash discount.
PRICES: Reflect a 3% discount for purchases made with cash or checks. There are no discounts for sales made by credit card. Prices are per person and based upon shared twin room occupancy. In case of human or computer error, Gate 1 reserves the right to re-invoice for the correct price or service. A full refund will be made to passengers who choose not to pay an increase, provided Gate 1 Travel receives a written cancellation within five days of the price increase notification. Gate 1 reserves the right to amend prices due to increases in airline fuel surcharges.
MINIMUM PURCHASE:
Hotel: Minimum 4 nights (2 nights for Bahamas & Caribbean) or 2 nights with round trip flights.
Flight: Purchase must include minimum 2 nights hotel reservation.
Optional Services: Tours, ferries, local flights require minimum 2 nights hotel at point of origin.
Any invoice less than $500 will be subject to a $50 processing fee.
HOTEL TAXES & FEES (BAHAMAS & CARIBBEAN): Hotel accommodations are subject to a government tax/resort levy (10-12%) based upon the per person room rate. Additionally, most hotels charge per night service charges and fees which many include, but are not limited to, bellman gratuities, housekeeping gratuities, pool/beach attendant gratuities and utility/energy surcharges. These taxes/fees are charged on a per person basis and can vary anywhere between $8-$20 per passenger in addition to the government tax/resort levy and are collected by Gate 1 Travel.
CREDIT CARDS: We accept major credit cards. Credit card charges will be accepted by phone or online to fulfill non-refundable deposit requirement only. Final payment will be processed only upon submission of a completed Gate 1 Travel Credit Card Form. Third-party credit cards are not acceptable.
RETURNED CHECKS: $30 fee.
CHANGES AFTER DEPOSIT: $50 per revision plus any expenses imposed by suppliers. A revision is defined as any item in a booking which requires an amendment. For example, one hotel revision would equal $50; two hotel revisions on the same booking would equal $100 plus supplier fees. Airline amendments are subject to $50 revision fees plus airline re-booking fees of up to $250 per ticket. A change of destination constitutes a cancellation, and will be subject to full cancellation fees.
CHANGE OF DATE: Passengers may change the date of their tour any time prior to final payment due date, for a fee of $50 per person. The new date must fall within the 12-month period from the original date of travel. Changes are not allowed, either to the tour program or to the passenger names. Change of date is based solely upon availability. Passengers will bear additional costs if applicable. A change of date after full payment constitutes a cancellation, and will be subject to full cancellation penalties.
LAST-MINUTE RESERVATIONS: Reservations must be made no later than 15 days prior to departure (or 8 days prior to departure for the Caribbean). Bookings received 30 days or less prior to departure will include a $50 last-minute booking fee. If requested services cannot be confirmed, deposit and booking fee will be refunded. If services are confirmed, final payment is due within 24 hours and all applicable cancellation penalties will apply thereafter. Payments made within 30 days of departure must be in the form of a certified check, money order, or credit card, and must be submitted within 24 hours of reservation. Payments made by wire transfer must include an additional $25 wire transfer fee. Payments made by credit card are not eligible for the cash discount.
PASSENGER INFORMATION: Passengers are responsible to ensure that Gate 1 Travel has the correctly spelled name, address, email and fax data for all passengers. Names printed on the invoice must exactly match the first and last name written in their passport (middle names or initials are not needed). Gate 1 Travel will not be responsible for passengers who do not receive an invoice or documents due to inaccurate information.
DOCUMENTS: Provided that full payment is received no later than your final payment due date (typically 45 days prior to departure) documents will be sent 21 days prior to departure via e-mail unless Gate 1 deems paper documents are necessary in which case delivery will be approximately 21-14 days prior. A complete street address is required for mailed documents (Post Office Box numbers cannot be used). Upon request, the following services may be provided for a $20 fee (payable before documents are released): Next Day Air service; paper documents; a second set of documents. A fee of $20 will also be applied whenever payments are received less than 45 days prior.
AMENDMENTS AFTER DEPARTURE: The cost of any changes or additions will be at the local rate at the time of the amendment, not per the Gate 1 Travel website or brochure, and must be borne by the passenger. Changes are subject to a $30 amendment fee.
