Page 179 - Shearings UK - Take the road less hassled

Booking Conditions
Start spreading any delay which is due to any of the reasons set out in Condition 9 of these Booking Conditions (which includes the behaviour of any passenger(s) However, reduced mobility of course means different things to different individuals as we fully appreciate that individual capabilities, restrictions QR codes above, fill in your details over to the right, or browse online! Ordering your FREE brochure is easy! Use your phone’s camera to scan the
17. PASSENGERS WITH HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS / DISABILITIES / REDUCED MOBILITY
not apply in certain situations. This includes for very small ships or very short journeys. For further information, please contact the Cruise Lines
International Association by email at passengerrights@cruising.org or by telephone 020 3903 5450. Please note, reimbursements in such cases is Our holidays may not be suitable for people with certain disabilities, medical conditions or significantly reduced mobility. Before you make
the responsibility of the cruise ship and will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your full holiday price from us. We cannot accept liability for your booking, we will advise you as to whether the proposed holiday arrangements are generally suitable for someone with reduced mobility.
and requirements are likely to vary considerably. When we refer to reduced mobility, this means any material reduction in mobility whether this is
on any cruises ship who, for example, fails to check in or board on time).
permanent or temporary and whether caused by age or by physical or mental disability or impairment or other cause of disability. If you have a
COACH HOLIDAYS
disability or significantly reduced mobility, coaches/other forms of transport can be difficult to get on and off and some of our hotels do not offer
LENGTH OF DELAY
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
ground/lower floor/step free accessible accommodation or lifts/easy access. Many of the excursions on our tours visit places of interest and public
NONE
UP TO 3 HOURS
buildings. These may not be able to accommodate people with walking difficulties. Excursions which include sightseeing tours may involve walking
3 TO 5 HOURS
LIGHT REFRESHMENTS FOR EACH PASSENGER
long distances and sometimes over cobbled or uneven surfaces.
ONE MAIN MEAL FOR EACH PASSENGER
5 TO 9 HOURS
We always endeavour to assist if we reasonably can where additional equipment needs to be transported in relation to a disability, medical
OVERNIGHT
MEALS AND ACCOMMODATION AS APPROPRIATE FOR THE TIME OF DAY OR NIGHT
condition or reduced mobility. However, please bear in mind that coaches are subject to overall weight restrictions and have limited space to
SEA & RIVER CRUISE, RAIL & AIR
accommodate the luggage of all passengers. If we have already agreed to transport such additional equipment for an earlier booking, we may be
ORESPONSIBILITY RESTS WITH THE AIR/RAIL/CRUISE OPERATOR
the news… any concert / event / parade / play / entertainment / ride / swimming pool for whatever reason. Should any such situation arise, the holiday Airlines and rail, ferry and cruise operators have their own restrictions on the carriage of such equipment. Should you suffer from any disability,
unable to do so for a later booking for the same coach. This is particularly the case where any such equipment is relatively bulky or heavy. We will
not usually be able to carry more than one mobility scooter on a coach. Carriage of any equipment is subject to its individual size, weight and other
11. ARTISTS, CONCERTS, ENTERTAINMENTS AND RIDES
details, full details of which must be provided at the time of booking.
We cannot accept responsibility for the non-appearance of any artist or the cancellation / withdrawal / closure / curtailment / other change of
arrangements will still proceed. We will not always be in a position to advise you in advance of any such cancellation etc. Such situations will not
medical condition or significant reduction in mobility which may affect your or other passengers’ holidays, you must provide full verbal and written
constitute a significant alteration to your holiday arrangements entitling you to cancel or change to another holiday without paying our normal
details at the time you book the holiday, including any specific requirements you have. Additionally, at the time you book the holiday, you must
charges.
provide verbal and written confirmation that all assistance required will be provided by your travelling companion(s).
