AIR DEVIATIONS AND/OR ADDITIONAL HOTEL NIGHTS
Should you want to make your own customized flight and/or land arrangements, our Special Services Department is ready and waiting to serve you or your travel agent. A nominal fee is charged and varies according to the request. Passengers requesting air deviations and/or additional hotel nights will forfeit airport transfers.
CHANGE CHARGES
Changing your itinerary after reservations have been made may have disadvantages. To cover administrative costs, a charge of $50 per person will be made each time you request a change in your travel arrangements between 59 and 30 days prior to sailing. The passenger is responsible for costs incurred as a result of such changes. In addition, no refund will be made for unused or partially used portions of the air/land/cruise package. Once airline tickets are issued, any changes resulting in additional costs are at the passenger’s expense. Any cancellation penalties imposed by the carrier will be deducted from your refund. Airline tickets cannot be changed on board ship. Change charges are not assessed for cabin upgrades or for the addition of services, unless air reservations are altered and/or travel documents must be reissued.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
We particularly ask you to tell us in writing of any alterations to your address before departure, and in any communication, please state the cruise on which you are traveling.
HOTELS, EXCURSIONS AND LAND
The land packages contained in this brochure can only be purchased in conjunction with Voyages of Discovery cruise. The company reserves the right to assign your hotel based on pre-reserved space at hotels listed in the brochure. Hotels are determined by the cabin category purchased and in most cases, rooms are not available until 3.00 pm on day of arrival. Passengers booked in cabin categories G - O will be accommodated in first class hotels: passengers in categories A - F in deluxe or superior first class hotels. You can upgrade at supplementary cost, ask for details. Special upgrade promotions are limited to shipboard accommodations only. Certain land packages and excursions will not operate without a minimum participation and others may have a maximum capacity. The sequence of escorted land tours may vary from the brochure. If, for any reason, a hotel, sightseeing or entertainment feature is canceled or otherwise unavailable, the company reserves the right to cancel, make substitutions or omissions and is under no obligation except that in the event of cancellation you will receive a full refund of any payments received for that service.
ITINERARY CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS
The company reserves the right to cancel, advance or postpone any cruise at any time prior to the scheduled sailing date and is under no obligation, except in the event of cancellation when you will receive a full refund of any payments received. In addition, situations may arise which, in the opinion of the company, make it necessary to change itineraries or make substitutions or omissions, involving hotels, ports of call, restaurants, other travel components, vessels or other modes of transportation, whether before or after the sailing of the vessel, without previous notice to the passenger. If this should occur, the company does not assume responsibility or liability for any losses, inconvenience or expenses incurred by passengers as a result, except as detailed in the contract of carriage. The company is not required to make refunds once travel commences regardless of the reason for a passenger being unable to complete their travel.
PASSENGERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Voyages of Discovery will always try to accommodate passengers with special needs. However, the following conditions apply:
Medical Situations: Any physical disability or medical condition that requires special treatment or medical apparatus must be reported to the company’s Reservations Manager in writing along with the first deposit, which is due at time of booking. These include, but are not limited to, wheelchairs, oxygen therapy, dialysis, guide dogs, etc. Failure to disclose a medical situation at time of booking may result in your being denied boarding at port of embarkation.
Health Care Companions: All passengers with special needs must be self-sufficient and must be accompanied by a passenger who will take full responsibility for any assistance needed during the cruise and in the event of an emergency.
Pregnancy: We will not accept reservations for women who will be 24 weeks pregnant or more at the time of their travel.
Disabled Passengers: We feel we should point out that we are not specialists in catering for the disabled or those with serious medical conditions. If you or any person traveling with you suffers from a disability or serious illness, you must contact our office for advice before you make your booking. However, we must respectfully point out that at all ports of call featured in this cruise program (with the exception of Harwich), passengers are required to walk up or down the gangway when embarking or disembarking the ship.
Wheelchairs: Passengers confined to a wheelchair must provide their own collapsible chair. Please note that in cabins aboard the Discovery there is a 5" riser to bathrooms, except in cabin no.’s 4140 and 4144 on Bali Deck, which have been adapted for wheelchair use. Some ports require tenders to go ashore and conditions may preclude a wheelchair passenger from leaving the vessel; this decision must be made by the ship’s Captain and is binding. Passengers should also be aware that facilities for the handicapped in some exotic destinations may be very limited. Getting about once on board Discovery is relatively easy, however, you may find certain parts of the ship inaccessible.
Special Diets: We can usually make provision for special diets provided that sufficient notice is given. A good vegetarian choice is available on board ship. Please indicate any requests at time of booking. We will make every effort to satisfy your request, although this cannot be guaranteed.