AIRLINES: Once issued, tickets are non-refundable. Airline schedules and flights are subject to change without notice. Gate 1 Travel is not responsible for penalties incurred for tickets, international or domestic, not issued by Gate 1 Travel due to schedule and/or flight changes. Airlines reserve the right to demand immediate issuance of tickets whenever they determine that specific flights are heavily booked even when normal ticketing rules do not require tickets to be issued until a later date. In this instance, Gate 1 will require immediate and full payment of the airfare and airport taxes and fees as itemized on the invoice. This situation overrides invoice terms and conditions and payment due dates. If full payment is not received, seats will be cancelled by the airline and may not be available to be rebooked on the same flights or at the same airfare. Any replacement air arrangements and airfare will be the sole responsibility of the passenger. We suggest you contact your travel agent or the carrier several weeks prior to departure for seat assignments. Passengers are responsible to reconfirm their flights 72 hours prior to departure for all flights.
NAME CHANGES: Due to newly introduced security measures, any name change including minor spelling corrections may require airline reservations to be canceled and rebooked. Reservations are subject to availability at the time of rebooking. Once full payment is received, airline tickets will be issued. Subsequent name corrections will be subject to an airline rebooking fee of up to $250 per ticket plus a Gate 1 Travel $50 revision fee per change. Gate 1 will not be held responsible for the denial of services by a carrier due to any name discrepancy. Name changes must be advised in writing.
AIRPORT TAXES & FEES: The following per person charges are not included and are collected by Gate 1 Travel with final payment: passenger facility charges up to $18, segment fees of $3.20 per domestic segment, September 11th Security Fee up to $10, and international fees and taxes. For details please visit www.gate1travel.com/airport_taxes.htm. Airport taxes & fees which appear on the invoice reflect the taxes and fees that are applicable when the original reservation is completed. These taxes and fees may vary prior to airline tickets being issued. We reserve the right to amend the airport taxes & fees to reflect any changes prior to ticketing.
AIRLINE FUEL SURCHARGES: Airline fuel surcharges are included in your airfare. Fuel surcharges are subject to change without notice due to fluctuating oil prices. We reserve the right to amend your airfare due to increases in fuel surcharges imposed by your airline. To avoid potential increases, you may choose to pay for your airline tickets in full at any time in order that tickets may be issued. Once issued, tickets are no longer subject to potential increases but are fully non-refundable.
RAIL: Rail tickets are valid for the dates and times specified and once issued are non-refundable. The possibility of date and/or time changes once issued is strictly subject to availability and may by accompanied by rate increases.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: Will be provided in accordance with the itinerary or similar. We reserve the right to make substitutions with hotels of equal standard. There will be no refunds for any difference in the cost of those accommodations. All rooms are standard twin-bedded rooms with private facilities, unless you have specifically requested and paid for an upgraded room category. In the Bahamas and Caribbean rooms typically consist of Full, Queen or King beds. Special requests such as bed types, smoking preference and connecting rooms are subject to availability. Room selection in all cases, unless otherwise reserved, is strictly at the discretion of the hotel's management on a run-of-house basis. Triple rooms consist of standard twin beds plus a sofa/folding bed or cot for third person. The number of persons accommodated does not dictate the room size. Some hotels, for security purposes, do not allow visitors to guest rooms. All hotel rates are based on Gate 1 agreements with its suppliers and are not negotiable. Hotel check-in time is generally not before 4:00 p.m. and check-out time is prior to noon. Please be sure that adequate arrangements for accommodations have been taken into consideration when a late night flight is being used. If a day room is included in the itinerary, check-out will normally be 6:00 p.m.
HOTEL & CRUISE PROFILES: Gate 1 Travel's hotel and cruise ship profiles are based upon information provided to Gate 1 Travel by hotel and cruise ship partners and their representatives, including images and descriptions of individual properties. Star-ratings may differ from country to country. Gate 1 Travel does its best to maintain current information, however is not responsible for any inaccuracies, changes in description details or amenities, or images provided by third parties.
AIR-CONDITIONING: Although available at most 4 and 5 star hotels, conditions and use of air-conditioning abroad differs greatly from the United States. Many European hotels were built before central air-conditioning was introduced. Air-conditioning is often shut down at night.
CRUISES: In general, passengers may board ships not earlier than three hours and not later than one hour prior to departure. It is the passenger's responsibility to ensure a timely arrival at the port. Cabins are assigned within a general cabin category on run-of-ship basis. Gate 1 Travel cannot guarantee a specific assignment. Cabin assignments will be made available within 30 days of departure. Requests for dining room seating will be accepted by the maître d'hotel on sailing day. Gate 1 Travel will accept requests for dining time preference, but cannot guarantee confirmation prior to embarkation. European river cruises (except in Russia) are single seating. Shore excursions may only be purchased aboard ship. Cruise itineraries and ships are subject to change without notice. Furthermore, cruise ships may be chartered and/or departure dates cancelled after the publication of this brochure, in which case all monies will be refunded. Gate 1 Travel takes no responsibility for ship substitutions or itinerary changes imposed by a cruise line. For more information, visit www.gate1travel.com/travel-tips/default-cruise.htm. For more information about European river cruises, visit www.gate1travel.com/european-river-cruise/ercruises.htm.