12. CONDITIONS OF SUPPLIERS
You must also notify us of any adverse changes or deterioration in the disability or medical condition, or development of any disability or medical
condition or material reduction in your mobility after booking. In view of the nature of our holidays, we regret we must reserve the right to decline
Many of the services which make up your holiday booked with us are provided by independent suppliers including (but not limited to) cruise
any booking or cancel (in the event of the development, deterioration or adverse change of any disability or medical condition or material reduction
operator and airlines. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions which will form part of your
in your mobility occurring after confirmation) whenever we reasonably feel unable to accommodate the needs or restrictions of any particular
contract with us. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable
International Conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier
customer or where, in our reasonable opinion, the medical condition, disability or reduced mobility of the customer concerned is likely to have a
concerned. Where there is any conflict between the terms and conditions of the airline/cruise operator/partner tour operator and these Booking
significant adverse effect on other customers taking the same holiday. We further reserve the right to cancel any holiday and impose cancellation
charges if we are not fully advised of any relevant disability or medical condition or significant reduction in mobility at the time the booking is made
Conditions, the relevant provision of these Booking Conditions will take precedence. Your contract for all sea/ river cruising and/or partner tour
operator holidays will be with us.
and/ or promptly notified of any development, adverse change or deterioration occurring after booking. On occasions, the decision to cancel
13. SPECIAL REQUESTS
disability, medical condition or reduced mobility cannot be accommodated.
We will endeavour to pass on any reasonable requests to the relevant supplier (e.g. dietary, cots, ground floor accommodation), but cannot
promise that any request will be honoured. We may not always be able to tell you before you leave if the supplier cannot meet your special request. Any customer affected by a disability or medical condition must ensure they have notified this to their travel insurers, and that their travel insurance
For your own protection, you should obtain confirmation in writing from us that your request will be complied with (where it is possible for us to
provides cover. As it is a condition of booking that all customers have adequate and appropriate travel insurance, we are entitled to insist on
give this) if your request is important to you. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier, or the inclusion of
evidence that the disability or medical condition is covered.
the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation, is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until can only be made at the time the person concerned joins the coach/ holiday for the first time as it may only be apparent at this stage that their
18. EXCURSIONS
specifically confirmed in writing, all special requests are subject to availability. Any special requirement which we have accepted will be specifically Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on holiday are not part of your contracted arrangements with
confirmed as accepted on your confirmation invoice. us. For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not
14. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.
Should you have a complaint about any aspect of your holiday, you must notify one of the coach crew, or one of our representatives, together with 19. ASSISTANCE DOGS
the supplier of the services in question, immediately so that the problem can be quickly resolved during your holiday or alternatively contact our We are happy to carry assistance dogs on our holidays. To qualify as an assistance dog, the dog must be specifically trained to assist a person
24 hour emergency number whilst on tour as shown on your travel documents. Failure to report any issues in resort could invalidate any claims by a member organisation of Assistance Dogs International or the International Guide Dog Federation. This includes the following organisations:
made upon your return. If the matter cannot be resolved to your satisfaction straight away, you must immediately email our Customer Relations Canine Partners, Dog A.I.D, Dogs for Good, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Medical Detection Dogs and
department at customer.relations@shearings.com with details of your complaint. Support Dogs. In order to travel to and from EU countries and listed territories, the dog must meet the requirements of the UK Pet Travel Scheme
15. HOLIDAY INSURANCE (EXCLUDING ACCOMMODATION ONLY) which include having an animal health certificate unless you have a pet passport issued in an EU country or Northern Ireland, being micro chipped
It is a condition of booking a holiday with us that you take out travel insurance. The insurance we offer is for United Kingdom residents only. You and being vaccinated against rabies more than 21 days prior to the date of departure from the UK. In addition, dogs must be treated for tapeworm
must provide us with the insurance company name, telephone number, policy number, policy duration and details of the emergency and medical no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before entry back into the UK. Additional rules apply if travelling to countries outside
repatriation telephone number relating to such a policy within 14 days of booking. If you purchase the insurance we offer, cover will not be effective the EU and listed territories. Full details can be found on the website: https://www.gov.uk/taking-yourpetabroad. We would like to remind customers
until we receive all applicable premiums in full. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. It is your responsibility that it is their responsibility to ensure they have the necessary documentation to enter the relevant countries with their dog and to check with
to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. We do not check alternative insurance policies. the country you’re travelling to. If you wish to bring an assistance dog with you on holiday, please contact us by telephone prior to making your
If you refuse or fail to take out travel insurance you must complete, sign and return our insurance indemnity form (available on request). We will be booking so we can make the necessary arrangements and ensure the dog meets all requirements.