*Please Note: The company has the right to refuse or revoke passage to anyone who, in its judgment, is in a physical or mental condition unfit for travel, or who may require care beyond that which the vessel can provide.
SHORE EXCURSIONS
The exact content and cost of the shore excursion programs may not be finalized. Details will be sent to you well before departure. Shore excursions are reserved onboard. Shore excursions are subject to weather and shore conditions. It is in the sole judgement of the Captain of the Ship whether any shore excursions will operate from mv Discovery.
OPTIONAL VACATION EXTENSIONS - Optional add-on tours and city stays
A close look at our itineraries will reveal a host of pre- and post-cruise options you can add to your vacation. Traveling all that way, it makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity. Great value, our feature-filled deals are easy to dovetail with Discovery's plans.
AGRA & TAJ MAHAL- A mid-cruise three-night option available on all cruises sailing through Mumbai
DELHI & AGRA - A three-night option available on all cruises that begin or end in Mumbai
ANGKOR WAT & PHNOM PENH - A mid-cruise three-night option available on combination and grand voyage cruises calling in Cambodia
ANGKOR WAT & BANGKOK - A four-night option available on all cruises that begin or end in Bangkok
Must be booked in advance. Space is limited.
RESPONSIBILITY
The responsibility of the company, operators of the mv Discovery, and of independent contractors, is strictly limited according to the terms and conditions set forth in the contract of carriage that you will receive prior to embarkation. Passengers are urged to read the contract of carriage carefully. A sample is available upon request and can be inspected at the company’s office at any time. Transportation aboard ship is provided solely by the ship operator and pursuant to the contract of carriage. The company reserves the right to decline to accept or retain any person as a passenger for any reason. The company and the vessel’s Master have the right to refuse or revoke passage to anyone who, in its judgement, is in a physical or mental condition unfit for travel, or who may require care beyond that which the vessel can provide. In this case, no refund of monies paid will be made. The company is not to be held responsible for any act, event or omission during the time passengers are not aboard the mv Discovery. The company acts only as agent for the supplier of the other off-ship services such as airlines and other off-ship transportation carriers, shore excursions, meals, accommodations, air ambulance and shoreside physicians featured in this brochure. Passengers agree not to hold the company, its owners, agents or representatives liable for any loss, injury, expense or damage which results directly or indirectly from any act or omission, whether negligent or otherwise, of any third party person or firm which is to, or does, provide goods or services in connection with the trip or any available option. Without limiting the foregoing, the company shall have no liability to the passengers for the quality of services at, and the condition, cleanliness or safety of, a hotel, housing facility or conveyance, or for any transportation delay, including but not limited to liability for inconvenience, shortened vacation time, additional expenses, or any other kind of damage. The company expressly disclaims all responsibility of any nature whatsoever for any loss, damage or injury to property or person resulting from air, rail or
motorcoach transportation.
SHIP’S REGISTRY
The mv Discovery is registered in
IMPORTANT NOTICE
This information is subject to change without notice. If cost factors dictate the need for fare increases, the company may do so prior to departure and without notice. Fully paid or deposited passengers will be protected
OVERSEAS STANDARDS
It is a fact of life that when we travel to different countries, we often find that the customs, traditions and general pace at which things are done can often be very different from what we are used to in the US. So as far as standards of safety are concerned, the suppliers of services must comply with the rules and regulations of their own country and these are not always as strict as they are in the
DANGEROUS GOODS
We direct your attention to the fact that it is an offence to carry on board aircraft or ship any goods of a dangerous or damaging nature. Remember that petrol and other lighter or curler fluids come under the terms of the Explosives Act; their inclusion in heavy baggage is strictly prohibited.
Our aim is your complete enjoyment of the voyage and all our staff, ashore and afloat, together with the ship's crew will do their utmost to ensure this. The information given here is correct at the time of publishing, but is subject to change without notice. If you have any queries about your booking we will always be pleased to help you. Please feel free to telephone us on: (866)-623-2689.
The information contained in this website is checked for accuracy by our UK staff, our overseas staff and our agents. Nevertheless, we would ask you to bear in mind that things can change and often these things can happen without our prior knowledge. However, should we become aware of any long term or permanent change which it is considered would have a permanent effect upon your enjoyment of the cruise, we will do our utmost to advise you.
Photo Credits: Bahamas Ministry of Tourism; Margaux Daher, Barbados.org; Brazil Ministry of Tourism; Hector Roldan, fotosdeguatemala.com; StLucia.org; LimaTours, Peru; VisitChile.org; Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism; Bergen Tourist Board/Per Eide; Faroe Islands Tourist Board/Absalon Hansen.
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