CHILDREN: All children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Minimum age for children on escorted or guided coach tours is six. There is no minimum age on independent packages. Discounts for children sharing a room as third apply to children under 12. In the Bahamas & Caribbean, discounts for children vary by resort.
MEALS ON TOUR: As specified in each itinerary. Meals are based on the hotel's or restaurant's buffet or set menu. In general, beverages are not included, unless specifically stated. In the Bahamas & Caribbean, meals are generally not included. Many hotels offer meal plans that may be purchased at the time of reservation. Meal plans, generally, incur a mandatory gratuity (usually 15% based on the actual prices of food and beverages consumed) that is payable directly to the hotel at the time of checkout.
TRANSFERS: Transfers are provided as indicated for each tour by car, minibus, or motor coach provided airfare is purchased from Gate 1. If you purchase a land-only tour, or if you deviate from the arrival and/or departure dates as stated in the itinerary, you will automatically be billed for the transfer service, which you may advise us to cancel at any time prior to your final tour payment date. Your arrival transfer is guaranteed for up to one hour from your scheduled arrival time in order to compensate for minor delays. Gate 1 Travel or the transfer company will not be responsible for flight delays, for any reason, beyond one hour from your originally scheduled arrival time. In case of a delay, whether due to flight delay or time spent reporting baggage damage or loss, it will be your responsibility to make other transfer arrangements such as a taxi. Transfer costs are not refundable and any additional expenses will be your responsibility.
SIGHTSEEING: Will be operated by motor-vehicle, its size dictated by the number of participants, at the sole discretion of the company. Gate 1 tours have been designed to accommodate individuals as well as groups. Please refer to each tour package for a complete listing of tour services included. The number of participants may vary during the tour, as Gate 1 Travel accommodates travelers arriving on different airlines and on different days of the week. Optional tours may be conducted in more than one language. Times listed in itineraries are approximate and meant only as guidelines. It is your responsibility to arrive on time for all scheduled flights, cruises, and package components. Arriving late may be considered a "no-show", in which case you will not be eligible for refund for the unused service(s). We cannot guarantee the number of passengers who will be on any given tour. You may find that you are traveling with a sizeable group or only with your own companions. Services, however, will remain constant no matter the number of tour participants. Escorted/Guided tours of Classical Greece may occasionally be guided in English plus one additional language.
OPTIONAL SERVICES: Optional services including tours, transfers and travel insurance may be purchased at the time of your initial deposit or with your final payment. Once final payment has been made, options cannot be added. Escorted and guided program tour options will be available for purchase locally based upon availability. Some optional tours require a minimum number of participants and may not be operated; in this case, a full refund will be made.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: On dates including, but not limited to religious holidays and national celebrations, some monuments and sites may be closed. On these occasions, touring itineraries may be amended to reflect these closures.
LUGGAGE: All tour packages allow one piece of luggage per person and one carry-on bag. Excess luggage will be subject to charge of up to $100 per piece. For flights to/from the USA, most airlines permit two pieces of checked luggage each weighing up to about 50lbs. However, airline policies vary and may change at any time. Gate 1 Travel is not responsible for any excess luggage/ weight charges levied by an airline. The Travel Agent and/or Tour Operator, Gate 1 Travel, shall not be held responsible for any damage to or loss of luggage/personal items. All damage/loss must be reported at time of incident and documented in writing by local authorities for submission to the insurance company. Please visit www.gate1travel.com/destinations/luggage.htm for Important Baggage Information for U.S. travelers.
ITINERARY AND HOTEL AMENDMENTS: Occasionally, during holidays and certain periods, due to unforeseen circumstances the local Tour Operator and/or Hotel(s) may have to make last-minute changes, sometimes after arrival, in the sequence of the tour and/or hotels. We therefore reserve the right to adjust the sequence and/or substitute any hotels with others of similar category. In such cases there will be no cost adjustment.
SUGGESTED TIPPING: Please visit www.gate1travel.com/tipping.htm for complete tipping guidelines.