entitled to cancel your booking and apply cancellation charges where you have not provided us with details of your travel insurance policy and we 20. ASSISTANCE WHILST AWAY
have not received the completed and signed indemnity or your acceptance of this through Manage My Booking 7 days prior to departure. In the event you experience difficulties (of any sort) during your holiday, we will provide you with appropriate assistance as soon as reasonably
16. OUR LIABILITY (EVENTS CONNECTED WITH YOUR HOLIDAY PACKAGE) possible including by the provision of appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance and by assisting you
(1) We will accept responsibility for the arrangements we agree to provide or arrange for you as an “organiser” under the Package Travel and Linked to make distance communications and to find alternative travel arrangements as may be applicable. Where you are in difficulty as a result of your
Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, as set out below and as such, we are responsible for the proper provision of the travel services specifically negligence, we may charge you a reasonable fee for this assistance which will not exceed the costs we actually incur.
included in your package, as set out in your confirmation invoice, ‘Things You Need To Know’ document, our brochures and the information we 21. BEHAVIOUR
provided to you regarding the services prior to booking. Please note that we shall not be responsible for any additional services provided to you, All our customers are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and acceptable manner and not to disrupt the enjoyment of others. If in our
whether provided by the travel service providers or otherwise, which are not set out in your confirmation invoice, Things You Need To Know’ opinion or in the opinion of any hotel manager or any other person in authority, your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or
document, our brochures and the information we provided to you regarding the services prior to booking. is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any other customers or any third party, or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion
(2) We will not be responsible or pay you compensation for any personal injury or death unless you are able to prove that it was caused by our to transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your booking with us immediately. In the event of such termination our liability to you and/or
negligence or the negligence of our suppliers. your party will cease and you and/or your party will be required to leave your accommodation or other arrangements immediately. We will have no
(3) We will not be responsible or pay you compensation for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other claim of any description further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost accommodation or any other arrangements will be made and we will not pay any
if it results from: expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination.
(a) the acts and/or omissions of the person affected; or When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you and/or your party. Full payment for any such damage
(b) the acts and/or omissions of a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for and which were unforeseeable or or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be paid direct at the time to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier.
unavoidable; or If the actual cost of the loss or the damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost
is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. You will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and
(c) Events Beyond Our Control (as defined in Condition 9). all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions (or any member in your party) and we
(4) We limit the amount of compensation we may have to pay you if we are found liable under this condition: will hold you and each member of your party jointly and individually liable. In the event of any customer behaving in such a way as to cause or be
(a) loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money: the maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these likely to cause (in our reasonable opinion or the reasonable opinion of any person in authority) offence, danger, damage or significant discomfort
claims is an amount equivalent to the excess on your insurance policy which applies to this type of loss per person in total because you are required or distress to others, we reserve the right to terminate that person’s holiday arrangements. In this situation, we will not be liable to complete your
to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind. holiday arrangements (including return travel arrangements) and will not pay you, nor be liable for, any refund, compensation or costs you have to
(b) Claims not falling under (a) above and which don’t involve injury, illness or death: the maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of pay. We cannot accept liability for the behaviour of others staying at your accommodation, or if facilities are withdrawn as a result of their action.
these claims is up to three times the price paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where 22. FINANCIAL PROTECTION
everything has gone wrong and you or your party has not received any benefit at all from your booking. Your holiday is financially protected under an independent trust account structure in accordance with The Package Travel and Linked Travel
(c) Claims in respect of international travel by sea and rail, or any stay in a hotel: Arrangements Regulations 2018, as amended. All funds currently held by us in relation to your booking, together with any additional payments
due thereon, will be paid into an independently operated trust account “Shearings Travel Limited Trust” administered jointly by the company and an
i) The extent of our liability will in all cases be limited as if we were carriers under the appropriate Conventions, which include The Athens Convention independent professional travel trustee. Your travel funds will be segregated from general operational funds of Shearings Travel Limited until your
(with respect to sea travel); The Berne/Cotif Convention (with respect to rail travel) and The Paris Convention (with respect to hotel arrangements). holiday is complete and fulfilled, thus ensuring that, in the very unlikely event of our insolvency, you will be fully protected and refunded in full.
You can ask for copies of these Conventions from our offices. Please contact us. In addition, you agree that the operating carrier or transport 23. ENTRY PASSPORT, VISA & IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS & HEALTH FORMALITIES
company’s own ‘Conditions of Carriage’ will apply to you on that journey. When arranging transportation for you, we rely on the terms and It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the entry, passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only
conditions contained within these international conventions and those ‘Conditions of Carriage’. You acknowledge that all of the terms and provide general information about this. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/
conditions contained in those ‘Conditions of Carriage’ form part of your contract with us, as well as with the transport company and that those or Consulates and your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before
‘Conditions of Carriage’ shall be deemed to be included by reference into this contract. departure. Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you
ii) In any circumstances in which a carrier is liable to you by virtue of EC 261/2004 (denied boarding and flight disruption), any liability we may have should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. For further information contact the Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit
to you under our contract with you, arising out of the same facts, is limited to the remedies provided under the Regulation as if (for this purpose https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship/passports.
only) we were a carrier.