NON-OPERATION OF ESCORTED TOUR: Escorted tour packages are based upon a minimum number of participants. Cancellation of any tour for lack of participation will be advised at least 30 days prior to the tour's departure, and all money will be refunded. Gate 1 Travel will not be held responsible for any costs relating to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or visa fees. On China and South America escorted tours, a minimum of 10 passengers is required. Whenever there are less than 10 passengers, tours will be locally hosted. Southeast Asia tours are guaranteed to depart with a minimum of two passengers. Voluntary cancellations due to political instability, acts of terrorism, government intervention or US State Department warning will be subject to the above fees, provided the program is deemed (by Gate 1 Travel) able to continue. Should Gate 1 elect to cancel a departure for any of these reasons, every effort will be made to obtain refunds from suppliers, however no guarantees can be provided on their behalf.
TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES: Tour participants requiring any form of assistance are required to notify Gate 1 Travel in writing at the time of reservation, and must be accompanied by an individual responsible for providing those services. Tour managers, guides, drivers or other tour, hotel, ship personnel are not able to provide such assistance. Due to space limitations, wheelchairs and walkers cannot be taken aboard motor coaches and/or ships. Gate 1 Travel reserves the right to remove any person from a tour who has not provided the required notification and has not received written confirmation from Gate 1. All related expenses, including those to return home, will be borne by the passenger.
GROUP HARMONY: To ensure the desired group synergy, Gate 1 Travel reserves the right to accept, reject or expel any individual who is deemed disruptive or incompatible with the interests of the group. All expenses to do so will be borne by the passenger.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS: Please check with your healthcare provider for up-to-date requirements. Required inoculations, if any, must be recorded by clients' health practitioner on a valid vaccination certificate which the client must carry for proof of inoculation where required. Individuals with heart disease, chronic illness, physical handicap, advanced pregnancy, or mental illness should not participate in these rigorous travel programs.
PASSPORTS AND VISAS: Passengers are responsible for ensuring that they have the proper travel documents and MUST CHECK with the respective consulate(s) or visa agency to determine whether any visas or passports are required. Passports are required to be valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel. Any information provided pertains to U.S. citizens only. Visit www.gate1travel.com/Visas.htm for more information. Non-US citizens should check with the respective consulate of the country(s) to be visited for current entry requirements.
TRAVEL PROTECTION & INSURANCE: The cost of your trip may increase, due to personal emergencies that may affect your travel plans. Comprehensive trip insurance is therefore highly recommended by Gate 1 Travel. Your premium is related to your trip cost, so you don’t have to worry about being over-insured. Please visit http://www.gate1travel.com/insurance.htm.
CANCELLATION: Once a partial or full payment has been made, cancellations will only be accepted in writing. Cancellation terms will be applied based on the date that the written cancellation is received.
Packages without Cruise or Hotel Only:
Upon receipt of full payment and/or at the following dates prior to departure:
Up to 46 days prior to departure: $100 p.p.
45 to 21 days prior to departure: 35% of cost
20 days to 3 hours prior to departure: 90% of cost
No-show: 100% of cost
Packages with Sea or River Cruise:
Upon receipt of full payment and/or at the following dates prior to departure:
Up to 91 days prior to departure: $200 p.p.
90 to 21 days prior to departure: 50% of cost
20 days to 3 hours prior to departure: 90% of cost
No-show: 100% of cost
Instant Purchase Packages
From date of purchase: 100% of tour cost
Note: A package is any combination of two or more travel services (for example, airfare and hotel) appearing on one invoice.
Airfare refunds: Eligible airline tickets may only be refunded once the original paper coupons are returned to Gate 1 via a trackable overnight package; e-tickets do not need to be returned. Lost paper tickets have no refund value.
Special Events
Cancellation penalties may differ for special events and tour packages (such as New Year and Carnival) and will be advised at time of booking on your invoice. All stays in Bahamas & Caribbean over Dec 25 or Dec 31 will incur a 100% penalty for cancellations on or after Nov 1.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: All customer service issues must be submitted in writing and received no later than 30 days following your return.
A) Claims for refund of undelivered services must be accompanied by payment receipt(s) and local documentation.
B) Airline flight cancellations and delays for any reason are not the responsibility of Gate 1 Travel. Submit your claim directly to the airline. Gate 1 Travel does not guarantee airline response.
C) There will be no refunds for unused package tour services or features, including missed transfers due to airline changes and/or missed flights, unused meals, missed sightseeing tours, unused entrance fees, and accommodations. Eligible airline tickets may only be refunded once the original paper coupons are returned to Gate 1 via a trackable overnight package; e-tickets do not need to be returned. Lost paper tickets have no refund value.