For European travel you should obtain a UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC) prior to departure unless you are able to rely upon an existing
iii) When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question. For travel to Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, UK GHIC and EHIC can not be used for medical treatment. Passengers to these
(5) Subject to these Booking Conditions, if we or our suppliers negligently perform or arrange those services set out in the confirmation invoice, destinations should obtain comprehensive medical insurance prior to departure, including cover for emergency medical treatment and associated
‘Things You Need To Know’ document, our brochures and the information we provided to you regarding the services prior to booking and we costs. Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, visit https://www.gov.uk/travelaware.
don’t remedy or resolve your complaint within a reasonable period of time, and this has affected the enjoyment of your package holiday you Non British passport holders, including other EU nationals, should obtain up to date advice on entry, passport, visa, health and immigration
may be entitled to an appropriate price reduction or compensation or both. You must inform us without undue delay of any failure to perform or requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling, We do not
improper performance of the travel services included in this package. The level of any such price reduction or compensation in respect of any claim accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any entry, passport, visa, immigration
for damages or compensation whatsoever will be calculated taking into consideration all relevant factors such as but not limited to: following the requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to
complaints procedure as described in these Booking Conditions and the extent to which ours or our employees’ or suppliers’ negligence affected comply with any entry passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
the overall enjoyment of your holiday. Please note that it is your responsibility to show that we or our supplier(s) have been negligent if you wish
to make a claim against us Please note: The impacts of Brexit may change your visa, ticket and health requirements. Third country nationals may require an airport transit visa
when passing through EU Member States. There is the potential for disruption at borders when travelling between the UK and EU Member States
(6) It is a condition of our acceptance of liability under this condition that you notify any claim to us and our supplier(s) strictly in accordance with and you should allow sufficient time for this when planning any onward travel. You should check any impacts of Brexit on your travel, in advance of
the complaints procedure set out in these conditions. your departure, to ensure that you fulfil the requirements post-Brexit, including any passport validly requirements. The UK Government passport
(7) Where any payment is made, the person(s) receiving it (and their parent or guardian if under 18 years) must also assign to us or our insurers checker can be found here https://www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe.
any rights they may have to pursue any third party and must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel
(8) Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description: Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Shearings Travel Limited, member number 5600, and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided
(a) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you for: ABTOT cover provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled or repatriation if transportation was included in your package. Please
would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you; note that bookings made outside the UK are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Shearings Travel Limited.
(b) relate to any business; In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call our 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise
you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company. You can access The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018
(c) indirect or consequential loss of any kind. here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents/made
(9) We will not accept responsibility for services or facilities which do not form part of our agreement or where they are not advertised in our
brochure. For example any excursion you book whilst away, or any service or facility which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for You can find out more about ABTOT here: https://www.abtot.com/
you. If you book arrangements other than package holiday from us, your monies will not be financially protected. Please ask us for further details.
(10) Where it is impossible for you to return to your departure point as per the agreed return date of your package, due to “unavoidable and 24. ADVANCE PASSENGER INFORMATION
extraordinary circumstances”, we shall provide you with any necessary accommodation (where possible, of a comparable standard) for a period A number of Governments are introducing new requirements for air carriers to provide personal information about all travellers on their aircraft to
not exceeding three nights per person. Please note that the 3 night cap does not apply to persons with reduced mobility, pregnant women or the Authorities before the aircraft leaves the UK. The data will be collected either at the airport when you check in or in some circumstances when,
unaccompanied minors, nor to persons needing specific medical assistance, provided we have been notified of these particular needs at least 48 or after you make your booking. Accordingly, you are advised to allow extra time to check in for your flight. Where we collect this data, we will treat
hours before the start of your holiday. For the purposes of this condition, “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” mean warfare, acts of it in accordance with our privacy policy.
terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, 25. FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE ADVICE
earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely back to your departure point. You are responsible for making yourself aware of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice in regard to the safety of the
countries and areas in which you will be travelling and to make your decisions accordingly. Advice from the FCDO to avoid or leave a particular
country may constitute Events Beyond Our Control (see Condition 9).
The hassle is taken away with our hand-on-heart promise 179