D) Processing of claims will take up to eight weeks from the date Gate 1 receives relevant documents. No terms set forth in this brochure may be changed by anyone other than an authorized representative of Gate 1 and must be documented in writing. Gate 1 Travel is not obliged to guarantee promises (written or verbal) made by local hotel staff, tour guides, or any other persons not under direct employ of Gate 1 Travel.
RESPONSIBILITY: Gate 1 Travel and its representatives abroad act only as independent contractors acting on behalf of neither the customer nor the suppliers and principals. All exchange orders, coupons, and tickets are issued subject to the terms and conditions under which such means of transportation, accommodations, and other services are offered or provided. The issuance and acceptance of such documents shall be deemed to be consent to the further conditions. Gate 1 Travel does not own nor operate the hotels, motor coaches, airlines, cruise lines, or any other service providers which compose their tours, and will not be held responsible for changes and/or cancellations for any reason by airlines, hotels or cruise ships.
A) The Travel Agent and/or Tour Operator, Gate 1 Travel, shall not be in any way liable for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity in any vehicle, or through the act of default of any company, or person engaged in conveying passengers, or of any hotel proprietor, personnel, servant or any other person otherwise in connection therewith.
B) Gate 1 Travel shall not be held responsible for potential risks and hazards associated with travel to destinations included in this brochure, where injury, delay, or unanticipated events may occur. Gate 1 Travel shall not assume responsibility for standards of quality, hygiene, political stability, cuisine, sanitation facilities, cleanliness, telecommunications facilities, methods of conducting business, emergency medical evacuation, treatment, or medical services found in these destinations. Travel to these areas may entail risks including but not limited to the hazards of traveling in politically unstable areas, civil disturbances, war, and arbitrary changes mandated by government authorities or private concerns. It is the responsibility of the passenger(s) to check with the U.S. State Department, Consular Information, http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html for any current advisories and updates to the destinations on their itinerary. Gate 1 Travel shall be held harmless from any and all liability in connection with the foregoing.
C) Gate 1 Travel cannot accept responsibility for loss or expense due to delay or changes in transportation schedule or other causes. Gate 1 Travel shall not be held responsible for potential loss of services due to inclement weather conditions.
D) Each exchange voucher and ticket is to be regarded as one contracted by or on behalf of the particular company or person named on it.
E) Arbitration. Any and all disputes concerning this contract, the brochure or web site, or your trip shall be resolved solely and exclusively by binding arbitration according to the then current rules of the American Arbitration Association in Pennsylvania, and any such arbitration must take place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. In any such arbitration, the substantive law of Pennsylvania will apply.
F) The Steamship companies and the Airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any omission or events during the time passengers are not aboard their ship, plane, or conveyance. The passage contract in use by the Steamship company and the Airline concerned, when issued, shall constitute the whole contract between the Steamship companies, the Airlines, and the Purchaser of these tours and/or the passengers. The Travel Agent and/or Tour Operator and Gate 1 Travel do not assume responsibility for airlines, cruises, or hotels overbooking, cancellations, or delays.
USE OF WEB SITE: WWW.GATE1TRAVEL.COM
Agreement between Customer and Gate 1 Travel: www.gate1travel.com is offered to you, the customer, conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the terms, conditions, and notices contained herein. Your use of www.gate1travel.com constitutes your agreement to all such terms, conditions, and notices.
Liability Disclaimer: The information, products, and services published on this web site may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information which appears here. The content of this site is not guaranteed to be complete, accurate, or available and may be changed at any time without notice. Gate 1 Travel may make improvements or changes on this web site at any time. In no event shall Gate 1 be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising our of, or in any way connected with, the use of this web site, or for any information, products, and services obtained through this web site, or otherwise arising out of the use of this web site.
Links to Other Web Sites: www.gate1travel.com may contain hyperlinks to web sites operated by parties other than Gate 1 Travel. Such hyperlinks are provided for your reference only. Gate 1 Travel does not control such Web sites and is not responsible for their contents.
NOT INCLUDED: Items of personal nature such as laundry, wines, mineral water, beverages, coffee, tea, food other than the table d'hote menu, passport and visa fees, insurance, airport taxes and fees, and foreign port taxes.
VALIDITY: All prices quoted are based on current exchange rates and are subject to change without notice. If the U.S. dollar devalues by 5% from the local currency or more, Gate 1 Travel reserves the right to increase prices accordingly.
CST 2017407-20
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